LessonsFuneral Rites Part 1: Deathbed, Washing, and ShroudingQuiz

يُسَنُّ تَوْجِيهُ الْمُحْتَضَرِ لِلْقِبْلَةِ عَلَى يَمِينِهِ... وَيُلَقَّنُ بِذِكْرِ الشَّهَادَتَيْنِ... وَلَا يُؤْمَرُ بِهَا... وَيُكْرَهُ حُضُورُ حَائِضٍ وَنُفَسَاءَ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ
• The Recommended Posture: It is Sunnah to direct the dying person (al-Muhtadhar) toward the Qiblah:
◦ The preferred method is to lay them on their right side facing the Qiblah.
◦ Alternatively, they may be laid on their back with their feet directed toward the Qiblah, raising the head slightly.
• The Method of Talqin: Companions nearby should recite the Shahadah aloud so the dying person may hear and emulate it.
◦ Strict Restriction: The dying person must never be ordered or pressured to recite it (to prevent them from refusing due to the severe agony of death).
• Restricted Presence: It is legally disliked (Makruh) for menstruating women or those in post-natal bleeding to remain near the bedside at the moment of death (to ensure the presence of the angels of mercy).

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Funeral Rites Part 1: Deathbed, Washing, and Shrouding

Read the bilingual lesson for Funeral Rites Part 1: Deathbed, Washing, and Shrouding and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Directing the Dying and the Talqin

يُسَنُّ تَوْجِيهُ الْمُحْتَضَرِ لِلْقِبْلَةِ عَلَى يَمِينِهِ... وَيُلَقَّنُ بِذِكْرِ الشَّهَادَتَيْنِ... وَلَا يُؤْمَرُ بِهَا... وَيُكْرَهُ حُضُورُ حَائِضٍ وَنُفَسَاءَ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ
• The Recommended Posture: It is Sunnah to direct the dying person (al-Muhtadhar) toward the Qiblah:
◦ The preferred method is to lay them on their right side facing the Qiblah.
◦ Alternatively, they may be laid on their back with their feet directed toward the Qiblah, raising the head slightly.
• The Method of Talqin: Companions nearby should recite the Shahadah aloud so the dying person may hear and emulate it.
◦ Strict Restriction: The dying person must never be ordered or pressured to recite it (to prevent them from refusing due to the severe agony of death).
• Restricted Presence: It is legally disliked (Makruh) for menstruating women or those in post-natal bleeding to remain near the bedside at the moment of death (to ensure the presence of the angels of mercy).

2. Washing the Deceased: Initial Preparations

إِذَا مَاتَ... وُضِعَ عَلَى سَرِيرٍ مُجَمَّرٍ وِتْرًا، وَيُسْتَرُ عَوْرَتُهُ، ثُمَّ يُوَضَّأُ بِلَا مَضْمَضَةٍ وَاسْتِنْشَاقٍ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ جُنُبًا أَوْ حَائِضًا أَوْ نُفَسَاءَ
• Preparing the Washing Board: The deceased must be placed on a raised washing board (Sarīr) that has been perfumed with incense an odd number of times (e.g., three, five, or seven).
• Covering the Private Parts: It is obligatory to cover the private parts (Aurah—from the navel to the knees) with a thick, opaque sheet of clean cloth.
• Ablution of the Deceased: Ablution (Wudu) is performed over the body before the actual washing commences.
• Wudu Exceptions: The mouth and nose are not rinsed with water (gargling and sniffing water are omitted).
◦ Critical Exception: If the deceased passed away in a state of major ritual impurity (Janabah), menstruation, or post-natal bleeding, water must be reached to the mouth and nasal cavity using damp cotton buds to ensure major impurity is removed.

