The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-16
QUEER FUNERAL At TACOMA
Moslem is Buried In City of Destiny
With All Mystic Rights
of Islam.

TACOMA, Feb. 15.-As he had lived,
a faithful follower of MOhammed and
Allah, so was Abdul Rahman, native
of Afghanistan, who died in Il city
hospital. buried. In his interment the
modernism of the Occident was for
gotten and the atmosphere of the ORR
ent permeated the quiet, half-lighted
chapel and hung over the cemetery as
the simple but reverent rites and cere-
monies of the Moslem faith were OBJ
served.
The customs of the west caused lit
tie deviation from the funeral rites
that would have been accorded the de-
ceased in his native land. Over his
body have been said tho prayers of his
Koran, and he now lies in his spiced
and perfumed shroud facing towards
mecca, the birthplace of his prophet
and leader Mohammed.
Spices SprnkIed On.
Before being placed in the casket the
body was carefully washed and then
under the direction of the Imam, was
washed in perfume and sprinkled with
spiced powders of the east. The re-
mains We're then wrapped in a shroud
Of snowy muslin. the entire body being
encased. Impressiveness. quiet simpli-
city and reverence mark the Moslerl
funeral rites.
AS the remains were brought into the
chapel. the attending mourners wear
ing feZ, but with shoes removed, ar
ranged themselves around the casket
Standing on a mat of muslin the man
with hands to head gave the call to
prayers: Allah Akbas''-"God is most
great God is one With eyes cas-:
upwards and hands clasped, those
present in silence repeated a collect
from the Koran. Another Allah Ak
bar" but with hands upheld as if to
receive the promised blessing the 'fati-
ba" or Moslem equivalent of the Lords
prayer, was given. Facing first to the
east and then to the west, and pre-
coded by a third call of Allah Akbar.''
a prayer for the dead was silently Of
fered. This ended the chapel services,
shoes We're replaced and each mourner
was sprinkled with rosewater.
The services in lakewood cemetery
were equally impressive by reason of
their simplicity. A few prayers were
read by the Imam. in which those pres
ent joined, and the casket was quietly
lowered into its resting place.
Imam Remains at Grave.
The attendants remained at the
grave until the sexton had completed
his work. The Imam was then left
alone at the grave side, where he will
remain for several hours in order. &C
cOrding to the Mohammedan faith, to
prompt the deceased in his replies to
the "QuestiOners." These are the two
angels, Mounkir and Nukir who are
believed to enter the grave with the
dead man in order to question him in
regard to his faith. According to the
Oriental religious tradition the soul
remains in the body after death until
burial. The purpose of the "Ques-
TONER is to determine the souls re-
ward. If the deceased has been a de-
vout Moslem he will reply. My god is
Allah: my prophet Mohammed; my
religion Islam and my kiblah the noly
kaaba," and all will be well. If he
has been lax in his religious duties he
will be unable to remember the words
of his creed.
Awaits the Last Day.
BY this time Abdul Rahman will
have been questioned, according to his
faith, and he rests with his head to-
wards the north and turned to the west
so that he may look in the direction of
Mecca and thus await that last day on
which Mohamred will call his faithful
followers together to enter into their
own.