Abstract
The issue of life and death is a preponderance problem that has eluded people of varied and different eras. So many generations have come and gone, but the problem remains unsolved. It is older than every age, but remains very effective and influencing in every age. Man made its first appearance in life reluctantly and this is demonstrated in the first confused crying of a baby. He, therefore, grew up bewildered and askance, and will eventually dies and leaving the
empirical physical world strugglingly disappointed and more confused. Meanwhile, the moment of death is a moment of confusion, a moment of stack face to face with the necked truth of the reality of life. The problem of life and death, therefore, has become a serious preoccupation of every rational mortal being. In this line of thought an Igbo proverb opines that & quot;a leaf knows no rest until it comes to decay under the earth & quot;. It is in this regard that this study sought to delve into the rationale behind the funeral rites among the Igbo-Africans. The researcher employed the methodological approach of critical reflection to achieve the purpose of the study. The study first seeks to make reasons why death remains a problem, the extent of the problem and how to proffer solutions to the problem in question. It then discusses Igbo concept of death and funeral rites and draws critical evaluations and conclusion.
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