MOZAMBIQUE 2010 - First Muslim Funeral

Assumane, Mozambique
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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First Muslim Funeral
Got a call yesterday morning from Condeila in Assumane. He told me that there was a funeral taking place because a child had died. Headed up to Assumane soon after. Come to find out it was a child that we had prayed for at the church in Assumane. The child couldn’t walk, but after praying for the child, his legs began to straighten out. We hadn’t seen this child or the parents of the child in church since before we left for Pemba over three months ago.
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As I entered the village, all of the Muslim woman were weeping in one area while the Muslim men were in another area, some sitting down, others chanting in Arabic over the dead body. 80% of Mozambican Muslims are “Qadiriyya” Muslims, who often mix traditional African animism with Islam. Many of them practice “Sikili” during funerals, where they work themselves up into a weird kind of breathing, having to do with mourning for the deceased. They also recite portions of the Quran at their funerals. “Qadiriyya” Muslims, though, are often more open to the gospel, especially after witnessing an authentic healing by Jesus, as they are more mystical people in practice and in a way, searching for an experience with God. “Qadiriyya” Muslims remain at the house of the deceased for three days after the funeral because of “Sidaka,” the belief that the spirit of the deceased stays around for 40 days after death. These people stick around and do these rituals all to “facilitate the deceased person’s entrance into heaven.”
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I was invited to go with the procession to the burial site. Tears ran down my face as I followed, partly because we didn’t get the chance to pray more for him and see him fully recover, but mostly because of the lack of hope these people have. As Christ-followers, we know with complete surety of our destination after death. The thought had crossed my mind of praying over this child at the gravesite and seeing him raised from the dead. For these miracles have been prophesied over us by Mel Tari of the Indonesian revivals while we were at the Harvest School in Pemba. I didn’t sense it was the right timing for this and I am still learning their culture and getting to know the Muslims in Assumane. I believe in my heart that the child is in heaven, as he was not even two years old and never had the chance to make a conscious decision for or against Christ. But I did talk to the people of the church in Assumane about our ability to raise the dead, and about how we can share the hope and love of Jesus with the mourning Muslim population. Although it was a sad time, I was glad to take part in this funeral and count it as part of my learning experience here on the mission field in Mozambique.
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Christian Young