JEDDAH, 23 August 2006 — The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Jeddah has banned the sales of green death shrouds that have sacred writing on them.
The commission’s move follows a recent edict (fatwa) clarifying that the practice of writing verses from the Holy Qur’an, the names of Allah, or various kinds of prayers on the shrouds is against the basic principles of religious law.
The commission seized large quantities of prohibited shrouds from several shops in Bani Malik in central Jeddah during recent inspection operations.
The commission officials have also launched an investigation to trace the distributors and sources of such products.
The commission has also demanded in an official letter, a copy of which was obtained by Arab News, that the municipality take the necessary steps to see that these type of shrouds are not manufactured or sold in the city.
According to informed sources, the commission and the municipality plan to constitute a joint team to undertake field inspection of all the cloth shops and warehouses and close all the establishments that contravene the fatwa.
The religious scholars have noticed recently the increasing practice of several people, both Saudis and expatriates, covering the bodies of their relatives with holy verses, prayers and the various names of Allah in the hope of escaping punishment after death. The practice is not confined to Jeddah alone but found in several cities in the Kingdom. It is under this circumstance that the religious leaders in the Kingdom issued the edict, making it clear that such practices are against the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Some businessmen exploit such erroneous beliefs in order to sell their products at a higher price than the plain shrouds would fetch. The traders market the illegal shrouds in various designs with prayers inscribed on them depending on the customer’s demand.
