Guidelines for Funerals and Burials
The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence…Whoso hath recognized the Dayspring of Divine guidance and entered His holy court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His Presence, a Presence which is the real Paradise, and of which the loftiest mansions of heaven are but a symbol.
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, XXIX)
- The body must not be transported more than an hour’s journey from the place of death.
- The method of transport is not specified, but the journey must not take longer than one hour.
- The place of death may be taken to be the city or town in which the believer passes away, and therefore the hour’s journey may be calculated from the city limits to the place of burial.
- The dead body should be treated with the utmost honor and respect.
- There is nothing in the teachings against leaving our bodies to medical science.
- On one of the fingers of the deceased should be placed a ring bearing the inscription ‘I came forth from God, and return unto Him, detached from all save Him, holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate’
- The coffin should be of crystal, stone or hardwood.
- The body of the deceased should be washed and wrapped in five sheets of silk or cotton. Bahá’u’lláh confirmed this provision and added the stipulation that “for those whose means are limited a single sheet of either fabric will suffice.”
- Concerning the way in which the body should be wrapped, there is nothing in the Bahá'í writings to define how the wrapping of the body is to be done, either when ‘five cloths’ are used or only ‘a single sheet’. At present, the Bahá'ís are free to use their judgement in the matter.
- The Prayer for the Dead is to be recited for a believer of the age of 15 years or over.
- The prayer for the dead which is obligatory appears on page 260 of ‘Prayers and Meditations’. This prayer allows for a change in gender.
- The Prayer for the Dead is the only Bahá'í obligatory prayer which is to be recited in congregation; it is to be recited by one believer while all present stand in silence. Baha’u’llah has clarified that the Prayer for the Dead is required only when the deceased is an adult, that the recital should precede the interment of the deceased, and that there is no requirement to face the Qiblih when saying this prayer.
- The body must be buried, not cremated.
- The body is not to be embalmed
- The dead should be buried with their face turned towards the Qiblih.
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the information in these pages is accurate and in accordance with the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. Springfield Funeral Home does not represent or speak on behalf of the Bahá'í community. Please defer to the Spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís of your area if there is a discrepancy of information contained in these pages. We would appreciate being notified of any errors or omissions. Please send any such notices to contact@springfieldfuneralhome.com.
