AN ENLIGHTENING WEEKEND WITH SHEIKH ASSIM AL LUQMAN AL HAKIM THE JANAZAH SEMINAR - Presented by KALEMAH 14th & 15th of October 2011 Read about the Janazah Seminar experience on the KALEMAH Blog..

1. "" Verily, with ALLAH alone is the knowledge of the Hour. And HE sends down the rain, and
HE knows what is in the wombs. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul
knows in what land it will die. Surely, ALLAH is All-Knowing, All-Aware. "" 31:34
THE VENUE & THE SEMINAR
With the gates of heaven being opened, Allah's mercy surrounded Jamiat-ul
Islah on the 14th and 15th of October, the Janazah Seminar by Sheikh
Assim 'Al Luqman 'Al Hakim.
Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with them)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When a group of people
assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with
their wings), (Allah's) mercy envelops them, Sakinah, or tranquillity
descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who
are near Him.''
[Muslim].
With around 375 people attending the Seminar, looking to seek the right
knowledge, clear misconceptions and learn from Sheikh Assim, the Seminar
was a huge success, by the grace and mercy of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
Alhamdulillah.
For the very first time, KALEMAH organized separate lounge arrangements
for mothers who were accompanied by children. The setup was complete
with a separate kids' area, with toys, puzzles, activities and videos for the
children to keep themselves occupied during the course of the seminar.
The mothers' area was comortably set up with live audio and video feed, and
seating. The women felt blessed to be mothers, Alhamdulillah, and were
extremely happy to have been able to attend the seminar. The
KALEMAH staff ensured the comfort and needs of the mothers were met
throughout the seminar.

2. Allah has commanded us in the Qur'an to strive hard to walk on the path of
knowledge, and study about our religion so that we are able to worship Him
in the right way, and the best way. He has also commanded us to follow the
Sunnah of our Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and not deviate from his
methods and practices, nor create innovations in the religion or the ways of
Ibaadah. Keeping this in mind, KALEMAH organized the Janazah Seminar to
facilitate those who always look forward to pleasing Allah Subhanahu wa
Ta'ala, by being a good Muslim and fulfill their responsibility towards the
Muslim Ummah, in sha'Allah.
Death and the journey of the Soul after death has been very clearly
explained by Allah Himself in His Qur'an. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa
Sallam has also mentioned the details of death, life after death, as well as
the Janazah (Funeral Rites), all the way from the washing of the body right
up till the burial of the deceased, which has been recorded in his various
Ahadith, Alhamdulillah. Even so, the topic of Death and Janazah is not a
much discussed one amongst the muslims of today, and there has been a
great need for a platform that would encourage people to learn from a
renowned Scholar of Islam, and let go of the wrong practices being followed.
DEATH IN ISLAM
It is unfortunate that the reality of "DEATH" is not known in a true sense in
our day, and DEATH is commonly assumed to be someone's "ending".
"Every soul shall taste death!"
Almighty Lord Allah (swt) says in the Qur'aan
"Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion: and He over all things
hath Power; He Who created Death and Life the may try which of you
is best in deed: and he is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;....
(Surah Al-Mulkhat -67:1-2)
Every one of us has to die. In this regard Allah mentioned in the Qur'aan
that everyone has to die including the Prophet himself:
Allah says in Holy Quran
"Truly thou wilt die (one day), and truly they (too) will die (one
day)."
Surah Al Zumar (39:30)

3. Allah also said that every soul shall taste the death:
"Every soul shall have taste of death; In the end to us shall ye be
brought back
.(Surah Al-'Ankabut The Spider 29:57)
No one knows when and where one will die. No one even knows how
someone is to die. In this respect Allah says in the Qur'an
"Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor
does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily with God is full
knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things)" (Surah Luqman:-
31:34)
Indeed, Allaah's promise will be fulfilled. The Death is something so
inevitable, yet so very often forgotten.
Each day that passes, each day we breathe, each day we go about our lives,
sinning or doing good, is but a day closer to our end, closer to our return to
our Creator - Allaah the All-Mighty. Many of us, have at some point in our
lives, lost a close relative or a close friend. True, we shed tears, we show
remorse and we show sadness - but how did we reflect upon it for our own
selves.
The reality of death, in all its morbid nuances was beautifully explained by
Sheikh Assim, that brought a sense of awakening in the atmosphere of the
crowd.
CARE FOR THE DYING
When a Muslim is near death, those around him or her are called upon to
give comfort, and reminders of God's mercy and forgiveness. They may
recite verses from the Qur'an, give physical comfort, and encourage the
dying one to recite words of remembrance and prayer. It is recommended, if
at all possible, for a Muslim's last words to be the declaration of faith: "I
bear witness that there is no god but Allah."
Upon death, those with the deceased are encouraged to remain calm, pray
for the departed, and begin preparations for burial. The eyes of the deceased
should be closed, and the body covered temporarily with a clean sheet. It is
forbidden for those in mourning to excessively wail, scream, or thrash about.
Grief is normal when one has lost a loved one, and it is natural and
permitted to cry. When the Prophet Muhammad's own son died, he said:

