[14] Lifafah is an Arabic word delivered from the root laffa, to wrap up.. [18] The two words bashir and nadhir, used in this Tradition, are said to have become technical terms in pre-Islamic Mecca, the bashir being the announcer of good news of a caravans safe arrival, and the nadhir being the announcer of the bad news that a caravan had been lost. Next a feast is held, with mourners painted ochre as they partake in food and dance. The bride and the groom stomp on the feet of the guests to signify the end of their single days. During the ceremony, the sheikh lays out the terms of the marriage, and a contract is signed by both parties. #1 The Value of the Cup. Coffee is offered, and its a must to partake. Preparation of the Body. In certain cultures the family takes care of the washing but in the Middle East, the family cannot even touch the body. lebanese death ritualsedelstein bavaria dishes lebanese death rituals. After six thousand years of history with some adjustments, Egyptian Christian cemeteries have now developed into communities of homes. When the family visits the house, they prepare rahmah. And controversy arose over bin Laden's burial at sea. [3] Italics added by the author. After meeting him, Allah will pour out upon him His grace and give bountifully of His gifts. Black faces, black dresses, and black coffee are signs of mourning in Egypt. They are not to go outside. You will find many baskets full of bread. The color of the shroud is to be white; no other is admissible. Christians are accepting of embalming, so this may occur with the body prior to the funeral service. Traditionally, the wake is a time for family and friends to keep vigil or watch over the body of a loved one prior to the funeral. In the Quran, all Muslims are commanded to do well, to perform their Islamic duties, prayers, fasting, and all else. The rituals differed but the king was taken through corridors, surrounded by high priests and a variety of elaborate things, and given the best burial a man could see. An Imam presides over the service. [4], Then God says, Write his history in Sijjin, which is the lowest earth; then his soul is thrown down with violence.. For Christians, we know where the dead are going. Then the different shrouds are put on properly, one after another as they lay. Born in 1942 in the mountain town of Bikfaiya, Bouchebel shared a home with his five siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Another feature of Middle Eastern funerals is that they do not end when the person is buried. By Allah, we are doing him no injustice. Food, Meals and Sympathy Baskets. Why do we remain in mourning for at least forty days? Oct 21, 2014. This is . [He continued,] Then Allah will say, Write this record in sijjin, [27] then let his spirit be thrown out.. Yet these dances are not well understood today. Home; Our Practice; Services; What to expect. -embraces a wide variety of approaches to the analytical study of the musics of the world, including indigenous methodologies, post-colonial, critical and queer perspectives and different indigenous methodologies. [32] The women lock the room where the body is kept, stay in the living room, and begin to wail so that everybody in the neighborhood will know that somebody in this house died and a funeral is pending. Light a candle, this represents a sacred held space or the start of the ritual/ceremony. On the fortieth day, regardless of whether you are Muslim or Christian, the ritual begins again. First, a smoking ceremony is held in the loved one's living area to drive away their spirit. Family and friends often pay condolence visits during this period of mourning. Anon they come with it to the gate of the lowest heaven and ask that it be opened for it, but it is not opened.. Then what have you done in preparation for it? asked the Prophet. So a youth in the period of his youthfulness ought to become accustomed to doing good deeds and then doing good deeds will be easy for him when he becomes old. Out Of Many Cultures: The People Who Came - The Lebanese . This article investigates the relationship be-tween grief and music in the context of the Lebanese village funeral, taking into 2. His spirit is painfully dragged out, and hears the words, O thou pernicious soul, come forth displeased and displeasing. Food is crucial. -thinks across disciplinary boundaries; and In all cases, the death of an American citizen, whether resident or tourist in Lebanon, should be reported to the Embassy's Consular Section in Beirut. Why do men wear black ties and women black garments? Druze. There is another interesting sign of death and dying in the Middle East. What makes death and dying so interesting is that its treatment varies from one country to another and from one culture to another. Call us at (858) 263-7716. Having placed the shrouds on a new mat and fumigated them with the smoke of perfumes, the lifafah is spread first on the mat, over it the lungi or izar, and above that the qamis and on that the sinah-band, if it is a woman. There is another interesting sign of death and dying in the Middle East. When