Procedure for Preparing the Dead
Washing the dead body prior to shrouding and burial is obligatory, according to numerous recorded instructions given by the Prophet (pbup). This obligation is however considered Fard Kifaya. If someone performs the washing, the community is freed from the obligation, but if no one does it, the whole community is considered sinful. As washing the deceased is Fard Kifaya, so there is no specific reward. But if sufficient people do the job, it becomes Sunnah for the rest. There are no reports which describe a specific reward, but there will be a great reward for it because it is an obligatory duty, and not doing it is a sin. (IslamQA).
As a general rule, males should take the responsibility of washing males, and females should wash females. This rule is to avoid the arousal of any undesirable feelings during this delicate procedure. The only exception to the rule is in the case of husband and wife, or small children. Permission for husbands to wash their wives and vice versa is based primarily on the fact that there is no prohibition from doing so. It is also based on statements of the Prophet (pbuh) and his wives. It was narrated that Aysha (r) said: “If I had known then what I know now, no one would have washed the Prophet (pbuh) but his wives.” (Sunan Ibn Majah :: Book 6 :: Hadith 1464)
Method of Washing
The body should be laid out, stripped of its garments and it’s joints loosened, if possible. Ayesha said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) died and they wanted to make gusol they said, ‘By Allah we do not know whether we should take off the clothes of Allah’s Messenger as we do for our dead or not?’” (Bulugh al-Maram 543)
A cloth should be placed over the private parts, between the navel and the knee, and the stomach should be pressed to expel any remaining impurities. A rag should be used to wash the body and the washing should begin with the places on the right side of the body washed during wudu. Umm Atiya said: Allah's Messenger (pbuh), concerning his (dead) daughter's bath, said, "Start with the right side, and the parts which are washed in ablution." (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 346)
After completing the wudu, the woman’s hair should be undone if it was braided and the hair thoroughly washed. Then the rest of the body should be washed, turning the body on its side so as to complete the right side before washing the left. Umm Atiya said that they had entwined the hair of the daughter of Allah's Messenger (pbuh) in three braids. They first undid her hair, washed and then entwined it in three braids." (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 350)
The body should be washed a minimum of three times and the water should have in it some cleaning agent like soap or disinfectant. It is obligatory to wash fully one time but washing thrice is desirable. It is permissible to wash up to seven times if the body still remains impure. The final washing should have in it some perfume like camphor or the like. Umm Atiya said Allah's Messenger (pbuh) came to us when his daughter died and said, "Wash her thrice or five times or more, if you see it necessary, with water and sidr and then apply camphor or some camphor at the end; and when you finish, notify me." So when we finished it, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and told us to shroud the dead body in it. (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 344)
The body should then be dried and the hair combed out. In the case of women, the hair should be plaited into three braids one from the front and two from the sides and placed behind her head. This practice is based on Umm Atiya’s statement mentioned above. Waki said that Sufyan said, "One braid was entwined in front and the other two were entwined on the sides of the head." (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 352)
There are some exceptional cases such as pilgrims and martyrs in procedure of washing. In the case of person who died in the state of Ihram, perfumes should not be used in washing his or her body. Prophet (pbuh) said, "Wash him with water and Sidr and shroud him in two pieces of cloth and neither perfume him nor cover his head, for Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection and he will be saying 'Labbaik'. (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 357)
In the case of the shaheed his body should not be washed at all, but should be buried as it is. Jabir also reported that the Prophet (r) said regarding those killed during the battle of Uhud, “Do not wash them for verily every wound will emit musk on the Day of Judgment.”
