Burial Rituals
Rituals for Just before (Ehtezar) and Immediately After Death
Let us create a scenario in which you are sitting in front of a very
sick friend or a relative whom you have come to visit. He/she is alone
in the house. You are the only other person present. Suddenly you see
him/her struggling for breath. He/she is taking his/her last breath!
Dying! The color of his/her face is changing. He is said to be in
Saqarat - the pain of death. Gradually, he/she stops breathing and is
dead. What should you be doing as required by the Shariah while the
person is in the course of dying and soon after death?
I am not aware of the legal requirements here in Canada. Therefore, I
will leave it to you to find out.
Before the Death, During the Saqarat ul Mawt
a) Move the dying person to face Qibla in such a position that
the soles of his/her feet face Qibla. In other words, if he/she were
to sit upright his/her face would face Qibla.
b) Recite the Shahadah and make him/her repeat it. It should
cover Tawhid /Nubuwwat/ Imamat and make him/her recite dua for
Istighfar to ask forgiveness from Allah for his/her sins.
c) Recite Surah Yasin, Wassafat, Ayatul Qursi and other
Ayats from the Qur'an to ease the moments of Saqarat.
Right After the Death
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d) Close the eyes and the mouth of the dead person.
e) Stretch his/her arms along his/her sides and keep his/her legs
straight.
f) Cover his/her body with a sheet of cloth.
g) Inform his/her Wali or next of kin (if wali is not present)
to come immediately.
h) Recite the Qur'an until the body is taken away for Ghusl
Mayyit.
The Wali, the personal representative appointed by the deceased in
his/her will or next of kin is personally responsible for all the
after death rituals. His prior permission is necessary before any other
person(s) can handle the body.