a loved one dies in Aboriginal society in Australia's Northern Territory, elaborate rituals begin. Christians. The corpse is placed on a bed, a country cot, a plank, or on straw then stripped and laid on its back with its head to the east and feet to the west. As the pharaohs disappeared in Egyptian history, they were replaced by descendants of other ancient Egyptians called the Copts. They do not eat until someone else comes in and pressures them to eat. To such the angels will descend (at death), and they will say to the angels: Man was created for death. I know not., They ask, Well, what do you say about this man who was sent [on a mission] among you? But again he replies, Alas! It's the first dance performed at the Nine-Night celebration, the ninth night preceding the funeral service. Such a belief caused me to ponder and to ask myself why we receive death completely differently in the Middle East than in the West? Then the Angel of Death draws it out as hot spit is drawn out of wet wool. To add an RSC website shortcut to your home screen, open the website in the Safari browser. You there! The father of one of my very close friends died. Encourage patient to continue daily prayers. Where you go in the afterlife depends on how well you followed Islamic religious codes during your life. Hes the provider of the family. Muslims, practitioners of the Islamic faith, believe that if you lived a good life, you will go to Paradise after you die. One such ritual is henna night, where the bride's hands are decorated with intricate henna designs. -strongly encourages theoretical and methodological reflections on the study of the musics of the world. Grief should be processed with . However, that can sometimes be overwhelming and having a baby is definitely one of those times. Most Lebanese mark major life events, such as birth, marriage, and death, within the Islamic or Christian religious traditions. The dance celebrates the creation of life and invites the spirits, also known as . Many problems in understanding the dances stem from the way that the evidence is preserved. Jean Bouchebel. The wake is a death ritual commonly practiced in many cultures. Its like vacationing in Las Vegas! Why do the neighbors turn off their radios as a token of sympathy? [33] Among the upper classes, this pattern is not followed in most cases. Therefore, hes the camel of the family, symbolic of the endurance of the camel, capable of crossing many miles in desert without even a sip of water. 2,000 Tyrians crucified on the beach by Alexander the Great 's army. Death and dying are universal realities for all creations in every country and cultural area. They sleep there three or four nights with the buried people underneath. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. We have not come before his time. Penitents receive the message: Fear not about your sins, for they have been forgiven you, and grieve not that you may miss the reward because of anything you may have done subsequent to your repentance.. 4241 Jutland Dr #202, San Diego, CA 92117. Each issue focuses on a specific topic. Dirt is thrown over him and burial is complete. In the Catholic funeral tradition, there are multiple ceremonies in honor of the deceased. There is not a single angel group whom they pass [as they mount upwards] but asks, What sweet-smelling spirit is this?, And they reply, This is the spirit of so-and-so, using the finest names for him. Victoria was born in 1958, five years before Kenyan independence. This is all he says, and its purport obviously is that loving desire is an attribute of Allah, and a humans loving desire for his Lord springs from it and is a reflection, like the reflection of water on a wall. O Lord, let not the hour arrive. . They cry out without interruption with no food, no drink all day until the body is prepared and washed and taken from the house to the burial place. The kings soul, of course, did not die at all but moved around in heavenlike a solar boat. Anthropologist Ellen Schattschneider describes a funeral custom which began during World War II in northern Japan. 7. They mount up with it, and there is not a single angel group whom they pass but asks, What impure spirit is this?, They reply, This is the spirit of So-and-so, using the least worthy name for him. Osiris reigned in the world of the dead over the ka or soul of the dead. Much of the Egyptian religious beliefs would show up in either culture in modified form but with a common theme as their basis. The five pillars of Islam listed include: [29] Unless death occurred at night. I have touched upon the attitudes and customs of various Middle Eastern cultures toward the inevitable mystery of death. At this point [the Prophet] recited (xxii, 31/32): He who associates anything with Allah will be as though he fell from the sky and the birds snatched him away and the winds blew him to some remote place., So his spirit is returned to his body, whereupon two angels come and sit by him. [5] The origin of the American word sherbet? It depicts both spiritual and material life. Other basic sources are