A Muslim Burial is the Natural Way

A Muslim burial has close roots to Green burials which are drawing attention the world over. They are certainly becoming more  readily available. People are beginning to turn away from the practice of embalming realising finally how harmful it is for our fragile planet.

We have to give full marks to Orthodox Jews and Muslims as they have always practiced burial without embalming.

In fact the interest in green burial is actually simply going back to a practice people used long before the rise of modern funeral industry practices. It is something which Jews and Muslims have used through the ages. As the saying goes “There’s nothing new under the Sun”.

Muslim Burial traditions have Been practiced through the Ages

It is interesting to note that Muslims and Jews trace their ancestry to the patriarch Abraham. Their burial traditions are actually fairly similar.

Muslims avoid embalming, dress the deceased in a shroud  then bury them in contact with the earth and without a coffin.

There are are already a number of green cemeteries springing up. We can expect them to increase, there are even people who go as far as trying to re-negotiate the laws of a country just to be able to arrange for green burials on privately owned land.

Muslims have Always Followed ‘Green’ Burials

Muslims can already be considered ‘green’. Their faith and the way they handle death and burials has always taken an ecologically friendly approach to death. In the 21st century, they are simply continuing to look at ever more natural burials. In the Islamic tradition, family members bury their dead within 24 hours. They believe that these quick burials honor the dead.

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These quick funerals are cost-effective too, doing away with the need for refrigeration. The price of green burials is nearly always lower than regular burials too; there is no embalming and the casket is always simple.

Being buried in a coffin is not permitted in Muslim tradition unless the need arises because of health or legal reasons. Muslims bury their dead in biodegradable shrouds. In fact the Muslims score full marks in their burial customs because they are simple, eco-friendly, quick and affordable.

Fewer Resources, Fewer Pretentions

The idea of wrapping the body in a shroud as apposed to an unnecessary oversized coffin is appealing to those who are unpretentious and who prefer a more natural burial.

Green burials don’t involve highly ornate coffins and embalming. They involve natural burial materials such as untreated pine wood, banana leaf caskets – anything that promotes the usage of fewer resources.

Muslim cemeteries are all about minimalism. Tey don’t have extravagant gravestones and they traditionally don’t place cut flowers or other forms of offerings on the grave.

A Muslim Burial is in fact not much different from ‘green’ burials. Muslim graves need to be dug in a specific way. The body has to be buried in a particularly deep hole so as to contain the smell of the decomposing body. The body goes into the grave on its right side, facing Mecca. Jewish burials  have the same ideas as green burials.

The Muslim Burial an Example

Green burial grounds prohibit the use of traditional headstones and non-biodegradable substances. Instead People plant trees and shrubs so as to encourage a living memorial. Green burials are low impact and consume fewer resources.

Muslims and Jews have been setting an example in this area for ages. Now the world is taking a leaf from their books so as to reduce further damage to nature.

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All info was correct at time of publishing