Method
of Burial and Shrouding
Masnūn shroud for man:* (1) Lifāfaĥ (2) Izār (3) Qamīṣ
Masnūn shroud for woman: In addition to the above three
parts, woman's shroud contains two more parts: (4) Breast-cover, (5)
Head-cover.
(Like women, the eunuch with
ambiguous gender should also be shrouded in five pieces of clothes. However, a
silk-shroud or the one dyed with safflower or saffron is not permissible for
such a eunuch.)
(Derived from:
Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 817, 819; 'Ālamgīrī, vol. 1, pp. 160, 161)
Details
regarding the shroud
1. Lifāfaĥ: The Lifāfaĥ shawl should be
somewhat longer than the size of the deceased so that it can be tied at both
ends.
2. Izār: It should be as long as is the size
of the deceased from the top of the head to the feet. That is, the Izār was
required much smaller than the Lifāfaĥ as much part of the Lifāfaĥ was required
for tying it at both ends.
3. Qamīṣ: Being the same from the front and
the back, the Qamīṣ should be long enough to cover the body area from the neck
to a bit below the knees. It should be sleeveless without side-slits. Man's
Qamīṣ should be slit horizontally while woman's Qamīṣ should be slit
vertically.
4. Breast-cover: It should be long enough to cover
the body area from breasts to the navel, preferably to the thighs¹.
(Derived from:
Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 818)
* i.e., in
accordance with the Sunnaĥ
¹ Note: Usually a ready-made shroud is bought. It is not
necessary that it fits the height of corpse as per Masnūn size. It may also be
so big that some of it may be wasted. Therefore, it is advisable to cut the
shroud carefully from the roll of cloth as needed.
Method
of ritually bathing the deceased
Move the burning fragrant incense or
frankincense around the bathing plank 3, 5 or 7 times. Lay the deceased on the
plank as laid in the grave. Cover the body from the navel to a bit below the
knees. (Nowadays, the deceased is covered with a white shawl during the bath,
exposing the Satr. Hence use some brown or dark coloured thick piece of cloth
so that the Satr is not exposed because of wetness. It will be even better if
the cloth is double-folded).
Now, covering his hand with some
piece of cloth, the bath-giving person should first wash both the excretory
organs of the deceased. Then, perform Wuḍū of the deceased as done for Ṣalāh,
i.e., wash the face 3 times, wash the arms including elbows 3 times, moisten
the head (i.e. perform Masḥ) and wash the feet up to the ankles 3 times. Wuḍū
of the deceased does not include washing of hands up to the wrists, rinsing of
the mouth and washing of the nose. Instead, wet some cotton wool and clean the
teeth, gums, lips and nostrils with it. Then wash the hair of the head and the
beard.
Now, making the deceased lie on his
left side, pour lukewarm water (the water boiled with berry leaves is
preferable) from head up to the feet such that the water flows up to the plank.
Then, making the deceased lie on his right side, pour water in the same way.
Now make the deceased sit by supporting his back and move your hand gently over
the lower part of his belly. If something is excreted, wash it away. Repetition
of Wuḍū and Ghusl is not needed. At the end, pour camphor-mixed water from head
to toe three times. Gently dry the body with some clean piece of cloth. Pouring
water once over the entire body is Farḍ and pouring it thrice is Sunnaĥ. (Do
not use water in excess when bathing the deceased. Remember that one will be
held accountable in the Hereafter for every single drop of water.)
Method
to shroud the corpse of a man
Move the burning fragrant incense
around the shroud 1, 3, 5 or 7 times. Then spread the pieces of shroud in such
a way that the Lifāfaĥ is spread first, then the Izār over it and then the
Qamīṣ. Place the deceased on it and make him wear the Qamīṣ. Now apply
fragrance over the beard (if there is no beard, then apply it over the chin)
and over the entire body. Apply camphor over the body parts placed on the
ground during Sajdaĥ (in Ṣalāh) i.e., the forehead, the nose, the hands, the
knees and feet. Then wrap the Izār from the left side first and then from the
right side. At the end, wrap the Lifāfaĥ from the left side first and then from
the right side in such a way that the right side remains on the top. Then tie
the shroud at both ends, i.e., the head side end as well as the feet side.
