Washing of the Deceased

وَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ اَلْحَسَنِ اَلصَّفَّارُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: كَمْ حَدُّ اَلْمَاءِ اَلَّذِي يُغْسَلُ بِهِ اَلْمَيِّتُ كَمَا رَوَوْا أَنَّ اَلْجُنُبَ يَغْتَسِلُ بِسِتَّةِ أَرْطَالٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَ اَلْحَائِضَ بِتِسْعَةِ أَرْطَالٍ فَهَلْ لِلْمَيِّتِ حَدٌّ مِنَ اَلْمَاءِ اَلَّذِي يُغْسَلْ بِهِ فَوَقَّعَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ «حَدُّ غُسْلِ اَلْمَيِّتِ يُغْسَلُ حَتَّى يَ

Hadith.393 - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar wrote to Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (as) asking: "What is the prescribed amount of water for washing the deceased, as it has been narrated that the junub (one in a state of major ritual impurity) bathes with six ratls of water and the menstruating woman with nine ratls of

لَا يُسْخَنُ الْمَاءُ لِلْمَيِّتِ

وَ رُوِيَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ شِتَاءً بَارِداً فَتُوَقِّيَ الْمَيِّتَ مِمَّا تُوَقِّي مِنْهُ نَفْسَكَ.

Hadith.395 - It is also narrated in another hadith: "Except if it is a cold winter, in which case, you should protect the deceased as you would protect yourself."

لَا تَدَعَنَّ مَيِّتَكَ وَحْدَهُ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَعْبَثُ بِهِ فِي جَوْفِهِ[3]

لَا بَأْسَ وَ إِنْ سُتِرَ بِسِتْرٍ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ.

Hadith.397 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about washing the deceased in an open space. Imam (as) replied: "There is no issue with it, but if they are covered with a curtain (for privacy), that is more beloved to me."

لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ أَهْلُ الْمَرْأَةِ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ زَوْجُهَا إِلَى شَيْ‌ءٍ يَكْرَهُونَهُ مِنْهَا[4].

Hadith.398 - Abdullah ibn Sinan asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about whether it is permissible for a man to look at his wife when She dies or to wash her if there is no one else to wash her, and likewise, if a woman can do the same for her husband when he dies. Imam (as) replied: "There is no issue with th

غَسَلَهَا أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع لِأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ صِدِّيقَةً لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَغْسِلَهَا إِلَّا صِدِّيقٌ.

Hadith.399 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about about who performed the washing (Ghusl) of (the body of) Sayyida Fatimah Al-Zahra {S.A}?" Imam (as) said: "The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) performed her washing because She was a ‘Al-Siddiqah’ (the most truthful and righteous o