A funeral imam, Tekin Aras, shares his experiences and answers questions about death, funerals, and the afterlife from an Islamic perspective. He explains that the dead can see and hear the living, but not respond. He also clarifies that crying over a dead person is not a sin, as long as it's not an expression of rebellion against God.
Aras discusses the process of washing and shrouding the dead, and explains that the ablution of a dead body is not broken by touching or uncovering the face. He also addresses common superstitions, such as pouring water on graves, and emphasizes that these practices are not based in Islamic teachings.
He shares a personal anecdote about seeing the people he has washed in his dreams, but notes that it's not a scary experience. Aras also talks about the importance of preparing for death and taking oneself to account, as encouraged by the Prophet Muhammad.
He addresses the topic of women visiting graves, stating that there is no Islamic prohibition against it. He also mentions that the Prophet Muhammad initially prohibited visiting graves to prevent polytheists from accusing him of promoting idolatry, but later lifted the ban.
Finally, Aras shares a quote from Mevlana, emphasizing that death is not something to be feared, but rather a transition to a new stage of life. He encourages people to focus on living good lives and raising children who will pray for blessings and be beneficial to their communities.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Tekin Aras has been working as a funeral imam for about 6 years.
2. The rule of washing the dead is fard al-kifayah in Islam.
3. In Islam, the dead are washed with water as per the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
4. The dead person is shrouded with their clothes and then buried.
5. The angels of Munker Nekir ask the dead person questions on the first night in the grave.
6. The questions asked by the angels of Munker Nekir are: "Who is your Lord?", "Who is your prophet?", "What is your religion?", and "Where is the Qibla?"
7. The dead person can see and hear the living, but cannot respond.
8. It is not a sin to cry over a dead person, but rebellion and destructive crying are not allowed.
9. The funeral prayer can be performed for a person who committed suicide, but only if they were not of sound mind and did not intend to commit a sin.
10. Corpses are not typically buried in the evening in Turkey due to a prohibition by the Metropolitan Municipality and the prosecutor's office, but this is not an Islamic prohibition.
11. The bodies of martyrs are not washed, but are shrouded with the clothes they were wearing and buried.
12. According to the Hanafi sect, a newborn baby can be washed and prayed for if they made a sound or movement indicating they were alive.
13. Women are not prohibited from visiting graves in Islam.
14. Pouring water on a grave is not an Islamic practice, but rather a superstition.