This Friday, I attended a funeral at Aasaharaa. There I came across a so called "funeral custom" that many Maldivians often practice, which I found very odd.
According to our (Muslim) religious believes, the person after his/her death will be questioned. Hey I am not going to say I don't believe in that!! I have some other problem.
As the coffin was covered, and the burial was getting over, the Imam who was leading the funeral did something on which we have a very different belief. Indeed I'd say a stupid belief. This Imam reads out or recites a Dhuaa (prayer) to the dead body. It's ok. But that’s not the problem. The problem is how we do it and what we believe towards it.
As Muslims we believe that the person will be asked some questions. So we try to cheat God by giving the answer to those questions. Huh... the angel is asking questions to the slave of God, and the other slaves of God are mocking the angels by mimicking the answers. Oh this sounds ridiculous!!! Yet, this is what they do. The Imam sits near and says a recites…which goes something like this.....
“Oh...Bother/sister of Islam…There is no God but Allah...Our religion is Islam…book is Quran...Prophet is Mohamed (PBUH)…the pillars of Islam are testimony to one God and His Prophet…five times prayers…paying alms… performing pilgrimage….” And so it continues.
We know that theses questions will be asked so we stay on top and give the answers. Now you tell me. Is it right to copy in an exam? Is it logical to allow to copy in a test. At last is it believable with common sense that we could cheat God this way. As I always say, I have shown the facts on ground now you’d know the rest of it.
Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/ajoo/584897472/