Hughes Dictionary of Islam, the Encyclopedia of Islam, and my own personal experiences and observations. [23] Plural of waliyy, which means a friend, a beloved, a tutor, a patron, a guardian, and in some contexts, a saint. Grieve not! Homes, sometimes very strange, and no doubt inspired by the tombs of the pharaohs are built. In Islam the message of good tidings at death has five aspects: Blessed is he whose ending is accompanied by a message of good tidings, for there will be such a message of good tidings only for such as have been true believers and whose works have been good. However, what was even more shocking to me was the spirit in which the family received me. [6] A water well which is considered holy water by all Muslims who perform the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. This is related to the concept of rahmah, mercy, or charity. A green palm leaf is a symbol of mercy. In the case of a deceased female, if relatives are present, they undo the cloth of the head to expose the face and ask the dead person, in the presence of two witnesses, to remit the dowry which had been given her. Funerals and funeral prayers in Islam (Arabic: , romanized: Janazah) follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom.In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial of the body as soon as possible, preceded by a simple ritual involving bathing and shrouding the body, followed by salah (prayer). Muhammed). Family Structure: . Lebanese Traditions. So a volunteer or the undertaker washes the body before dressing him in a beautiful way. Photo credit: japantimes.co.jp. What does dying mean to Muslims? This has nothing to do with painful emotions, the attribution of which to Allahexalted be Hewould not be fitting. domesticated beasts] know what you know about dying you would never eat fat meat. [20]. Flowers in the Middle East are still considered a sign of joy, but a palm leaf is not so joyful. Immediately after death a family member contacts one of these women. After the funeral and burial are complete, families . Death. Katb Al-kitaab. Pre-Wedding Rituals. Like King Tut, whose funerary remains are moving around the United States these days, the body was mummified because the Egyptians wanted the body to still be alive in the tomb. Then they pour plenty of water on the corpse and wash off all the dirt and filth with soap, using flocks of cotton or cloth. Most examples presented are derived from the Holy Quran, the Hadith, and other Islamic texts. Thus Allah has said: Flight will not benefit you at all if you are fleeing from death or being killed. So it is incumbent on each Muslim to make preparation for death before it comes. The washers never throw water into the nostrils or mouth but clean them with wicks of cloth or cotton. The first is the vigil service, or the Trisagion, which is usually performed at the church . Ideally, the funeral will take place before the next sunset or within 24 hours. The Lebanese are extremely proud of the amount of cultural heritage they share. Anon they come with it to the gate of the lowest heaven and ask that it be opened for it. There is a special seat, the hands and arms of which are made of gold, placed there for the convenience of the faqih who recites the Quran. Presently he raised his head and said: Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the tomb., This he said twice or thrice, and then went on: When a man who is a true believer is drawing near to the next world and is about to be cut off from this world, there descend to him angels whose faces are white as the sun, bringing with them a shroud from Paradise and celestial aromatics, and take a seat at his head and say, O thou tranquil soul, come forth to Allahs favour and forgiveness.. But the mourning period continues for forty days. The World of Music In Islam, the deceased are to be buried within 24 hours. Jeffery observes that Whosoever has a loving desire to meet with Allah is one whom Allah has a loving desire to meet. [17] He states that by meeting with Allah (he means death), the true believer is in such a state that he cannot be responsible for his faith; thus, he will be given the good news that Allah is well pleased with him and will grant him His Paradise. Here, it is important for . But, continued the Prophet, when an infidel dies and is about to pass from the world and bring his soul to futurity, black-faced angels [3] come down to him and with them sackcloths. In Western cultures, black clothing was worn as a social symbol to let others know a person was mourning. Symbolism. Sami A. Hanna, Death and Dying in the Middle East, in Deity & Death, ed. According to the oldest Egyptian beliefs, the gods also were subject to age and could die. Then the Just and Most Holy God illuminated the body of Adam with lamps of light and commanded the spirit to re-enter. Men only go outside. To us the whole idea is entirely different. [27] Sura LXXXIII, 79; in Arabic it means prison.. Death rituals are well documented throughout history -- and around the world. When we go as Americans or Europeans, we focus our