The ruling on uncovering the face of the deceased after praying over him
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Question:
From Hyderabad, India, a message was sent by the listener Saleh Ali al-Lafiq. Our brother Saleh has a number of questions, and in one of them he says: When a person dies among us, while he is still in the house, and when someone comes to offer condolences, one of the present people uncovers the face of the deceased. Then, after he is washed and prayed over in the mosque, one of his relatives removes the covering from the face of the deceased while reciting the prayer upon Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and then all the present people do what they call the farewell look. What is your opinion of this practice? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This has no basis. I say: it has no basis. The Sunnah is that the deceased is buried with the shroud covering everything, his face and other parts. The Sunnah is that the shroud should be general, and that his face and other parts should not be uncovered. As long as he is among them, they may uncover him so that those who are his mahram (close relatives) may greet him, if it is his wife, or his sisters, or a man may greet him if he is a man; there is no harm in that. Or a woman may be greeted by her mahram, or her husband; there is no harm in that. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away and al-Idh came from his house, he uncovered his face and kissed him, and said: “You were a comfort to me, my father and my mother, in life and in death,” (peace and blessings be upon him).
So if it is uncovered for the benefit of kissing him, or looking at him, and making du'a for him; there is no harm in that. But when he is placed in the grave, his face is not uncovered, rather his face and the entire body are covered in the grave. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
From Hyderabad, India, a message was sent by the listener Saleh Ali al-Lafiq. Our brother Saleh has a number of questions, and in one of them he says: When a person dies among us, while he is still in the house, and when someone comes to offer condolences, one of the present people uncovers the face of the deceased. Then, after he is washed and prayed over in the mosque, one of his relatives removes the covering from the face of the deceased while reciting the prayer upon Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and then all the present people do what they call the farewell look. What is your opinion of this practice? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This has no basis. I say: it has no basis. The Sunnah is that the deceased is buried with the shroud covering everything, his face and other parts. The Sunnah is that the shroud should be general, and that his face and other parts should not be uncovered. As long as he is among them, they may uncover him so that those who are his mahram (close relatives) may greet him, if it is his wife, or his sisters, or a man may greet him if he is a man; there is no harm in that. Or a woman may be greeted by her mahram, or her husband; there is no harm in that. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away and al-Idh came from his house, he uncovered his face and kissed him, and said: “You were a comfort to me, my father and my mother, in life and in death,” (peace and blessings be upon him).
So if it is uncovered for the benefit of kissing him, or looking at him, and making du'a for him; there is no harm in that. But when he is placed in the grave, his face is not uncovered, rather his face and the entire body are covered in the grave. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.