I have been reading about different traditions for funerals from various cultures and religions.  Could someone here tell me what a Muslim funeral is like?  I have been unable to find information on this subject.  Thank you.

God's Peace.

Hi Patty,this is what i found for you,i wish it works...happiness for you!....

Funerals in Islam

Main points for the preparation of a http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm#muslim - Muslim 's body for burial;

1. The http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayer to God for the deceased http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm#muslim - Muslim is a common collective duty (Fard Kifayah). This means that some http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm#muslim - Muslims should offer this http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayer , and when it is offered by some of the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm#muslim - Muslims present at the time it is sufficient, and the other http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm#muslim - Muslims become exempt from responsibility.
2. When a http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm#muslim - Muslim dies, the whole body, beginning with the expose parts of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm#abdest - ablution must be washed a few times with soap or some other detergent or disinfectant, and cleansed of all visible impurities; this is called "Ghusul". A man's body should be washed by men and a http://www.allaboutturkey.com/woman.htm - woman 's body by http://www.allaboutturkey.com/woman.htm - women , but a child's body can be washed by either sex. A husband may wash his wife's body and vice versa if the need arises. When the body is thoroughly clean, it is warped in one or more white cotton sheets (Kafan or Kefen) covering all the parts of the body.
3. The dead body is then placed in a coffin and carried to the place of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayer , a http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque.htm - mosque (outside in the courtyard) or any other clean premises. The body is put in a position with the face toward the direction of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/kabe.htm - Kaba in http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#mecca - Mecca (Qibla or http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam2.htm#kible - Kible ).
4. All participants in the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayer must perform an http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm#abdest - ablution unless they are keeping an earlier one. The http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque2.htm#imam - imam stands beside the body facing the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam2.htm#kible - Qiblah at http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#mecca - Mecca with the followers behind him in lines.
5. The http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque2.htm#imam - imam raises his hands to the ears declaring the intention in a low voice to pray to God for the particular deceased one, and saying "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is greatest). The worshippers follow the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque2.htm#imam - imam 's lead and after him place their right hands over the left ones under the navel as in other http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayers .
6. Then the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque2.htm#imam - imam recites in a low voice what is usually recited in other http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayers , i.e. the 'Thana' and the Fatiha verses of the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/kuran.htm - Koran only.
7. At this stage he says "Allahu Akbar" without raising his hands and recites the second part of the Tashahud verse (from ''Allahumma salli'ala sayyidina Muhammad'' to the end).
8. Then he makes the third takbeer (tekbir) saying "Allahu Akbar" without raising the hands and offer his supplication (Du'a' in Arabic) in any suitable words he knows: "Allahumma-ghfir li hayyina wa mayyitina, wa shahidina wa gha`ibina wa sagheerina wa kabeerina wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa aahyihi 'ala-i-Islam. Wa man tawaffaythu minna fa tawafahu 'ala-i-Islam. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrah, wa la taftinna ba' da".
   Translation: "O http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah ! grant forgiveness to our living and to our dead, and to those who are present and to those who are absent, and to our young and our old folk, and to our males and females. O http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah ! whomsoever you grant to live, from among us, help him to live in http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm - Islam , and whom of us you cause to die, help him to die in faith. O http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah ! do not deprive us of the reward for patience on his loss, and do not make us subject to trail after him".
9. Then the four takbeer (tekbir) saying "Allahu Akbar" without raising the hands is made followed by the concluding peace greetings right and left as in other http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayers . It should be remembered that the worshippers behind in lines follow the lead of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque2.htm#imam - imam step by step and recite privately the same utterances in a low voice.
10. After completing the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayer , the coffin will be taken to the cemetary; mourners should walk in front or beside the bier, those who are riding or driving should follow it. During this process silence is recommended. The grave should be deep. The body is lowered for burial with the face resting in the direction of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#mecca - Mecca ( http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam2.htm#kible - Qibla ). When lowering the body down, these words are said: "Bismi-I-lahe wa be-I-lahe wa 'ala millati rasuli-I-lahe salla-I-lahu 'alayhi wa sallam."
    Translation: "In the name of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah and with http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah , and according to the sunnah of the messenger of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah upon whom be the blessings and peace of http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah ."
    Beside these, any other fit http://www.allaboutturkey.com/pray.htm - prayers may be offered. If the deceased is a child under the age of puberty, the prayer is the same except that after the third takbeer (tekbir) and instead of that long supplication the worshippers recite these words: "Allahumma-j'alhu lana faratan wa j'alhu lana dhukra, wa j'alhu shafi'an wa mushaffa'a".
    Translation: "O http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sozlukislam1.htm#allah - Allah ! make him (or her) our fore-runner, and make him for us a reward and treasure, and make him for us a pleader, and accept his pleading".

    It is not recommended to use a casket unless there is a need for it .,e.g the soil is wet or loose. A stone or bricks or soil should be placed under the deceased's head to raise it up. After placing the body in the grave, fill the pit with soil, and raise the level of the grave a little less than one foot in a sloping way.

    The grave should be built and marked in a simple way. The dead body should be covered with white cotton sheets of standard material. Any extravagance in building the grave or dressing up the body in fine suits or the like is non http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm - Islamic . It is false vanity and a waste of assets that can be used in many useful ways. It is strongly against the teachings of the http://www.allaboutturkey.com/islam.htm - Islamic religion and the prophet http://www.allaboutturkey.com/muhammed.htm - Muhammed (peace be upon him).

Patty wrote: I have been reading about different traditions for funerals from various cultures and religions.  Could someone here tell me what a Muslim funeral is like?  I have been unable to find information on this subject.  Thank you. God's Peace.

