Understanding Of Death In The Religions Of Islam And Hinduism
Hinduism is one of the oldest religion in the world that is being practiced today. Most of the Hindus are found in the sub-continent region in this current period. Their scriptures consist of many stories with characters who teach the importance of meditation in life. It also contains special characteristics related to the rights of passage of death and a comparison could be drawn with the Islamic rites of death. The three phases of separation, transition and incorporation are also linked with the rituals performed in their death ceremony. Like Islam, they also believe in death as a separation process from their families and a beginning of a new life. Washing of the body is also necessary, “The dead body is given a bath before setting fire to it on the funeral pyre. Close relatives of the deceased in Hinduism always wash the body before setting it up on fire. This separation process is seen both in Islam and Hinduism. The only difference is that in Islam the soul must go to God (Allah) directly whereas in Hinduism it goes over the cycle of rebirth. This concept of rebirth is called karma. Which simply means taking a shape of another living creature after death. They define karma in the following way, “Hindu concept of karma which, in a way, means ’as one sows, so one reaps’, should come to his assistance in enduring pain and facing suffering”.
According to Hinduism a person’s actions in this world would determine the form of identity he would take later on. The transition element of rites of passage starts here. If the person follows good deeds in his life he would take a form of a respectable profession such as being born in a royal family. But if he fails to adopt this principle and be sinful then he would turn into a bird, mosquito, and dog etc. Karma ends when Hindus believe a person becomes one with god. Another transition element which relates to this topic is cremation of the body, “Hindus do not bury their dead, but burn or cremate them”. Muslims believe in burying but Hindus consider cremation as their way of seeing off the body. According to them by cremating it gives comfort to the soul and marks the end of his life in this world. This is mandatory or else the soul never departs away in their books. The holy river of Ganges also holds an integral part in their life, “Hindus consider the Ganges as their holy river, and its water as sacred”. Not only it is consider as a transition phase of rites of passage but also continues in the incorporation phase of rites of passage. Before burning the body they put a drop or two of the Ganges water in the person’s mouth. Later on, this procedure is suppose to help the decease in eliminating pain and suffering. The incorporation phase of rites of passage is described as, “These remains are then sent away to be immersed into the holy river Ganges, preferably at one of the famous pilgrim centres on its bank”. So at this point, the body is gone through all of the phases of separation and transition. The ashes from the funeral are collected to flow them away in the Ganges River.
After all of this, the mourning process begins at their home. Prayers are being offered to help them in their afterlife. Although, Hindus believe in collecting ashes and flowing in to the Ganges River, whereas, Muslims do not follow this ritual. For Muslims, the incorporation process is the belief that a person’s action would make him end up in heaven and hell. As the body is buried this marks the end of their funeral.
