The young ones can be seen bathing out of a bucket on the concrete tombs. Others play cards whilst sitting on a grave under the shadow of a tree. Sadly that’s the state of the Muslim graveyards today.
A crow taught Cain to bury Abel, so the Quranic narration goes, by digging a hole in the earth. From then on it has been so. Some prefer cremation.
Naaryalwadi, is the oldest graveyard of Mumbai. Slums surround it. The young ones can be seen bathing out of a bucket on the concrete tombs. Others played cards whilst sitting on a grave under the shadow of a tree. Little urchins played hide and seek behind the headstones. This was a noisy graveyard, which did not appear to have anything grave about it.
Our burial sites are crammed. In any of the city’s graveyards, burials are taking place at any hour of the day and night. A visit to the graveyard should bring a person closer to Allah and help him realise spiritual goals, rather than hardship and mechanical rituals draining them completely.
This correspondent recently attended a burial. On arrival at the destined spot, one boy told us in a barely audible whisper, that we should beware of pick- pockets. We marvelled at the thieves keeping busy at these late hours -it was already midnight. A few kept one of their hands pressed to their sides or to their breast pocket depending on their wallet’s location. With one arm thus employed, we could hardly ‘give shoulder’ to the deceased. The sturdy and brawny carried the coffin. But were oppressed by the sheer weight of the casket; carrying it over the concrete structures built haphazardly, defying all the laws of geometry, and plain common sense -an up hill task.
The floor of most of the graveyards is not well laid. It generates a guilt complex walking along the graves as the mud below the feet is of one or the other dead body.
Our woes were further compounded when we found that all the marble works had their foundations a good two yards above the ground level. One fell and sprained his ankle. He sat right there, viewing the proceedings from a distance. The more pious amongst us zig-zagged and walked sideways to avoid stepping on the dead but soon got brow-beaten by the futility of it all. Negotiating through the confusion of graves was like doing the hurdle and steeple-chase combined. Finally a number of us, squatted or stood on the graves while others perched themselves on the ‘children’s’ headstones, while we deposited the body at its place of rest.
Coming down to the terra firma was not easy either. We helped ourselves descend in the same way that we had hauled each other up to the platform earlier. Upon arrival at the residence of the departed, I saw people eating at that irregular hour, under the melancholy funeral circumstance, accompanied by the occasional moan, seemed surrealistic.
One thing missing in the entire exercise was the lack of spirituality. The whole burying exercise is becoming mechanical. The emotions are not only overshadowed by the mechanical rituals, but also many times turn out to be in-human.
Instead of taking care of the family undergoing the trauma of losing their beloved, they are burdened with making arrangements for the food and tea of those attending the funeral, many a times at the odd hours.
Then the mourners’ flow in for 40 days, many of them do not realise that they are reminding the family of the lost, whereas the Quran teaches us that you must think about Allah and move ahead in life. The elaborate mourning period makes it very painful for the family and increases their sorrow.
Even the mehfil or speeches on the occasion are not by any proficient person, but it is based on what your ideological leanings are. On the occasion, what is required is the praise of Allah and some healing through effective use of knowledge about relationship and emotions.
There are occasions when because near and dear ones have to arrive from the far off places, the body is not buried and it starts decomposing. It is for the same reason that Islam teaches us to bury the body as fast as possible. If it’s extremely necessary, then proper care should be taken by embalming the dead body with certain chemicals, which are easily available.
The construction of casket is one area, which needs immediate attention. Many aged and senior citizens avoid giving shoulder to the casket carrying dead body, as they just find it too heavy. The sheer weight of the casket may risk them suffering a fracture. Lot of light and durable fibre and other material are available. Why not build a casket with them as the current caskets are a great risk for those who out of emotions carry their beloved on their shoulder for a longer time.
Maintenance of the many graveyards is pathetic. One just cannot spend time in the graveyard beyond what is compulsory to finish the rituals. Little more care of our graveyards will make the life of people more comfortable who want to visit the grave of their departed beloved and experience the penance.
Graveyards reflect a culture of the community. The state of our graveyard reflects upon the community. Its one area which is totally neglected. In the urban areas a little more space should be allocated for the purpose so that those who want to visit graveyards of their departed near and dear ones, can attain the spiritual fulfillment.
 |
September 2004 |