While death is a universal event, the way which people handle it is very diverse. Most people depend on their culture or religion to dictate how to cope with death, similar to how they do for given ethical standards and daily conduct. I chose to compare a particular Islamic ceremony with Indonesian traditions to highlight the various ways to deal with death.
In a traditional Islamic ceremony, the aim is to promote how important a person’s death is to their voyage to find God. The event beginnings before the person actually passes, as their family gathers with them to pray and read passages from the Quran. During this time, they repent for their sins and, if they are physically able, will participate in purification rituals. When the congregation believes death is close, they all whisper Shahadah to the dying person. Upon death, the family recites the passage from the Quran that narrates God raising the death on the Day of Judgement. Typically the body is buried as soon as possible, preferably by sunset of that day. The body is placed in the grave in a white shroud, and a male family member positions the body on their right side facing Mecca. All who gather for the ceremony fill the grave and give a blessing. On top of the grave, the family uses simple headstones, which demonstrates equality among all the deceased.
In Indonesia, along with many other Southeast Asian cultures, death is viewed as a very personal and intimate experience. Families often keep the body in their home until the deceased’s wake, in comparison to a hospital or funeral home. This allows the community and those close to the person to physically confirm and actively accept death, as opposed to a more distant or impersonal recognition. Frequently, the wake of the departed includes music, dancing, and food; therefore, it may not occur immediately after death because they family will need time to gather money and resources. These traditions include the entire community because every individual is important to the society, and upon death there is a void in the role that person served. Thus when a death occurs in these cultures, it affects and allows for total inclusion of the community.
Both the Islamic and Indonesian traditions focus on death as a concept beyond the loss of the individual. While the event is certainly sad, they understand that death is merely a given part of life, and in a religious sense it is how one takes a step closer to God. Furthermore, actively celebrating the deceased's life instead of passively morning it, they will aid one to learn how to manage death and potentially inspire them to live a more passionate and fulfilled life.
In a traditional Islamic ceremony, the aim is to promote how important a person’s death is to their voyage to find God. The event beginnings before the person actually passes, as their family gathers with them to pray and read passages from the Quran. During this time, they repent for their sins and, if they are physically able, will participate in purification rituals. When the congregation believes death is close, they all whisper Shahadah to the dying person. Upon death, the family recites the passage from the Quran that narrates God raising the death on the Day of Judgement. Typically the body is buried as soon as possible, preferably by sunset of that day. The body is placed in the grave in a white shroud, and a male family member positions the body on their right side facing Mecca. All who gather for the ceremony fill the grave and give a blessing. On top of the grave, the family uses simple headstones, which demonstrates equality among all the deceased.
In Indonesia, along with many other Southeast Asian cultures, death is viewed as a very personal and intimate experience. Families often keep the body in their home until the deceased’s wake, in comparison to a hospital or funeral home. This allows the community and those close to the person to physically confirm and actively accept death, as opposed to a more distant or impersonal recognition. Frequently, the wake of the departed includes music, dancing, and food; therefore, it may not occur immediately after death because they family will need time to gather money and resources. These traditions include the entire community because every individual is important to the society, and upon death there is a void in the role that person served. Thus when a death occurs in these cultures, it affects and allows for total inclusion of the community.
Both the Islamic and Indonesian traditions focus on death as a concept beyond the loss of the individual. While the event is certainly sad, they understand that death is merely a given part of life, and in a religious sense it is how one takes a step closer to God. Furthermore, actively celebrating the deceased's life instead of passively morning it, they will aid one to learn how to manage death and potentially inspire them to live a more passionate and fulfilled life.
No comments:
Post a Comment