Loud wailing and sobbing - mostly by women, is a common way to express sympathy to a mourning family in The Gambia.

When a person discovers a death in the village, he or she will alert the rest of the community with a loud death wail.

Elders will make burial arrangements and send messages to inform kin folk and friends. The body is washed and clothed in a white shroud and is rolled in a mat or placed in a coffin. The body will either be brought to the mosque for prayers or will remain in the compound before the burial, which usually takes place after the prayers.

The men take the corpse for burial.

After that, charity is also customarily given to the mourning family in the form of money or food. Another charity by the family of the deceased takes place on the third, seventh and fortieth days after the burial.

The mourning period for a widow in traditional Muslim practice is four months and ten days. During this time, the widow is supposed to remain inside the compound and not dress fashionably. This practice is to ensure that if the widow is pregnant, the husband’s family will know that the child belongs to their lineage.

A widower, however, does not follow a mourning practice.