If the death took place in the morning, the corpse is buried the same day;[[612]] but if it happened in the afternoon, or at night, the deceased is not buried until the following day: in this case, the neddábehs remain all the night, and continue the lamentation with the other women; and a fikee is brought to the house to recite chapters of the Kur-án during the night; or several fikees are employed to perform a complete khatmeh.
The “mughassil” (or washer of the dead) soon comes, with a bench, upon which he places the corpse, and a bier.[[613]] The fikees who are to take part in the funeral procession (if the deceased were a person of respectable rank, or of the middle order) are also now brought to the house. These, during the process of washing, sit in an apartment adjoining that in which the corpse is placed, or without the door of the latter apartment; and some of them recite, or rather chant, the “Soorat el-An’ám” (or 6th chapter of the Kur-án): others of them chant part of the “Burdeh,” a celebrated poem in praise of the Prophet. The washer takes off the clothes of the deceased, which are his perquisite. The jaw is bound up; and the eyes are closed. The ordinary ablution preparatory to prayer having been performed upon the corpse, with the exception of the washing of the mouth and nose, the whole body is well washed, from head to foot, with warm water and soap, and with “leef” (or fibres of the palm-tree); or, more properly, with water in which some leaves of the lote-tree (“nabk,” or “sidr”) have been boiled.[[614]] The nostrils, ears, etc., are stuffed with cotton; and the corpse is sprinkled with a mixture of water, pounded camphor, and dried and pounded leaves of the nabk, and with rose-water. Sometimes, other dried and pounded leaves are added to those of the nabk. The ankles are bound together, and the hands placed upon the breast.
The “kefen,” or grave-clothing, of a poor man consists of a piece or two of cotton;[[615]] or is merely a kind of bag. The corpse of a man of wealth is generally wrapped first in muslin, then in cotton cloth of thicker texture; next, in a piece of striped stuff of silk and cotton intermixed, or in a kuftán of similar stuff, merely stitched together; and over these is wrapped a Kashmeer shawl. The corpse of a woman of middling rank is usually clothed with a yelek. The colours most approved for the grave-clothes are white and green; but any colour is used, excepting blue, or what approaches to blue.—The body, prepared for interment, as above described, is placed in the bier, which is usually covered over with a red or other Kashmeer shawl. The persons who are to compose the funeral-procession then arrange themselves in order.—The more common funeral-processions may be thus described.
The first persons are about six or more poor men, called “Yemeneeyeh;” mostly blind, who proceed two and two, or three and three, together. Walking at a moderate pace, or rather slowly, they chant incessantly, in a melancholy tone, the profession of faith (“There is no deity but God: Mohammad is God’s Apostle: God favour and preserve him!”); as follows:—
Lá i - lá - ha il - la-l láh: Mo - ham - ma-
dur ra - - soo - lu-l - láh: Sal - la-l-
lá - hu ’a - ley - hi wa - sel -lem!