Bathing the Deceased Person (mayyit)

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By Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

A mayyit must be bathes before the janazah (funeral) prayer. The exception to this being a shaheed (martyr), who should not be bather, but buried as he is.

Ghusl (bathing) should be performed by persons of the same gender. If persons of the same gender are not available, then ghusl cannot be done; only Tayammum (symbolic ablution) should be performed. A very young child can be bathed by either a male or a female.

However, there is no objection, according to hadith, to spouses performing ghusl on one another. The prophet (upon whom be Allah’s blessings and peace) told A’ishah,“If you were to die, I would bathe you and shroud you.” (Ibn Majah, Ahmad and others.)

It should also be remembered that it was Ali who bathes his wife Fatimah when she died. (Reported by al-Bayhaqi, al- Daraqutni, etc).

More than one person is needed to perform ghusl. A person familiar with the procedures of ghusl and two helpers should be sufficient.

The absolute minimum requirement (of ghusl) is to bathe the whole body at least once. The complete form of ghusl is as follows:

1. The body should be placed on a high stand or table.
2. Those bathing the mayyit should wear gloves.
3. Cover the body from navel to knee; the ‘awrah (private parts) should never be exposed.
4. Plug the wounds with cotton and band-aid, if the body is bleeding.
5. Press the stomach gently so that the excrements can pass out from the body.
6. Wash the private parts without lifting the cloth cover.
7. Give the mayyit a Wudhu (ablution). Do not rinse the mouth with water but clean the teeth and lips with a wet cotton ball if possible.
8. Before pouring water on the body, plug the ear and nose cavities, and mouth if open with cotton balls so that water does not get inside.
9. Wash the whole body from top to bottom, beginning with the right side. Repeat this procedure three or five times, once with soap. The final wash, should preferably be done with a mixture of water and camphor or rose water.
10. Wipe the body dry with clean towel.
11. Apply some scent to the body.
12. Comb the hair gently, sideway for males, and in the case of females, the hair should be combed backwards in three parts.

Ghusl should be performed by close relatives, who are God-fearing or pious. Nothing that would discredit the mayyit can be revealed, as anything undesirable seen during the course of ghusl must be treated as a trust between the person performing ghusl and Allah.

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