The Role of The Melajin in The Funeral Ceremony

Abstract

This research seeks to present the role of melajin (woman mulla) in funeral ceremonies in Erbil in the social, psychological, religious and economic fields. The research focuses on the perception of these ceremonies by Kurdish society in general and in Erbil in particular as a social and cultural phenomenon. The research also seeks to present the positive and negative roles of melajin attending funerals, and her impact on these ceremonies. The research problem: women's funerals are one of the most important ceremonies in Kurdish society; differences in funeral practices have direct and indirect effects on both the participants and the mourning families. There are few women's funerals in which the melajins do not play influential roles, although the coronavirus pandemic has largely reduced the number of funerals.

The aim of the study is to know the status of the melajin, the need for her presence, her influence and duty in funerals, and to determine the importance that melajins have in women's funerals. The research methodology is ethnographic and the data collection tools include observation, participatory observation and interviews. The research group includes melajin in the center of Erbil, and purpose sampling consisting of melajin and a group of women's funeral participants, along with several experts in different fields. Results of the research: In the past, there was an “elegy reader” that used to lament the dead person in the mourning ceremonies of women, but now the melajin conducts the funerals. The melajin has a social role. Because of his recitation of the Qur'an at the funeral, the food and drinks served to her are considered sacred by some of the funeral participants. The presence of melajin at funerals is like a profession through which they earn their livelihood and material needs. Psychologically, melajin and experts have opposite views on the need for melajins at funerals. Religiously, despite the recitation of the Qur'an and hadiths, religious experts believe that it is not permissible and contrary to Shari'ah. Finally, most melajin have their own accounts on social networks and post their activities.