Author: Ibn al-Hasan Muhammadi
According to Islamic jurisprudence, it is not obligatory for the person who washes the deceased to take a bath, although it is recommended and preferable. Similarly, it is not obligatory for the person carrying the deceased's stretcher to perform ablution, though it is recommended. The understanding of the Salaf (the pious predecessors) supports this view. As Hafiz Khattabi (388 AH) states:
"I am not aware of any jurist who considers bathing obligatory after washing the deceased or performing ablution after carrying them. It seems that the command in this regard is based on recommendation."
[Ma'alim al-Sunan: 3/305]
This means that all the narrations on this issue have been understood by the Salaf (the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Imams of the religion) as being recommendations rather than obligations.
Let's examine these narrations and the understanding of the Salaf concerning them:
Narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution." [Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 933, declared Hasan; Sunan Ibn Majah: 1463; al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 10/301; authenticated by Ibn Hibban: 1161, and its chain is Hasan]
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Musnad Ahmad: 2/433, 454; Musnad al-Tayalisi: 2/305; al-Ja'diyyat by Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi: 2/986, 987, and its chain is Hasan]
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/302, and its chain is Hasan]
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would take a bath, and some would not." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
"If something from the deceased gets on the person washing them, he should take a bath; otherwise, he should perform ablution." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Hasan]
Narration from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما):
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/305, and its chain is Sahih]
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would perform ablution, and some would take a bath. Then they would return, and we would shroud the deceased, apply fragrance, and offer the funeral prayer. We did not repeat the ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306-307, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
When asked whether bathing is obligatory after washing the deceased, she replied: "No, it is not."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/268, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Aisha bint Sa'd:
"Said (رضي الله عنه) was informed of the funeral of Sa'id ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) while he was in Baqi'. He came, washed him, shrouded him, and applied fragrance. Then he went to his house, offered the funeral prayer, and then called for water, took a bath, and said: 'I did not take a bath because of washing him. If he had been impure, I would not have washed him. I took a bath because of the heat.'"
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Khuzai bin Ziyad:
"Abdullah bin Mughaffal (رضي الله عنه) had instructed that Ibn Ziyad should not be present and that his companions should be with him. A message was sent to A'id bin Amr, Abu Barzah, and others of his companions. They came, simply rolled up their sleeves, and tucked the extra cloth of their shirts into their belts. After completing the washing, they only performed ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration about Abu Qilabah (رحمه الله):
"Whenever he washed the deceased, he would take a bath." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269, and its chain is Sahih]
Author: Ibn al-Hasan Muhammadi
According to Islamic jurisprudence, it is not obligatory for the person who washes the deceased to take a bath, although it is recommended and preferable. Similarly, it is not obligatory for the person carrying the deceased's stretcher to perform ablution, though it is recommended. The understanding of the Salaf (the pious predecessors) supports this view. As Hafiz Khattabi (388 AH) states:
"I am not aware of any jurist who considers bathing obligatory after washing the deceased or performing ablution after carrying them. It seems that the command in this regard is based on recommendation."[Ma'alim al-Sunan: 3/305]
This means that all the narrations on this issue have been understood by the Salaf (the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Imams of the religion) as being recommendations rather than obligations.
Let's examine these narrations and the understanding of the Salaf concerning them:
Narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution."[Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 933, declared Hasan; Sunan Ibn Majah: 1463; al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 10/301; authenticated by Ibn Hibban: 1161, and its chain is Hasan]
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Musnad Ahmad: 2/433, 454; Musnad al-Tayalisi: 2/305; al-Ja'diyyat by Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi: 2/986, 987, and its chain is Hasan]
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/302, and its chain is Hasan]
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would take a bath, and some would not."[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
"If something from the deceased gets on the person washing them, he should take a bath; otherwise, he should perform ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Hasan]
Narration from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما):
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath."[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/305, and its chain is Sahih]
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would perform ablution, and some would take a bath. Then they would return, and we would shroud the deceased, apply fragrance, and offer the funeral prayer. We did not repeat the ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306-307, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
When asked whether bathing is obligatory after washing the deceased, she replied: "No, it is not."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/268, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Aisha bint Sa'd:
"Said (رضي الله عنه) was informed of the funeral of Sa'id ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) while he was in Baqi'. He came, washed him, shrouded him, and applied fragrance. Then he went to his house, offered the funeral prayer, and then called for water, took a bath, and said: 'I did not take a bath because of washing him. If he had been impure, I would not have washed him. I took a bath because of the heat.'"
