Rokiah Mahmud
Ar-Razaq Funeral Management has been actively holding funeral management workshops to act as a platform to learn the processes and procedures of conducting a funeral for departed Muslims.
Established in January 2019, Ar-Razaq Funeral Management is a subsidiary of Al-Huffaz Management to generate awareness on Muslims’ responsibility to learn the requirement of Fardhu Kifayah, in particular the management of funeral ceremonies, in line with Islamic teachings.
The establishment also eases the concerns among Muslims in need of funeral management services. According to a spokesperson for Ar-Razaq, studies have shown that many in the Muslim community have little understanding or lack the experience to manage funerals, which prompted the establishment to conduct the workshops to educate the public.
“The workshops expose people to the practices, techniques, processes and rituals, in line with Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) Sunnah, such as how to handle a deceased’s body, including cleaning and mengkafankan (wrapping); prayers to perform; and the burial process.
“With knowledge gained from the workshops, there are employment opportunities for participants interested in venturing into funeral management services,” said the spokesperson.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ar-Razaq had conducted eight in-person funeral management workshops at designated locations, including mosques. To keep the transmission of infection at bay, the workshops have been moved online, with three having been carried out so far.
Now that the Sultanate is in the Early Endemic Phase, the workshops can now be conducted either face-to-face or virtually.
The spokesperson shared that public response has been encouraging, with full support shown in every session.
The spokesperson said the target audience are individuals wishing to be penggapai or people who manage funerals.
Nonetheless, the workshop is also open to those looking to learn about funeral management.
Among the topics covered by facilitators and experienced penggapai during the workshop are: an introduction on processes and procedures for the deceased’s body; the obligations and requirements, particularly on hukum; the cleaning process of the deceased’s body; procedures for jenazah prayer; and the process of wrapping the deceased’s body.
Participants are divided into male and female groups for briefings and methods to manage a deceased’s body based on gender, with Ar-Razaq hoping to equip the public with knowledge of how to handle and manage funeral rituals, especially in dealing with family members who have passed away.
