Penitents receive the message: Fear not about your sins, for they have been forgiven you, and grieve not that you may miss the reward because of anything you may have done subsequent to your repentance.. Katb Al-kitaab. Muslims, practitioners of the Islamic faith, believe that if you lived a good life, you will go to Paradise after you die. The funeral ()consists of prayers for the rest of the dead person's soul. As many as five hundred to six hundred chairs have been set out to handle the crowds. So a youth in the period of his youthfulness ought to become accustomed to doing good deeds and then doing good deeds will be easy for him when he becomes old. The body is turned to face towards Mecca, the holy center of Islam. When she died on June 12, 2013, at age 55, the reserve had been under siege for several years from poachers targeting older . Every dead person was identified with Osiris and bore his name (the famous papyrus of Ani often mentions the dead scribe as Osiris-Ani). This article investigates the relationship be-tween grief and music in the context of the Lebanese village funeral, taking into But before the burial the body must be washed. #1 The Value of the Cup. Before the burial, the deceased person's body is washed. The family was standing in line, friends were also standing in line, so I stood in line. Afterwards the Prophet repeated this verse: Unite no partner with God, for whoever uniteth gods with God is like that which falleth from on high, and the birds snatch it away, or the wind wafteth it to a distant place. He hoped that they might prepare themselves for dying and bear with patient endurance (sabr) the distresses of this world; for endurance of the distresses of this world is easier than to endure the distress of dying, and the distress of dying belongs to the torments of the Hereafter, and the torments of the afterlife are more severe than the torments of this life. After sunset, all the clan stand outside the tent on chairs, there receiving the condolences of others. After cleansing, the body is dressed (usually in the person's best clothing). Why do we remain in mourning for at least forty days? The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to consider how rituals can lose their extraordinary power when our sense of "normal" is shattered and remains shattered for years. This was highlighted in media reports of the death of Osama bin Laden. Christians are accepting of embalming, so this may occur with the body prior to the funeral service. Many problems in understanding the dances stem from the way that the evidence is preserved. This is related to the concept of rahmah, mercy, or charity. A green palm leaf is a symbol of mercy. Most people lie insensible and cannot even speak, but the pious retain their mental faculties and converse till the very end. Note, these traditions may vary depending on the individual and their own beliefs. If hes a peasant, he is buried in his new galabiyya or robe, [30] that he usually wears on special occasions. The Holy Spirit, on hearing the sound of this music, became so delighted that it entered Adams body. (Compare bashir with the term bisharah which is applicable only to the New Testament.). Death is considered destiny, when you die and how you die is the destined since birth. Hes the provider of the family. We have not accelerated his fate, so what sin are we committing in taking him? The two great toes are brought in contact and fastened with a thin strip of cloth to keep the legs together. Syrian culture is greatly influenced by its high population of Sunni Muslims. [25] Sura LXXXIII, 1821. Family and friends often pay condolence visits during this period of mourning. When a true believer is placed in his grave, the grave is expanded for him seventy cubits, strewn with sweet basil, and hung with silk. [2] Muslims wear ihram or simple white robes when participating in the pilgrimage to Mecca. Make supplication to Allah for me that he let me be again as I was (among the living)., As for dying, he said, For a true believer the distress and anxiety of dying are equivalent to that from three hundred strokes.. To us the whole idea is entirely different. A withdrawing from the abode of the illusory, a coming back to the abode of the eternal, and a making preparation for death before it comes upon one.. Then a man with a beautiful face comes to him, elegantly dressed and perfumed, and he says, Be joyful in that which hath made thee so; this is the day which was promised thee., Then the dead person says to him, Who art thou, for thy face is perfectly beautiful., And the man replies, I am thy good deeds., Then the dead person cries out, O Lord, hasten the resurrection for my sake!. There is a most serious religious rule amongst Muslims that if there is a desire for the dying person to repeat the Kalimah, and the sick man expires without being able to do so, his faith is considered dubious, and the man who directed him to repeat the Kalimah incurs guilt. What does dying mean to Muslims? Every time a pot of water is poured the Kalimatu sh-shada (the words of testimony) is repeated: Ash-hahadu an la ilia Allah, which means I testify that there is no deity but God), either by the person washing or someone else. However, what was even more shocking to me was the spirit in which the family received me. Lebanese culture and traditions. They said: What is this? When we go as Americans or Europeans, we focus our attention on movements, tourist attractions, etc., but we seldom care to