attention on movements, tourist attractions, etc., but we seldom care to see or investigate how the Middle Eastern people respond to death and dying. [2] Muslims wear ihram or simple white robes when participating in the pilgrimage to Mecca. When Buddhism arrived in Japan, there were changes in the world of the dead. 3. Westernization, education and independence is decreasing the Lebanese culture and customs. Women have two additional pieces of cloth: a sinah-band or breast-band, that extends from the armpits to just above the ankle joints; the other a damini which encircles the head once and has two ends dangling on each side. This became an elaborate ritual when Queen . Each Egyptian burial was made out to be an exact duplicate of the god-burial. She is saying, "Oh, my camel.". Then they do all they can to raise their emotions. The rituals that are practiced are specific to the religion to . But before the burial the body must be washed. Brigham Young University This tradition symbolizes good luck and protection for the couple's future together. If a youth becomes accustomed to doing deeds of disobedience, he cannot refrain from them in his later years. If invited for lunch, guests usually stay past 4pm. Conversely, Christianity generally emphasizes afterlife more than being in the world. The sheets are brought over the body one at a time. Each part has its traditions and customs, and people may attend one or all . The woman brings a group with their drums, and they begin to eulogize the beautiful characteristics of the deceased. Spread for him a bed from the fire, clothe him in fire, open for him a door giving on the fire, through which its heat and smoke may enter to him and contract his grave so that his ribs pile on one another., Then there approaches him a man, ugly of countenance, ill dressed and foul smelling, who says to him, Receive tidings of that which will grieve you. Exhort dying person to make the Islamic declaration of faith. By keeping the straight course he means believing in Allah and in His Apostle, and standing firm in the faith, though others say that it means performing the required duties and avoiding things forbidden. The family serves the sweet dish to visitors who come to the household to . Look how nice he is. Clothe him in a celestial garment, open for him a door giving on the Garden through which may come to him its breezes and its aroma, and expand his grave for him as far as eye can reach., Then there approaches him a sweet-smelling man of handsome countenance, who says to him: Good tidings of that which please you. Islamic mourning rituals, which vary slightly by sect and location, provide comfort and strength for the family. The family of the deceased only prints 30 death notices instead of 200 for 200,000 Lebanese pounds," he said. These customs and habits are always followed during times of mourning, whether you are poor or rich, whether you live in a village or in a city. Then they perform wuduk [11] for the person; they wash his mouth, and arms to the elbows; they make masah on his head and they throw water on his feetthese actions constituting the four parts of the ceremony. Some of the unbelievers said to him: You have been raising to life those who had but recently died and who maybe were not quite dead. It reveals through research how the Lebanese death rituals are being translated into the virtual world. In this case, the funeral rites are administered next day as early as possible. The Holy Spirit, on hearing the sound of this music, became so delighted that it entered Adams body. Funeral DancesLong Tradition.The tradition of a funeral dance in Egypt probably began in the Nagada II Period, as early as 3500 b.c.e. But that was not the case. Finally the family places a flower-sheet or wreath of flowers on the corpse. Stick dough on the door, Lebanon. Professional female mourners are called in and the men receive their friends once more. Lebanese culture and traditions. This was highlighted in media reports of the death of Osama bin Laden. Commentators on the Quran and expositors of the Traditions and divines have written that the sound resembled that produced by the repeating of the Surat Ya Sin; it is therefore advisable to read at the hour of death this chapter from the Quran for tranquilizing the soul. Some women who are particular in these matters are afraid even to venture near the place where the body has been washed. The body is cleaned well so that no offensive smell remains. Hes the man of the family. If they are very close to the deceased, they can go to the tomb and attend the burial rituals. It is believed that one must be clean before entering the Kingdom of Heaven. For the Lebanese, the cake symbolizes fertility and is said to manifest sweetness for the couple's life together as newlyweds. After the body is bathed and wiped dry with a new piece of cloth, it is placed in the shrouds. 7,000-25,000. After viewing the deceased in his half-open casket, I returned home wondering how death in America, at least in this Mormon setting, could be received with such joy and happiness. Unlike birth rituals, however, although death rituals have also largely been replaced by Western conventions, some traditions remain strong. 