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Khuzai bin Ziyad:
"Abdullah bin Mughaffal (رضي الله عنه) had instructed that Ibn Ziyad should not be present and that his companions should be with him. A message was sent to A'id bin Amr, Abu Barzah, and others of his companions. They came, simply rolled up their sleeves, and tucked the extra cloth of their shirts into their belts. After completing the washing, they only performed ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration about Abu Qilabah (رحمه الله):
"Whenever he washed the deceased, he would take a bath."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269, and its chain is Sahih]
According to Islamic jurisprudence, it is not obligatory for the person who washes the deceased to take a bath, although it is recommended and preferable. Similarly, it is not obligatory for the person carrying the deceased's stretcher to perform ablution, though it is recommended. The understanding of the Salaf (the pious predecessors) supports this view. As Hafiz Khattabi (388 AH) states:
"I am not aware of any jurist who considers bathing obligatory after washing the deceased or performing ablution after carrying them. It seems that the command in this regard is based on recommendation."
[Ma'alim al-Sunan: 3/305]
This means that all the narrations on this issue have been understood by the Salaf (the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Imams of the religion) as being recommendations rather than obligations.
Let's examine these narrations and the understanding of the Salaf concerning them:
Narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution." [Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 933, declared Hasan; Sunan Ibn Majah: 1463; al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 10/301; authenticated by Ibn Hibban: 1161, and its chain is Hasan]
- Regarding the narrator Suhayl ibn Abi Salih, Hafiz Mundhiri (656 AH) writes: "The majority of scholars have declared him trustworthy." [Al-Targhib wal-Tarhib: 3/110]
- Hafiz al-Dhahabi also considered him trustworthy and said: "Many people have declared him trustworthy." [Al-Kashif fi Ma'rifat Man Lahu Riwaya fi al-Kutub al-Sittah: 2/327]
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Musnad Ahmad: 2/433, 454; Musnad al-Tayalisi: 2/305; al-Ja'diyyat by Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi: 2/986, 987, and its chain is Hasan]
- In Musnad al-Tayalisi and other sources, the following words are also found: "Whoever carries the bier should perform ablution."
- Salih Mawla al-Tu'amah, i.e., Salih ibn Nibhan al-Madani, is considered trustworthy by the majority of scholars. The criticism against him is understood to apply to the period after he began to suffer from memory loss.
- Imam Ali ibn al-Madini [Sualat Muhammad ibn Uthman, p. 86-87], Imam Yahya ibn Ma'in [Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi: 4/56, with a Hasan chain], Hafiz Jawzajani [Al-Shajara fi Ahwal al-Rijal, p. 144], and Imam Ibn Adi (رحمهم الله) [Al-Kamil: 4/58] assert that Ibn Abi Dhi'b heard from Salih Mawla al-Tu'amah before his memory loss.
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 AH) writes: "It is agreed that if a trustworthy narrator distinguishes between what was narrated before and after his memory loss, the narrations from before are accepted." [Nataij al-Afkar: 2/268]
- Regarding the above Hadith, Hafiz Ibn Hajar summarized: "In general, due to its numerous chains, at worst, it is considered Hasan." [Al-Talkhis al-Habir fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Rafi'i al-Kabir: 1/137, Hadith: 182]
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/302, and its chain is Hasan]
- The following additional words are found in al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: "Whoever walks with the funeral should not sit until it is buried."
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would take a bath, and some would not." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar declared the chain of this narration to be "Sahih." [Al-Talkhis al-Habir: 1/137]
"If something from the deceased gets on the person washing them, he should take a bath; otherwise, he should perform ablution." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Hasan]
Narration from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما):
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/305, and its chain is Sahih]
- Consider also the following statement by Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما): "There is no obligation for you to take a bath after washing your deceased, as your deceased is a believer and pure, not impure. It suffices that you wash your hands." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Hasan]
- He also said: "Do not consider your deceased impure, meaning there is no obligation to take a bath." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/267, and its chain is Sahih]
- When asked whether bathing is obligatory after washing the deceased, he replied: "Do you consider your deceased impure? Performing ablution is sufficient." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/305, and its chain is Sahih]
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would perform ablution, and some would take a bath. Then they would return, and we would shroud the deceased, apply fragrance, and offer the funeral prayer. We did not repeat the ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306-307, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
When asked whether bathing is obligatory after washing the deceased, she replied: "No, it is not."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/268, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Aisha bint Sa'd:
"Said (رضي الله عنه) was informed of the funeral of Sa'id ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) while he was in Baqi'. He came, washed him, shrouded him, and applied fragrance. Then he went to his house, offered the funeral prayer, and then called for water, took a bath, and said: 'I did not take a bath because of washing him. If he had been impure, I would not have washed him. I took a bath because of the heat.'"
