Islam, cremation and Covid-19?

[AnnieA]

I only know it's prohibited but would think in the case of mass deaths due to contagion that there could be a dispensation. From what I've read burial practices aren't actually spelled out in the Quran. Some of the bodies in this video are several days old awaiting proper ceremonial washing and wrapping which falls short of the 24 hour burial timeline. So something has to give at some point.

Anyhow. It's a very sad video.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1234690297839439872

 

[AnnieA]

Made me curious about how Italy is handling burials. They're limiting funerals to immediate family only.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

I am Muslim and I am aware of the no cremation rule. But Islam considers extenuating circumstances. For instance, we're not supposed to eat pork, but we're also advised that it's permissible if there is nothing else to eat, rather than risk starving to death. If a body is starting to badly decompose, I don't even see how the ceremonial washing would be possible, let alone with mass bodies. There are special people who do that, so who knows if there's even enough of them to get to the bodies on time. I didn't and won't watch the video BTW.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I think the locals are well equipped to deal with the problem. It was only a few years ago, with the war with Iraq, that there were many thousands of dead littered throughout Iran.

 

[AnnieA]

I am Muslim and I am aware of the no cremation rule. But Islam considers extenuating circumstances. For instance, we're not supposed to eat pork, but we're also advised that it's permissible if there is nothing else to eat, rather than risk starving to death. If a body is starting to badly decompose, I don't even see how the ceremonial washing would be possible, let alone with mass bodies. There are special people who do that, so who knows if there's even enough of them to get to the bodies on time. I didn't and won't watch the video BTW.

I don't blame you for not watching. It's heartbreaking and I'm not Muslim. The guy who recorded it has been arrested which makes it even more sad. He didn't actually show a corpse uncovered which I can understand would've been really bad.