By Fasuyi Tolulope Samuel
When it comes to laying the dead to rest, religion plays a significant role in shaping how bodies are honored, preserved, or returned to the earth.
One of the most noticeable differences is the use—or non-use—of a casket. While Christian burials commonly involve coffins, other religions like Islam and African Traditional Religions (ATRs) often avoid them altogether.
But why? In Christianity, particularly among Western and African Christian communities, the casket is more than just a container. It symbolizes respect, dignity, and the belief in resurrection.
Christians believe the body, even in death, is sacred as it once housed the spirit. The casket serves to protect the body and is often decorated to reflect the life, status, or beliefs of the deceased.
It’s also tied to the belief that on resurrection day, the body will rise—so it’s preserved and treated with utmost care.
Islam, on the other hand, approaches burial with a striking simplicity. Muslims believe the body should return to the earth as naturally and quickly as possible.
According to Islamic rites, the deceased is washed, shrouded in a plain white cloth (kafan), and buried directly into the ground without a casket—unless local laws require one.
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This stems from a deep belief in humility and equality in death. Whether rich or poor, every Muslim is buried the same way, emphasizing the idea that all return to their Creator in the same state.
African Traditional Religions vary across regions, but many share similar views to Islam when it comes to burials. In several communities, the dead are buried without caskets, sometimes in a fetal position to symbolize the return to the womb of Mother Earth.
These customs are deeply spiritual and rooted in ancestral reverence. Burial practices are often about reconnecting the departed with the land and spirit world, not about preserving the physical body.
The use or avoidance of caskets, then, is not about right or wrong—but about belief, symbolism, and worldview. Christians may focus on honoring the body for resurrection, Muslims emphasize humility and return to dust, while ATRs view burial as a spiritual transition, not just a physical one.
In the end, these customs reflect how each faith understands life, death, and what comes after. While a casket might be central to one group, to another, it’s the soul’s journey that matters most.
