What is the authenticity of the claim that the deceased knows who washes him, and how is the washing of the deceased performed?
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Question:
One of the listening brothers preferred not to mention his name in his message. He says: I listened to a Friday sermon about how to wash and shroud the deceased, and I learned in that sermon, as the preacher said, that the deceased knows who washes him and who shrouds him. At that point, a question began to arise in my mind: How is that possible? Please guide us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This has no basis, and there is no evidence indicating that the deceased knows who washed him and who shrouded him. This is a statement about Allah without knowledge. The Sunnah is to wash the body three, five, or seven times, according to the need of the deceased. It is better not to go below three washes. If he is washed once, that suffices, but it is better to repeat it three or five times so that it becomes cleaner. If the need calls for seven, there is no harm. Then he is shrouded. The best is in three white garments; this is the best. The first is wrapped around him, then the second, then the third. If he is shrouded in one garment that covers him entirely, there is no harm; it suffices.
The deceased is perfumed with various types of perfume on his head, his beard, and his private parts. All of this is good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided us to do, except if he is in the state of ihram. If he died while in ihram, he is not perfumed, and his head is not covered... He is shrouded in his izar and rida, and his head and face are left uncovered if he is in ihram.
As for the woman, even if she is in ihram, she is shrouded in the shroud, meaning: it covers her and conceals her entirely, unlike the man; because she is an awrah. So she is shrouded, even if she is in ihram, in a shroud that conceals her entirely, including her face. Because what is prohibited on her face is the niqab, but she is covered with the shroud instead of the niqab. And praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter : Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
One of the listening brothers preferred not to mention his name in his message. He says: I listened to a Friday sermon about how to wash and shroud the deceased, and I learned in that sermon, as the preacher said, that the deceased knows who washes him and who shrouds him. At that point, a question began to arise in my mind: How is that possible? Please guide us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This has no basis, and there is no evidence indicating that the deceased knows who washed him and who shrouded him. This is a statement about Allah without knowledge. The Sunnah is to wash the body three, five, or seven times, according to the need of the deceased. It is better not to go below three washes. If he is washed once, that suffices, but it is better to repeat it three or five times so that it becomes cleaner. If the need calls for seven, there is no harm. Then he is shrouded. The best is in three white garments; this is the best. The first is wrapped around him, then the second, then the third. If he is shrouded in one garment that covers him entirely, there is no harm; it suffices.
The deceased is perfumed with various types of perfume on his head, his beard, and his private parts. All of this is good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided us to do, except if he is in the state of ihram. If he died while in ihram, he is not perfumed, and his head is not covered... He is shrouded in his izar and rida, and his head and face are left uncovered if he is in ihram.
As for the woman, even if she is in ihram, she is shrouded in the shroud, meaning: it covers her and conceals her entirely, unlike the man; because she is an awrah. So she is shrouded, even if she is in ihram, in a shroud that conceals her entirely, including her face. Because what is prohibited on her face is the niqab, but she is covered with the shroud instead of the niqab. And praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter : Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.