How to reconcile starting with the right side and starting with the locations of ablution in washing the deceased?
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The questioner : In your book on the rulings of funerals, in the reports regarding the washing of Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her), Sahih al-Bukhari 1256, how did you read it from several references in *Sabil al-Salam*?
The Shaykh : What is the question? Define the question for me?
The questioner : It is about starting with the right side of the deceased and the locations of ablution; how do you reconcile the two?
The Shaykh : What is the problem? For the locations of ablution, each location is started with its ablution.
The questioner : With its right side and the locations of ablution.
The Shaykh : Be patient, understand, understand. The locations of ablution are known: every location that this deceased person used to perform ablution on while alive, it is obligatory for the one who performs the washing to perform ablution on these locations. This is the first meaning. Then, regarding the starting point, does one start with the right or the left? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded starting with the right. So what is the problem?
The questioner : The understanding from the hadith, O Shaykh, is that a person starts washing the deceased as one washes a living person, as a living person performs ablution. For example, first he washes his right hand, then his left hand, then his face, then his right foot, then his left foot. So how does he reconcile performing the washing of the right and left sides, and having the start of washing the deceased be with its right side?
The Shaykh : What is the difference between your statement and his statement? I do not understand the difference between your statement and his statement.
The questioner : No, the question is another one: does one perform ablution on the deceased as one does for a living person?
The Shaykh : Of course.
The questioner : Then after that, he washes from the right side.
The Shaykh : There is nothing after that, my brother. There are not two independent sentences here, one upon the other. The hadith teaches the washer two matters: one is that if he wants to perform ablution on the deceased, he performs it on all the known locations of ablution for a living person. This matter is finished. Then, does he start with his own right side or the deceased’s right side?
The questioner : With the deceased’s right side.
The Shaykh : With the deceased’s right side. So what is the problem? I am very surprised by this question. It is like a barber when he comes to shave the head of a person in 'Umrah or Hajj: does he start with the barber’s right side or the person being shaved’s right side? He starts with the right side of the head of the person being shaved. So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught the washer these two facts concerning the deceased: first, to perform ablution on all the limbs that he himself used to perform ablution on, or that he would perform ablution on himself. The other fact is that this washer starts with the right side of the deceased, then the left. Until now, I do not know how this is a problem. Yes, we are done with this, or is the problem still standing?
The questioner : No, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Okay, please proceed.
Start the bath from the right side and from the parts which are washed in ablution.
ابدأن بميامنها ومواضع الوضوءThe Shaykh : What is the question? Define the question for me?
The questioner : It is about starting with the right side of the deceased and the locations of ablution; how do you reconcile the two?
The Shaykh : What is the problem? For the locations of ablution, each location is started with its ablution.
The questioner : With its right side and the locations of ablution.
The Shaykh : Be patient, understand, understand. The locations of ablution are known: every location that this deceased person used to perform ablution on while alive, it is obligatory for the one who performs the washing to perform ablution on these locations. This is the first meaning. Then, regarding the starting point, does one start with the right or the left? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded starting with the right. So what is the problem?
The questioner : The understanding from the hadith, O Shaykh, is that a person starts washing the deceased as one washes a living person, as a living person performs ablution. For example, first he washes his right hand, then his left hand, then his face, then his right foot, then his left foot. So how does he reconcile performing the washing of the right and left sides, and having the start of washing the deceased be with its right side?
The Shaykh : What is the difference between your statement and his statement? I do not understand the difference between your statement and his statement.
The questioner : No, the question is another one: does one perform ablution on the deceased as one does for a living person?
The Shaykh : Of course.
The questioner : Then after that, he washes from the right side.
The Shaykh : There is nothing after that, my brother. There are not two independent sentences here, one upon the other. The hadith teaches the washer two matters: one is that if he wants to perform ablution on the deceased, he performs it on all the known locations of ablution for a living person. This matter is finished. Then, does he start with his own right side or the deceased’s right side?
The questioner : With the deceased’s right side.
The Shaykh : With the deceased’s right side. So what is the problem? I am very surprised by this question. It is like a barber when he comes to shave the head of a person in 'Umrah or Hajj: does he start with the barber’s right side or the person being shaved’s right side? He starts with the right side of the head of the person being shaved. So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught the washer these two facts concerning the deceased: first, to perform ablution on all the limbs that he himself used to perform ablution on, or that he would perform ablution on himself. The other fact is that this washer starts with the right side of the deceased, then the left. Until now, I do not know how this is a problem. Yes, we are done with this, or is the problem still standing?
The questioner : No, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Okay, please proceed.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.