PENGURUSAN JENAZAH TIDAK SEMPURNA DALAM SITUASI PERANG, BENCANA DAN WABAK: TINJAUAN DARIPADA PERSPEKTIF ISLAM DAN FORENSIK

MANAGEMENT OF INCOMPLETE REMAINS IN WAR, DISASTER AND PANDEMIC SITUATIONS: AN APRAISAL FROM ISLAMIC AND FORENSIC PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The management of deceased bodies in emergency situations such as war, major disasters, and infectious disease outbreaks presents extraordinary challenges from both Shariah and operational perspectives. In Islam, the management of the dead is a collective obligation (fardu kifayah). However, its implementation may be hindered when remains are incomplete, severely damaged, or mixed between Muslims and non-Muslims or in an emergency situation such as war. The issue becomes more complex in the presence of limited resources, chaotic environments and politics, and uncertainty in identifying the deceased. Therefore, a contextual and integrative approach that combines Islamic principles with forensic science is urgently needed. This article aims to analyse the management of incomplete remains in emergency contexts, particularly during conflict and large-scale disasters. It explores the management of remains during wartime, Islamic perspectives on handling incomplete bodies, differing scholarly views across the four major Sunni schools—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, and Hanbali—and forensic challenges in the identification and treatment of remains, especially where procedural conflicts arise between modern forensic protocols and Shariah principles. This study adopts a qualitative methodology using document analysis of both primary and secondary sources. The collected data are analysed thematically and presented according to key subthemes. Findings reveal significant differences in the legal opinions of the four schools regarding the minimum body part that necessitates funeral rites such as bathing, shrouding, and prayer. Forensic science plays a vital role in the ethical and systematic identification and disposal of remains, especially in cases involving unidentified or mixed bodies. This research underscores the importance of harmonising Islamic legal frameworks with modern forensic needs to preserve Shariah objectives and Islamic religious sensitivity. Collaborative efforts between religious authorities and forensic institutions are proposed as essential to ensuring dignified management of the deceased, even under the most challenging conditions.

Abstrak

Pengurusan jenazah dalam situasi darurat seperti peperangan, bencana besar, dan wabak penyakit berjangkit menimbulkan cabaran luar biasa dari sudut Syariah dan operasi. Dalam Islam, pengurusan jenazah adalah suatu kewajipan fardu kifayah. Namun, pelaksanaannya boleh terhalang apabila jenazah berada dalam keadaan tidak sempurna, hancur, atau bercampur antara Muslim dan bukan Muslim ataupun dalam keadaan darurat seperti perang. Isu ini menjadi lebih kompleks apabila terdapat kekangan sumber, kekacauan lokasi dan politik, serta ketidaktentuan identiti jenazah. Oleh itu, pendekatan yang kontekstual dan integratif antara prinsip Islam dan sains forensik amat diperlukan. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis isu pengurusan jenazah tidak sempurna dalam konteks darurat, khususnya semasa konflik dan bencana besar. Kajian ini memperincikan pengurusan jenazah dalam situasi perang, konsep pengurusan jenazah tidak sempurna menurut Islam, perbezaan pandangan ulama mazhab utama berkaitan jasad yang tidak lengkap, serta cabaran dari perspektif forensik dalam pengecaman dan pengurusan jasad, termasuk konflik antara prosedur forensik moden dan prinsip Syariah. Dari segi metodologi, pendekatan kualitatif digunakan melalui analisis dokumen terhadap data primer dan sekunder. Data yang dikumpulkan dianalisis secara tematik dan disusun mengikut subtema kajian. Hasil kajian menunjukkan wujud perbezaan signifikan antara pandangan empat mazhab utama—Hanafi, Maliki, Syafi‘i, dan Hanbali—berhubung tahap minimum jasad yang mewajibkan pelaksanaan mandi, kafan, dan solat jenazah. Forensik pula memainkan peranan penting dalam pengecaman dan pengurusan jenazah secara sistematik dan beretika, terutamanya bagi kes jenazah yang tidak dikenali atau bercampur. Kajian ini penting untuk menyatukan prinsip hukum Islam dengan keperluan forensik moden agar pengurusan jenazah kekal terpelihara dari segi maqasid Syariah dan sensitiviti agama Islam. Kerjasama antara institusi agama dan forensik dicadangkan sebagai kunci utama bagi memastikan penghormatan terhadap jenazah terus dijunjung, walaupun dalam keadaan paling mencabar.