Hundreds of mourners packed into Clonskeagh Mosque to pay their final respects to tragic teen Dlava Mohamed who died following a horror smash in Monaghan earlier this week.
The 16-year-old, who was originally from Syria, died alongside her best friend Kiea McCann when the car they were travelling to their Debs in left the road and hit a tree on the N54 in Legnakelly.
Dlava had just finished her Junior Certificate and was due to go into Transition Year.
Devastated family members and friends along with Dlava’s classmates from Largy College in Clones were also in attendance.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s aide-de-camp Claire Mortimer along with Inspector Graham Tolan of Monaghan Garda Station were also present during the service which was held at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in South Dublin.
Mourners including those from Largy College who wore their teal school uniforms later formed a guard of honour down the steps of the Mosque while the white coffin carrying Dlava's remains were put into a hearse.
The hearse then drove to Newcastle Muslim Cemetery in Dublin under a garda escort.
Speaking after the traditional Muslim service, Dr Ali Selim, who is a senior member of staff at Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, said: "It’s a very sad day especially when you think of the circumstances of the family.
"They ran away from Syria because they didn’t feel safe, looking for protection and unfortunately the place where they felt they would be safe, they were hit with this tragedy.
"It’s shocking for the community. We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the whole family and the friends as well."
Dr. Selim said it will take a while for Dlava’s family to fully process her death.
He explained: "The family members at this moment, they are unaware of the real sadness that they’re going to face because there are a lot of people around them.
"But I believe, by the time they are sitting around the table and she’s not there for dinner or when they go in her room and she’s not in her room - that’s the time they’ll feel it and that’s the time they’ll need support from everybody.
"They have been supported by their community and also by the Irish society."
Dr. Selim also revealed he has spoken with Dlava’s father Hohamed who is "completely devastated".
He said: "I can imagine he can’t believe what has happened yet … I’m afraid of the time when he comes to reality and realises what has happened, that’ll be very difficult."
Explaining how death is looked at in Islam, Dr. Selim said: “From a Muslim point of view … death is sad, not bad. You see death separates but it does not terminate.
"We believe we are all travelling to God, it’s a step in our trip where we all will be united. Home and our home is paradise.
"That firm belief, I don’t want to say lightens but it does lighten what happens in this worldly life."
But Dr. Selim did say it was "difficult to believe" what had happened to Dlava.
He continued: "It’s actually shocking, everybody thinks things like death will knock on your door when you’re old or if you’re unwell … but if somebody is getting ready to celebrate something and then you see that death will just come and take you … difficult to believe it."
He said everybody spoke about Dlava in a very "positive way".
Explaining how Muslim funerals work, Dr. Selim told The Irish Mirror: "When a deceased person is here, the body is washed and shrouded.
"If it’s a man, the body will be handled by men and if it’s women it will be handled by women."
Dlava’s remains were driven to Clonskeagh Mosque from Clones yesterday morning.
Her body was then washed and wrapped in a plain white cloth known as a kafan.
Her family members spent time with her remains in a small prayer room before the funeral service got underway in the afternoon.
As is standard in Muslim funerals, men and women were separated during the service. The men were on the ground floor while the women were upstairs.
There were several Islamic prayers before a white coffin carrying Dlava’s remains was brought out to the main prayer room. More prayers were held then.
Dlava’s mum was consoled by other mourners during yesterday’s short service.
Sheikh Hussein Halawa, who is the Imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre, led the prayers over Dlava's coffin.
Sheikh Hussein Halawa, whose words were translated by Dr Selim, said: "The tragedy shocked the family … It shook the entire Muslim community, all people living in Ireland."
The Imam also offered his condolences to Dlava’s family and to the family of Kiea McCann following the "tragic accident".
