Funerals: The Deathbed, Testimony, and Washing the Deceased

1. At the deathbed: direction and testimony

بَابُ الْجَنَائِزِ
إِذَا احْتُضِرَ الرَّجُلُ وُجِّهَ إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الْأَيْمَنِ، وَلُقِّنَ الشَّهَادَتَيْنِ
Translation: Chapter on funerals. When a person approaches death, he is positioned on his right side facing the qiblah and prompted with the two testimonies of faith.

Ihtidar denotes the approach of death. The prescribed arrangement is to place the person on the right side facing the qiblah, as circumstances allow.

Prompting the testimonies means gently recalling faith in God and the Messenger, so the person may say them; it is not a confrontational interrogation.

2. Prompting testimony: meaning and limits

Talqin means prompting someone to remember words. The relevant prophetic report says:
لَقِّنُوا مَوْتَاكُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
Translation: Prompt those nearing death to say “There is no deity but Allah.”

Prompting a living person near death must be distinguished from later discussions about address at the grave.

3. Positioning toward the qiblah

The specified form is lying on the right side with the face toward the qiblah. Some juristic discussions also mention a supine position with the feet toward the qiblah and the head raised. The objective is orientation toward the qiblah; the base text specifies the right-side form.

4. Immediately after death

وَإِذَا مَاتَ شَدُّوا لَحْيَيْهِ، وَغَمَّضُوا عَيْنَيْهِ
Translation: After the person has died, the jaws are secured and the eyes are closed.

Lahyayhi refers to both jaws. They are gently secured to prevent the mouth from remaining open, and the eyes are closed carefully. These steps precede the formal washing.

5. Closing the eyes after death

Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet ﷺ closed Abu Salamah’s eyes and said:
إِنَّ الرُّوحَ إِذَا قُبِضَ تَبِعَهُ الْبَصَرُ
Translation: When the soul is taken, the gaze follows it.

The narration supports closing the eyes after death; securing the jaws is part of orderly care for the body.

6. Placing the body for washing

فَإِذَا أَرَادُوا غُسْلَهُ وَضَعُوهُ عَلَى سَرِيرٍ
Translation: When preparing to wash the deceased, place the body on a bier or washing platform.

Sarir means a bier or platform suitable for supporting the body during washing. It allows the washer to clean the body while maintaining dignity and covering.

7. Why the deceased is washed

Washing the deceased is a prescribed funeral rite rather than mere removal of dust. Jurists explain its rationale in terms of ritual purification or purification after death. These are explanations of the underlying rationale and should not be confused with disputing the obligation to wash a deceased Muslim who is eligible for washing.

8. Covering the private area and removing clothing

وَجَعَلُوا عَلَى عَوْرَتِهِ خِرْقَةً، وَنَزَعُوا ثِيَابَهُ
Translation: Cover the private area with a cloth and remove the clothing.

The private area must remain covered during washing even though ordinary garments are removed. Washing and modesty are maintained together.

9. Extent and practical handling of covering

In Hanafi law, the relevant male awrah extends below the navel through the knees. Cleaning is performed while maintaining the cover. Bodily dignity remains relevant after death.

10. Ablution of the deceased; no rinsing mouth or nose

وَوَضَّؤُوهُ، وَلَا يُمَضْمَضُ وَلَا يُسْتَنْشَقُ
Translation: Then perform ablution for the deceased, but do not rinse the mouth or draw water into the nose.

The washing sequence begins with ablution, except that mouth rinsing and nasal rinsing are omitted, since a deceased person cannot expel the water. This is a deliberate difference from ablution of the living.

11. Mouth and nose in the juristic discussion

Rinsing the mouth and nose belongs to the ordinary discussion of bathing the living. For the deceased, their inability to expel water produces a procedural distinction; one should not extend every detail of a living person’s bath automatically to funeral washing.

12. Pouring water and perfuming the bier

ثُمَّ يُفِيضُونَ الْمَاءَ عَلَيْهِ، وَيُجَمَّرُ سَرِيرُهُ وِتْرًا
Translation: Then pour water over the body and perfume the washing bier with incense an odd number of times.

The water is poured over the body. The phrase yujammaru sariruhu witran describes perfuming the washing platform with incense an odd number of times. Incense is about fragrance; water is for washing.

13. Incense is distinct from the validity of washing

Tajmir means perfuming with fragrant smoke. Its odd count relates to etiquette rather than a prerequisite for valid washing. The absence of incense does not negate proper bathing with water.

14. Lotus leaves, cleansing agent, and plain water

وَيُغْلَى الْمَاءُ بِالسِّدْرِ أَوْ بِالْحَرَضِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَالْمَاءُ الْقَرَاحُ
Translation: Prepare water with sidr (lotus leaves) or a cleansing agent called harad; if unavailable, use plain water.

Sidr is lotus leaf used for cleansing; harad is another cleaning agent. Ma qarih means plain water. The cleansing agents assist cleaning, but plain water remains an available alternative.

