Understanding Human Attachment and the Pain of Loss
Emotional Connection to Material Possessions
When we lose something precious to us, no matter how small or invaluable it may be, we can be powerfully and negatively affected. If we just take the example of our smartphone; if we were to lose it or it were damaged beyond repair, we would panic and regret the loss, wishing we could retrieve it or mourn everything it contained, as we are attached to it. Likewise if we had a precious piece of jewellery that we lost we would be very sad to lose it and feel distressed every time we remembered it.
These items are merely material and replaceable possessions, yet the attachment we feel for them can be affect us a lot. In comparison to such triviality, we cannot even begin to imagine the pain of losing someone whom we love.
Grief, Responsibility, and the Islamic Approach to Death
Emotional Challenges After the Death of a Loved One
When a loved one passes away, there is a whole range of emotions, primarily grief that people must grapple with. The added responsibility of organising a funeral and laying a body to rest can be a testing time.
Islamic Teachings on Respecting and Honouring the Deceased
Allah Almighty teaches for us to handle the body of a deceased person with dignity and respect and to uphold the sanctity of the body by burying it in the ground and not to desecrate a body, especially by burning it.
What Is Cremation and How Does It Work?
Common Reasons People Choose Cremation
Many people choose to cremate their loved ones for different reasons such as it may be a cheaper option than burial, or for religious reasons, or for sentimental reasons such as keeping ashes in an urn at home. It is important to remember that the process of cremation is that the body of a deceased person is burnt and converted into ashes. These ashes are then given to a loved one, who may keep them as a memorial or scatter them in a place of their choice.
The Cremation Process in Different Cultures and Countries
The process of cremating a body requires the use of an intense fire and this takes place differently in different cultures and religions. In India, bodies are burnt on a funeral pyre primarily constructed with piles of wooden logs and the human body is placed near the top of the pile. In the United Kingdom, bespoke furnaces are used in crematoriums which take a few hours to burn a body to ashes.
The Physical Reality of Cremation
These furnaces release open flames and intense heat to ensure every biological cell is converted into cinder including burning of the human flesh, muscle, fluids, organs, and every other part of the body. The bones do not fully disintegrate in the fire and therefore bone pieces are further ground down in a cremulator to create the consistency of ash, so it can be provided in an urn to family members.
Why Cremation Is Prohibited in Islam
Islamic Beliefs About Pain After Death
Muslims are required to ensure we are delicate and gentle when handling a deceased body as opposed to actively burning something sacred to the point of reducing it to ashes. Muslims believe that deceased bodies feel pain and that is why burning will create extreme pain to the deceased and we do not wish to cause pain to those who have passed away.
Accountability and the Afterlife in Islamic Teachings
It is also important to remember that cremating bodies does not mean that the questioning process in the grave or the subsequent events of the Afterlife can be prevented. The souls of the deceased will all be questioned regardless of the way they pass away or how bodies are interred.
A Final Reflection and Supplication
May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to protect and honour the deceased by putting them to rest in the manner prescribed by the Creator.