My MC's parents are great people. Loving, quirky, supportive of their son and daughter, but I tragically have to kill them off. They're Islamic, as 99% of Turkey is (thanks wiki!). However, my one-minute wiki search didn't turn up any detailed preparations and rituals for their funeral rites.
On to the specific questions:
How long after death would they hold the funerals? Would Islamic custom prevent their bodies from being preserved by way of Western methods? Would they prefer burial or cremation? What is the flow of the funeral - readings, prayers, eulogy, etc.? In their will, would they have appointed a godparent to supervise their younger daughter's religious upbringing?
It seems like a lot, but I want to be as thorough as possible in my research before I actually write this section of my novel.
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7,255 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2007 - 12 29
My husband is Muslim, and although I do not know everything, maybe I can help you out a little...
There are pretty specific rituals for burial and funerals,
Funerals are usually held pretty quick, 1-2 days after death
Cremation is forbidden by the Koran, there is a burial, but the body has to be prepared in a particular way first, washed (woman washing woman, man washing man's body) in a specific order, and wrapped in a specific way,
They do not preserve the body, no embalming is used and usually not a traditional casket, but the wrapped body placed on a board and into the ground, that may be different in different parts of the world however,
There is a particular prayer that is used at funerals called the Janazah prayer,
Here is a website I found that may help you out...
http://isna.com/Services/pages/A-Guide-for-the-Muslim-Funeral.aspx
Hope this helps!
50,472 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2007 - 00 59
My husband is also Muslim. :) Here, funerals are held within 24 hours. Everything else that Bamhouse said is in line with what I understand as well.
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Laurie, ML for Sri Lanka, Asia: Elsewhere
Why, yes, I am crazy. Why do you ask?
50,249 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2007 - 02 17
I am Muslim myself, and have been to several funerals.
When the deceased is being buried, no women are present at the graveyard. All the male family members go there, say prayers, etc, and the women and girls go to the house of the one of the family members of the deceased. Various prayers are said, people read from the Holy Qur'an, an ENORMOUS string of prayer beads is passed around (sometimes you have your own, but some hosts prefer a big one for everybody in the room) and with each bead you say a prayer (out loud.) It's a chant of sorts, you're not actually singing, but there is a bit of a melody. The formalities usually last up to two hours for people who aren't very close to the family, but of course much, much longer for the family itself.
Where I live, gifts are given to the bereaved, but that may just be in Europe.
Most funeral's are not very private, you call absolutely everybody who's even vaguely related to you. (Again, maybe just Europe)
Hope this helps! Good luck with nano!
----------Writing is easy. You just stare at a piece of paper until your forehead bleeds.
~Constance
15,760 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2007 - 22 39
Thanks for all the great information from everyone!
Last couple of questions (I hope) - are there any major differences between funerals for a single man/woman or a married couple who died at the same time? And when you mentioned the men being present at the cemetary and the woman at a private home, would that be for all funerals or for funerals for a man?