Two brothers whose job was to give the final ablution or bath to the dead according to Muslim ways in preparation for burial were themselves buried last Friday. They inherited their vocation handed down by their father and had been doing this most of their lives. They were in their fifties. The younger brother died sometime in the early morning and the elder brother washed his body to be buried that same morning and a littler in the evening the elder brother followed sooth and was buried the same evening. To die on a Friday is an auspicious sign for Muslims as Friday, like Sunday to the Christians, is a Holy day. These days preparation for the deceased is done at the Hospital if one dies at the hospital and if one dies at home than the deceased is taken care of by these religiously trained and equipped men and women. In islam, the deceased is put into the ground soonest possible unless there is a delay while waiting for family and relatives living far away to arrive and pay their last respects.
After the deceased is laid in the ground and covered over with earth, a religious imam or ustaz will performa short recitation of the verses from the Quran related the the event. At the end of the recitation the deceased will receive instructions of his or state of being dead and usually in Malay. That he is presently dead and in the realm of the grave or 'alam barzakh,'
" Barzakh designates a place between hell and heaven, where the soul resides after death, and experiences his own heaven or hell, until the resurrection on Qiyamah (Judgement Day).[4] Barzakh may, according to Ghazali, also be the place for those, who go neither to hell or to heaven, resembling to the Christian concept of limbo.[5]"
He will be told of being 'interviewed' by two angels,
Munkar and Nakir (Arabic: منكر و نكير) (English translation: "The Denied and The Denier") in Islamic eschatology, are angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves.
and thus begins his journey in the afterlife.
Note:
Kiraman Katibin. In Islamic tradition the two kiraman katibin (Arabic: كراماً كاتبين "honourable scribes"), are two angels called Raqib and Atid, believed by Muslims to record a person's actions. ... The Book in which the angels are writing is the cumulative record of a given person's deeds.
Hence it is imperative that a Muslim, upon death has to be aware of his faith in the All Mighty and if he is able to surrender himself reciting the article of faith such as,
Innalillahi wainnalillahi rojiun
"The Messenger of God said: 'When a child of the servant died, God says to the angels: "Have you taken the fruits of his work." They reply: "Yes." So He says: "What did My servant say?" They reply: "He praised you and mentioned that to You is the return." So God says: "Build a house in Paradise for My servant, and name it 'the house of praise.'" [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1021, Book 10, Hadith 57] [4]
he would not face any difficulty while in the the realm of the grave. I believe that Islam has laid out a plan for life in this world and the next. It may seem complex, yet it is simple when fully understood. it is a matter of one's practice in life and the faith one holds in God's Grace and Deliverance that will see through when a man passes on from one dimension into another. It is a test of how well tuned is the mind is with regard to the transition between life and death. A weak mind or and ignorant mind will falter and ends up in a confused state not able to discern what it is going through and thus falls into delusions. Whereas a mind that has been well versed and knowledgeable will walk without doubt towards its final destination.
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