"When the bier of anyone passes by you, whether Jew, Christian, or Muslim, rise to your feet."
Muhammad, Hadith (Nasr, The Heart of Islam, p 38)
I think I've gone to more Muslim funerals in the last four years than I have all funerals the rest of my life put together, and this is not simply because my friends tend to be long-lived (which, sadly, they're not). Rather, attending a funeral is something that is stressed in Islam, even if you didn't know the person. There are various ahadith (sayings of the Prophet) that deal with what one Muslim owes another:
"The rights of one Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of salaam, visiting the sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations, and saying yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes."
"If you meet him, greet him with salaam; if he invites you, accept the invitation; if he asks for advice, give him sincere advice; if he sneezes and praises Allah, say Yarhamuk Allah; if he falls sick, visit him; and if he dies, attend his funeral."
I attended my first Muslim funeral before I had even converted. As I've discussed, I spent several months visiting the mosque and attending Friday prayers and talking to the Imam and the brothers before even considering saying the shahada, not to mention the decades I spent reading the Quran, teaching about Islam, and visiting the Muslim world (so, it wasn't a snap decision). They tend to be very short affairs, and, not surprisingly, focus on God and those that are left behind as compared to the individual. It would be a pity to deal with the concept of a Muslim funeral in a cursory fashion so I suspect this will be a separate, more detail blog post down the road. Anyway, I was attending a Friday prayer and had just walked into the side room and stumbled (not literally) across a body (covered respectfully, obviously) and it was clear that there was going to be a funeral (again, more on this later as well as the entire process). At the end of the sermon the Imam confirmed that there was going to be a funeral and reminded the attendees that attending a funeral of a brother or sister was one of the things you owed them. One of the brothers I knew at the times asked if I'd like to attend and I said I would love to if it was appropriate - and that was my first Muslim funeral.
Islam is a faith that is both intensely individualistic and communal, and this is one of those rules that reflects the communal side of the religion. Getting back to the hadith that started this conversation, it is interesting that the Prophet made it clear that you showed respect for any passing bier, Jew, Christian or Muslim. Part of this, of course, is a reflection of the classic Islamic view that the three faiths are the same tradition. Beyond that, there is the emphasis on the end of all things, at least physical in this world, and how this acts as a very present reminder that this world is transitory. In addition, there is an emphasis on something our country has completely forgotten: respect.
Muhammad, Hadith (Nasr, The Heart of Islam, p 38)
I think I've gone to more Muslim funerals in the last four years than I have all funerals the rest of my life put together, and this is not simply because my friends tend to be long-lived (which, sadly, they're not). Rather, attending a funeral is something that is stressed in Islam, even if you didn't know the person. There are various ahadith (sayings of the Prophet) that deal with what one Muslim owes another:
"The rights of one Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of salaam, visiting the sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations, and saying yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes."
"If you meet him, greet him with salaam; if he invites you, accept the invitation; if he asks for advice, give him sincere advice; if he sneezes and praises Allah, say Yarhamuk Allah; if he falls sick, visit him; and if he dies, attend his funeral."
I attended my first Muslim funeral before I had even converted. As I've discussed, I spent several months visiting the mosque and attending Friday prayers and talking to the Imam and the brothers before even considering saying the shahada, not to mention the decades I spent reading the Quran, teaching about Islam, and visiting the Muslim world (so, it wasn't a snap decision). They tend to be very short affairs, and, not surprisingly, focus on God and those that are left behind as compared to the individual. It would be a pity to deal with the concept of a Muslim funeral in a cursory fashion so I suspect this will be a separate, more detail blog post down the road. Anyway, I was attending a Friday prayer and had just walked into the side room and stumbled (not literally) across a body (covered respectfully, obviously) and it was clear that there was going to be a funeral (again, more on this later as well as the entire process). At the end of the sermon the Imam confirmed that there was going to be a funeral and reminded the attendees that attending a funeral of a brother or sister was one of the things you owed them. One of the brothers I knew at the times asked if I'd like to attend and I said I would love to if it was appropriate - and that was my first Muslim funeral.
Islam is a faith that is both intensely individualistic and communal, and this is one of those rules that reflects the communal side of the religion. Getting back to the hadith that started this conversation, it is interesting that the Prophet made it clear that you showed respect for any passing bier, Jew, Christian or Muslim. Part of this, of course, is a reflection of the classic Islamic view that the three faiths are the same tradition. Beyond that, there is the emphasis on the end of all things, at least physical in this world, and how this acts as a very present reminder that this world is transitory. In addition, there is an emphasis on something our country has completely forgotten: respect.
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