4. "The eyes shed tears and the heart is grieved, but we will not say anything
except which pleases our Lord." One should strive to be patient, and
remember that Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away, at a time
appointed by Him. It is not for us to question His wisdom.
DEATH RITES
Muslims see death as a natural event, and they prefer to face death in the
company of family and friends, not among strangers in a sterile medical
ward. When a Muslim nears death, his loved ones gather around to help him
turn his thoughts to God, encourage him to repent his sins, remind him
about the good things he did during his life, and give him hope about the
mercy of God. They may also prompt him, very gently, to utter words of
faith as his last words.
After death has been confirmed, those present close the eyes of the
deceased, cover the body with a clean sheet, and supplicate God to forgive
him for anything he did wrong during his life. They then hasten to prepare
the body for washing, shrouding, and burial.
"The deceased (one who tasted death) knows those who washed his body,
who shrouded the corpse, who performed the funeral service for him, who
attended his funeral procession, who descended the corpse into the grave
and who prompted over his grave! "
THE BURIAL
Muslims strive to bury the dead as soon as possible after death, and many
Islamic burials occur within twenty-four hours. Family members or other
members of the Muslim community care for the deceased. Washing the body
several times with water, following the same general process as in the
ablutions for prayer, with the final wash when perfume or camphor is added
to the water. Finally, the body is dried with a towel and shrouded in plain
white cloths.
At the time of burial, Muslims gather to pray the funeral prayer, called
salaat-l-janazah. This is a congregational prayer during which worshipers
ask God for forgiveness and mercy for the deceased. The congregation
gathers in front of the body, standing in rows. The funeral prayer is said

5. silently except for a few words. After the prayer, the body is transferred
directly to the cemetery for burial.
The deceased is then proceeded for burial. The shrouded body is placed in
the grave resting on the right side, facing Mecca.
The official mourning period in Islam is three days. For widows, this period is
extended to four months and ten days, as described in the Qur'an (2:234).
"Do not cry out by slapping your cheeks and tearing your clothes
beside the deceased for he is tortured by your wailing!"
This shows that he will be seeing and feeling troubled of the others'
emotional states.
Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam advised his followers to be
humble and patient in mourning. Grief at the death of a loved one is natural,
but Muslims are not to despair or lose faith.
BONUS LECTURE ON ISLAMIC WILL AND INHERITANCE
According to a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims may bequeath
up to one-third of their estate in a written will to any person or organization
of their choosing. In addition, transfers of estate may be done at any time
during a person's lifetime. These amounts are not included in the inheritance
calculations.
All this and more was covered in during a 2 hour lecture in which Legal
Expert Mohammad Marria spoke in detail on how to deal with legal
challenges commonly faced by the family of the deceased and preparing the
last will to avoid diffiulties in Islamic will and Inheritance.
PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION BY SHEIKH ASSIM AL LUQMAN AL
HAKIM
The highlight of the Seminar, Sheikh Assim Al Luqman Al Hakim, alongwith a
few brothers from KALEMAH, performed a live demonstration of the Janazah
Rites, begining with the washing of the body all the way till the final
shrouding of the body. The various processes were explained in detail for the
benefit of the crowd, followed by a session of question answers to clear any
misconceptions/ doubts prevailing in the minds of the students.

6. Please click here for photos from the Seminar.
Alhamdulillah, all in all, it was indeed an enlightening experience, with an
ocean of knowledge that was passed on by the Sheikh. All Praise belongs to
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala for helping us all the way and making the
Seminar a success. May Allah bless us all, bless the knowledge gained, help
us to pass it on, and implement it in our lives, in sha'allah. Ameen. May
Allah bless Sheikh Assim, grant him a good life ahead in this life and the
Hereafter, May Allah bless all our Shuyookh and preserve them for the
Muslim Ummah. May Allah reward all those who attended the Seminar,
seeking to please Him, for taking the efforts to acquire knowledge. Ameen
Reference:
http://www.123muslim.com/islamic-articles/7589-death-not-end.html
http://www.netplaces.com/understanding-islam/life-events-in-muslim-families/death-and-
funeral-rituals.htm
http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/15/chap247.htm
http://www.lutonmuslims.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=314:kdeth
&catid=3:hereafter&Itemid=59