Washing the dead (ghusl): who may wash whom, and special cases
Who is allowed to wash whose body, and what to do for a martyr, a newborn, a drowned person, a decayed body, or when water or a same-sex washer is not available.
There are a few special situations where the usual way of washing a body changes a little. Here are the important ones.
Who is allowed to wash whom
- A man washes a man, and a woman washes a woman. A woman cannot wash a man's body, and a man cannot wash a woman's body, even if they are close relatives who could normally see each other, like a brother and sister.
- A wife is allowed to wash her husband's body. A husband is not allowed to wash his wife's body.
- A boy or girl who has not yet reached the age where they would start covering up (puberty) can be washed by either a man or a woman.
- If a woman dies somewhere with no other women around, or a man dies somewhere with no other men around, dry ablution (tayammum) is given instead of a full ghusl.
If a baby dies right after being born alive, giving them a ghusl is obligatory.
If a baby is stillborn, it is better to give them a ghusl too, even though it is not the same as for a baby born alive.
A martyr, someone killed while fighting for the sake of Allah, is not given a ghusl at all, and the blood is not washed off. They are buried just as they were.
A few more special cases
- If a body has decayed a lot, simply pouring water over it is enough.
- If only part of a body is found, a ghusl is given if it is more than half the body, or the half that includes the head. Otherwise, no ghusl is needed.
- If someone drowned, they are given a ghusl. If the water was murky and moving the body in the water three times is all that is possible, that is enough.
- If there is no water at all, tayammum is done instead, and the body is buried. If water becomes available before the burial, the ghusl should then be given.
A number of special situations affect how, or whether, ghusl is given.
If a child dies immediately after being born alive, giving them a ghusl is obligatory.
If the child is stillborn, whether or not the limbs are fully formed, it is better (mustaḥabb) to give them a ghusl as well.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| The general rule | The washer must be someone permitted to see the deceased unclothed. A woman may not wash a man, nor a man a woman, even if they are mahram (a relationship within which marriage is forbidden, such as siblings). |
| A wife and her husband | A wife may give her husband ghusl, provided the marriage was still valid at the time of death. A husband may not give his wife ghusl. |
| A minor boy or girl | Either a man or a woman may wash a boy or girl who has not yet reached, or is not close to, puberty. |
| No washer of the same sex is available | Tayammum is given in place of ghusl. If the deceased is not a mahram or spouse of those present, they must wrap a cloth around their hands first; this is not necessary if the deceased is a mahram or spouse. |
| Case | What is done |
|---|---|
| A badly decayed body | Pouring water over it is sufficient. |
| Only part of the body is found | Ghusl is given if more than half the body, or the half including the head, is present. Otherwise, no ghusl is required. |
| Death by drowning | Ghusl is given. If the water is murky, moving the body within the water three times, with the intention of washing, is sufficient. |
| No water is available | Tayammum is performed and the body is buried. If water becomes available before burial, the ghusl should then be given. |
| Already buried without ghusl | If no soil has yet been added, the body is removed, given ghusl, and reburied. If soil has already been placed, it is not removed. |
If a person who themselves requires ghusl, or a non-Muslim, gives the ghusl to the deceased, the washing is valid, but it is disliked (makruh).
Taking payment for giving the ghusl is not permissible for one person doing it alone. Where several people share the washing between them, taking payment is permitted.
The main account (rulings-of-funeral/note#p2) and the Supplement's parallel list (the-supplement/note#p2) agree on every substantive point below except one, noted separately.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| The general principle | The washer must be someone lawfully permitted to see the deceased's body. A woman may not wash a man, nor a man a woman, even where they are mahram to one another. |
| A wife and her husband | A wife may perform ghusl for her husband, provided the marriage was still valid (i.e. not dissolved) at the time of death. A husband may not perform ghusl for his wife. |
| A minor boy or girl | Either sex may wash a boy or girl who has not reached, and is not close to, puberty. |
| No same-sex washer present | Tayammum is given in place of ghusl. A cloth must be wrapped around the hands first if the deceased is not a maḥram or spouse of those present; this is unnecessary where they are. |
If a child dies immediately after being born alive, ghusl for them is obligatory (wājib al-ightisāl per the wording used, rendered here as farḍ, matching the level word used elsewhere in this manual for an obligatory act).
For a stillborn child, whether or not the limbs have fully formed, it is preferable (mustaḥabb) to give ghusl as well, though it is not obligatory as it is for one born alive.
| Case | What is done |
|---|---|
| A badly decayed body | Pouring water over it is sufficient. |
| Only part of the body is found | Ghusl is given if more than half the body, or the half including the head, is present; otherwise it is not required. |
| Death by drowning | Ghusl is given. Where the water is murky, moving the body within the water three times with the intention of washing is sufficient. |
| No water available | Tayammum is performed and burial proceeds; if water becomes available before burial, the ghusl is then given. |
| Already buried without ghusl | Before soil is added: the body is exhumed, washed, and reburied. After soil has been added: it is not disturbed. |
Ghusl performed by someone in a state requiring ghusl themselves (junub), or by a non-Muslim, is valid but makrūh.
Taking payment is not permissible where one person alone performs the washing; it is permitted where several people share the task between them.
On the martyr (shahīd): the main account states without qualification that a martyr is not given ghusl and the blood on the body is not washed off; burial is in the condition of death. The Supplement's parallel item adds a qualification, worded as follows: "Martyrs should not be washed unless they died in a state of impurity, such as after menstruation, or if they were young, mentally ill, or menstruating women. If proven to be menstrual blood, martyrs should be washed after three days and nights of menstruation."
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 805 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Funeral (Note)
- The person who gives the ghusl (ritual washing) should be someone who is allowed to see the deceased. Therefore, a woman cannot give a ghusl to a man, nor can a man give a ghusl to a woman, even if they are mahram (close relatives). However, a married woman can give her husband a ghusl, provided their marriage is still valid at the time. A husband, however, cannot give his wife a ghusl.
- If a woman dies in a place where there are no other women except for men, or if a man dies in a place where there are no men except for women, in such a case, the deceased should be given tayammum (dry ablution) instead of a ghusl. If it is a non-mahram, they will need to wrap a cloth around their hands. However, if the person is a mahram or spouse, this is not necessary.
- Both a man and a woman can give the ghusl to a minor boy or girl, provided they are not approaching puberty.
- If a child dies immediately after birth, giving them a ghusl is obligatory. If the child is stillborn (whether their limbs are formed or not), it is better to give them a ghusl as well.
- For a decayed body, pouring water over it is sufficient.
- If parts of a body, including more than half or the half with the head, are found, a ghusl should be given; otherwise, it is not necessary.
- If a person has drowned in water, they should be given a ghusl. However, if the water was murky, and when the body is removed, if the ghusl is intended by moving the body in the water three times, it is sufficient.
- If a body is placed in the grave without a ghusl, but no soil has been added yet, it is essential to remove the body from the grave and give it a ghusl. If soil has already been placed, it should not be removed.
- If there is no water available for ghusl, tayammum should be done, and the body should be buried. If water becomes available before burial, the ghusl should then be given.
- If an impure person (who requires ghusl) or a non-Muslim gives a ghusl to the deceased, it will be valid, but it will be disliked (makruh).
- A martyr does not need a ghusl, nor should the blood be washed off their body; they should be buried in the same condition.
- The water used to wash the body of the deceased is impure (najis).
- