Washing the deceased

Question 6/31: Who should be given priority among people to wash the deceased?

The correct view is the more entitled to wash him is the one whom he assigned to wash him.

Proof to the right of the assigned person is: Abu Bakr bequeathed that his wife Asma' (may Allah be pleased with them) would wash him. It was reportedreported by Malik, `Abdur-Razzaq and Ibn Abu Shaybah, and it is a Mursal narration, but has many ways to strengthen it. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) bequeathed that he should be washed by Mohammed ibn Sireen (may Allah be pleased with them), and so he did. Ibn Sa`d reported it in At-Tabaqat. The correct view is that the beaqueathed person is given priority over others, then his ancestors such as the grandfather, (then) the father before his descendants like children and downwards then his brothers then the rest of relatives. This order is needed when disagreement erupts and dispute about who would wash the dead. However, in our time, there is no disagreement due to the existence of doners who wash and shroud the dead.

Question 6/32: The description of washing the deceased

Firstly: If the washer starts washing the dead, he should cover his private parts, removing his clothes, and cover him from people's eyes. Covering private partes is obligatory. Ibn Qudamah (may Allah be pleased with him) added: "There is no disagreement in that."[1]

A washer should cover the area from the navel to the knees with a cloth or something similar, then removes his clothes.

Secondly: The washer should wear a glove or something of the like to cleanse the dead by washing his private parts with water, and it is not permissible for him to touch his private parts without barrier if the deceased is over seven years old.

Thirdly: He recalls the intention of washing the dead then starts by mentioning the name of Allah then washing the organs of the deceased as in ablution.

Proof to that is the Hadith of Um `Atiyyah and whoever was around her (may Allah be pleased with them) when she washed Zaynab, the daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to them: "Start with the right side and with the parts which are washed in ablution".[2]

- Description of that: The washer takes a wet rag which he puts on his fingers. He puts his fingers in the deceased's mouth and gently wipes his teeth and puts a finger in the deceased's nose and cleanses it gently then washes his face and performs ablution as usual.

During ablution, a washer should not put water inside a deceased's mouth or nose so as not to move an immovable impurity or so that nothing comes out during shrouding.

Fourthly: Then, he should start washing the deceased.