Shrouding of the body
Shrouding the body of the deceased is a Fard Kifaya of the Muslims. It is best for the deceased to be shrouded in three pieces of cloth if it is a man and five if it is a woman. Even shrouding the deceased in a single sheet is permissible whether it is a man or a woman. (IslamQA)
The shroud should be nice, clean, and large enough to cover the entire body. Prophet (pbuh) said: “When one of you is in charge of shrouding his brother, he should give him the best shroud he can “ (Bulugh al-Maram 548)
A shroud should be white as Prophet (pbuh) said: "Wear white clothes, for these are your best clothes, and enshroud your dead in them." (Sunan Ibn Majah :: Book 32 :: Hadith 3566)
It is mustahab to perfume the shroud, whether the deceased is a man or a woman. Asma bint Abi Bakr said to her family, "Perfume my clothes with incense when I die and then embalm me. Do not put any of the embalming substance on my shroud, and do not follow me with a burning torch." (Muwatta Malik :: Book 16 Hadith 534)
The shroud should be three wraps for a man and five wraps for a woman. Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was wrapped in a Yamani wrapper which belonged to 'Abdullah bin Abu Bakr; then it was removed from him, and he was shrouded in three cotton sheets of white Yamani stuff from Sahul among which was neither a shirt nor a turban. (Muslim :: Book 4 :: Hadith 2053)
Tirmizhi said: "The majority of the scholars among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others hold this view. “Sufyan Al-Thawri said: "A (deceased) male should be shrouded in three pieces of cloth, or a shirt and two loose pieces of cloth, or (if necessary) three wraps of cloth. (Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4: Al-Kafan (The Shroud))
One wrap may suffice if nothing else is available. Two wraps will also suffice, but three wraps are preferable for those who can afford it. And a deceased female should be enshrouded in five sheets. A number of scholars are of the view that these five pieces are: an izaar (lower garment or waist wrapper), a khimaar (head cover), a qamees (chemise), and two large pieces of cloth that are wrapped around her. (IslamQA) For a deceased child, boy is to be shrouded in one shroud and three is also permissible. And for girl one shirt and two shrouds should be used. (A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence)
A body of deceased pilgrim should be shrouded in his ihram. His head should not be covered, nor should any perfume be applied to his body, because the restrictions of ihram still apply to him. Prophet (pbuh) said, "Wash him with water and Sidr and shroud him in two pieces of cloth and neither perfume him nor cover his head, for Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection and he will be saying 'Labbaik'. (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 357)
Recitation of surah Yasin in any stage is not confirmed by authentic hadith. So it should be avoided. The practice of reciting Surat Yasin in the presence of the dying person or dead person is based on weak prophetic reports, having no basis in the authentic Sunnah. Neither the Prophet (pbuh) nor his companions did it, or recommended that it be done. Those who observe the practice of reciting Yasin over the dead do so in light of the hadith: "Yasin is the heart of the Qur'an. Whoever recites it seeking the pleasure of Allah and the Hereafter will receive Allah's forgiveness. So recite it to your dying person." Concerning this hadith, Ad-Dar al-Qutni is reported to have said: "In the chain of narrators of this hadith there is confusion. Its text is obscure and is not correct." But this hadith is telling about dying person not dead body. So there is no basis of reciting during preparation of dead body. (Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam)
There should be no delay in the washing, shrouding and burial of the individual once he or she has died, because the Prophet’s instructed, “Make haste at a funeral” (Sahih Muslim Vol 4 Hadith 2059) If a Muslim is buried without being given an obligatory washing (ghusl), the body must be dug up and washed; then prayers must be said over the deceased. If the body has been buried for a long time and has deteriorated, the grave is opened and water is poured over the entire body until it is fully covered. Prayer is then offered for the deceased, and the grave is closed. (Aljazeerah.info) May Allah help us all to perform this obligation correctly and forgive us and the deceased.
As a general rule, males should take the responsibility of washing males, and females should wash females. This rule is to avoid the arousal of any undesirable feelings during this delicate procedure. The only exception to the rule is in the case of husband and wife, or small children. Permission for husbands to wash their wives and vice versa is based primarily on the fact that there is no prohibition from doing so. It is also based on statements of the Prophet (pbuh) and his wives. It was narrated that Aysha (r) said: “If I had known then what I know now, no one would have washed the Prophet (pbuh) but his wives.” (Sunan Ibn Majah :: Book 6 :: Hadith 1464)
Method of Washing
The body should be laid out, stripped of its garments and it’s joints loosened, if possible. Ayesha said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) died and they wanted to make gusol they said, ‘By Allah we do not know whether we should take off the clothes of Allah’s Messenger as we do for our dead or not?’” (Bulugh al-Maram 543)
A cloth should be placed over the private parts, between the navel and the knee, and the stomach should be pressed to expel any remaining impurities. A rag should be used to wash the body and the washing should begin with the places on the right side of the body washed during wudu. Umm Atiya said: Allah's Messenger (pbuh), concerning his (dead) daughter's bath, said, "Start with the right side, and the parts which are washed in ablution." (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 346)
After completing the wudu, the woman’s hair should be undone if it was braided and the hair thoroughly washed. Then the rest of the body should be washed, turning the body on its side so as to complete the right side before washing the left. Umm Atiya said that they had entwined the hair of the daughter of Allah's Messenger (pbuh) in three braids. They first undid her hair, washed and then entwined it in three braids." (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 350)
The body should be washed a minimum of three times and the water should have in it some cleaning agent like soap or disinfectant. It is obligatory to wash fully one time but washing thrice is desirable. It is permissible to wash up to seven times if the body still remains impure. The final washing should have in it some perfume like camphor or the like. Umm Atiya said Allah's Messenger (pbuh) came to us when his daughter died and said, "Wash her thrice or five times or more, if you see it necessary, with water and sidr and then apply camphor or some camphor at the end; and when you finish, notify me." So when we finished it, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and told us to shroud the dead body in it. (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 344)
The body should then be dried and the hair combed out. In the case of women, the hair should be plaited into three braids one from the front and two from the sides and placed behind her head. This practice is based on Umm Atiya’s statement mentioned above. Waki said that Sufyan said, "One braid was entwined in front and the other two were entwined on the sides of the head." (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 352)
There are some exceptional cases such as pilgrims and martyrs in procedure of washing. In the case of person who died in the state of Ihram, perfumes should not be used in washing his or her body. Prophet (pbuh) said, "Wash him with water and Sidr and shroud him in two pieces of cloth and neither perfume him nor cover his head, for Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection and he will be saying 'Labbaik'. (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 357)
In the case of the shaheed his body should not be washed at all, but should be buried as it is. Jabir also reported that the Prophet (r) said regarding those killed during the battle of Uhud, “Do not wash them for verily every wound will emit musk on the Day of Judgment.”
