How to Bury a Deceased Person Properly According to Islamic Law

Death is the end of every living being's destiny. As civilized human beings, we have customs and rules for how the deceased and their bodies should be treated.

Knowing how to bury the deceased is important because there are principles and protocols that must be followed based on specific rules.

One of these rules is religious law, which has specific principles for caring for and treating the deceased. In Islam, Shariah has specific protocols for caring for and burying the deceased.

Before the deceased is buried, there are other Shariah protocols that must also be fulfilled, namely washing the body. This washing should ideally be done by a mahram: a male body is washed by males and a female body is washed by females. After the body is cleansed through washing, it is wrapped in a burial shroud.

Knowledge and understanding of caring for the deceased, from washing and shrouding to burial, can be important for every Muslim.

Burial Procedures in Islamic Law

The procedures for burying the deceased under Islamic law involve several important matters as part of the preparation through to the process of lowering the body into the grave. Several

important matters and steps that must be followed are:

1. Choosing the Grave or Burial Site

A Muslim who has passed away should preferably be buried in a cemetery or burial ground designated for Muslims. However, in an emergency, burial alongside people of other faiths in any grave is not a problem.

2. Preparing the Grave (Liang Lahat)

The grave pit (liang lahat) is one of the essential requirements in the burial process. It cannot be dug carelessly; it must meet several standards of suitability and comply with the rules. There are at least two main points that must be considered when preparing the grave.

The first point to consider is the depth of the grave pit. The hole must be dug deep enough, using as a guide the height of a person standing inside it with their hand raised above their head. In general, the depth of the grave can be estimated at between 1.8 and 2 meters.

The width is stated as one hasta plus one jengkal, which when converted to metric measurements is roughly 50 cm or half a meter. The length must be greater than the height of the person being buried. A length of 2 meters is generally sufficient for the standard size of people in Indonesia.

The depth and width of the grave affect safety and comfort. A grave that is not deep enough risks being dug up by wild animals and can also produce an unpleasant smell. Sufficient depth is also safer in case of rainwater runoff. Sufficient width makes it easier to lower or place the body into the grave.

The second point that deserves attention is the position of the grave pit. The grave must be oriented north to south, with the head of the deceased placed on the north side. Graves in Indonesia are generally fitted with wooden boards, concrete or stone on the edges and over the body.

3. Timing of the Burial

There is guidance on when to bury the deceased. A person who has died should be buried promptly and should not be delayed. This is sometimes done to wait for relatives who live far away; however, hastening the burial is recommended in Islamic Shariah.

As for the time of burial, or placing the body into the grave, it is best to avoid the time when the sun is rising, when it is at its highest, and when it is setting. Burial at night is not a problem, since the sun has fully set.

4. Burying the Deceased

Once all the requirements are ready, the deceased can be buried or placed into the grave. This process also has several guidelines or procedures that must be observed, such as:

• Lowering the body into the grave starting with the head, from the direction of the feet, or from the south toward the north.
• Placing the body at the edge of the grave, facing the qiblah, or on the west side for graves in Indonesia.
• Laying the body on its right side facing the qiblah, supported with stones or wood so it does not move, and then turning it back to lie on its back.
• Untying the shroud and placing soil under the right cheek or the lower side of the body.
• Reciting prayers after the body is placed in the grave.
• Scattering soil three times from the direction of the head.
• Then covering the body with wooden boards, stone or concrete so that the body is not immediately struck by soil when buried.
• Filling the grave with soil and marking it by forming a mound. There is also a custom of adding a marker with the name and date of death.
• Reciting a prayer after finishing the burial, repeated three times.

In addition, there are some recommended or supplementary customs, such as hanging a cloth over the grave when lowering a female body into it. For male bodies, hanging a cloth over the grave during lowering is not necessary.

Another recommended and preferred practice is for each body to be attended by family or a mahram, from washing the body and wrapping the shroud through to lowering it into the grave.

When lowering a female body into the grave, it is best done by men who are not in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity), meaning they did not have relations with their wives the previous night, or who have performed the ritual bath if they did.

Conclusion

Choosing to bury a relative with the help of professional funeral staff has become common, and is sometimes covered by life insurance. These professional funeral services can be a great help and relief to grieving families, as they do not have to deal with caring for and arranging the body up until it is laid to rest.

Professional assistance with procedures for caring for and burying the deceased generally includes preparing the grave as well as transportation needs for transporting the body from the hospital to the family home and on to the burial site where the deceased will be laid to rest.

Knowledge of how to bury the deceased under Islamic Shariah can be important for every Muslim. It becomes valuable when faced with the situation of a relative or family member who has passed away. Beyond serving as a guide to the burial process, it is also important when the burial is carried out with the help of professional funeral services.

Kamboja is always by your side, providing funeral protection services and professional body care for you and your family when that day comes.