Method
to shroud the corpse of a woman
After making the deceased woman wear
the Qamīṣ, divide her hair in two parts and place them over the Qamīṣ on the
chest. Place the head-cover under the back and bring it up to the chest,
covering the head with it like a face-veil. Its length should be up to below
half of the back and its width should be from one ear lobe to the other. Some
people cover the head with the head-cover the way women use scarves over their
heads in their lifetime; this is contrary to the Sunnaĥ. Then wrap the Izār and
the Lifāfaĥ as described earlier. At the end, spread the breast-cover across
the area from the breasts to thighs and tie it with string.¹
¹ Nowadays, the Lifāfaĥ is placed at the end in the shroud of a
woman. There is no harm in it but it is better to put the chest cover at the
end.
Burial
after the funeral Ṣalāĥ*
1. It is Mustaḥab to place the bier
towards the Qiblaĥ side of the grave so that the deceased may be lowered into
the grave from the... Qiblaĥ side. Do not bring the deceased (into the grave)
from the head side after placing the bier at the foot side of the grave.¹
2. As per requirement, two or three
(better be pious and strong) persons should go down into the grave. The body of
a woman should be lowered by her Maḥārim. If they are not present, the
relatives may do it, and if they are not present either, pious persons may be
asked to do it.²
3. After the woman's body is lowered
into the grave, keep her covered with some shawl unless slabs are laid.
4. Read this supplication when lowering
the deceased into the grave:
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ وَبِاللّٰہِ وَعَلٰی مِلَّةِ
رَسُوْلِ اللّٰہ³
5. Lay the deceased on its right side
and make him face the Qiblaĥ. Untie the strings of the Lifāfaĥ. Even if not
untied, there is still no harm in it.⁴
6. Close the grave with unbaked
bricks⁵. If the ground is soft, it is permissible to use planks.⁶
7. Now put earth into the grave. It is
Mustaḥab to put earth thrice using both hands. On putting earth the first time,
say ⁷مِنْہَا خَلَقْنٰکُم, second time say ⁸وَفِیْہَا نُعِیْدُکُم, and the third time
say ¹وَمِنْہَا نُخْرِجُکُمْ تَارَةً اُخْرٰی.
* See method of lifting the corpse and
method of funeral prayer in the same book.
¹ Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, vol. 1, pp. 166
² Tanvīr-ul-Abṣār, vol. 3, pp. 166
³ Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 166; Jauharaĥ, pp. 140
⁴ Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 844
⁵ It is prohibited to use baked bricks in the inside part of the grave but
these days it is customary to make cemented walls and use slabs to close the
grave. Therefore, the parts of the cemented walls and slabs that will remain
inside the grave should be plastered with mud. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ protect Muslims from the effect of fire. اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّى اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی
عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
⁶ Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 844
⁷ Translation: We created you from the earth.
⁸ Translation: And will take you back into it.
Now put the rest of the earth with a
spade, etc.²
8. It is Makrūĥ to put earth in more
quantity than the one brought out while the grave was being dug.³
9. Make the grave slanting like a camel
hump. Do not make it four-cornered (these days, four-cornered graves often made
of bricks, etc., are prepared after a few days of the burial; this should be
avoided).⁴ (The grave should be about 8 inches high or a bit more than that.⁵
10. To sprinkle water over the grave
after the burial is Sunnaĥ.⁶
11. Afterwards, sprinkling water for
some plant etc. is permitted.
12. Some people sprinkle water over the
grave of their relative just as a formality without any real purpose, this is
Isrāf and impermissible. It is stated on page 373 of the 9th volume of Fatāwā
Razawiyyaĥ: To pour water needlessly over the grave is a waste of water,
which is not permissible.
13. After the deceased is buried, it is
Mustaḥab to recite from اَلٓمّٓ to مُفْلِحُوْن by the head side of the grave and from اٰمَنَ الرَّسُوْلُ to the end of the Sūrah by the feet side.⁷
14. (15) Make Talqīn (its method is described
in the footnote of page 260).
15. To place flowers over the grave is
better because they will glorify Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
for as long as they remain fresh, delighting the deceased.⁸
16. Call out the Ażān whilst standing
near the head side of the grave and facing the Qiblaĥ.⁹
¹ Translation: And will
raise you again from it.
² Jauharaĥ, pp. 141
³ Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, vol. 1, pp. 166
⁴ Rad-dul-Muḥtār, vol. 3, pp. 169
⁵ Ibid, pp. 168
⁶ Fatāwā Razawiyyaĥ (referenced), vol. 9, pp. 373
⁷ Jauharaĥ, pp. 141; Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 846
⁸ Rad-dul-Muḥtār, vol. 3, pp. 184
⁹ Derived from: Fatāwā Razawiyyaĥ (referenced), vol. 5, pp. 370
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