see or investigate how the Middle Eastern people respond to death and dying. They ask him, Who is your Lord? and he replies, Alas, I know not., They ask him, And what is your religion? to which he again replies, Alas! Then angels follow it through each heaven, the angel of one heaven to those of the next, and so on till it reaches the seventh heaven, when God says, Write the name of my servant in cIlliyun, and return him towards the earth, that is, to his body which is buried in the earth, because I have created man from earth and return him to it, and will bring him out from it again as I brought him out at first., Then the souls are returned into their bodies, when two angels [Munkar and Nakir] come to the dead man and cause him to sit up, and say to him, Who is the Lord?, Then they say, What is this man who is sent to you? (i.e., the Prophet), Then they say, What is your proof of his mission?, He says, I read the book of God and believed in it, and I proved it to be true., Then a voice calls out from the celestial regions, My servant hath spoken true, therefore throw for him a bed from Paradise, and dress him in clothes from Paradise, [2] and open a door for him towards Paradise., Then peace and perfumes come for him from Paradise, and his grave is enlarged for him as far as the eye can see. After viewing the deceased in his half-open casket, I returned home wondering how death in America, at least in this Mormon setting, could be received with such joy and happiness. Why do we abstain from everything sweet, from food, from even listening to the radio? Grieve not lest you miss the reward, but rejoice in good tidings of the Garden, that you will assuredly go to Paradise. From customs to received "modernities", the Lebanese have accumulated a wide mix of different cultures over the years. After the body is washed, it is wrapped in a white sheet. Thy face is hideous and brings wickedness., Then the dead person says, O Lord, delay the resurrection on my account!. It is believed that one must be clean before entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Then they dig a simple hole large enough to accommodate the person. Nothing beats trying to navigate the strange social . [17] Arthur Jeffery, A Reader on Islam (Houston, 1962), 197. But the mourning period continues for forty days. A Most Lebanese mark major life events, such as birth, marriage, and death, within the Islamic or Christian religious traditions. And they say, Such a one, the son of such a one, calling him by the best names by which he was known in the world, till they reach the lowest region of heaven with him. I trust, in this presentation, that you have received some valuable insights into death and dying as it relates to Egypt, Islam, and the Coptic faith. Surmah is applied to the eyes with a tent made of rolled up paper with a ring or with a pice. Some of the unbelievers said to him: You have been raising to life those who had but recently died and who maybe were not quite dead. This has nothing to do with painful emotions, the attribution of which to Allahexalted be Hewould not be fitting. The Copts, or Christians of Egypt, have developed different burial customs. Verily, those who have said, Our Lord is Allah, and then have kept the straight course, on them will the angels descend [saying]: Fear not! [3] Italics added by the author. When the women scream and slap their faces, you will probably hear one wordyagamiliOh, my camel. The woman who cries this is the wife of the dead man. When I entered and approached the family, I was utterly shocked. The corpse must be carefully brought from the place it was bathed and laid on the shrouds. I have touched upon the attitudes and customs of various Middle Eastern cultures toward the inevitable mystery of death. Christians do the same. The Christian's body is considered sacred because it was the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The family of the deceased only prints 30 death notices instead of 200 for 200,000 Lebanese pounds," he said. The washers never throw water into the nostrils or mouth but clean them with wicks of cloth or cotton. But such a procession lets everyone know that a funeral is taking place. 10: Just After Death. The Kalimatu sh-shahada (the [creed]) is also read with an audible voice by those present. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Another thing that can vary across cultures is the beliefs about embalming. There is another interesting sign of death and dying in the Middle East. So the Prophet said, Go and put in practice what that involves, then come and I will teach you of the wonders of learning.. Even the food in Lebanon is closer to European and western. -thinks across disciplinary boundaries; and To add an RSC website shortcut to your home screen, open the website in the Safari browser. Symbolically, a person is buried wearing his suit and tie (if he worked in one of the professions), with a new haircut, everything prepared as if he is alive. Some Muslim families accept flowers for . Let us go back to the days of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. The woman brings a group with their drums, and they begin to eulogize the beautiful characteristics of the deceased. [Go on] to the mercy and favor of Allahexalted be He.. Then the Angel of Death draws it out as hot spit is drawn out of wet wool. Who is a dying man? 