In this fascinating episode of It’s A Death Sentence, Carrie and Emma are joined by Ahmed Hraichie — The Muslim Undertaker, also known as the Aussie Mammoth — an Australian funeral service professional whose work and social media have reached a global audience.

Ahmed takes us on a journey through his remarkable path into the death industry, from his early days working in mortuary removals and cemeteries to preparing and burying thousands of Muslim deceased according to Islamic funeral traditions. We hear about the physical, emotional and spiritual experiences that shaped his journey — and how his understanding of death has influenced the way he lives his own life.

Together, we explore the fascinating differences and shared humanity between Islamic funeral traditions and Western funeral practices.

We talk about:

🕌 What Islam teaches about death and burial ⚰️ Why traditional Islamic burial practices differ from many Western customs 🔬 What the Muslim faith believes about autopsy 👩‍⚕️ The role of women within Muslim funeral services 🌍 The cultural differences in how we mourn and remember our dead 💬 The importance of death education and having conversations about dying ❤️ Grief, compassion, faith and what we can learn from one another 💭 And why opening up conversations about death can actually help us live better lives

There are moments of deep reflection, moments that challenge our own assumptions, and, as you'd expect from Carrie and Emma, plenty of laughter along the way.

This is a conversation about difference without division — about asking questions with curiosity, listening with respect and discovering that beneath our different religious and cultural traditions, there are often more shared human experiences than we realise.

Ahmed's story is one of physical strength, spiritual growth, compassion and service. His journey into the death industry is fascinating, and his perspective on mortality, faith and the responsibility we have to care for the dead is genuinely thought-provoking.

Carrie and Emma thoroughly enjoyed their time with Ahmed and were honoured to have such an open and insightful conversation with him.

There was also a lovely little moment after the interview when Ahmed shared a post featuring the three of us. He later chose to remove it out of respect for some of his followers and their sensitivities — something we completely understand and respect.

Ahmed is currently in the UK for a series of appointments promoting his work, and we wish him every success while he's here.

And if you're wondering where you can watch or listen to the FULL INTERVIEW, we've made it easy!

YouTube

Audible Spotify Apple Podcasts

All Links can be found here : https://linktr.ee/itsadeathsentencepodcast

You can also find Ahmed — very easily! — across his social platforms, and we'll be sharing his links through our own posts.

And don't forget to follow It’s A Death Sentence on:

📸 Instagram 📘 Facebook 🎵 TikTok

Death is something every one of us will encounter. The way we understand it, talk about it and prepare for it can be very different.

So let's keep having the conversations.

Let's keep asking the questions.

And most importantly, let's keep talking about death.

And that’s us for this episode of It’s A Death Sentence!

If you’ve enjoyed it, found it useful, thought-provoking, or just found us thoroughly entertaining — which is entirely possible ! — please like, follow, subscribe and share. It genuinely helps us grow.

You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and the podcast is now available on all major platforms, with the video version on YouTube and Spotify and apple podcasts. https://linktr.ee/itsadeathsentencepodcast

We’re also on Patreon if you’d like to support what we do.

Please share us with anyone who might need us… or anyone who just enjoys two women talking about death over a microphone.

Thanks for listening — and as always, we’re dying to talk to you.

Thank you for listening - find us on socials @itsadeathsentencepodcast follow and like us for more episodes. Find contact info on our web page www.its-a-death-sentence.com here you can contact us, buy our merch and send us your stories.

www.its-a-death-sentence.com

YouTube- @itsadeathsentencepodcast

Get in touch - we are Dying to talk to you

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How It All Began: The Story Behind It’s A Death Sentence

Why on earth would two women decide to make a podcast about death, dying and grief?

Well… there’s quite a story behind it.

Carrie and Emma are both bereaved, and death has become as much a part of their lives as life itself. Carrie has lost her mother-in-law, her uncle and, more recently, her beloved brother David. Emma has lost both of her parents, as well as a heartbreaking number of young friends.

And then there’s Carrie’s job. She works as an Anatomical Pathology Technician for the coroner, performing autopsies as part of her everyday working life. So, quite literally, Carrie works with death every single day.

But the podcast didn’t actually start as a podcast.

Carrie originally had the idea of creating something with her brother David — a way of capturing his voice and creating a lasting legacy for his son after they received the devastating news that David was terminally ill. It was a beautiful idea, born from something terribly sad. Sadly, David became too unwell for their plans to come to fruition.

But the idea stayed with Carrie.

When mutual friend and fellow Dead Curious CIC co-director James Young told her, “Just do it anyway. Start with me,” the first interview was born. James had lost his own mother as a child, and Carrie knew their conversation would be both deeply personal and thought-provoking.

James then suggested she interview another mutual friend…

Emma.

And, as they say, the rest is history. 😂

What began as a serious exploration of real-life stories of death, dying and grief soon took an unexpected turn when Carrie and Emma’s shared love of completely inappropriate, deathly dark humour took over.

They found themselves laughing through loss — loudly, ridiculously and sometimes quite uncontrollably. And that laughter became something cathartic and healing for them both.

In this episode, we talk about why we started the podcast, where the original idea came from, how grief has shaped both of our lives, and how It’s A Death Sentence evolved into the slightly unruly, occasionally dark and surprisingly joyful podcast it is today.

We also talk about what you can expect to find here — from bizarre deaths throughout history, to Carrie’s work with the coroner, what actually happens during an autopsy, personal stories of loss, grief, friendship, life and everything in between.

Because death is serious.

But talking about it doesn’t always have to be.

Welcome to It’s A Death Sentence. ❤️

As a side note do you have plans for Halloween ? why not join us at It’s a Death Sentence masquerade Ball on 31st October 2026 is Birmingham – A night Of Glamour, Live Music, Dancing and Dressing up ! tickets here Eventbrite Masquerade Halloween Ball ticket

Don’t Forget to follow It’s A Death Sentence on Tik Tok, Insta, Facebook and You Tube

Please support our CIC “ Dead Curious” providing death education and facilitating conversation with community’s through creative projects. Dead Curious on all the socials and here is a link to our website Dead Curious CIC

Thank you for listening - find us on socials @itsadeathsentencepodcast follow and like us for more episodes. Find contact info on our web page www.its-a-death-sentence.com here you can contact us, buy our merch and send us your stories.

www.its-a-death-sentence.com

YouTube- @itsadeathsentencepodcast

Get in touch - we are Dying to talk to you

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the very place we fear most at the end of life is actually where we find the most joy, connection, and purpose?

In this episode of It's a Death Sentence, we sit down with Stephen and Pete, two men who share their deeply moving experiences at the Primrose Hospice. Far from the sombre, quiet place they initially feared, they discovered a vibrant community filled with laughter, dominoes, and unconditional support.

What You’ll Discover

- Breaking the Hospice Stigma: Why hospices are not just places to die, but sanctuaries for living fully, finding purpose, and sharing a laugh with people who truly understand.

- The Power of Shared Experience: How connecting with others facing similar health battles provides a unique, unspoken comfort that family and friends cannot always offer.

- Finding Joy in the Present: The importance of having a routine, a community to wake up for, and how simple activities like art and dominoes can quiet an anxious mind.

Whether you are facing a difficult diagnosis or simply need a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, this conversation is a beautiful testament to finding light in the darkest of times.

It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

Thank you for listening - find us on socials @itsadeathsentencepodcast follow and like us for more episodes. Find contact info on our web page www.its-a-death-sentence.com here you can contact us, buy our merch and send us your stories.

www.its-a-death-sentence.com

YouTube- @itsadeathsentencepodcast

Get in touch - we are Dying to talk to you

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.