Death and Dying: Religious Practices Wall Chart: A guide to general principles

As death When death is Immediately after Method of Funeral Customs Mourning Practices
approaches imminent death Disposal
Buddhism Dying person The ideal is to die in No special Buddhists bury Usually within 3-7 days a service There is great variations
needs peace a fully conscious requirements relating to or cremate may take place in the house prior to according to country of origin,
and quite to and calm state of the care of the body. according to going to the cemetery or e.g. Sri Lanker Buddhist
allow for mind. Buddhists from different local traditions. crematorium. mourners may return to work in
meditation. If a monk is not countries will have their Monks may be invited to remind the three or four days and place no
A monk or available, a fellow own traditions mourners of the impermanence of religious restrictions on widows.
religious teacher Buddhist may chant regarding care of the life. Some Vietnamese have a series
should be invited to encourage a body. of rituals; mourning may last
to talk to the peaceful state of If a monk or religious 100 days and mourning for a
dying person mind. teacher is not present, husband or father, three years.
and chant inform the monks of
passages of the appropriate
scripture. school.
Christianity Some Christians Where appropriate, No special Either burial or It is customary in some areas to There is usually no official
may wish for a priest or minister requirements cremation. hold a prayer service in the house mourning period or mourning
prayers and might be notified. Increasingly only of the dead person before the dress.
anointing with oil Many Christians will close family are funeral. For Orthodox, Roman There may be a service of
by a minister or wish to receive present at the Catholics and some Anglicans the memorial and thanksgiving
priest. Communion (which burial of the funeral involves a church service some months after the funeral.
will include some body or the with a Mass or Communion.
form of repentance ashes Sometimes the body is placed in the
and forgiveness). church the night before and in
Prayers of Orthodox funerals the casket
commendation may remains open throughout the
also be said service. Protestants services are
simpler and the body is usually not
visible.
Islam Other Muslims, The Declaration of Non-Muslim health Always burial Ideally burial is within 24 hours of Islamic law requires friends and
usually family Faith (Shahada) is workers should ask death. Women are not included at relatives to feed mourners for
members, join said and, if possible permission to touch the burial. Male family members three days. After this the family
the dying person the dying person the body, then use carry the coffin either to the mosque should officially return to normal
in prayer and responds ‘I bear disposable gloves. or directly to the cemetery where though unofficial mourning may
recite verses witness that there is The body must be the funeral prayer is said. The body continue until the 40th day. It is
from the Qur’an. no God but God and kept covered. is buried in a deep grave facing ended by Quranic readings and
Dying person Muhammad is His Soon after death, Mecca. In bigger cities there are a meal.
may wish to Messenger’ there is a ritual special areas for Muslim burials and
have face washing of the body in some they are allowed to bury the
towards Mecca by same-sex Muslims. shrouded body without a coffin.
(south east) Post-mortems are In some instances the body is
disliked. embalmed and taken back to the
country of origin for burial
 As death When death is Immediately after Method of Funeral Customs Mourning Practices
approaches imminent death Disposal
Judaism A rabbi may be The dying person Health workers should Burial as soon The service takes place in After burial there are three
called to join the should not be left handle the body as as possible in designated Jewish burial grounds. periods of mourning throughout
dying Jew in alone. Jews present little as possible and simple coffins. Prayers are said in a chapel and at which designated mourners
prayer and should recite psalms cover with a white Some non- the graveside. recite prayers thrice daily and
facilitate the and when death sheet. The Jewish orthodox Jewish Although women now attend refrain from certain activities.
recitation of the occurs, the Burial Society will communities funerals, the male mourners recite The first week (shiva) mourners
Confession on a Declaration of Faith collect the body and permit the prayers and place the coffin in remain at home; the 30 days
Death Bed. (Shema) perform a ritual wash cremation. the grave. (shloshim) concludes mourning
before burial Funerals do not for all but the children of the
Post-mortems are take place on deceased who mourn for a year.
disliked. the Sabbath or When mourning is concluded
holy days. the tombstone is consecrated
with a ceremony at the
cemetery.
Hinduism Hindus may The family may wish The family will usually Cremation as Part of the service takes place at Mourners and friends return to
receive comfort to call a Hindu priest want to wash the body soon as possible home. The pandit (priest) chants the deceased’s house.
from hymns and to perform holy rites. themselves. If no with the from scripture and the chief In India the period of mourning
readings from A dying Hindu family is available exception of mourner (usually the eldest son) and austerity (10-16 days)
the Hindu holy should be given health workers should children under performs the rituals. Mourners walk culminates in rituals enabling
books. Ganges water and wear disposable three who are around the coffin which is then the dead person’s soul to join
Some may wish the sacred Tulsi leaf gloves, close the eyes buried. closed and taken to the the ancestors.
to lie on the in the mouth by the and straighten the crematorium for further prayers. In Britain these very important
floor. The family relatives. A person limbs. rituals occur soon after the
should be should die with the Jewellery and funeral and involve gifts to
present. name of God being religious objects priests or to charity. There may
recited. Hindus often should not be be further rituals at one, three,
wish to die at home. removed. and 12 months.
Sikhism A dying Sikh A Sikh person Health workers should Cremation as Similar to Hindus but dressing the Up to 10 days of readings from
may receive should die with the not trim hair or beard. soon as person in the 5Ks. the scriptures attended by
comfort from name of God, The body should be possible. relatives and friends. At the
reciting hymns Waheguru covered by plain white After a short ceremony in the home conclusion the eldest son is
from the Sikh (Wonderful Lord) cloth. The 5Ks should the body is taken to the gurdwara given a turban as a sign that he
holy book. A being recited. Some remain on the body. (temple) for a service and then to is now head of the family.
relative or any Sikhs may want to Family members may the crematorium for further prayer.
practising Sikh have Amrit, holy wish to bathe the body
may do so water, in the mouth. themselves.
instead.