Qulkhwani

Qulkhwani an Islamic ritual, but not an obligatory religious rite. The ritual is observed usually on the fourth day after the burial of a Muslim and on that day, relatives and friends assemble in the house of the deceased to specially pray for the salvation of the departed soul. This practice seems indigenous to the subcontinent, especially in Bengal. Normally, for forty days after the death of a person verses from the quran are recited in his house. But on the day of qulkhwani, a milad is held in the house, conducted generally by the imam of the local mosque or a person close to him. In his discourse, the imam focuses mainly on aspects of death and afterlife. Sometimes, an imam provides the description of how the angel of death arrives to take away the life of a person and also of the ajab (infliction) on the dead in the grave. The milad ends with seeking Allah's blessings for the living and the dead. Imam cites the virtuous acts of the deceased person. Finally, some foodstuffs are distributed to all present on the occasion.

Although it is a tradition to organise qulkhwani in the house of the dead person, it is also held in the local mosque. [Niaz Zaman]