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Khuzai bin Ziyad:
"Abdullah bin Mughaffal (رضي الله عنه) had instructed that Ibn Ziyad should not be present and that his companions should be with him. A message was sent to A'id bin Amr, Abu Barzah, and others of his companions. They came, simply rolled up their sleeves, and tucked the extra cloth of their shirts into their belts. After completing the washing, they only performed ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration about Abu Qilabah (رحمه الله):
"Whenever he washed the deceased, he would take a bath." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269, and its chain is Sahih]
Author: Ibn al-Hasan Muhammadi
According to Islamic jurisprudence, it is not obligatory for the person who washes the deceased to take a bath, although it is recommended and preferable. Similarly, it is not obligatory for the person carrying the deceased's stretcher to perform ablution, though it is recommended. The understanding of the Salaf (the pious predecessors) supports this view. As Hafiz Khattabi (388 AH) states:
"I am not aware of any jurist who considers bathing obligatory after washing the deceased or performing ablution after carrying them. It seems that the command in this regard is based on recommendation."[Ma'alim al-Sunan: 3/305]
This means that all the narrations on this issue have been understood by the Salaf (the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Imams of the religion) as being recommendations rather than obligations.
Let's examine these narrations and the understanding of the Salaf concerning them:
Narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution."[Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 933, declared Hasan; Sunan Ibn Majah: 1463; al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 10/301; authenticated by Ibn Hibban: 1161, and its chain is Hasan]
- Regarding the narrator Suhayl ibn Abi Salih, Hafiz Mundhiri (656 AH) writes:"The majority of scholars have declared him trustworthy."[Al-Targhib wal-Tarhib: 3/110]
- Hafiz al-Dhahabi also considered him trustworthy and said:"Many people have declared him trustworthy."[Al-Kashif fi Ma'rifat Man Lahu Riwaya fi al-Kutub al-Sittah: 2/327]
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Musnad Ahmad: 2/433, 454; Musnad al-Tayalisi: 2/305; al-Ja'diyyat by Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi: 2/986, 987, and its chain is Hasan]
- In Musnad al-Tayalisi and other sources, the following words are also found:"Whoever carries the bier should perform ablution."
- Salih Mawla al-Tu'amah, i.e., Salih ibn Nibhan al-Madani, is considered trustworthy by the majority of scholars. The criticism against him is understood to apply to the period after he began to suffer from memory loss.
- Imam Ali ibn al-Madini [Sualat Muhammad ibn Uthman, p. 86-87], Imam Yahya ibn Ma'in [Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi: 4/56, with a Hasan chain], Hafiz Jawzajani [Al-Shajara fi Ahwal al-Rijal, p. 144], and Imam Ibn Adi (رحمهم الله) [Al-Kamil: 4/58] assert that Ibn Abi Dhi'b heard from Salih Mawla al-Tu'amah before his memory loss.
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773-852 AH) writes:"It is agreed that if a trustworthy narrator distinguishes between what was narrated before and after his memory loss, the narrations from before are accepted."[Nataij al-Afkar: 2/268]
- Regarding the above Hadith, Hafiz Ibn Hajar summarized:"In general, due to its numerous chains, at worst, it is considered Hasan."[Al-Talkhis al-Habir fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Rafi'i al-Kabir: 1/137, Hadith: 182]
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath, and whoever carries them should perform ablution."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/302, and its chain is Hasan]
- The following additional words are found in al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi:"Whoever walks with the funeral should not sit until it is buried."
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would take a bath, and some would not."[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar declared the chain of this narration to be "Sahih."[Al-Talkhis al-Habir: 1/137]
"If something from the deceased gets on the person washing them, he should take a bath; otherwise, he should perform ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Hasan]
Narration from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما):
"Whoever washes the deceased should take a bath."[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/305, and its chain is Sahih]
- Consider also the following statement by Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما):"There is no obligation for you to take a bath after washing your deceased, as your deceased is a believer and pure, not impure. It suffices that you wash your hands."[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Hasan]
- He also said:"Do not consider your deceased impure, meaning there is no obligation to take a bath."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/267, and its chain is Sahih]
- When asked whether bathing is obligatory after washing the deceased, he replied:"Do you consider your deceased impure? Performing ablution is sufficient."[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/305, and its chain is Sahih]
"We used to wash the deceased. Some of us would perform ablution, and some would take a bath. Then they would return, and we would shroud the deceased, apply fragrance, and offer the funeral prayer. We did not repeat the ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306-307, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
When asked whether bathing is obligatory after washing the deceased, she replied: "No, it is not."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/268, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Aisha bint Sa'd:
"Said (رضي الله عنه) was informed of the funeral of Sa'id ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) while he was in Baqi'. He came, washed him, shrouded him, and applied fragrance. Then he went to his house, offered the funeral prayer, and then called for water, took a bath, and said: 'I did not take a bath because of washing him. If he had been impure, I would not have washed him. I took a bath because of the heat.'"
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration from Khuzai bin Ziyad:
"Abdullah bin Mughaffal (رضي الله عنه) had instructed that Ibn Ziyad should not be present and that his companions should be with him. A message was sent to A'id bin Amr, Abu Barzah, and others of his companions. They came, simply rolled up their sleeves, and tucked the extra cloth of their shirts into their belts. After completing the washing, they only performed ablution."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/306, and its chain is Sahih]
Narration about Abu Qilabah (رحمه الله):
"Whenever he washed the deceased, he would take a bath."[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/269, and its chain is Sahih]