Every Muslim, especially mosque administrators, is obligated to know the proper way to care for someone who has passed away. From washing the body and wrapping it in the shroud, to accompanying the body to the burial site.
Even though you can ask for help from a professional funeral service, burying a deceased loved one is not something to take lightly. Read this article to learn the etiquette for accompanying a body to the burial site.
Etiquette for Accompanying a Body to the Burial Site
Here are some procedures for accompanying a body to the burial site that you should know:
1. Lower Your Gaze
The first thing to keep in mind is to lower your gaze, avoid speaking loudly, and refrain from looking around. Lowering your gaze is an expression of grief and a final sign of respect for the deceased.
If an imam or another person is leading the burial procession, you can lower your gaze while they recite prayers or final words. You should still listen to what the imam says and avoid daydreaming or even falling asleep.
2. Recite Prayers Along the Way
The next etiquette for accompanying a body to the burial site is to recite prayers throughout the journey. You may ask Allah SWT to ease the deceased's grave and open the gates of heaven for them. You may also ask for forgiveness for the deceased's sins.
Family members attending the burial of a relative may lead the recitation of prayers. It is even more preferable if the children of the deceased attend the procession, since the prayers of a righteous child can be a means of salvation for the deceased in the grave.
3. Avoid Convoys When Escorting the Body
One mistake people often make when carrying a body to the burial ground is driving in a convoy. This often happens when a respected religious scholar, official, or celebrity has passed away.
This not only causes traffic jams and slows the journey, but also endangers other road users. Moreover, people in convoys often shout, even though the burial procession should be solemn and calm.
4. Do Not Talk Excessively or Gossip
The fourth procedure for accompanying a body to the burial site is to guard your speech and avoid saying useless things, such as gossiping, joking, or speaking ill of the deceased's conduct during their lifetime.
Whether at the house of mourning, in the vehicle, on the way, or until arriving at the cemetery, everyone accompanying the body should watch what they say. Rather than you or those around you engaging in backbiting, it is better to recite prayers silently in your heart.
Once the body has been placed in the grave and covered with soil, you may recite several prayers asking Allah SWT to forgive the deceased's sins and to widen their grave.
5. Bury the Body Properly
Next, after you have accompanied the body to the burial site, those who escorted it are responsible for burying it properly. Those who came along but are not involved in the burial should stand to the side or behind so they do not disturb the burial procedure.
For the gravediggers, make sure the grave is deep enough so the body cannot be dug up by wild animals. For those lowering the body, try to bring the head in first, so it enters the grave first.
Place the body on its right side so the head faces the qibla. Then untie the shroud and add soil little by little until the grave is
fully covered.
6. Ask for Forgiveness and Scatter Flowers
Toward the end of the burial procession, this is the time for the person leading the ceremony to ask Allah SWT for forgiveness for the deceased. The purpose is for all of the deceased's wrongs to be forgiven and for Allah to give light to the body in the grave.
Those who accompanied the body may scatter flowers over the grave once the prayers are finished. According to the hadith narrators Ibn Abbas and Imam Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah S.A.W. said that these flowers lessen the punishment of the grave for as long as they remain fresh.
Want to Know How to Accompany a Deceased Person to the Burial Site?
That is the procedure and etiquette for accompanying a person who has passed away to their final resting place. Do you need a service that can arrange the burial for your family or relatives? A provider of services on-demand service by Kamboja can be your best choice.
Kamboja also offers several packages with funeral protection fees that vary quite widely, so you can simply choose the one that fits your needs.
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The Kamboja team writes guides on bereavement, funeral arrangements and funeral planning to help families in Indonesia.
