Washing of Persons of opposite Gender

تُغَسِّلُهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أَوْ ذَاتُ قَرَابَةٍ إِنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ وَ تَصُبُّ النِّسَاءُ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ صَبّاً وَ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا مَاتَتْ يُدْخِلُ زَوْجُهَا يَدَهُ تَحْتَ قَمِيصِهَا فَيُغَسِّلُهَا.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about a man who dies and there is no one to give him Ghusl (bath) except women. He (the Imam) said that his wife or a relative woman could give him Ghusl (bath). Women just pour water on him. In the case of a woman, her husband gives her Ghusl (bath) by reaching with his hand under her

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ أَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ حِينَ تَمُوتُ أَوْ يُغَسِّلَهَا إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ‌[1] عِنْدَهَا مَنْ يُغَسِّلُهَا وَ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ هَلْ تَنْظُرُ إِلَى مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ زَوْجِهَا حِينَ يَمُوتُ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ أَهْلُ الْمَرْأَةِ كَرَاهَةَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ زَوْجُهَا إِلَى شَيْ‌ءٍ يَكْرَهُونَهُ مِنْهَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man if he can look at his wife when she is dying or give her Ghusl (bath) if there is no one for her Ghusl (bath) and if a woman can look at her husband in such a condition. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful. Only relatives of the woman may not like her husband to look

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُغَسِّلُ امْرَأَتَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الثَّوْبِ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man if he can give Ghusl (bath) to his dead wife from behind a cloth. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so from behind a cloth.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَمُوتُ وَ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ مَنْ يُغَسِّلُهُ إِلَّا النِّسَاءُ هَلْ تُغَسِّلُهُ النِّسَاءُ فَقَالَ تُغَسِّلُهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أَوْ ذَاتُ مَحْرَمِهِ وَ تَصُبُّ عَلَيْهِ النِّسَاءُ الْمَاءَ صَبّاً مِنْ فَوْقِ الثِّيَابِ‌[2].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who dies and there is no one to give him Ghusl (bath) except women. He (the Imam) said, ‘His wife can give him Ghusl (bath) or a woman of his relatives and other woman can just pour water from behind the cloth.’”

سَمِعْتُ صَاحِباً لَنَا يَسْأَلُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَمُوتُ مَعَ رِجَالٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِمْ ذُو مَحْرَمٍ- هَلْ يُغَسِّلُونَهَا وَ عَلَيْهَا ثِيَابُهَا قَالَ إِذاً يُدْخَلَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ‌[1] وَ لَكِنْ يَغْسِلُونَ كَفَّيْهَا.

“I once heard a friend of ours ask abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a woman who dies among men and none of them is of her relatives in that case can they give her Ghusl (bath) with her clothes on her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Thereby that feeling is apt to get in them, instead they must only wash her both palms (hands).”’

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[2] عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا مَاتَتْ فَقَالَ يُدْخِلُ زَوْجُهَا يَدَهُ تَحْتَ قَمِيصِهَا إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ‌[3].

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a woman who dies. He (the Imam) said, ‘Her husband can reach out with his hand under her shirt up to the elbows.’”

يُدْفَنُ وَ لَا يُغَسَّلُ وَ قَالَ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ تَكُونُ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ بِتِلْكَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَهَا زَوْجُهَا فَإِنْ كَانَ مَعَهَا زَوْجُهَا فَلْيُغَسِّلْهَا مِنْ فَوْقِ الدِّرْعِ وَ يَسْكُبُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ سَكْباً وَ لْتُغَسِّلْهُ امْرَأَتُهُ إِذَا مَاتَ وَ الْمَرْأَةُ لَيْسَتْ مِثْلَ الرَّجُلِ الْمَرْأَةُ أَسْوَأُ مَنْظَراً حِينَ تَمُوتُ.

“About a man who dies on a journey or a strage land and there is no one other than women with him, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He is buried without Ghusl (bath).’ He (the Imam) said that the same rule applies to woman in such condition unless her husband is among them, in which case he gives her Ghusl (bath) from

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَخْرُجُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَ مَعَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ يُغَسِّلُهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ أُمَّهُ وَ أُخْتَهُ وَ نَحْوَ هَذَا يُلْقِي عَلَى عَوْرَتِهَا خِرْقَةً.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who goes on a journey with his wife (and she dies), can he give her Ghusl (bath)? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so and so also is the case of his mother and sister. Such person’s private parts are covered with a piece of cloth.’”

سَمِعْتُ صَاحِباً لَنَا يَسْأَلُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَمُوتُ مَعَ رِجَالٍ لَيْسَ مَعَهُمْ ذُو مَحْرَمٍ هَلْ يُغَسِّلُونَهَا وَ عَلَيْهَا ثِيَابُهَا فَقَالَ إِذاً يُدْخَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ‌[4] وَ لَكِنْ يَغْسِلُونَ كَفَّيْهَا.

“I once heard a friend of us ask abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a woman who dies among men and none of them is of her relatives if they can give her Ghusl (bath) with her clothes on her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Thereby that feeling is apt to get in them, instead they must only wash her both palms (hands).”’

يُدْخِلُ زَوْجُهَا يَدَهُ تَحْتَ قَمِيصِهَا فَيُغَسِّلُهَا إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ.

“About the case of a woman who dies and there is no other woman to give her Ghusl (bath), abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Her husband can reach out with his hand up to his elbow under her shirt to give her Ghusl (bath).”’

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[1] عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُغَسِّلُ امْرَأَتَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّمَا يَمْنَعُهَا أَهْلُهَا تَعَصُّباً.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a woman who dies, if her husband can give her Ghusl (bath). He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, but her relatives may hinder due to intolerance.’”

تُغَسِّلُهُ عَمَّتُهُ وَ خَالَتُهُ فِي قَمِيصِهِ وَ لَا تَقْرَبُهُ النَّصَارَى وَ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَمُوتُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَ لَيْسَ مَعَهَا امْرَأَةٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ وَ مَعَهَا نِسَاءٌ نَصَارَى وَ عَمُّهَا وَ خَالُهَا مُسْلِمَانِ قَالَ يُغَسِّلَانِهَا وَ لَا تَقْرَبُهَا النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ كَمَا كَانَتِ الْمُسْلِمَةُ تُغَسِّلُهَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهَا دِرْعٌ فَيُصَبُّ الْمَاءُ مِنْ فَوْقِ الدِّرْعِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ م

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about a Muslim man who dies on a journey and there is no other Muslim man with him but there are Christian men with him and his paternal and maternal aunts who are Muslimah how to be given Ghusl (bath) is give to him. He (the Imam) said, ‘His aunts must give him Ghusl (bath) from behin

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَنْ غَسَّلَ فَاطِمَةَ ع قَالَ ذَاكَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع كَأَنَّكَ اسْتَفْظَعْتَ ذَلِكَ‌[2] مِنْ قَوْلِهِ فَقَالَ لِي كَأَنَّكَ ضِقْتَ مِمَّا أَخْبَرْتُكَ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ لِي لَا تَضِيقَنَّ فَإِنَّهَا صِدِّيقَةٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُغَسِّلُهَا إِلَّا صِدِّيقٌ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ مَرْيَمَ ع لَمْ يُغَسِّلْهَا إِلَّا عِيسَى ع قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَم

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Who gave Ghusl (bath) to Fatimah, ‘Alayha al- Salam ? He (the Imam) said, ‘That was ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). It seems as if you find it astonishing to hear such words.’ He (the Imam) said to me, ‘It seems you are strained because of what I told you.’ I said, ‘I pray to Allah to ke