Mourning Customs

In class on Thursday, we talked a bit about mourning customs in Islam. One tradition involved widows and childless mothers who wail and pull out their hair when they lose a loved one. I wanted to find out more of their customs.

http://www.seaservices.com/Muslim.htm

Here is an interesting one:

622. The dead body should be laid in the grave on its right side so that the face remains towards the Qibla.

The bodies are buried deep enough so animals cannot sniff them out, and can only be buried in graveyards.
I thought it was interesting that the bodies have to be laid a specific way. In Islam, it is always important to be facing the right direction.  Just before death, it is recommended that the dying use their final words to reflect on their devotion to Allah.

In class, we talked about the benefits of having a mourning process in other religions as well. In Judaism, the mourners are allowed one year to mourn, and at the end, celebrate. By going through a process of mourning, people can grieve easier. In our culture, there is no one right way to mourn. Sometimes we feel like bawling our eyes out, and other times we feel like our emotions aren't responding how they should.
By having a process, we can act our what were feeling and it can help us process our experiences. Through acting, we can sometimes force ourselves to believe it.

In this area, many generations were living in the same household, and as Prof. Silliman said, these people have witnessed death multiple times before witnessing their own. That was another thing that got me thinking...how many of us have the privilege of dying somewhere were comfortable. The majority of deaths occur in hospitals, nursing homes or other facilities. Other deaths occur through accidents and crime scenes.
At the time of death, we are experiencing our final moments on Earth in our current form, so why not be somewhere enjoyable?
To all the House fans, *spoiler* think back to last weeks episode about Wilson. He begged not to be taken to a hospital. He wanted the his cancer treatment to be given by House at his home. He didn't want to be surrounded by people to pity him, but wanted to die with dignity.
Dying is a part of life, and it is up to you how you handle it. Enjoy every minute you have.

RE: Grapes or Virgins? Maybe both...

This is a response to Rachel's post about a mistranslation when reading the Qu'ran. In some cases, the word is said to mean 72 virgins await to satisfy a man, and in other cases, it means 72 grapes will satisfy. Rachel asked her cousin what he thought. See more here...
http://butisthechocolatereallygone.blogspot.com/2012/04/grapesor-virgins-maybe-both.html


When this was first brought up in class, I was totally taken back! Virgins could be mistranslated for grapes...really? I did some quick research on Google, and there's actually a lot of commentary about it!
The experts are leaning more towards the translation to mean grapes, but the word is mistranslated between languages.
in Aramaic, the word "hur" means "white grape/raisin," and in Arabic, "houri" means virgin.

Whatever it is is described as being full grown and swelling, which could be referring to a woman's chest, or the fruit itself.

But, I was thinking...this was a culture who often disposed of their babies if they were female. I always believed that heaven was a place for resting souls, so if the children were disposed of after birth, they would certainly be virgins, and given time, they become the desirable women. It's all just a theory, though.

To me, the translation leads to very different things, but I can see how each would be desirable for an Islamic man.
If your cousin ever gets a chance to see the word in context and can clarify, do let me know though! I'm intrigued.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2004/08/06/2003181944

RE: Where have all the prophets gone?

This is a response to Adam's post about our culture needing a prophet, and not another false promise from the government. It's been a while since God has chosen a prophet, but I wonder if maybe there is one out there, but no one is listening...

http://adamtsblogspot.blogspot.com/

I was wondering the same thing the other day!...I feel like prophets are nothing but a part of the past. As Muhammad said, Islam is not meant for everyone, each man has his own religion. Each religion, intentional or not, was created by a prophet or a savior, and assisted the people with whatever they needed. Jesus helped the people accept members of their community and taught them to stick up for themselves. Buddha and Sri Krishna help others to see that we are all one in the same, and to always be calm and seek a higher state of being.
And here we are now, with so many problems and not so many solutions. I think the problem is that while a lot of problems are being talked about, there is less listening and helping each other. It's so easy to complain, but quite another to be selfless and do something about it. The Occupy movement is a great example of trying to change things. The people congregate and share their ideas, and listen to one another. It drew attention, and as a result there was a huge interest for a while.
I'm not sure where the prophets are, but I think it would be just as helpful if we shared our enlightened ideas with one another. We all have ideas, but they're no good in a room full of noise where no one is listening.