❀ Prohibition of Breaking the Bones of a Deceased Person ❀
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Islam strictly prohibits dishonoring the body of a deceased person. One of the clearest indications of this is the prohibition of breaking a dead person’s bones, which is equated with breaking the bones of a living person in terms of sin and severity.
Narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Breaking the bone of a dead person is like breaking it while he was alive."
(كَسْرُ عَظْمِ الْمَيِّتِ كَكَسْرِهِ حَيًّا)
References:
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 2746 (Kitāb al-Janāʾiz: Bāb fī al-Ḥaffār Yajidu al-ʿAẓm)
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah: 1310
✔ Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 763
✔ Abū Dāwūd: 3207
✔ Ibn Mājah: 1616
✔ Musnad Aḥmad: 6/48
This hadith is ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) and clearly shows the sanctity of the deceased.
In another narration from Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها, the phrase "فِي الإثم" (“in sin”) is added, emphasizing the sinfulness.
However, this narration is weak:
✘ Ḍaʿīf Ibn Mājah: 356
✘ Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 3/215
✘ Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz: p. 296
✘ Ibn Mājah: 1617
✔ Ḥanābilah (Ḥanbalī scholars):
It is ḥarām (forbidden) to cut, burn, or damage any part of a deceased person’s body, even if the deceased had willed it.
Reference:
— Kashshāf al-Qināʿ: 2/127
— Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz, p. 296
✔ Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-Haythamī رحمه الله:
Declared this act a major sin (kabīrah).
Reference:
— Al-Zawājir: 1/134
✔ Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله:
Clearly stated that breaking the bones of a deceased is not permissible.
Reference:
— Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz: p. 295
Scholars have made allowances for:
◉ Post-mortem examinations (autopsies) for criminal investigations
◉ Surgical procedures on the deceased for medical study or treatment purposes
These are permitted under the principle of necessity and are not general allowances.
Breaking the bones of a deceased person is strictly prohibited in Islam and is equated with harming a living person.
This applies to all forms of physical abuse to the corpse — including cutting, burning, or mutilation.
The practice is considered a major sin by several leading scholars.
Exceptions exist only in cases of necessity, such as forensic investigation or medical benefit, and must be handled with care and respect.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❖ Introduction
Islam strictly prohibits dishonoring the body of a deceased person. One of the clearest indications of this is the prohibition of breaking a dead person’s bones, which is equated with breaking the bones of a living person in terms of sin and severity.
✿ Authentic Hadith on the Prohibition
Narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Breaking the bone of a dead person is like breaking it while he was alive."
(كَسْرُ عَظْمِ الْمَيِّتِ كَكَسْرِهِ حَيًّا)
References:
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 2746 (Kitāb al-Janāʾiz: Bāb fī al-Ḥaffār Yajidu al-ʿAẓm)
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah: 1310
✔ Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 763
✔ Abū Dāwūd: 3207
✔ Ibn Mājah: 1616
✔ Musnad Aḥmad: 6/48
This hadith is ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) and clearly shows the sanctity of the deceased.
✿ Additional Version (Weak)
In another narration from Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها, the phrase "فِي الإثم" (“in sin”) is added, emphasizing the sinfulness.
However, this narration is weak:
✘ Ḍaʿīf Ibn Mājah: 356
✘ Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 3/215
✘ Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz: p. 296
✘ Ibn Mājah: 1617
✿ Views of the Scholars
✔ Ḥanābilah (Ḥanbalī scholars):
It is ḥarām (forbidden) to cut, burn, or damage any part of a deceased person’s body, even if the deceased had willed it.
Reference:
— Kashshāf al-Qināʿ: 2/127
— Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz, p. 296
✔ Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-Haythamī رحمه الله:
Declared this act a major sin (kabīrah).
Reference:
— Al-Zawājir: 1/134
✔ Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله:
Clearly stated that breaking the bones of a deceased is not permissible.
Reference:
— Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz: p. 295
✿ Exceptions Allowed by Scholars
Scholars have made allowances for:
◉ Post-mortem examinations (autopsies) for criminal investigations
◉ Surgical procedures on the deceased for medical study or treatment purposes
These are permitted under the principle of necessity and are not general allowances.
❖ Conclusion
Breaking the bones of a deceased person is strictly prohibited in Islam and is equated with harming a living person. This applies to all forms of physical abuse to the corpse — including cutting, burning, or mutilation. The practice is considered a major sin by several leading scholars. Exceptions exist only in cases of necessity, such as forensic investigation or medical benefit, and must be handled with care and respect.وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
