Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
According to most Biblical study websites, there is no explicit scriptural command for or against cremation. There are no passages that forbid cremation, according to most Biblical scholars.
In Christian countries, cremation fell out of favor due to the Christian belief in the physical resurrection of the body. Christians also used burial as a mark of difference from the Iron Age European pre-Christian Pagan religions, which usually cremated their dead.
For most Christians today, the question of cremation is largely left to individual discretion. Many Christians choose cremation as an alternative to burial, while still retaining those aspects of their traditional funeral practices that allow them to honor the lives of their loved ones and glorify God.
And because the body is traditionally considered the property of God, it is forbidden to defile it, which some regard the willful burning of human remains to be. For all these reasons, Orthodox and Conservative rabbinic authorities maintain that cremation is prohibited.
Buddhists and cremation
Due to their belief in reincarnation, cremation is seen as the preferred choice when a loved one dies. The physical body holds little significance to the Buddhist faith, it is merely a vessel for holding the soul. Buddhists also believe in organ donation as it is seen as a good deed.
Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death. Those carrying out this duty should be immunised against hepatitis B and be aware of the hazards of AIDS.
As a Catholic, may I be cremated? Yes. In May 1963, the Vatican's Holy Office (now the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith) lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation.
Cremation is prohibited under Islamic law because, unlike in some cultures, it is considered a violation of the dignity of the human body. Based on reports attributed to Prophet Muhammed it is mustaḥab (or preferred)—i.e., not farḍ/wājib (compulsory)—to bury the dead bodies quickly.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.
If simplicity is a factor, cremation is definitely better. Traditional burials are more expensive, less environmentally-friendly, and under a tighter deadline. They're also a lot more complicated. Working out the details of a funeral can be just as stressful as figuring out how to pay for it.
Religions like Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Judaism follow traditions that frown upon cremation, even prohibiting it. Traditionally, their culture believes that the idea of turning human body into cremation ashes might interfere with God's ability to resurrect the dead and bring it to heaven.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments.
Myth: A direct cremation is disrespectful
Because it's less expensive than a traditional funeral, some people may regard direct cremation as less respectful, impersonal and callous. However, even though family don't attend a direct cremation, the deceased is treated with enormous respect throughout the process.
The Bible doesn't say anything about cremated bodies not rising. This idea is not a part of the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead. In Christianity, the belief in the resurrection and the afterlife is a crucial part of our faith and is not tied to the way the body is disposed of after death.
Burial respects the cycle of nature, and our bodies give back, to the Earth that gave so much to us. Burial is calm, natural, and respectful. Cremation is a loud, disgusting, and violent procedure to the bodies of our loved ones. If ashes are scattered, there is no physical memorial to the dead.
The Islamic faith doesn't allow coffins or burial caskets. Instead, those burying the body will place stones or wood at the bottom of the grave to prevent the body from contacting the soil and gently lay their loved one on top with their right side facing the qibla.
In fact, Hinduism is the only religion that mandates cremation, which is known as antim sanskar, or last rites. It is usually performed within 24 hours of death or as soon as possible, due to the fact that Hinduism also doesn't traditionally use embalming or other preservation tactics.
Resurrection isn't obscured by cremation because God resurrects the spiritual body to enter heaven, not the physical body, the Vatican says. Since cremation does not affect one's soul, the Church says there are no doctrinal objections to cremation.
Essentially, if the deceased is cremated: their remains are to remain together (whole), interred properly and not dispersed or distributed. The importance of the remains being placed in a sacred place is surprisingly practical: to provide a space for generations to visit and pay homage to those that have passed on.
Cremation is Accepted (But Not Mandatory)
In the Protestant Faith, cremation became a common choice after World War I. After cremation, it's common for the ashes to be buried in the ground with an upright monument. They may also go in a mausoleum or columbarium.
Trimming hair and nails
Generally, this emanates from the belief that nails and hair were given to the children by the deceased as a parent and as such they shouldn't be trimmed during the mourning period and after the burial. At least you should wait for 49 days.
Jewish law and tradition consider cremation as destruction of property. Jewish mysticism, or Kabbalah, also holds that the soul does not immediately depart the body. Rather, it slowly leaves the body as it decomposes; cremation therefore is considered to cause pain, even after death.
Islam. The sacred texts of Islam prefer burial on land, "so deep that its smell does not come out and the beasts of prey do not dig it out". However, if a person dies at sea and it is not possible to bring the body back to land before decay, or if burial at land becomes impossible, burial at sea is allowed.