Topic > The Importance of Funerals - 1295

The same basic practice is performed, however some specifics change. For example, all bodies should be buried, without cremation. Once buried, the body must face Mecca. The body is cleaned and dressed with white cloth, open casket funerals are very rarely allowed. (Funeral Wise, n.d.). Another ritual that contrasts with Catholic practice is that the body must be buried as soon as possible after death, and “Certainly within three days” according to (BBC, n.d.). Another big difference in Islam is that it becomes a communal affair. Funeral prayers should be performed by “all members of the community” (Everplans, n.d.), however this is not practical for having an entire town pray, so this extends to everyone close to the deceased. They must pray, however, not inside the mosque, rather in a study hall or courtyard. Three lines are formed facing Mecca, where the first in line is the male most closely related to the deceased, followed by other men, then children and finally women. Which, unlike the Catholic version of mourning for the dead, is a very severe and sexist practice. While both of the previously mentioned religious death rituals feature the presence of a God, or the afterlife is heavily silent, and thus heavily influence the ceremony. In contrast, the secular world focuses solely on the consolation of those who have lost loved ones, as the entire celebration of life is dedicated to the legacy and memory of the person, rather than acceptance by a