The Difficulty of Washing and Shrouding the Deceased
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Fatwa No. ( 16570 )
Q: My father (may Allah have mercy on him) passed away in the year 1377 AH, which is approximately 37 years ago. The cause of death was that he fell from the top of a very high mountain. Those who were present at his death were unable to bring him down from the top of the mountain due to the ruggedness of the terrain. They placed him under a rock and sealed its sides so that he would not be exposed to wild animals, and so on. They also did not wash him, nor
shroud him, nor pray over him. The question now concerns the permissibility of transferring his remaining body parts to the nearest cemetery located in the flat land, and how this should be done in terms of washing, shrouding, and praying over him.
A: It is well known that the Islamic ruling makes it obligatory to wash the deceased, shroud him, pray over him, and bury him. If washing becomes difficult, it is replaced by performing tayammum (dry ablution). If shrouding becomes difficult, it is dropped. If praying over him becomes difficult, one prays over his grave. If he died in a place where no one prayed over him, one prays the prayer for the absent one with the intention. Therefore, it appears from the situation described in the question that those who were present at your father's death did what was within their capacity, as they were unable to move him from the mountain. Allah the Exalted says:[Al-Baqarah 2:286], and He says: [At-Taghabun 64:16]. And due to the passage of time, you are not required to do any of the aforementioned. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: My father (may Allah have mercy on him) passed away in the year 1377 AH, which is approximately 37 years ago. The cause of death was that he fell from the top of a very high mountain. Those who were present at his death were unable to bring him down from the top of the mountain due to the ruggedness of the terrain. They placed him under a rock and sealed its sides so that he would not be exposed to wild animals, and so on. They also did not wash him, nor
shroud him, nor pray over him. The question now concerns the permissibility of transferring his remaining body parts to the nearest cemetery located in the flat land, and how this should be done in terms of washing, shrouding, and praying over him.
A: It is well known that the Islamic ruling makes it obligatory to wash the deceased, shroud him, pray over him, and bury him. If washing becomes difficult, it is replaced by performing tayammum (dry ablution). If shrouding becomes difficult, it is dropped. If praying over him becomes difficult, one prays over his grave. If he died in a place where no one prayed over him, one prays the prayer for the absent one with the intention. Therefore, it appears from the situation described in the question that those who were present at your father's death did what was within their capacity, as they were unable to move him from the mountain. Allah the Exalted says:
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلا وُسْعَهَاSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.