Funeral Rites (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

Christian funeral rites and their significance

• When someone dies, it is common to hold some form of ceremony to remember their life and mark their death

• These rituals differ between religions, but they are generally known as funeral rites

• Christian rites begin when someone is close to death

  • Many Christians call for a priest or minister to say prayers with and for the dying person

• In Catholic Christianity, the Last Rites are sacraments given to people who are seriously ill or near death. They include:

  • Confession 

  • Anointing of the sick

  • Holy Communion (called “Viaticum” when given at the point of death)

• The meaning of the Last Rites is to bring peace and comfort. They help the person prepare for death and the afterlife, knowing that they have asked for God’s forgiveness

• After death, Christians hold funeral ceremonies to remember the life of the deceased and to support those who mourn their loss

  • These are usually held in churches 

  • The coffin is often sprinkled with holy water and placed at the front of the church with flowers and candles

• Christian funerals usually include:

  • Bible readings, including Jesus’s words, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) and Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd”

  • Hymns

  • Prayers

  • A sermon

  • Holy Communion (at Catholic funeral services)

• The meaning of these are as follows

  • The candles represent Jesus as the “light of the world” who will guide Christians to heaven

  • The words of Jesus are spoken to remind believers that they have the hope of eternal life with God after death

  • The words of Psalm 23 are said to remind Christians that even when they are “in the valley of the shadow of death”, God is still with them. This gives those who mourn the person hope and comfort

• Funerals are followed by the burial or cremation of the body

• At a burial, a priest or minister often conducts a short prayer service at the graveside before the body is committed to the ground

  • The minister or priest may say “ashes to ashes, dust to dust”. These words come from the Bible and reflect the belief in the resurrection of the body

  • Prayers are said for the person’s soul and for those who are grieving

  • The coffin is lowered into the ground, and soil may be scattered over it as a final act of farewell

• The meaning of burial

  • Many Christians believe that the bones of the dead should be left intact so that the person can rise again on the Day of Judgement

  • This is believed to be a physical resurrection, or the resurrection of the body

  • Because many Christians today believe in the resurrection of the soul, it is seen as acceptable to cremate the body

• The meaning of funeral rites for all Christians is to:

  • Honour the memory of the deceased

  • Help the bereaved acknowledge death

  • Allow them to express grief at their loss

  • Offer comfort and hope through Christian teaching

  • Allow the Christian community to support those who are grieving

Muslim funeral rites and their significance

• When someone is dying, the family gathers around them to pray

  • If possible, the person who is dying repeats the words of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): “God, help me through the hardship and agony of death”

  • The people with them reply: “To God we belong and to God we return” (Qur’an 2:156)

  • The Shahadah is whispered into the person’s ear, the same words that were whispered into their ear at their birth (“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is his prophet”)

• These words and prayers reflect the Muslim belief that they return to Allah, their Creator, at death

• After death, close family members of the same gender of the deceased carry out a ritual washing called “ghusl” 

• After washing, the body is wrapped in plain white cloths 

• The meanings of these rituals are as follows

  • The washing is a sign of cleansing and spiritual purification in preparation for burial

  • The white cloths symbolise purity and equality before Allah (similar to the Ihram garments worn during the Hajj pilgrimage)

• The funeral is carried out as soon as possible so that the body can be buried within 24 hours (especially in hot countries)

• Yawm al-din, or cremation, is forbidden

  • Instead, the body is laid in a grave facing Mecca, and the grave is filled with handfuls of earth

  • This is because of the belief that Allah will raise the bodies of the faithful from their graves on the Day of Judgement

• At the graveside, the first chapter (Surah) of the Qur’an is recited

• When the body is lowered into the grave, more words from the Qur’an are said

• These words express the Muslim belief in Allah’s greatness and that he will raise people to life again

• There is no gravestone, but the site of the grave is often raised in a mound above ground level

  • This shows that everyone is equal in death

• There is a mourning period for the family of the deceased

Non-religious funeral services

• Many non-religious people want to mark the passing of a loved one with a personal ceremony to celebrate their life without the prayers and rituals of religious funerals

• Therefore, non-religious funerals are becoming more popular

• Humanist funerals are led by a humanist celebrant

  • They celebrate a person’s life and achievements rather than focusing on what happens next

• These funerals often include:

  • Readings

  • Music

  • Personal stories about the person and why they were special

  • Moments for quiet reflection

• The meaning of humanist funerals is to:

  • Show respect for the deceased without mentioning anything about an afterlife

  • Remember the unique qualities of the person, their achievements in life and what they meant to others