3. Washing Procedure and Aftercare

وَيُغْسَلُ بِرَغْوَةِ السِّدْرِ أَوْ الصَّابُونِ... وَلَا يُسَرَّحُ شَعْرُهُ وَلَا لِحْيَتُهُ، وَلَا يُقَصُّ ظُفُرُهُ وَلَا شَارِبُهُ... وَيُجْعَلُ الْحَنُوطُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ، وَالْكَافُورُ عَلَى مَسَاجِدِهِ
• The Washing Water: The body is washed with lukewarm water boiled with lotus leaves (Sidr) or soap.
• The Sequential Washing:
◦ The body is laid on its left side to wash the right side thoroughly.
◦ The body is then laid on its right side to wash the left side.
◦ The body is gently raised to a semi-sitting posture, and the abdomen is lightly massaged. If any fecal matter exits, it is washed away; however, there is no repetition of Ghusl or Wudu required.
• Nails and Hair Prohibition: The hair of the head or beard must not be combed, and the fingernails or mustaches must not be trimmed.
• Applying Perfume: After drying the body with a cloth, Hanūt (perfume) is applied to the head and beard, and camphor (Kāfūr) is applied to the prostration limbs (forehead, nose, hands, knees, and feet).

4. The Shroud (Kafan) for Deceased Men

كَفَنُ الرَّجُلِ سُنَّةً: قَمِيصٌ وَإِزَارٌ وَلِفَافَةٌ. وَكِفَايَةً: إِزَارٌ وَلِفَافَةٌ
• The Sunnah Shroud: The Sunnah shroud for a deceased male consists of three (3) sheets of cloth:
◦ Qamīs: A collarless, sleeveless shirt extending from the neck down to the feet.
◦ Izār: A wrapper covering the body from the head down to the feet.
◦ Lifāfah: An outer sheet extending beyond both the head and feet to allow tying at both ends.
• The Sufficiency Shroud: Under economic constraint or necessity, a shroud consisting of two (2) sheets (only the Izār and Lifāfah) is legally sufficient.

5. The Shroud (Kafan) for Deceased Women

وَكَفَنُ الْمَرْأَةِ سُنَّةً: قَمِيصٌ وَإِزَارٌ وَلِفَافَةٌ وَخِمَارٌ وَخِرْقَةٌ... وَكِفَايَةً: إِزَارٌ وَلِفَافَةٌ وَخِمَارٌ
• The Sunnah Shroud: The Sunnah shroud for a deceased female consists of five (5) sheets of cloth:
◦ Qamīs: A shirt extending from the shoulders down to the feet.
◦ Izār: A sheet covering the body from the head down to the feet.
◦ Lifāfah: The long outer wrapping sheet.
◦ Khimār: A head-veil covering the hair and head.
◦ Khirqah: A chest-wrapper secured firmly from the chest down to the thighs.
• The Sufficiency Shroud: Under economic constraint or necessity, a shroud consisting of three (3) sheets (the Izār, Lifāfah, and Khimār) is legally sufficient.

Practice questions

Question 1

How many sheets of cloth constitute the Sunnah shroud (Kafan) for a deceased male?

  • Exactly two sheets.
  • Exactly three sheets (Qamis, Izar, and Lifafah).
  • Five sheets.
  • One single blanket.

Question 2

It is legally disliked (Makruh) for a menstruating woman or one in post-natal bleeding to be present at the bedside at the exact moment of death.

  • True
  • False

Question 3

During the Ghusl (washing) of the deceased, what is the correct ruling regarding performing Wudu (ablution)?

  • Full Wudu is performed including mouth and nose rinsing.
  • Wudu is performed, but mouth and nose rinsing are omitted (unless they died in a state of Janabah/menses).
  • No Wudu is allowed for the deceased.
  • Only the feet are washed.

Question 4

If any impurity exits from the abdomen of the deceased after the Ghusl is complete, the entire Ghusl and Wudu must be repeated.

  • True
  • False

Question 5

How many sheets of cloth constitute the Sunnah shroud (Kafan) for a deceased female?

  • Three sheets.
  • Exactly five sheets (Qamis, Izar, Lifafah, Khimar, and Khirqah).
  • Seven sheets.
  • Only one large wrapping sheet.

Question 6

It is recommended (Mustahabb) to comb the hair and beard, and trim the fingernails of the deceased after Ghusl.

  • True
  • False

Question 7

Match the deceased shrouding options with their correct Hanafi sheet counts:

Question 8

Where is the camphor (Kafur) applied on the deceased body during shrouding?

  • Only on the chest.
  • On the prostration organs (forehead, nose, palms, knees, and feet).
  • On the hair of the head and beard.
  • Camphor is not used in Hanafi Fiqh.

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