How to wash the deceased according to the Sunnah.
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The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I am the one who washes the deceased, my master, but I am not very learned. I want to understand from you the washing process, meaning, first, when I wash.
The Shaykh : You wash the deceased, may Allah bless you, according to the Sunnah. Before anything else, it should be removed from him.
The questioner : His vessels.
The Shaykh : No, we wash, and it is understood that this cannot be done except after removing the clothes, meaning this is understood. But my intention was to say that if there is impurity, it is removed before anything else.
The questioner : Before anything else.
The Shaykh : Yes, if there is, otherwise many of the deceased are pure, meaning, but as a precaution, one looks to see if there is impurity, and it is removed. Then he is given wudu' as he used to give wudu' during his life, but of course he cannot give wudu' himself. The one who washes him must give him wudu'.
The questioner : Before the washing?
The Shaykh : Yes, we are starting step by step. We said the first stage: if there is impurity, it is removed. It is washed. The second stage: he is given wudu' as he used to give wudu' during his life, meaning his hands are washed three times, he rinses his mouth to the extent of ability, we do not strain to put water in his mouth, just, likewise his nose three times according to the Sunnah, then his face is washed three times as is known, then his arms, then his head is wiped, and his feet are washed, the complete wudu'. When the washer finishes giving the deceased wudu', he pours water on the right side of his body, and reaches from the beginning to the end of that section, then he starts with the second side.
The questioner : The left.
The Shaykh : The left, yes. In this case, of course, the water cannot reach the lower back of the deceased, so he must be turned over.
The questioner : Turned over, meaning first on the left, then on the right.
The Shaykh : So that the water covers his entire body, and in this manner, we have washed the deceased according to the Sunnah. There is no need for what some people strain to do, which is stuffing parts of the deceased with cotton. This is forbidden, this is contrary to the Sunnah, except in the case of fear, if the person was sick.
The questioner : Or ... .
The Shaykh : I am telling you, if he has discharge or something, and there is a fear that the shroud will become impure after shrouding him, it is possible to use these means, but it is not permissible to make it a constant Sunnah, always for every deceased, every deceased.
The questioner : In the case of dire necessity.
The Shaykh : In the case of dire necessity. Then he is shrouded after completing his washing, as we mentioned, with three white shrouds. Three white shrouds.
The questioner : Meaning, after he is washed, he is purified.
The Shaykh : What do you mean by purified?
The questioner : Meaning, we remove the impurities.
The Shaykh : We said we finished, we washed him.
The questioner : Meaning, we do not pour water on him and say we intended to remove his state of ritual impurity.
The Shaykh : No, his Lord knows that this is a washing of a deceased, there is no need, even for the living person himself.
The questioner : I am the one who washes the deceased, my master, but I am not very learned. I want to understand from you the washing process, meaning, first, when I wash.
The Shaykh : You wash the deceased, may Allah bless you, according to the Sunnah. Before anything else, it should be removed from him.
The questioner : His vessels.
The Shaykh : No, we wash, and it is understood that this cannot be done except after removing the clothes, meaning this is understood. But my intention was to say that if there is impurity, it is removed before anything else.
The questioner : Before anything else.
The Shaykh : Yes, if there is, otherwise many of the deceased are pure, meaning, but as a precaution, one looks to see if there is impurity, and it is removed. Then he is given wudu' as he used to give wudu' during his life, but of course he cannot give wudu' himself. The one who washes him must give him wudu'.
The questioner : Before the washing?
The Shaykh : Yes, we are starting step by step. We said the first stage: if there is impurity, it is removed. It is washed. The second stage: he is given wudu' as he used to give wudu' during his life, meaning his hands are washed three times, he rinses his mouth to the extent of ability, we do not strain to put water in his mouth, just, likewise his nose three times according to the Sunnah, then his face is washed three times as is known, then his arms, then his head is wiped, and his feet are washed, the complete wudu'. When the washer finishes giving the deceased wudu', he pours water on the right side of his body, and reaches from the beginning to the end of that section, then he starts with the second side.
The questioner : The left.
The Shaykh : The left, yes. In this case, of course, the water cannot reach the lower back of the deceased, so he must be turned over.
The questioner : Turned over, meaning first on the left, then on the right.
The Shaykh : So that the water covers his entire body, and in this manner, we have washed the deceased according to the Sunnah. There is no need for what some people strain to do, which is stuffing parts of the deceased with cotton. This is forbidden, this is contrary to the Sunnah, except in the case of fear, if the person was sick.
The questioner : Or ... .
The Shaykh : I am telling you, if he has discharge or something, and there is a fear that the shroud will become impure after shrouding him, it is possible to use these means, but it is not permissible to make it a constant Sunnah, always for every deceased, every deceased.
The questioner : In the case of dire necessity.
The Shaykh : In the case of dire necessity. Then he is shrouded after completing his washing, as we mentioned, with three white shrouds. Three white shrouds.
The questioner : Meaning, after he is washed, he is purified.
The Shaykh : What do you mean by purified?
The questioner : Meaning, we remove the impurities.
The Shaykh : We said we finished, we washed him.
The questioner : Meaning, we do not pour water on him and say we intended to remove his state of ritual impurity.
The Shaykh : No, his Lord knows that this is a washing of a deceased, there is no need, even for the living person himself.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.