Washing the Dead
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Question: Who is entitled to wash the dead, whether male or female, among the relatives and close kin, both women and men? We see some men entering to wash the bodies of men and women, whether relatives or strangers. Is this correct?
Answer: Men wash men, and it is permissible for a woman to wash her husband. Women wash women, and it is permissible for a man to wash only his wife. Thus, it is permissible for each of the spouses to wash the other.
As for anyone other than the spouses, it is not permissible for women to wash men, nor is it permissible for men to wash women. Each gender washes its own gender, except for a small child who has not reached the age of discernment; in that case, there is nothing wrong with men and women washing him equally.
Answer: Men wash men, and it is permissible for a woman to wash her husband. Women wash women, and it is permissible for a man to wash only his wife. Thus, it is permissible for each of the spouses to wash the other.
As for anyone other than the spouses, it is not permissible for women to wash men, nor is it permissible for men to wash women. Each gender washes its own gender, except for a small child who has not reached the age of discernment; in that case, there is nothing wrong with men and women washing him equally.