Is there a reward for one who washes the deceased, and what is obligatory upon the washer?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you. Upon you be peace, Shaykh Muhammad, may Allah preserve you. This sister who is asking says: Regarding the washing of the deceased, is there a reward for the one who washes?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is well known that washing the deceased carries a great reward because it is fulfilling a collective obligation, unless a person washes for a fee, in which case he has no share in the Hereafter. Also, it is obligatory for the washer to fear Allah the Exalted in washing the deceased, and to follow what the Sunnah has brought. If he sees in the deceased something he dislikes, such as a physical defect or a change in his face, or the like, he has no power or strength [except through Allah]. It is not permissible for him to spread it among people or inform anyone of it. The scholars said: It is obligatory for the washer to cover what he saw if it was not good. As for if he sees something good, such as the face of the deceased being turned toward the qiblah or the like, which indicates a good ending, then there is no harm in spreading it for two benefits. The first benefit is praising the deceased with good words, praise be to Allah. The second benefit is that it encourages others to do the same as his work, if his work is known.
The questioner : May Allah keep you safe. Does it mean a specific age for young men? I mean, I want to register for the design of the deceased. Of course, it must be that the woman is old. People say it must be old in age and so on. I mean, regarding the deceased or regarding the washer. The washer, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The washer must be a person of legal responsibility, meaning an adult and sane, because the intention is essential, so he must be a person of discernment and an adult. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you, and thank you to the sister questioner.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is well known that washing the deceased carries a great reward because it is fulfilling a collective obligation, unless a person washes for a fee, in which case he has no share in the Hereafter. Also, it is obligatory for the washer to fear Allah the Exalted in washing the deceased, and to follow what the Sunnah has brought. If he sees in the deceased something he dislikes, such as a physical defect or a change in his face, or the like, he has no power or strength [except through Allah]. It is not permissible for him to spread it among people or inform anyone of it. The scholars said: It is obligatory for the washer to cover what he saw if it was not good. As for if he sees something good, such as the face of the deceased being turned toward the qiblah or the like, which indicates a good ending, then there is no harm in spreading it for two benefits. The first benefit is praising the deceased with good words, praise be to Allah. The second benefit is that it encourages others to do the same as his work, if his work is known.
The questioner : May Allah keep you safe. Does it mean a specific age for young men? I mean, I want to register for the design of the deceased. Of course, it must be that the woman is old. People say it must be old in age and so on. I mean, regarding the deceased or regarding the washer. The washer, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The washer must be a person of legal responsibility, meaning an adult and sane, because the intention is essential, so he must be a person of discernment and an adult. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you, and thank you to the sister questioner.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 221- هل يؤجر من يغسل الميت وماذا يجب على المغسل /سؤال على الهاتف /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.