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war. Further at Sais, the suffering of Osiris was enacted yearly and images of Osiris were filled with grain and placed with the dead person as symbols of fertility and eternal life. After six thousand years of history with some adjustments, Egyptian Christian cemeteries have now developed into communities of homes. Jean Bouchebel. It reveals through research how the Lebanese death rituals are being translated into the virtual world. Grant Building In Western cultures, black clothing was worn as a social symbol to let others know a person was mourning. Victoria was born in 1958, five years before Kenyan independence. By Allah, O Muhammed, if any of the family starts screaming when I am taking a mans spirit, I say, What is this screaming? What do you want? One such ritual is henna night, where the bride's hands are decorated with intricate henna designs. If a youth becomes accustomed to doing deeds of disobedience, he cannot refrain from them in his later years. There is not a single angel group whom they pass [as they mount upwards] but asks, What sweet-smelling spirit is this?, And they reply, This is the spirit of so-and-so, using the finest names for him. Christians visit the tomb only on occasions like Christmas and Easter. Oct 21, 2014. Muslims believe Allah controls life and death, and death is the end of physical life, but the soul lives on. So if you attend a death ceremony of a practicing Hindu, it is likely the body will be cremated. In different religions with different beliefs, traditions, and rituals, sending funeral flowers to the bereaved family is appropriate. The ceremonies attending the death of a Muslim are described by Jafir Sharif in Herklots Qanun-i-Islam, Islamic Law page 80. 2,000 Tyrians crucified on the beach by Alexander the Great 's army. Even in rural areas, only certain women can go with the procession. Nowadays in the Middle East the family of the deceased goes to the grave carrying a palm tree leaf to put on the grave instead of flowers. There are no automobiles with headlights on and no police officers to accompany the march as is done in the United States. Everybody knows this is the casket of so-and-so and so-and-so. Funerals tend to be elaborate. Here we can see cultural interplay. Why do the neighbors turn off their radios as a token of sympathy? Another interesting custom in the Middle East is that radios cannot be played in homes surrounding the deceaseds home. Coffee is offered, and its a must to partake. When the women scream and slap their faces, you will probably hear one word yagamili "Oh, my camel.". # # #_ #_ . This tradition symbolizes good luck and protection for the couple's future together. Each issue focuses on a specific topic. Grieve not! Female relatives of the deceased return home where other women come to deliver their condolences. By Allah, we are doing him no injustice. The dead have a home, or a semi-home at least. The shrouds consist of three pieces of cloth for a man and five for a woman. In all cases, the death of an American citizen, whether resident or tourist in Lebanon, should be reported to the Embassy's Consular Section in Beirut. Some people in rural areas get black mascara and put it on their faces, forehead, and hands so that everyone will immediately see that they are in mourning. Whether you are poor or rich, this is one of the necessities of a bona fide Muslim funeral. Source: The Internet. [26] These are Munkar and Nakir, the blue-eyed questioners of the dead. They have television in Egypt now, and I dont know how the young people manage to miss The Six-Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. [9]. The first is for believers in general, who receive the message: Fear not that the punishment will be everlasting, or, you will not remain in torment forever because the Prophet and righteous persons will intercede for you. Gamali means my camel. She is saying, Oh, my camel. Of course he was not a camel, but it shows the great loss that has occurred. During these funeral rites men wear black ties. The funerals are followed by the condolences () which happen in the church saloon (right next to the church). You cannot say, Thank you, I dont drink coffee. You have to drink it. If a Christian dies in the Middle East, he is kept only until the undertaker arrives and takes care of the body. I know not., They ask, Well, what do you say about this man who was sent [on a mission] among you? But again he replies, Alas! Donning dark colours for mourning has been strongly associated with death and loss for centuries in the west and is a practice believed to date back to the Roman times. Why do men wear black ties and women black garments? The dance celebrates the creation of life and invites the spirits, also known as . Home; Our Practice; Services; What to expect. In the yard of the home a huge tent has been constructed, made of fancy cloth and decorated. When he is about to expire, any learned reader of the Quran is sent for and requested to repeat, with a loud voice, Surat Ya Sin (or Chapter 36 in the Quran), in order that the spirit of the man, by the hearing of its sound, may experience an easy concentration. They make a big loaf of bread, and give it to poor peoplewho know that this is the day the Christians go to their tombs, and ask for it as charity. 7. 