Preview: Islamic Burial Grounds in Oklahoma City

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

OKLAHOMA - About twenty-miles outside of Oklahoma City is the Mercy Islamic Cemetary, located at 3815 N. St. Clair Ave, and AOA Meetup will convene there today right before prayer time at 1:36pm. The purpose of visiting the Muslim cemetery is to learn from Islamic sacred rituals, and consistent with that teaching is to remind ourselves that we too will die and that we must prepare ourselves for the Day of Judgment. All visitors within the cemetery are subject to specific rules and regulations such as appropriate dress, no flowers/candles or headstones. As sacred grounds, the cemetary is only for Muslims therefore no one else will be granted space in this cemetary and all funerals are under the supervision of the sexton (Person in charge of the cemetery).

Monuments are not permitted on graves or plots in any section within the cemetery. Instead, markers are set level with the ground at the head of each grave space. According to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) there are ONLY three things that benefit the dead:

1. Charity; Continuos Charity
2. Knowledge left by the deceased from which some benefit may be obtained;
3. A virtuous son or daughter who makes Dua' (Pray, supplicate) on deceased’s behalf, or perform duties that the deceased did not do during his lifetime such as fasting missed days or Hajj, or pay his debts.

Also, in contrast to traditional Christian burials, all all graves shall be flush with the surface of the ground; Women are forbidden from attending the burial; The grave is dug perpendicular (Horizontal) to the direction of Qiblah; The deceased's body should be entered to the grave from the direction where his feet will be (From the rear of the grave); The deceased's face should be towards the Qiblah. Just after the burial, all Muslims including the deceased's relatives, may stay in the cemetery for a while and make Dua' (Supplicate) for the deceased, because during this time, Muslim believe the Angels are questioning him. Decoration (or candles) of the grave is prohibitied along with stepping over, leaning on, or sitting on a grave.