The direction of the angels in washing Hanzah and the fact that the Muslims did not wash him

The questioner:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: What is the basis for the argument regarding what happened to Hanzah, where the angels washed him, but the Muslims did not wash him, and he did not say…

The Shaykh:
…that they did not know he was in a state of major ritual impurity, not even the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) knew. He asked his wife what had happened to him; he did not know, for only Allah knows the unseen, except what He reveals to Him. If they know he is in a state of major ritual impurity, they wash him.

The questioner:
He says: And are we required to ask the wife of every martyr who dies whether he is clean?

The Shaykh:
No, no, we are not required to do this, but if we know he is in a state of major ritual impurity, we wash him. Yes.