15. Plain water as a sufficient alternative

Ma qarih is plain, clean water. If sidr or another cleansing material is unavailable, washing continues with water. Such additives improve cleansing but are not identical to the essential act of washing.

16. Washing the hair and beard with khitmi

وَيُغْسَلُ رَأْسُهُ وَلِحْيَتُهُ بِالْخِطْمِيِّ
Translation: Wash the hair of the head and the beard with khitmi.

Khitmi is a plant-based cleansing agent used on hair and beard. The purpose is to clean these areas thoroughly and ensure water reaches the relevant surfaces.

17. First side: wash while the body lies on its left

ثُمَّ يُضْجَعُ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الْأَيْسَرِ، فَيُغْسَلُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالسِّدْرِ، حَتَّى يُرَى أَنَّ الْمَاءَ قَدْ وَصَلَ إِلَى مَا يَلِي التَّخْتَ مِنْهُ
Translation: Lay the deceased on the left side and wash with water and sidr until it is apparent that water has reached the portion adjacent to the platform.

The body is on its left side, exposing more of the right side to water. The phrase ma yali al-takht refers to the areas touching the washing platform. Turning the body ensures those areas are washed too.

18. Which area is washed in the left-side position?

Lying on the left side means the right part of the body becomes accessible; it does not mean that only the left portion is washed. The objective is coverage of the entire body.

19. Second side: wash while the body lies on its right

ثُمَّ يُضْجَعُ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الْأَيْمَنِ، فَيُغْسَلُ بِالْمَاءِ حَتَّى يُرَى أَنَّ الْمَاءَ قَدْ وَصَلَ إِلَى مَا يَلِي التَّخْتَ مِنْهُ
Translation: Then lay the body on the right side and wash with water so that the portions previously touching the platform are also reached.

Turning to the right exposes the left side and other areas that could have remained against the platform. Both side-washes serve the same objective: reaching every part of the body.

20. The sequence and repetition of washing

The sequence comprises ablution, pouring water, and washing the two sides. Jurists describe three washes as the fuller Sunnah procedure; it should not be misrepresented as a condition for validity in every circumstance. The core concern is adequate washing of the entire body.

21. Supporting the body and gently pressing the abdomen

ثُمَّ يُجْلِسُهُ وَيُسْنِدُهُ إِلَيْهِ، وَيَمْسَحُ بَطْنَهُ مَسْحًا رَفِيقًا
Translation: Then seat and support the body, and gently pass the hand over its abdomen.

Yusniduhu ilayhi means physically supporting the body. Mas-han rafiqan expressly denotes gentle handling of the abdomen. The step concerns possible discharge during preparation, not forceful manipulation.

22. Discharge after washing

فَإِنْ خَرَجَ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ غَسَلَهُ، وَلَا يُعِيدُ غُسْلَهُ
Translation: If any matter is discharged from the body, wash it off, but do not repeat the entire washing.

Ghasalahu means cleaning the discharge and affected area. Wa la yu‘idu ghuslahu explicitly rules out repeating the entire funeral bath. Local cleaning and restarting the full bath are distinct.

23. Discharge: living-person rules are not simply repeated

If discharge occurs after completion, the soiled area is washed, but the funeral bath is not restarted. This should not be treated as identical to the rules governing a living person’s broken ablution.

24. Drying the body and preparing the shroud

ثُمَّ يُنَشِّفُهُ فِي ثَوْبٍ، وَيُدْرِجُ فِي أَكْفَانِهِ
Translation: Then dry the body with a cloth and wrap it in its shrouds.

Yunashshifuhu means drying the washed body. Akfan is the plural of shroud. This line marks the transition from washing to shrouding, the detailed rules of which form the next lesson.

25. Perfume and camphor: different applications

وَيَجْعَلُ الْحَنُوطَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ، وَالْكَافُورَ عَلَى مَسَاجِدِهِ
Translation: Apply hanut to the head and beard and camphor to the body parts used in prostration.

Hanut is a funeral fragrance; camphor is a specific aromatic material. Masajid here means the bodily parts placed on the ground during prostration, not physical mosque buildings.

26. Masajid of the body: a juristic term

The prostration report states:
أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَسْجُدَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَعْظُمٍ
Translation: I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones (body parts).

Masajiduhu here means the parts of the body used in prostration: forehead and nose area, hands, knees and feet. Camphor is applied to these sites during preparation.

27. Integrated outline of funeral washing

Before death: right-side positioning toward qiblah and prompting faith.

Immediately after death: close the eyes and secure the jaws.

Beginning the wash: place on the bier, cover the private area, remove clothing and perform ablution without mouth or nose rinsing.

Completing the wash: wash using water and cleansers, turn both sides, gently attend to the abdomen, and clean any discharge without repeating the bath.

Final stages: dry, shroud, perfume the head and beard, and place camphor on the prostration points.