Shrouding of the body
Shrouding the body of the deceased is a Fard Kifaya of the Muslims. It is best for the deceased to be shrouded in three pieces of cloth if it is a man and five if it is a woman. Even shrouding the deceased in a single sheet is permissible whether it is a man or a woman. (IslamQA)
The shroud should be nice, clean, and large enough to cover the entire body. Prophet (pbuh) said: “When one of you is in charge of shrouding his brother, he should give him the best shroud he can “ (Bulugh al-Maram 548)
A shroud should be white as Prophet (pbuh) said: "Wear white clothes, for these are your best clothes, and enshroud your dead in them." (Sunan Ibn Majah :: Book 32 :: Hadith 3566)
It is mustahab to perfume the shroud, whether the deceased is a man or a woman. Asma bint Abi Bakr said to her family, "Perfume my clothes with incense when I die and then embalm me. Do not put any of the embalming substance on my shroud, and do not follow me with a burning torch." (Muwatta Malik :: Book 16 Hadith 534)
The shroud should be three wraps for a man and five wraps for a woman. Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was wrapped in a Yamani wrapper which belonged to 'Abdullah bin Abu Bakr; then it was removed from him, and he was shrouded in three cotton sheets of white Yamani stuff from Sahul among which was neither a shirt nor a turban. (Muslim :: Book 4 :: Hadith 2053)
Tirmizhi said: "The majority of the scholars among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others hold this view. “Sufyan Al-Thawri said: "A (deceased) male should be shrouded in three pieces of cloth, or a shirt and two loose pieces of cloth, or (if necessary) three wraps of cloth. (Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4: Al-Kafan (The Shroud))
One wrap may suffice if nothing else is available. Two wraps will also suffice, but three wraps are preferable for those who can afford it. And a deceased female should be enshrouded in five sheets. A number of scholars are of the view that these five pieces are: an izaar (lower garment or waist wrapper), a khimaar (head cover), a qamees (chemise), and two large pieces of cloth that are wrapped around her. (IslamQA) For a deceased child, boy is to be shrouded in one shroud and three is also permissible. And for girl one shirt and two shrouds should be used. (A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence)
A body of deceased pilgrim should be shrouded in his ihram. His head should not be covered, nor should any perfume be applied to his body, because the restrictions of ihram still apply to him. Prophet (pbuh) said, "Wash him with water and Sidr and shroud him in two pieces of cloth and neither perfume him nor cover his head, for Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection and he will be saying 'Labbaik'. (Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Chapter 23 :: Hadith 357)
Recitation of surah Yasin in any stage is not confirmed by authentic hadith. So it should be avoided. The practice of reciting Surat Yasin in the presence of the dying person or dead person is based on weak prophetic reports, having no basis in the authentic Sunnah. Neither the Prophet (pbuh) nor his companions did it, or recommended that it be done. Those who observe the practice of reciting Yasin over the dead do so in light of the hadith: "Yasin is the heart of the Qur'an. Whoever recites it seeking the pleasure of Allah and the Hereafter will receive Allah's forgiveness. So recite it to your dying person." Concerning this hadith, Ad-Dar al-Qutni is reported to have said: "In the chain of narrators of this hadith there is confusion. Its text is obscure and is not correct." But this hadith is telling about dying person not dead body. So there is no basis of reciting during preparation of dead body. (Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam)
There should be no delay in the washing, shrouding and burial of the individual once he or she has died, because the Prophet’s instructed, “Make haste at a funeral” (Sahih Muslim Vol 4 Hadith 2059) If a Muslim is buried without being given an obligatory washing (ghusl), the body must be dug up and washed; then prayers must be said over the deceased. If the body has been buried for a long time and has deteriorated, the grave is opened and water is poured over the entire body until it is fully covered. Prayer is then offered for the deceased, and the grave is closed. (Aljazeerah.info) May Allah help us all to perform this obligation correctly and forgive us and the deceased.
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© 2014 by Tauhid Ahmed.