Reason behind Washing a Dead Body for Burial and After Sexual Activities

دَخَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْمَاصِرُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقَالَ- أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْمَيِّتِ لِمَ يُغَسَّلُ غُسْلَ الْجَنَابَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع لَا أُخْبِرُكَ فَخَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَلَقِيَ بَعْضَ الشِّيعَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَجَبُ لَكُمْ يَا مَعْشَرَ الشِّيعَةِ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ وَ أَطَعْتُمُوهُ وَ لَوْ دَعَاكُمْ إِلَى عِبَادَتِهِ لَأَجَبْتُمُوهُ وَ قَدْ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مَسْأَلَ

1. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah has narrated from Ibrahim ibn ‘Ishaq from Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Daylamiy from his father who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once ‘Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Masir visited abu Ja’far (a.s.), and said, ‘Tell me why a dead body is given Ghusl (bath) because o

سُئِلَ مَا بَالُ الْمَيِّتِ‌[2] يُمْنِي قَالَ النُّطْفَةُ الَّتِي خُلِقَ مِنْهَا يَرْمِي بِهَا.

‘It is the seed from which he is created that he throws out.’”

قَالَ: إِنَّ الْمَخْلُوقَ لَا يَمُوتُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ مِنْهُ النُّطْفَةُ الَّتِي خُلِقَ مِنْهَا مِنْ فِيهِ أَوْ مِنْ عَيْنِهِ‌[3].

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), has said that a creature does not die until the seed from which it is created comes out through his mouth or his eye.”