One implementation of customs especially in Serdang Sultanate and generally in Malay community of East Sumatra is the burial procession of the death. In the early days, Sultanate is the highest rule of Islamic societies in East Sumatra (now North Sumatra). Therefore, death ritual procession in the Muslim community can be seen in burial procession of Sultan. The purpose of the ritual of the Malay community in accordance with Islamic teachings is died in the state of Muslim. If the deceased is Sultan or nobles, so it have to note the following matters:
The arrangement that occurs in the Muslim and Malay tradition is the remains must be bathed first. Some required supplies are white cloth, toothpick, lemon water, soap, cotton, bedara leaves, combs, powder, atar oil, camphor, and sandalwood. All of these are put into two lemon cups, four plates, one tray, one sangai, and two pumpkins. The dead body is bathed in Islamic way. The person who will take on his lap should be in-law or any close relatives to keep the disgraces of dead body.
When the dead body has been bathed, the men who include in bathing should be given alms, which were:
After being bathed, the remain should be shrouded in white cloth, given cottons, wood, sandalwood, and camphor and incense. Furthermore, the remain is put in the coffin. The whole family, heirs, relatives, and friends, are given the last opportunity to see the remains. After this, the dead person is prayed (preferably by 40 people or more). The praying procession has term of such sorting out all the debts.
If the death is the Sultan, the coffin is raised with the remain to the kelemba, so the ceremony of “Menjunjung Duli” can be performed. In accordance with the custom of the Malays "King died, King planting", the coronation of the next Sultan must immediately held and the remain of Sultan should not be buried before the new Sultan is chosen. The coronation of new Sultan is done in front of the death of the deceased Sultan. In the coronation ceremony of the Sultan, some things should be noted are:
If the death is the Sultan or the nobles of Serdang Sultanate, it must be made rahap. is mulch or cover where they placed the coffin. Rahap is decorated and given the levels adjusted according to the social level who died. There are two types of rahap used in the tradition of Serdang Sultanate: Rahap
The total number of level must be even which represents the affliction. The sign of sadness shows in tonggol outside Palace. Tonggol is black square-shaped small banners. Above rahap there is Selembayung placed in the middle. Selembayung is a sign of the gender of the deceased. For male, the middle of selembayung is shaped hills, while for female, it has a recess.
The colors used in rahap are different based on family position of the in the Sultanate, which are:
After the Coronation ceremony of the new Sultan was completed, the deceased Sultan can be prepared to be buried. Funeral departing begins with the speech from the family thanking for all the assistance during the process, then the remain is ready to take off to the graveyard. The way to the cemetery should be done on foot, and women should not participate.
The equipments provided in the funeral procession are water of selabu rose, mattress, mat, umbrella, and pillow. There is Punggawa chosen to carry water, which could be sprayed on the tomb, and bring an umbrella and mat to seat of person who read talqin. Additionally provided bouquet of setalam flower that will be spread along the road to cemetery and above the tomb and also provided small change cash money for the charity to the medium. For scholars who read talqin, given the mattress, new pillow, and a penalkin with money in it. After the funeral procession is done, it held tahlil (reading a pray in group) at night for 3 consecutive days.