Ghusl of the Deceased

1. Once all the preparations for the grave and kafan are complete and the deceased is about to be given a bath, a wooden bed or platform should be brought and incense sticks or any other type of perfume should be burnt around that wooden bed. After the incense is burnt for an odd number of times around the bed, lay the deceased person onto it and remove his clothing. Cover the area between his navel and knees with a piece of cloth so that this portion of his body remains covered.

2. If the place where he is being bathed is such that the water will flow away, then this will be good. If not, dig a hole under the wooden bed so that all the water will collect at that spot. If a hole was not dug and the water spread throughout the house, even then there is no sin in this. The object is that one should not have difficulty in walking about, and no one should slip and fall.

3. The method of bathing the deceased is as follows: First wash the private parts of the deceased. However, do not touch the private parts with your hands nor look at them. Instead, wrap your hands with a cloth and wash his private parts by inserting your hands under the cloth that was originally placed over the area between his navel and knees.

Thereafter, make wudu for him. However, do not gargle his mouth, do not pour water into his nose nor wash his hands upto his wrists. Instead, wash his face first, thereafter his hands upto his elbows, make masah of his head and then wash both his feet. It is also permissible to wet some cotton wool and cleanse his teeth, ear lobes, and nostrils. If the deceased was in a state of impurity or a woman was in her haid or nifaas , it will be obligatory to wash these parts in the way mentioned.

The nostrils, ears and mouth should be sealed with cotton wool so that water does not go inside at the time of wudu or ghusl . After making wudu for him, apply some soap or any other cleaning agent to his head and cleanse it. Thereafter, make the deceased lie on his left side and wash him with water that has been made hot with berry leaves (or any other cleansing agent). This water should be poured three times from head to toe until it reaches his left side. Thereafter, make him lie on his right side and pour water in the same way three times. Use such an amount of water that will reach his right side.

Having done this, make him sit up while leaning him back slightly and rub his stomach gently. If any stool or urine comes out, wipe it and wash it off. The expulsion of urine or stool will not affect his wudu and ghusl in any way and there is no need to repeat this. Thereafter, make him lie on his left side again and pour camphor water three times from head to toe. Thereafter, wipe his body with a cloth or towel and make him wear his kafan .

4. If there is no water that has been made hot with berry leaves, ordinary warm water will suffice. He should be washed three times in the same way mentioned above. Very hot water should not be used to bathe the deceased.

This method of bathing the deceased is the sunnah method. If someone does not bathe the deceased three times in this way but washes his entire body once only; even then the fard will be fulfilled.

5. Once the deceased is placed on the kafan , apply perfume to the head. If the deceased is a male, apply perfume to his beard as well. Thereafter, apply camphor to the forehead, nose, both palms, both knees, and both the feet. Some people apply perfume to the kafan , and even place a piece of cotton wool that has been immersed into perfume into the ears. All this is based on ignorance. Do not do anything beyond what the Shariah has mentioned.

6. Do not comb the hair, clip the nails nor cut the hair from anywhere. Leave all these things as they are.

7. If a man passes away and there are no men to give him ghusl , it is not permissible for any woman except his wife to give him ghusl . It will not be permissible even if the other woman is his mahram . If even his wife is not present, tayammum should be made for him. However, his body should not be touched with the bare hands. Instead, wear a glove and then make tayammum .

8. If the husband dies, it is permissible for the wife to give him ghusl and make him wear the kafan . But if the wife dies, it is not permissible for the husband to touch her with his bare hands (nor is it permissible for him to give her ghusl ). However, it is permissible for him to look at her and touch her while she is covered.

9. A woman who is in her haid or nifaas should not give ghusl to the deceased. To do so is makruh and not permissible.

10. It is preferable for the closest relative to give the ghusl . If she cannot give ghusl , any other religious minded woman could do so.

11. If the person who is giving ghusl notices some blemish on the deceased, he should not mention it to anyone. If, Allah forbid, the deceased's face became distorted or blackened at the time of death, the person giving ghusl should not even mention this to anyone nor should he announce it. All this is not permissible. However, if the deceased used to commit sins openly, e.g. if she was a dancer, a musician or a prostitute, then it will be permissible to mention these things. This is so that others will abstain from such things and repent to Allah Ta'ala.

12. If a person drowns and dies in the sea, it is fard to give him a ghusl once he is taken out of the water,. Drowning in the water will not suffice for his ghusl . This is because giving ghusl to the deceased is fard on those who are alive and they did not take any part in his drowning. However, if at the time of taking him out, they make intention of ghusl and move him about in the water, the ghusl will be complete. Similarly, if any water falls onto the deceased or water reaches him in some other way, it will still be fard to give him ghusl .

13. If only a person's head is found somewhere, he will not be given ghusl . Instead, he will be buried just as he is. And if more than half of a person's body is found, it will be necessary to give him ghusl irrespective of whether he is found with his head or without. If it is not more than half but exactly half, then he will only be given ghusl if he is found with his head. If not, he will not be given ghusl . If less than half is found, ghusl will not be given irrespective of whether he is found with his head or not.

14. If a deceased is found somewhere and it is not known whether he is a Muslim or a kaafir , ghusl will be given to him and salaat will also be performed over him if he is found in Dar ul-Islam .

15. If the corpses of Muslims are found among the corpses of the kuffaar and they cannot be distinguished from each other, ghusl will be given to all of them. If they can be distinguished, the corpses of the Muslims will be separated and ghusl will be given to them. Ghusl will not be given to the corpses of the kuffaar .

16. If a close friend of a Muslim is a kaafir and he passes away, his corpse should be given to those who are of the same religion. If no one can be found or they refuse to accept his body, then due to necessity, it will be permissible for that Muslim to give him ghusl . However, this ghusl should not be given in the normal sunnah method. That is, he should not be given wudu , his head should not be washed thoroughly nor should camphor be applied to his body. Instead, he should be washed just as any other impure object is washed. By washing a kaafir , he does not become pure. So much so, that if someone offers salaat over him, that salaat will not be valid.

17. If rebels or highway robbers are killed, ghusl should not be given to the dead among them as long as they were killed in the actual battle.

18. If one who renounces Islam (murtad) is killed, ghusl should not be given to him. If the followers of that religion which he accepted ask for his body, it should not be given to them.

19. If a deceased person is given tayammum because of a lack of water and later water is found, ghusl should be given to him.