May the memories bring you peace.
After the Burial: Mourning
The mourning period commences from the day the body is buried. Muslims observe a three- day mourning period where loved ones and relatives may visit the immediate family of the deceased to pay their respect In this time. the bereaved are able to mourn. after which they focus on returning to a functional state. Etiquettes for Visitors of the Grieving After the funeral and burial. the immediate family will receive visitors. It is customary for the extended family and community to provide food for the family for the first few days of the mourning period.
It is a communal obligation to prepare food for the grieving family, and the grieving family should be prevented from the burden of preparing food for those who are visiting. Grieving is a form of distress which is a tribulation from Allah.
The distressed receives reward for overcoming it with patience by turning to Allah and recognizing that it is in His Will. The Prophet (PBUH) had encouraged providing consolation and comfort to the grieving as a way of receiving reward, even if the deceased was a non-believer, so this is a special time for Muslims to demonstrate support and community.
When visiting the sick and the dead, the Prophet (PBUH) has also encouraged praying for oneself and the deceased, as the Angels reply with ‘Ameen’ (Abu Dawud, 887).
Understand the grieving process.
Expressing Comfort
Although eulogies are not part Of the Islamic funeral process. during the visitation and mourning period. mourners will speak about the deceased. It is advisable for visitors to minimises the pain of the grieving, by:
Expressing solace for the passing of the deceased
Reminiscing about the deceased
Avoiding painful topics for the grieving
It is also advisable to remind the grieving t everything is in Allah’s decree, and to lake well-wishes through dua for the status of the grieving and the deceased in the hereafter.
Praising the deceased’s good deeds and actions is customary and good. however. exaggerations should be avoided.
If the deceased would not have wanted to be spoken about or regarded in a certain way after their death. this should be respected.
Mourners should not speak ill of the deceased or mention their bad characteristics and actions.
It is advisable to keep a calm and better place. or in Jannah. Although this somber tone which is calming to is well-intentioned, this is ultimately the mourning relatives. and not depending on the Justice and bring up family conflicts.
Mourners should also avoid speaking about things they have no knowledge of, such as saying that the deceased is in a Compassion of Allah. The best we can do is pray for the deceased to go to Jannah.
