Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Mufti. Please explain what is the purpose a deceased is buried?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrt. wbt.
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
A deceased is defined as the body of a dead person. (See 4th Edition of Kamus dewan)
Thus, what should we do to body of a dead person? In Islam, it should be bathed, shrouded and prayed before finally being buried.
Allah SWT state:
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ
“Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.”
Surah ‘Abasa (21)
Imam al-Qurtubi said: “Allah SWT make graves to cover the deceased as a form of an honour for him, for if the deceased is left, then it would decompose and rot and be eaten by animals. The verse also means Allah SWT commanded for the deceased body to be buried and not burnt after his death.” (See: al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Quran, 19/219)
Syeikh al-Maraghi said: “Then, Allah SWT hold his soul and do not leave him laying down on earth getting eaten by wild animals. But he is honoured and the deceased body is buried as a sign of respect for him.” (See: Tafsir al-Maraghi, 15/7440-7441)
From the above verse, it is understood that the burial of a deceased human body is the sunnah of Allah SWT for His creations. Thus, the deceased body of a human should not be treated like animals or burnt as performed in other religions. This is a special honour of humans.
Allah SWT state:
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا ﴿٢٥﴾ أَحْيَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا
“Have We not made the earth a container, Of the living and the dead?
Surah al-Mursalat (25-26)
The scholars explained the purpose and wisdoms of burying the body of a deceased:
- Maintaining the honour of the deceased by preventing others to look and smell its foul smell. This is to protect it from disgrace, maintaining the dignity of the deceased and the deceased’s family. (See: Hasyiah al-Jamal ‘ala Syarh al-Minhaj,3/217)
- As a practical lesson for those who are still alive regarding the truth of life and death.
- The work and management involved in burying a deceased create a good relationship in a society and lightening the physical and emotional burden of the family of the deceased.
The place for the burial of the body is known as a grave. It comes from an Arabic word, qabara (قبر) which means bury and its derivative is maqbarah (مقبرة), which means burying a body. Allah SWT state:
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ
“Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.”
Surah ‘Abasa (21)
May Allah SWT bless us with husnul khatimah as our ending and place us among the prophets, siddiqin (truthful people), syuhada’ (martyrs) and pious people. Ameen.