8 Doll-Bride Marriage In Japan. The sheets are brought over the body one at a time. Those invited for dinner are expected to remain all evening, and it would be inappropriate to leave directly after the meal. 4. In Egypt, one finds three big jars in every tomb of any pharaoh: one for his heart, one for his intestines, and one for other things. An Imam presides over the service. When Muhammed made the statement above, people responded, But, O Apostle of Allah, we are all disinclined to die. He answered: That is not disinclination. Some people even paint their windows black to show their distress and to express sorrow for the departure of a beloved relative or friend. Camphor is applied in seven places: on the forehead including the nose, on the palms of the hands, on the knees, and on the great toes. Based on the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad and originated in the 7th century A.D., Islam is a monotheistic faith based on the act of submission to the will of Allah. In-depth semi structured interviews were conducted and analysed with ten selected Lebanese Facebook users . If not, the marriage will is going up a slippery slope, so to speak. They do not eat until someone else comes in and pressures them to eat. The traditional mourning period to honor and remember a deceased Muslim is three days. This is . They dig a hole in the earth to contain the water used in the washing and to keep it from spreading over a large surface, as some men and women consider it bad to tread on such water. When I asked my friend about this attitude, I was told that death is a transitiona bridge to a happy and everlasting life in heaven. For example, in Sura xvi. As soon as a Muslim person dies, it's customary to close the eyes, bind the jaw and cover the body with a clean sheet. They never eat dessert or any sweets during these forty days and dont even put sugar in their coffee or tea. The truth-speaking believer has made preparation for death, so he wishes for it, yearning for his Lord. The left hand of the deceased is placed on the chest. Next they wash the sides of the body, then the back and the rest of the body, gently, because life has just departed and the body is still warm and sensitive to pain. [1] Hughes' Dictionary of Islam (London, 1885), 7981. Druze, also spelled Druse, Arabic plural Durz, singular Darazi, small Middle Eastern religious sect characterized by an eclectic system of doctrines and by a cohesion and loyalty among its members (at times politically significant) that have enabled them to maintain for centuries their close-knit identity and distinctive faith. Provide clean stone for symbolic ritual washing. The aim of this paper is to explore the representations of death in Beirut Hellfire Society, a novel written by the Lebanese author, Rawi Hage, and published in 2018. . 2. On the fortieth day, regardless of whether you are Muslim or Christian, the ritual begins again. If the dough remains in place, they will have a long, happy life. An interesting story about death is narrated by Al-Bara ibn cAzib, one of the companions of the Prophet: I came out with the Prophet at the funeral of one of the assistants, and we arrived just at the grave, before they had interred the body, and the Prophet sat down, and we sat around him with our heads down, and were so silent that you might say that birds were sitting upon our heads. Thus Allah has said: Flight will not benefit you at all if you are fleeing from death or being killed. So it is incumbent on each Muslim to make preparation for death before it comes. Islamic funeral customs require that: The body be buried as soon as possible after death. It is an expression in Egypt similar to the American idea of visiting the dead with flowers. And controversy arose over bin Laden's burial at sea. [8] As in the case of Eastern Christians and Jews. [32] The Christians and Jews follow the same procedures, with some variations from one denomination to another. Before shrouding the body, the family tears shreds from the clothes. There is a well-dressed waiter, hired of course, who circulates with a tray of coffee for the guests. Thus he takes it, but it is not in his hand more than the twinkling of an eye ere [those angels] take it, put it in the hair-cloth where the odor from it is like the stench of a decomposing carcass. By Allah, O Muhammed, did I desire to take the spirit of a gnat I could not do it till Allah gave me commandment to take it., It is related that the Apostle of Allah said: Did the animals [i.e. The Tradition is intended to describe clearly those people who desire to meet with Allah when Allah desires to meet with them. Encourage patient to continue daily prayers. First, a smoking ceremony is held in the loved one's living area to drive away their spirit. There must be no waiting. Although religious activity and behaviors (e.g., prayer) are not consistently associated with less death anxiety or grief, the integrity of specific religious beliefs may play a greater role (Fortner, Neimeyer, & Rybarczyk, 2000). The body cannot even stay overnight. Why do we cry and scream for at least a year? A Lebanese Shi'ite man strikes his back with knives to show his grief during Ashura rituals in the southern market town of Nabatieh, Oct. 12, 2016. Unlike birth rituals, however, although death rituals have also largely been replaced by Western conventions, some traditions remain strong. I have had personal experience with many of these. During the ceremony, the sheikh lays out the terms of the marriage, and a contract is signed by both parties. The food provided should follow Islam's diet . Then the Angel of Death arrives, takes a seat at his head and says, O thou pernicious soul, come forth to Allahs discontent and wrath. 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