Are you speaking of Janazah, or Muslim Burial?

It can be found on this website:

http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/Janazah.htm - http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/Janazah.htm

Hope this helps!

Wasalaam

Maryah

Thank you both very much.  This was exactly what I have been looking for.  It is truly a very holy and touching funeral service.  I am surprised to see a few similarities in Muslim funerals and Catholic funerals, Rite of Christian Burial.  (As my father is not expected to live much longer at all, I am unable to stop crying for long.  I am so broken hearted at this time.  He is so dear and precious to me.  But he is suffering so much from lung cancer, death will be merciful, (he never smoked in his life.)  And I've had to plan his funeral....it was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.)  I think that is why my mind is so much on funerals at this time.

Our final words at the funeral before going to the cemetary are:

May the Angels lead you, lead you into paradise.

May the martyrs come to welcome you,

and take you to the holy city,

the new and eternal Jerusalem.

I can also relate to the simplicity of the funeral and burial.  Our culture spends far too much money on funerals.  It is done out of great respect for the loved one's life.  But I believe that the money could be used for the poor, and that would show even more respect and love for the deceased loved one.

Again, I appreciate this information very much.  Thank you!

Peace be with both of you......

Oh my sister,i am so sad for your father, i can imagine what it means for you by the cause of i lived the same pain three years ago my father died from lung cancer in front of my eyes trying to catch them but he was going through,May Allah ease your pain Insh'allah,we are all behind of you with our duas for passing your exam successfully and seeing your father being blessed while having these pains...any of a advice you need on cancer please do not hesitate to discuss,in three months i became a expert of understanding the feelings of a cancer sufferer that i can give you some tips onto the new developments about cancer and the comforts of persons inside of this bad illness..all blessings...

You already have useful replies sis, so I just add a little.

The only people who view funeral as everything were the old egyptian. They spent their entire life for funeral. This practice is forbidden in Islam just like decorating the house of worships. In simple word maybe we can say, we came into this world - simple, we live in here - simple, we depart from here - simple.

There are only three things that continue the contact with the dead, and these three things are the determining factors. The deeds he did while he/she was living here, the knowledge (good or bad) he/she passed on to other people, and the children (good or bad).

Patty,

I'll keep your father in my prayers and you too. 

God Bless.

Dear Suleyman, Supreme, and Angela,

Thank you so much for your kind words.  I so much appreciate all your prayers.  I try to pray, but now I have a hard time even getting any words out.  Most of the time I just ask God to please grant my Father mercy and "take him home to Heaven"....then his suffering will be over and he will know peace again.  Sometimes I wonder if it's wrong to ask God to take him, and then I feel guilty.  But I cannot stand thinking about his suffering.  For him to finally die will be an act of mercy.  For me to want him to stay here on earth would be selfish of me.  Does that make sense to any of you?

God's Peace.

Peace to you sister Patty:

I hope that you are well. It is difficult to witness someone you love going through a long painful time of Suffering. For your father:

"0 Allah! Remove the hardship, 0 Lord of mankind.

Grant cure for You are the Hearer.

There is no cure but from You, cure which leaves no ilness behind."

May our great Creator ease the suffering of your father, and give you the strength to carry your burden!

"Allah suffices us and He is the best Guardian"

Jazakallah Khair Patty,

Our thoughts  are with you!

As Salamu Alaykum,Sister,i don't think that any  of a user  here knows the cancer pain on a body more than me,you are right to feel on that feelings and i am the witness what my father did in his last months looking at to the roof calling them with their hands for taking his soul,i very well understand you but understanding is not enough for him,time to do more things...

For example,do you use morphine stickers on his body,these stickers are so expensive but here in Turkey if you convince the doctors they write to the government and they cost the price from their budgets,you can reach to them in one day, not a big deal for you,you know you have some important friends from the army...these sitckers are so important for them, you know from the old type of cancer threatments that they were using morphines with syringes and making addictions on the body that after a time period the morphine pain were turning on prior to the cancer pain,very bad old days... 

Just three stickers for three days at the same time on his chest,then he leaves the pain and begins to watching tv or eating his meal from his own hands,deep breath it gives,i praise to Allah for this instrument and thank to the doctors who found these amazing stickers...

Note:these stickers do not make addiction onto the body,just gives morphine from his skin in a smooth way that only cancer cells feel what are they about...of course not a final solution just a way of helping the person on his great war....i have some more tips if you need i am always here...peace... 

Dear Suleyman,

I am so sorry to hear what your own dear father had to go through at the end of his life.  Don't blame yourself for forgetting the day of his death.  I'm sure your father wouldn't want you to feel badly.

Yesterday was my father's funeral.  It was very beautiful.  I am exhausted and can't quite believe he is really gone (though I do know he is).  I sometimes laugh, feel sad, cry, and now I just feel very numb.  I guess these are normal feelings.  One thing I do know it he is at peace, and he is not being tortured by the cancer anymore.  He is in Heaven with Allah/God!!  I do KNOW that!!

You said there is a saying in the Qur'an, something about to Allah we must return, I believe.  We have a similar saying, which means we came from dust and to dust we will return "ashes to ashes, dust to dust", and we also believe we will all return to God in the end.  This is so true, and it is why we must be certain to live our lives as we KNOW God/Allah COMMANDS us to live.  "TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELF".  That was not just some "suggestion" God/Allah told us....He COMMANDED us to do this.  Are we following his commands today?  I wonder about that a lot.  For this reason I cannot hate another person.  I can hate what they are doing perhaps, but I cannot hate the person.

Please pray for me.

Peace to you.