Chapter 5: The moment of death

Religious and cultural traditions

My culture says
Hodan Nalayeh, journalist and community leader, talks about religious practices important to Somalis(3:22)
Shahina Siddiqui, Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association, describes Muslim rituals at the moment of death.(3:22)
Pete Townsend, elder and traditional healer, Haida G’waii, talks about preparing a dying person for the spirit world.(3:22)Video transcript

In your culture and faith, certain religious and cultural traditions may be practiced at the moment of death and immediately after. These may be important to the person who has died, your family, the community, and yourself. Depending on the location, it may be possible to spend a significant amount of time with the person's body following the death. Let the health care team know ahead of time so these practices can be respected as much as possible.