Architecture Malaysia Magazine : February 2004

Almost 7 years since my thesis was published in the Architecture Malaysia Magazine. The thesis is about an innovation on how to accommodate graves (cemetery) in a limited land area such as Malaysia and other country that facing a problem on land usage. Basically, the design is translation of the ritual processes done by muslim. The building planning is a translation of all steps in managing the deceased. Normally a group of people will do it on behalf of deceased's family. There was a drastic change for the burial niches, which it has been designed on ground (multiple storey), meanwhile the traditional is underground. Why? Because, burial niches could be a symbolic structure to enlighten the public awareness and to give the massage that death will happen to anyone. If this awareness being observed then peoples will behave. That was the inner intention of having the burial niches at the center of the city. Hopefully, its existance could promote a better community.

During the study progress, i observed and studied about burial method from all of the major religions in the world such as Islam, Kristian, Judaism, Hindu & Buddha. And from my observation, all religions have a great respect for the dead during the funeral. The respect is not among the same faith but between the different religion too. It is similar from the hadith recited by Rasulullah (Muhammad s.a.w), the hadith is closely means like this " if the deceased through in front of you, either muslim or not you should stand up and give a mark of respect". Because the deceased is in the journey to the other life and it is for the last for his/her exists on earth. While there are those (deceased's relatives) in the mourn emotion, it is wrong to rejoice in front of them.

The thesis was very meaningful to me because it gave a deeper understanding about a relationship between a man and God. Why we exist? For what we live? And the hidden massage during the funeral ritual from the deceased is dead until the deceased is buried. Why march to the grave is so important and talkin reading as well? The ritual is for the deceased but the massage is for the living. That is for sure. There are so many things we can learn and mortem during the process. That is the beauty of live and death events.

by firrbudi @ Maju Tower : 07 Oktober 2010