By Fahd bin Jlaid
Al-Jazirah
SORROW comes automatically and instantaneously and does not require any training or preparation. When a calamity befalls on a person he/she will surely feel its pain and it cannot be explained in words.
Recently I have noticed ads on some websites offering services to relatives of the dead in order to organize VIP funeral ceremonies in accordance with their requirements.
Relatives of the dead need not worry at all on organizing the funeral ceremony, what they need is just to sign a contract with the organizers who will do the required to conduct the ceremony in the best form considering the personality of the dead person and standard of his/her family.
The new VIP funeral program is likely to create a big hue and cry in society. We should take measures to confront this move as it goes against our Islamic and cultural values. Confrontation and rejection would be enough to prevent the spread of this phenomenon in our society.
Actually this looks like as an idea of society women who wanted to appear in such sorrowful occasions with full fashion and in a good-looking style. These women are not different from celebrities like film stars who wanted to maintain their beautiful appearance even when they get up from sleep.
Keeping mum on such artificial funeral ceremonies will be a big mistake as it would further worsen our social relations and weaken our moral and social values.
We should also avoid supplying fabulous food during such ceremonies, leaving heavy financial burden on families, even if it is arranged with the support of other relatives.
During funerals people come to express their condolences on the death of the beloved family member. They expect the family of the dead extra sincere in their sorrow of the big loss. But this kind of superficial expression of sadness would backfire and the society would not accept it.
Death has its own sanctity and prestige and nobody should be allowed to damage it by organizing VIP funerals. Funeral is not an occasion to show off our pomp and pageantry, as it goes against our religious teachings as well as customs and traditions.
The issue has gone beyond placing chairs and carpets to receive mourners with the participation of the relatives of the deceased. It will be replaced by event managers who will take over the place from relatives and organize the funeral in a way it was required.
I am afraid that it would not stop here and we’ll find ourselves in front of individuals who will be expressing their sadness and pain artificially just to make the event more attractive and momentous. It will also bring us to a debate in the light of Shariah.
Such VIP funeral ceremonies will surely wipe away our sincere feelings of sorrow over the death of a beloved person and destroy our human and moral values.
