• The burial of Yusuf Hajj was marked with utmost simplicity in adherence to Islamic teachings.
• The family chose to have him buried in Nairobi in adherence to Islamic teachings
Image: FILE
The trending images of the Nairobi Regional Police Commander digging the grave of former Cabinet minister Mohammed Yusuf Hajj was an exemplification of the simplicity of Islamic burials.
In full regalia, Rashid Yakub was seen inside the grave at the Lang’ata Muslim Cemetery preparing the final resting place for the Garissa Senator and chairman of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), who passed away on Monday morning after a long illness.
Despite being among the prominent political shapers of the nation and his high standing position in the Muslim community where he was a trustee member of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), the burial of Yusuf Hajj was marked with utmost simplicity in adherence to Islamic teachings.
His death evoked emotions among thousands of Muslims who came out to participate in his final burial rites which followed the same sequence every Muslim mortal goes through upon breathing his last.
Despite the available government facilitation which could have seen his body flown for burial to his home county of Garissa, the family chose to have him buried in Nairobi in adherence to Islamic teachings which recommends the dead to be buried in the locality they die from.
Burying the deceased within hours after death are some of the salient features in Islamic burials. Within hours after he breathed his last, Yusuf Hajj was interred at the Langa’ta Muslim cemetery and prominent mourners who included President Uhuru Kenyatta were forced to alter their schedule to allow them to attend the burial.
For Muslims, it remains a community obligation to bury their deceased notwithstanding the status of the person. Even if the deceased is a stranger or without a family, the community is under obligation to ensure that a decent burial is accorded.
Before burial, a deceased is given a ritual bath (ghusl) by family members from the respective genders which among things aims at removing any impurities from the body ensuring that it is in a clean state.
The deceased is later shrouded in a simple three piece white cloth for men and five for the case of women. The shroud should be an inexpensive material and not bear any splendor whatsoever.
No coffins are used for transporting the deceased to the gravesite and instead the shrouded body is placed on a bier which is carried by mourners to the grave area. The funeral prayer which usually takes not more than 3 minutes is held just before burial. Anyone with basic knowledge of Islam can lead the prayers.
Inside the grave, close family members place the deceased in a dug out chamber with the face facing the direction of Mecca. The chamber is then covered with timber, leaves and other materials to protect the body before the grave is covered with soil.
The burial is a short religious ritual devoid of long speeches, eulogies as well as political rhetoric and antics which have become a hallmark at burials especially for prominent personalities.
While in many communities, burials have become an expensive affair and a financial burden to the bereaved families, not so among Muslims where by the total costs of interning the dead in a Muslim cemetery costs about Sh15, 000.
For those who are unable to afford the amount, the community readily comes in to give a helping hand. Several mosques in Nairobi and Mombasa have special areas for washing the deceased and also offer free shrouds and hearse services.
While burials of prominent personalities in many societies are elaborate events stretching for days, the case is not true in Muslim societies. After the death of the Saudi King, Fahad bin Abdul-Aziz, no national days of mourning were declared, there was no lowering of flags and life in the country continued as normal. Just like ordinary souls, the King’s body was carried on an open bier from the mosque to the cemetery and buried in an unmarked grave.
Such is the simplicity of burial rites in Islam which was witnessed during the burial of Muhammad Yusuf Hajj-May Allah have mercy on his soul.
In Islam, all people are born equal and they will return to their Creator the way they came -equal beings with nothing but their deeds towards the Creator and humanity.
The writer is the head of Media at Jamia Mosque, Nairobi