Why do muslims (and maybe others) wash dead people with scented water before they bury them?

Question

and add perfume and roll them in a pure white sheet? I mean, they are just going to rot underground anyway......they're dead.

What is the reason for it?


(note: this is for burials, nobody is going to be looking at the body or doing any kind of wake or funeral)

I'm looking to see if there is religious significance, not just respect for the dead.

I wanted to avoid answers relating to embalming as the reason for that is they will have a wake and funeral where people will come see the body, so it makes sense to do so.

In this case I was talking about right before they put it in the ground

AGAIN! I ask BECAUSE they dont have funerals or wakes. THIS IS RIGHT BEFORE THEY ARE BURIED!!!

isn't there a muslim anywhere?

Why do people answer with guesses?

thanks Hal.

Answer 1

many causes 1/ the respect of dead body
2/ this act actually is order from GOD (allah)so they opey
3/the last time the muslim will face his God so he should be clean and smeel good ,like in the algumaa(friday)prayers every body do gusll(spescial type of bath like the one for dead)and take some perfume and go for prayer .
4/its kind of wash out the znoob(its bad thing people do during their life )

Answer 2

It wasn't that long ago when there were no preservatives.

It would be so painful to smell your departed loved one at the funeral. They used to put a little window on the casket. Then you could have one last look, but contain the odor.

Traditions can persist regardless of technology.

(I see your note, but it still takes time before burial.)

Answer 3

I would imagine washing and perfuming a body is mostly for the sake of the people at the funeral. You could ask the same thing for why in the west we dress a corpse in nice clothes and put them into an ornate, padded casket. That's also mostly done so it looks nice.

Answer 4

Many religions have a funerary ceremony that lasts for several days, and the scented oils help cover the smell of decay, the shroud I would suppose would be for decorum (no nude corpses) and a gesture of love and respect. It's why we have the custom of flowers at funerals, and throwing a flower or two in the grave with the coffin.

Answer 5

It is a way of paying respects and has deep seated roots in the belief of prepping the body for the next life

Sorta like how the Egyptians used to bury the Pharos with the jewels, gold, slaves etc.. so the would have this in the next life.

Answer 6

I believe that adding perfume is not necessary. It is only necessary to wash the dead body.

This is simply our religious obligation to do - it is a religious ritual which reflects the nature of Islamic mourning for the dead - to respectfully say good bye to the person, to put the body in the Earth with dignity.

Answer 7

It's because that's in the teachings of our religion. The reason we do all that is because unlike many other religions, we believe in an afterlife. And it's not some confusing type thing like all other religions, it's very well documented in great detail in the Quran and teachings of our Prophet Mohammad. Everyone, whether they believe it or not, will be resurrected and asked about their life and everything they ever did and said. When it's all said and done, God will pass His judgement on everyone and put them where they belong...Heaven or Hell.

Answer 8

Good question...although I'd be more inclined to ask, 'Why plaster make-up on a cadaver, pump them full of preservatives, dress them up like a turkey and put them on display in an expensive casket?'

Our bodies are only vessels.

Answer 9

Each society has a ritual that they perform to honor the dead. It's the last act of kindness one can do for them.

Answer 10

its part of there beliefs and they have done so for a long time to come and its normal to them it might be weird to us but to them its what they do like, why do we embalm bodies? and its also to wash any of the sins them have made away