Respecting the Dignity of the Body After Death
Burial Law Binding on Believers in the West
Lights of Guidance
As to the law of burial, the Universal House of Justice suggests that you confine your statement to the following parts of this law which are now binding on the believers in the West:
(1) That the body must be buried, not cremated.
(2) That the Prayer for the Dead is to be recited for a believer of the age of 15 years or over. This, as you know, is the prayer which appears as number CLXVII in Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh.
(3) That the body 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.
(Lights of Guidance 638 – From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador, December 3, 1975)
Use of the Greatest Name or Ringtone Symbol on Gravestone Not Appropriate –
Feet Should Point Towards the Qiblih – Bahji in Akka
“The use of the Most Great Name or the ringstone symbol on gravestones is not appropriate. In a letter dated September 17, 1971 to an individual believer we wrote the following:
” ‘Concerning the questions you ask in your postscript, there is no specific ruling regarding the type of headstone that may be used at a grave site. However, regarding the inscription on a headstone, the beloved Guardian asked the believers not to use any form of the Greatest Name but a nine-pointed star may be used. Or, you may wish to have an appropriate text from the Sacred Writings inscribed on the headstone. The position of the body in the grave should be with the feet pointing toward the Qiblih, which is Bahjí in ‘Akká’.”
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda, May 4, 1972)
Lights of Guidance: Baha’i Burial Laws Explained
Preparation for Funerals and Burials
Suggestions for Preparation of the Body:
The entire experience—from beginning to the end should be filled with serenity, calm, tenderness, beauty, dignity, love, and especially spirituality.
Try to avoid intense displays of grief and wailing—according to Baha’i teachings this distresses the soul (as well as others present).
Always bear in mind that the deceased is still alive in the spiritual world, is present and aware of what is going on with his/her body.
A private room should be made ready, so that the preparation can take place away from ringing phones, doorbells, and the conversation of those not involved. A room at the funeral home can be used for this purpose if available.
Decide who will prepare the body. It’s best to chose those who will show befitting reverence and not be carried away with sobbing. Its helpful to have at least 4 people to roll the body for wrapping.
Those chosen should gather together to say prayers out loud before entering the room of the body. They should also consult on procedure so they have a unified vision of the process before beginning.
While preparing the body, prayers can be sung or recited. Conversation should be respectful and loving.