Question:
Why do Muslims bury dead bodies instead of cremating them, i.e. burning them?
Answer:
Components of human body present in the soil
Elements that are present in the human body are present in lesser or greater quantity in the soil. Hence it is more scientific to bury a dead body, as it easily gets decomposed and mixed in the soil.
No Pollution
Cremating (burning) the dead body leads to pollution of the atmosphere which is detrimental to health and harmful for the environment. There is no such pollution caused by burying a dead body.
Surrounding land becomes fertile
To cremate a dead body several trees have to be chopped, which reduces the greenery and harms the environment and the ecology. When dead bodies are buried, besides the trees being saved, the surrounding land becomes fertile and it improves the environment.
Economical
It is expensive to cremate a dead body when tons of wood have to be burned. Annually there is a loss of crores of rupees, only because dead bodies are cremated in India. Burying dead bodies is very cheap. It hardly costs any money.
Same land can be utilised for burying another body
The wood used for cremating a dead body cannot be reutilised for cremating another dead body since it gets converted to ashes. The land used for burying a dead body can be reutilised for burying another body after a few years since the human body gets decomposed and mixed in the soil.
good...
ReplyDelete1. Why not graveyards are allowed to be used as farms for cultivation.
ReplyDelete2. The burial shlould be preferably done in the land which is barren and not used for lond say waste land.
3.The construction of pucca tomb and building should not be allowed at graveyard.
4.There should not be any festival like Sab-e-barat , when all these grave yard are decorated and family memebrs visit this sites just to pollute the space, as per yor arguements.
Assuming that I am answering to a Non-Muslim's query(posted by Mohammad), I would answer in the following way:
Delete1) You are arguing by asking as to why people(more specifically Muslims) don't use graveyards for cultivation. I ask you, If you would be comfortable in eating crops that were harvested in graveyards. To add on, you should also consider burying your relatives/loves ones in a farmland instead of a graveyard.
2) FYI.. just to give a reasonable reply to your question, a fertile land would contain more number of insects(Earthworms etc) which would help in decomposing a body quickly.And I dont think that its compulsory to bury in fertile land only.
3)/4) For once, I agree with your points. Its just sad/unfortunate that people construct tombs and visit a grave during particular occasions. But, that doesn't mean it happens in the whole world.
what i've written above has been posted by Hindu friend, I told him that I'll paste your points on the blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=178702385478521&id=100000896443417¬if_t=share_comment
@ Mohammad:
ReplyDeletei am not a pro to answer ur ques but it may be satisfying.
1. you can do plantation near the grave and actually it is beneficial for soul as well as ecologically. see death occurs without any intimation and if u r cultivating on land then u have to ruin it for burial process. but after burying a dead body u can plant a tree near to the grave it is more convenient.
2.go for it there are no restrictions as per my knowledge. but in India we require a proper land for graveyard don't we? it should be owned by us. but again no compulsion.
3.I agree, we must stop people by doing this but this is restricted in Islam. you can not construct a tomb it has to be leveled to the ground.
4. there is no such festival in Islam. but you should go and visit the site and do proper things which is allowed for instance read DARUD, pray for them,and if someone is decorating with flowers then it is not restricted as flowers get decomposed anyhow.
i think this answers would be clear to you..
this is just a general knowledge about Islam you just need to think n co-relate with the questions asked by non-muslims.
This above argument as to why bodies should be buried is not very stong,in my opinion one should do what his religion prescribes to him,now let me clarify
ReplyDelete1)Components of human body mixed with wood(rose) in particular is highly anti septic,and is scientifically proven,so keeps the graveyard environment free from hundreads of bacteria which are born when one dies.
2)NO POLLUTION is caused in the Indian cremation system because ghee is used for burning and not keroscene,hence ghee scientifically produces a non-sooty flame,which does not harm the environment,in fact it purifies the atmosphere from many harmful micro-oraganisms.
3)Trees are chopped,i agree but trees are panted in plenty today,and to burn a body a very old tree is cut so that it is dry,young trees cannot burn as the are not dry,they are watery,hence old trees are cut and young ones are planted,this is an actual agricultural process carried specially for creamtion,so there are no loss of trees.
4)One does not have to bury the bodies to make the land fertile,there is something called irrigation process which is done for making the land fertile for growing crops,ond cultivation is done on a large mass of land,takeing into accont on how many ppl are dying and how many are being born the no of dead buried in graveyeards cannot make sufficent land for cultivation,and secondly no one grows crops on dead bodies,the grave yards are left for the families to visit the grave,and growing crops near graveyeards also need proper irrigation so it does not matter whether someone has to be buried for fertile land.
5)The trees may be costing heavily in India,there may be an annual loss,but trees can be grown again,but land once utilised to bury takes more than 50-60 years for the body to decay completely,so its a slow process,the land is wasted,but for creamting the same location is used to cremate the very next day,it is a very fast process,and it saves so much of land and time,considering todays growing population.
^)The wood may not be reutilised but it can be re grown,land once utilised cannot be created again,one needs to wait for a long time for the body to decay.
I strongly agree with Dr. Naik, and let me reply to this anonymous writer, decomposition of body does not take 50-60 yrs. please get your facts straight. Secondly visit any shamshan bhumi, you cannot stand the smoke & CO2 emitted from the same, your Ghee is not doing the trick to curb the pollution, may be its not pure quality. Even if you use sandalwood to exhume the body with best ghee in the world you cannot curb the so called pollution. With all due respect to all other faiths, i am just trying to be practical.
Deletegreat reply by Dr Zakir Naik. A comman man and a normal and unbiased brain can accept it easily.
ReplyDeleteVERY GOOD REPLY DR. NAIK....*WHETHER TREES R OLD OR YOUNG,CUTTING THEM CREATES ECOLOGICAL IMBALANCE AS IT TAKES DECADES FOR A TREE TO MATURE AND ONLY MONTHS FOR A BODY TO DECOMPOSE(WE DONT WAIT FOR BONES TO DECOMPOSE)*ALSO NO WASTAGE OF FUEL WHETHER ITS DESI GHEE OR COWDUNG*SOMEWHERE OR THE OTHER THERE WILL BE GREENARY IN GRAVEYARD EVEN IF LITTLE OF DECOMPOSED BODY SERVES AS MANURE(AIR WILL BE PURIFIED)WE DONT WANT HARDCORE CROP CULTIVATION THERE
ReplyDeleteCremation of human bodies is very very cruel and disgusting. But no matter, how much Islam guides non-muslims to wisdom, they will never accept what is right. I think that after the death of all these NON-MUSLIMS, they start facing Almighty God's wrath even before they are put into hell; for all that Shirk they do on Earth. Hence, no doubt they are burnt in fire by their own people which is just the beginning of the punishment they are about to receive.
ReplyDeleteVery well said
ReplyDelete