Funeral Rites in Islam

by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

‘Death is the ultimate reality of life.’ This life on earth is only a transitory phase on the way to paradise or hell, as the case may be.

Islam as the complete code of life has a set of complete instructions for both the dying person and for those around him or her who are charged with the sacred duty of performing the last rites. Due to non-Islamic influences, Muslims have drifted away from the established practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). Many Muslims no longer know or practice the necessary rites, and often mix in un-Islamic practices with the funeral ritual.

Dr. Bilal Philips has written Funeral Rites in Islam in order to serve the needs of English-speaking Muslims, using easy-to-understand explanations and instructions based strictly on the fundamental sources of Islam — the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This book is based on Sheikh al-Albaani's classic Ahkaamul Janaa'iz.

Genres: Islam

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips was born in Jamaica, but grew up in Canada where he accepted Islam in 1972. He completed a diploma in Arabic and a B.A. from the College of Theology (Usool-ud-Deen) at the Islamic University of Madeenah in 1979. At the University of Riyadh, College of Education, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology in 1985 and in the department of Islamic Studies at the University of Wales, U.K. he also completed a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology in 1994. He taught Islamic Education and Arabic in private schools in Riyadh for over ten years and for the past three year he has been lecturing M.Ed. students in the Islamic Studies department of Shariff Kabunsuan Islamic University in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines. Since 1994 he has founded and directed The Islamic Information Center in Dubai, U.A.E. and the Department of Foreign Languages at Dar al Fatah Islamic Press in Sharjah, U.A.E. ' to 'Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but grew up in Canada where he accepted Islam in 1972. He completed a diploma in Arabic and a B.A. from the College of Theology (Usool-ud-Deen) at the Islamic University of Madeenah in 1979. At the University of Riyadh, College of Education, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology in 1985 and in the department of Islamic Studies at the University of Wales, U.K. he also completed a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology in 1994. He taught Islamic Education and Arabic in private schools in Riyadh for over ten years and for the past three years he has been lecturing M.Ed. students in the Islamic Studies department of Shariff Kabunsuan Islamic University in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines. Since 1994 he has founded and directed The Islamic Information Center in Dubai, U.A.E. and the Department of Foreign Languages at Dar al Fatah Islamic Press in Sharjah, U.A.E.

Reviews

[Luna M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been meaning to become better educated about individual and collective responsibilities surrounding death and dying— then I saw this book in a tiny little bookstore in Madinah. It’s a very accessible resource that covers the time before and after death, both for the person dying and for those around them. The book makes clear distinctions between obligations, recommendations, and prohibitions. Every section includes comprehensive sources, and the author is good at identifying the strength of each source.

[Dawah Crib · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most readily available/easily accessible book on funeral rites,which is a topic every single muslim must have knowledge about.It contains all the source mentioned and also differentiates the bid'ah which is a really great thing, because we can observe a lot of muslims blind following their ancestors without evaluating the credibility of their words(ie do they align with the Qur'ān and the authentic hadīths) .i still have some duās to learn. However an interesting read with lots to think about.

[Abdulfattah Popoola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot; things I did not even know before. Good short read.