2. The two great toes are brought in contact and fastened with a thin strip of cloth to keep the legs together. Likewise, a healthy person can carry effectively through matters which concern his property or his person; therefore, a healthy person ought to seize the opportunity his health gives him to be diligent in using his property and his body for doing deeds of obedience. So if you attend a death ceremony of a practicing Hindu, it is likely the body will be cremated. Folks used not to go grey in your time., He said: I heard the summons, and I thought it was the resurrection, so out of fear my head and my beard went white., Someone asked: How long have you been dead? and he answered, Four thousand years, yet the anguish of dying [21] has not left me.. However, the writer is planning to conduct such research in the near future. The body was preserved so that the soul would not also die as a result of the dismemberment of the body. 5. Family members use chopsticks to pick up the bones of their loved one after cremation and place them in an urn. Then the soul comes out, issuing like water from a bag, and the Angel of Death takes it; and when he takes it, the angels do not allow it to remain in his hands for the twinkling of an eye. There is no running away from it. People are allowed to openly express their remorse. Most people lie insensible and cannot even speak, but the pious retain their mental faculties and converse till the very end. A Some people even paint their windows black to show their distress and to express sorrow for the departure of a beloved relative or friend. The Lebanese socialise around meals for long periods of time. Instead of a casket, a flat board platform is used, held up by four assigned pallbearers and four volunteers. People are never buried underground. The sooner the sepulchral rites are performed, the better; for it is not proper to keep a corpse long in the house. Mummies in dark, labyrinthine tombs, strange rituals performed by dour priests, and the . What about Pre-Islamic Egyptian beliefs and practices concerning death? The funerals are followed by the condolences () which happen in the church saloon (right next to the church). Then his soul is replaced in his body, and two angels [Munkar and Nakir] come to him and set him up, and say, And they say to him, What is the condition of the man who is sent down to you?, Then a voice comes from above saying, He lieth; therefore spread a bed of fire for him and open a door for him towards hell., Then the heat and hot winds of hell come to him, and his grave is made tight upon him, so as to squeeze his ribs. [6], The moment the spirit has fled, the mouth is closed, because it would present a disagreeable spectacle. Note, these traditions may vary depending on the individual and their own beliefs. It is said that when the spirit was commanded to enter the body of Adam, the soul looked into it once and observed that it was a bad and dark place and unworthy of its presence. Another thing that can vary across cultures is the beliefs about embalming. Loved ones do this as a sign of care and devotion. The katb Al-kitaab is the marriage ceremony. Why do we abstain from everything sweet, from food, from even listening to the radio? After the wedding, the bride would carry a piece of dough and stick it on the door of the house. As religion theorist J.Z . When the women scream and slap their faces, you will probably hear one wordyagamiliOh, my camel. The woman who cries this is the wife of the dead man. As many as five hundred to six hundred chairs have been set out to handle the crowds. Then the angels carry it upwards and do not pass by any assembly of angels who do not ask whose filthy soul is this. The family was standing in line, friends were also standing in line, so I stood in line. The truth-speaking believer has made preparation for death, so he wishes for it, yearning for his Lord. With one's hand over the other's, they slice into the cake with a ceremonial sword. The body is turned to face towards Mecca, the holy center of Islam. In the yard of the home a huge tent has been constructed, made of fancy cloth and decorated. When my turn came, I expressed my sympathy to my friend. Who is a dying man? When the women scream and slap their faces, you will probably hear one word yagamili "Oh, my camel.". For Muslims, burial is very simple, the same from Nasser to Sadat to the man in the street. There must be no waiting. For example, if we take Europe as a whole, its people meet death and behave differently from the people of the Middle East. He may wear it for years, depending how dear or how close the dead person was to him. In the Muslim Quran Muhammed said: If you are a good man, God will be very pleased to meet you and you will be also very pleased to meet God. That means you go right away in a sputnik, you go directly to God and He will shake hands with you if you are a good man.
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