Essay on Death and Life After Death

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Zainab Abed

Essay on Death and Life After Death

3.

a) Describe how the body of a Muslim is prepared for burial and buried. (8)

There are many rituals that are performed whilst the body is being prepared for burial and when it is buried. Firstly the body is washed in scented water. It is a complete wash of the body and is called ghusl. Men prepare a deceased man’s body and women prepare a deceased woman’s body due to modesty. This takes place at the mosque or at home. Next, the body is anointed with scents and is dressed in a white robe of unsewn sheets. Men are wrapped in three sheets and women are wrapped in five sheets. If the person has been on pilgrimage to Mecca then the sheets, the ihram that they wore and were dipped in the waters of the holy well of zam zam and is usually used. The head is left uncovered and prayers are said. Both the rich and the poor are treated the same as they are equal before Allah. The body is then taken in procession to be buried in a cemetery. In Muslim countries a coffin is not used and the grave is therefore dug to fit the size of the body. This is because muslims believe that it is important to be in contact with the earth. However, if the body is buried in a non Muslim country and a coffin is used, the lid is usually left off. The body is buried with the right side of the face turning to the right and facing Mecca and the kaaba. Muslims are only allowed one body per grave and it is therefore preferable if muslims have their own cemeteries. Muslims do not believe in cremation and therefore the body is not cremated because muslims believe that the dead will have their bodies restored on the day of judgement. As the body is lowered into the grave they say, ‘In the name of God we commit you to the earth according to they way of the prophet of God’. As the grave is filled in and earth is thrown down, passages from the Quran are recited in Arabic. Prayers are then said for the family of the deceased. As mourners walk away from the grave, they turn and recite the kalimah to ensure the dead person does not forget their religion.

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b) Explain how beliefs about the afterlife might affect the way muslims live. (7)

Muslims believe that life has two parts; they are life on earth and life after death. Life after death or akhirah is when the body is brought back to life by Allah. Muslims believe that life on earth is a test. Whilst on earth, every action that a muslim does and every word that a muslim speaks is recorded in by the two angels that sit on the shoulders of a muslim. This affects the way a muslim lives because muslims try and stay ...

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