Physical cleanliness is an important part in Islam. It is said to be the half of the Imaan. There is a procedure and certain steps need to be followed for Taharat in Islam depending upon the situation in the lives of a Muslim. Similarly, when a Muslim dies, there is a ritual and procedure to give a bath to the deceased person in the Islamic community. Giving a bath(Ghusl) according to the Islamic rites to the deceased person is the responsibility of the family members or other Muslim fellow being within the local community.
The washing method and procedure of the body is done in the same way for all Muslims irrespective of their social and financial status.
In this article, we will go through the detailed procedure How to give Ghusl to dead in Islam in preparation for its burial.
For washing and shrouding a deceased person, at least 3 to 4 people are required and the following points need to be followed by them.
The persons who may wash the deceased should :
- Be an adult Muslim, honest and trustworthy person
- Know the Islamic way of washing the deceased and be able to carry out the ghusl
- It is mandatory for those who performed the washing should make wudhu (ablution) first. (” Let whoever washes a dead person take a bath, and let whoever carries him perform Wudu.” (Ahmad and Abu Daud).)
- Be of the same gender as the deceased i.e if the deceased is male, then only males should give a bath.
- For a child, either males or females may do the ghusl.
Things required in order to give ghusl to the (deceased person) Mayyat.
Water that has been mixed with lote tree (Sidr) leaves(warm), soap, surgical gloves, disposable masks, a roll of cotton, towels, clean cloth, Kafan, perfume, and powdered camphor.
In case, if Sidr leaves and camphor, or one of them is unavailable, a person then needs to perform one tayammum on the Mayyah(Deceased person), and ordinary water must be used.
Following steps need to be performed and taken into consideration while giving ghusl to Mayyat.
- Maintaining the privacy of the deceased person is a mandatory and important requirement at all times during the ghusl.
- The body of the deceased should be placed on a table or alike, the deceased’s clothes should be removed, and the body should be covered with a sheet of cloth throughout the ghusl
- The Auwra(private parts) of the deceased should be covered with a sheet of cloth (The aura of a male is from the belly button to the knee in the presence of males, for the female is the same in the presence of females)
- The head and the upper body should be raised slightly to insure the washing water with exudations from the body flows down and does not run back to the body
- Remove any items or objects not already removed. These include watches, hospital or mortuary ID tags, wound dressings, IV lines, peg tubes, and artificial limbs. If there is any active bleeding or wound discharge then that may be padded and dressed
- The person who gives a bath should start washing by saying: “Bismillah” (In the name of ALLAH)
- The one who is giving a bath must wears gloves or winds a piece of cloth around his hand, and with this, he cleans away any impurities from the body using water. Then he should dispose of the gloves
- The washer should take another pair of gloves, press lightly the stomach of the deceased so as so to expel, if possible, any remnants from it, and then wash the body of all impurities using water. Then he should dispose of the gloves
- The one who is giving the bath should take another pair of gloves, and wash the covered private parts, then dispose of the gloves
- The washer should perform wudhu (ablution) for the deceased without inserting the water in the nose and in the mouth. May use a piece of wet cotton wool in a small roll to clean the nose and front teeth
- The washer should clean the body with water and soap (if available), starting from the head (hair, face, and beard in men), then the upper right side of the body then the left side, after that the lower right side then the lower left
- In the case of a female, her hair should be loosened, washed, combed, and be braided in three braids, and placed behind her back
- The washing should be done three times, or five times, or seven times, as needed, providing that after washing the head, wash the right side before the left, and the upper parts before the lower ones
- In the last wash, the washer may use camphor or some perfume with the water
- After that the body should be dried with clean
- Then the body should be covered with a clean sheet. The auwra must be kept covered at all times.
- Get ready to start the shrouding
Also Read: How to Perform Ghusl (Purification Bath) in Islam
Important notes :
- In case the deceased is a female in her menstrual period or has childbirth bleeding, padding should be used to prevent blood from leaving the body.
- It is unlawful to look at the private parts of the corpse. if the person giving a bath does so, he will be sinful however ghusl does not become invalid.
- A miscarried child of 4 months or more must be given a ghusl. Also, based on obligatory precaution, even a miscarried child of less than 4 months whose body formation is complete must be given a ghusl. If the child is less than 4 months, one must wrap the child in cloth and bury it without giving it ghusl.
- It is recommended that those who performed the washing should take a bath after performing the ghusl.
- There is no Islamic teaching of reading the Quran or of making any special dhikr during the ghusl.
Download the Free PDF “Method Of Giving Ritual Bath To Deceased (Hanafi)” here