Dismissing Fear for the sake of Humanity

Dismissing Fear for the sake of Humanity

By: Wibowo

Asalamu'alaikum Warohmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Burials for dead bodies due to covid in June-July-August 2021 in the Special Region of Yogyakarta have increased, most of the bodies that died were an average of patients from the hospital in the last three months the death rate has tended to increase.

Seeing from the incidence of cases of death due to Covid, it is necessary to increase public awareness regarding improving health protocols so that Covid transmission does not become more rampant, and in the management of Covid funerals it is also necessary to pay attention to the principles of Islamic law (Syar'i) and health.

In the burial of Covid corpses, the reference used is the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Number 18 of 2020, concerning guidelines for managing the bodies (Tajhiz Al-jana'iz) of Muslims infected with Covid-19, from the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council.

The general provisions of the Fatwa of the Ulama Council that must be obeyed include the following:

  1. Officers are Muslim officers who carry out the management of the corpse.
  2. Martyrs in the hereafter are Muslims who die due to certain conditions (among others due to the plague (tha'un), drowning, burning, and giving birth), who according to syar'i are punished and receive the reward of martyrdom (his sins are forgiven and put into heaven without reckoning). but worldly the rights of the corpse must still be fulfilled.
  3. PPE (personal protective equipment) is personal protective equipment used by officers who carry out the management of corpses.

 

The legal provisions that must be known are:

Reaffirming the provisions of the MUI Fatwa Number 14 of 2020 number 7 which stipulates: Management of bodies (tajhiz al-jana'iz) exposed to Covid-19, especially in bathing and shrouding must be carried out according to medical protocols and carried out by the authorities, while still paying attention to sharia provisions. Meanwhile, praying and burying him are carried out as usual while keeping him from being exposed to Covid-19.

 

Muslims who die due to the Covid-19 outbreak, in the view of syara', are included in the category of martyrs in the afterlife and the rights of their remains must be fulfilled, namely washing, shrouding, offering prayers, and burial, the implementation of which must maintain the safety of officers by complying with the provisions of the medical protocol,

 

Guidelines for washing bodies exposed to COVID-19 are as follows:

  1. The body is washed without having to undress.
  2. Officers must be of the same sex as the body being washed and shrouded
  3. If the officer who bathes is not of the same sex, then the officer who is there will wash the body, provided that the body is washed while still wearing clothes. If not, then it is announced.
  4. Officers clean unclean (if any) before bathing.
  5. Officers bathe the corpse by pouring water evenly throughout the body.
  6. If, based on the opinion of a trusted expert, it is impossible to wash the body, it can be replaced with tayammum in accordance with sharia provisions, namely by:
    1) Wipe the corpse's face and hands (at least up to the wrists) with dust.
    2) In the interest of self-protection when wiping, officers still use PPE.
  7. if according to the opinion of a trusted expert that washing or immersing it is impossible because it endangers the officials, then based on the provisions of the dharurah syar'iyyah, the body should not be bathed or ennobled.
  1. Guidelines for mourning a corpse exposed to Covid-19 are carried out as follows:
  2. After the body has been washed or put in Tayammum, or because the dharurah syar'iyyah has not been washed or put in Tayammum, the body is shrouded using a cloth that covers the entire body and put in a body bag that is safe and impermeable to water to prevent the spread of the virus and maintain the safety of the officers.
  3. After the funeral is complete, the body is placed in a coffin that is not permeable to water and air, tilted to the right so that when buried, the body faces the Qibla.
  4. If after the shroud is still found unclean on the corpse, the officer can ignore the uncleanness.

 

  1. Guidelines for burying bodies exposed to Covid-19 are carried out as follows:
  2. It is sunnah to hasten the funeral prayer after being shrouded.
  3. Done in a place that is safe from transmission of Covid-19.
  4. Performed by Muslims directly (hadhir) at least one person. If this is not possible, it is permissible to pray in the grave before or after burial. If this is not possible, then it is permissible to pray from afar (unseen prayers).
  5. The party making the indictment must protect themselves from the transmission of Covid-19.

 

  1. Guidelines for burying bodies exposed to COVID-19 are as follows:
  2. Performed in accordance with sharia provisions and medical protocols.
  3. This is done by putting the corpse along with the coffin into the grave without having to open the coffin, plastic and shroud.
  4. Burial of several bodies in one grave is permissible due to an emergency (al-dharurah al-syar'iyyah) as stipulated in the provisions of the MUI fatwa number 34 of 2004 concerning Management of the Dead Body (Tajhiz al-Jana'iz) in an Emergency.

 

This is the MUI Fatwa that teaches guidelines for managing the bodies (Tajhiz Al-jana'iz) of Muslims infected with Covid-19, this is what reassures us, strengthens us, so that we dispel fear for the sake of humanity.

 

Furthermore, we as volunteers in taking steps, are strengthened by arguments that can strengthen as well, namely from Abu Hurairah RA, he said that Rasulullah SAW said: "There are 6 Muslim rights to other Muslims, namely:

 

1) When you meet, say hello to him.

2) If you are invited, fulfill the invitation.

3) When you are asked for advice, give advice to him.

4) If he sneezes and then he praises Allah (saying Alhamdulillah), pray for him (by saying Yarhamukallah).

5) If he is sick, visit him.

6) When he dies, accompany his corpse (to the cemetery).

 

"Those who die on the battlefield are martyrs, those who die in the way of Allah (not because of war) are also martyrs, those who have been hit by the plague are also martyrs, those who have died of stomach ache are also martyrs, and those who have drowned are martyr." (Hadith History of Imam Muslim)

Finally, I hope this article can be useful for all of us, because we as fellow human beings, as Muslims, must help each other, because human nature created by Allah SWT is a social being and cannot live alone.

Many mistakes, sorry Nashrun Min Allah wa Fathun Qarib (Help from Allah and Victory is near)

 

Reading Source: Fatwa No. 18 of 2020 – GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CORPORATIONS (TAJHIZ AL-JANA'IZ) OF MUSLIM INFECTED WITH COVID-19