10 - Funerals

• Funeral Rites


  The rituals or ceremonies people do when disposing of the dead body
• Mourning

  The feelings of sorrow, grief and regret when someone has died
• Committal

  Disposal of the body
• Importance of Funerals

  • They are the way of celebrating the life of the deceased
  • They allow friends and family to say goodbye and grieve for their loved one. It allows people to pay their final respects to the deceased
  • The body can be disposed of in a dignified, respectful way
  • It helps comfort the bereaved (those left behind)
• Humanism Funerals

  • It will be a more informal, personal ceremony, where they can choose the songs and readings and is led by a humanist celebrant
  • Service shows respect for the dead person without suggesting that they are going to be in a better place and there is no mention of God
  • The deceased will be remembered for their special, unique qualities, they life they led and the achievements they made
  • The ceremony may include - music, a non religious reflection of death, readings of poetry, memories about the person from friends, family, a eulogy, lighting candles and moments of quite reflection
• Christianity - Funeral


  Funeral has two main parts - the service and committal
• Christianity Service

  • Starts with the words of Jesus to remind the mourners that death is not the end ('I am the resurrection and the life')
  • Coffin is place in front of the altar. Candles on altar are symbols of life after death
  • Bible readings to comfort mourners, reminding them that the deceased is in God's care
  • Prayers said for the soul of the departed, help is asked for the bereaved
  • Eulogy about the person who has died to help the bereaved remember the good times with the deceased
• Christianity - Committal

  • Two ways - burial or cremation
  • Burial - Priest recites prayers and reads words from the Bible as coffin is lowered into ground. Words 'Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust' said as handful of soil is dropped onto the coffin
  • Cremation - Committal follows on from funeral surface. Words 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust' are recited by priest as the coffin slides out of site into the furnace
• Mourning Rituals

  • Mourning is a personal thing, there is no traditional way to mourn or set period of time it should last
  • A cross or gravestone may be erected at the cemetery to remember the person who has died or the ashes of someone cremated can be scattered
• Islam Preparations

  • Dying person is not left alone
  • Hope that the name of Allah is the last thing they hear
  • Qur'an is read to dying person and they hope to recite the Shahadah
  • Burial within 24 hours
  • Washing of body before burial in the same way as preparation for prayer - usually by a family member
• Islam Service

  • Body wrapped in white linen cloth to show purity, if person has been on pilgrimage, then cloth worn then is used
  • Simple wooden coffin used to show everyone is equal at death
  • Cremation not allowed as soul will be united with body on Day of Judgement and we must return to the earth from which we are made
  • Body must touch the earth if possible
  • Head turned to face Makkah, ready for resurrection on last da
• Islam Mourning

  • Too much grief is not encouraged - shows no faith in Allah that dead person has gone to better life in Paradise
  • 3 days of mourning allowed though longer for a widow, any more shows lack of faith in Allah
  • Simple headstone put up, expensive ones not encouraged as money could be given to poor instead