Why UAE residents turn up in crowds for funerals of total strangers

UAE funeral

In the UAE, it is not uncommon for residents to attend the funerals of strangers. Recently, thousands of people attended the prayers for Liodmila Shtshebynia, a Russian expat who passed away just two days after converting to Islam. The announcement of her death was made on the Instagram account  which urged residents to act as her family since she had none present.

One of the attendees, Fouzia A., a Bahraini expat living in Dubai for two years, shared her motivation for attending such funerals. She felt compelled to be there for someone who had no family, stating, "When I hear about someone passing away without family, my first reaction is that we have to be their family." Fouzia described how the mosque was packed with mourners, demonstrating the strong sense of community and compassion among the attendees.

Fouzia’s participation in funerals of unknown individuals is part of a broader habit of compassion. She regularly attends funerals and also engages in other charitable activities, such as aiding people affected by heavy rains in the UAE through coordinated relief efforts.

Muhammad Fariduddin, a 45-year-old Canadian expat in Sharjah, also regularly attends funerals of people he does not know. Although he missed Liodmila’s funeral, he had attended the funeral of Daria Kotsarenko, another Dubai resident who passed away suddenly after converting to Islam. Muhammad is part of a WhatsApp group called 'Janaza Alerts' that notifies members about funeral prayers across the UAE. He emphasized that attending funerals fulfills a significant Islamic obligation, explaining, "The right of a Muslim is that we have to attend their funeral."

For Muhammad, attending funerals is not only a religious duty but also a means of ensuring that he too will be prayed for when he passes away. He cited a spiritual reward associated with attending funerals, where attending the prayer equates to one Qirat (a large mountain of good deeds) and attending the burial doubles the reward. This belief underscores the profound sense of mutual support and the importance of community within the Islamic faith.

The practice of attending strangers' funerals in the UAE highlights a broader cultural and religious ethos of empathy, solidarity, and communal support. Residents like Fouzia and Muhammad embody these values, providing comfort and dignity to those who pass away without family, reinforcing the deeply ingrained principles of compassion and responsibility towards others.