ISALC, Lewis and Clark College

The First Day of the Next Life by Mubarak Al-Khaili

 

There are many societies all over the world and each one has its own beliefs and religions, which influence their behaviors and their life style from birth to death. They are dealing with life through these beliefs. One of life's proceedings is death. It's the truth which all people fear, and they can't ignore it. The people deal with it in different ways, depending on their beliefs. In the UAE, people believe in Islam so they deal with death with great respect. It is believed that the best thing that can be done for the dead person is burying the body as soon as possible. When my cousin died, the mourners came to my family to start the funeral ceremony. They were friends and people who were seeking to help my cousin receive his reward.

When the people heard about my cousin's death, they gathered around my family to support them and give them the hands to pass the trouble. Washing the body was the first step. Some of my family members washed the body with water, and then they scented him with special perfume, which is made of plant leaves. After that they shrouded the body with a white cotton winding sheet and took him for the people to pray over him.

The next step was praying over the body for God's blessing him. This prayer was made by the mourners. In this prayer they put the corpse in front of them and started the prayer. The mourners stand; they don't have "prostration" or "genuflection" like the usual prayers. They asked God to forgive him and accept him into paradise. When they were with the prayer, they escorted the deceased to the cemetery by holding the body over their shoulders with the head to the front. Every one tried to participate in that because they were all seeking recompense from God.

While they were washing and praying over the body the undertaker was digging the grave and making it ready to receive the body. All Moslem's graves should face "Maka." Also there should have a small hole in the grave, big enough only for the body to fit into. When they reached the cemetery, three members of my family entered the grave site and put the body in this hole and revealed my cousin's face by moving some of the shroud from it. After that, they covered the hole with stones and mud. When they moved out, the people started to fill the grave with dirt and when the finished, they put two markers on its edge to inform the people about it. They are not allowed to put a name on the grave or cover it with another material like a concrete or wood. When they were done with the grave, they surrounded it and asked God again to make my cousin's grave a meadow of heaven because we believe that the angles start to judge the deceased at that moment. After that, people came to comfort my family.

At my uncle's house, people came to console us for three days. The men comforted the men and the women comforted the women, each one in separate council. After the three days, the funeral ceremony ends and the life keeps moving. It's very hard to miss one whom you like or love, but it's life's circle. I was very sad because he was more than a cousin to me. He was like my brother and my friend. I feel a very deep sadness when I remember him. Nothing in this life is still as it was.

Created by: krauss@lclark.edu
Updated: 10/23/99