The task of organising a Muslim funeral is unlike any other as the deceased must be buried within 24 hours.
When a Muslim person dies, it is customary for the deceased to be buried within 24 hours of the passing before decomposition of the physical body sets in.
This is done as Muslims do not embalm the deceased’s body before burial.
Before the body is buried, it is washed with water at least three times until it is clean and dried before it is dressed in a white shroud, or kafan. Close family members or Muslims of the same gender will carry out this task to protect the deceased’s person’s privacy.
After the body is cleaned and dressed, a congregation gathers either at the mosque or the home to perform the jenazah prayer for the deceased, led by an Imam in the direction of Mecca, or Kiblat.
Finally, the deceased is carried to the cemetery for burial, and the body is lowered into the ground without a coffin. The body is buried facing Kiblat.
When the burial is done, a funeral sermon is read at the grave.
Muslim families who go through bereavement do not usually have a lot of time to tell friends and extended family of the news as they contend with the logistics of the tasks before burial, so the community will spread word of mouth through more informal channels than a death announcement in newspapers or even on social media.
Due to the urgency of carrying out the burial within a day, the bereaved family may only be able to inform friends and family of the passing much later, with many unable to attend the burial and lend the family their support.
Now, a digital tool aims to lessen the logistical burden on a grieving family by helping them to create an elegant and dignified online death announcement within five minutes in three simple steps.
Family members can continue using the tool to update friends and family of the post-funeral rituals, where prayers and supplications for the deceased are carried out on the third, seventh, 40th and 100th days after the burial.
The family that is expecting an impending death may also use the tool to help with planning the funeral. Simply drop Obits.sg an email at [email protected] to ask about this feature.
To try creating a free online obituary, click here.
To learn more about this death announcement tool, click here.