Let’s emulate Muslims on funeral rites

Yusuf Haji burial

Relatives and friends of the late Garissa Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji at the graveside after he was interred at Langata Muslim Cemetery on February 15, 2021.


 

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The culture fostered by Sharia law presents a dignified way of handling the dead.
  • Sharia calls for burial of the body as soon as possible following a simple ritual involving bathing and covering it.

The ease with which Muslims conduct their burial ceremonies is worth emulating. Take the case of the recent burial of Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji. The swiftness with which the event was held brings to question the essence of expensive events, mostly witnessed in Christian burials.

The culture fostered by Sharia law presents a dignified way of handling the dead. Funerals in Islam entail specific rites. Sharia calls for burial of the body as soon as possible following a simple ritual involving bathing and covering it.

In addition, the burials are conducted within 24 hours of death to protect the living from any sanitary issues — except in the case when foul play is suspected, to establish the cause of death.

Mortuary expenses do not, therefore, escalate — unlike with Christians, who wait for weeks as they raise money for a ceremony in the name of “giving the deceased an honourable send-off”.

Respect for the dead

Equally, Muslims dig a simple grave, regardless of the social standing of the deceased. Burying the dead in a coffin is forbidden unless there is a requirement that must be followed in a particular area. This is not the case with Christians, who mostly abide by the wishes of the deceased. 

This and other cultures project the Islamic faith as truly having respect for the dead.

A normal Christian’s burial is expensive, most of the times unnecessarily. The famous phrase “pesa ya matanga” today is overly misused to strike emotions of sympathy and exploitatively solicit for funds which, at times, are not spent for the original purpose.

The schemes extend to WhatsApp groups and uncalled-for harambees, even when there are no hospital bills to clear.

The lengthy procedures employed by Christian clerics present platforms for leaders to play politics and other speakers to address agendas alien to burial settings. It is time the Church put their house in order regarding burials.

Mr Mwangi is a communication student at Multimedia University of Kenya. [email protected].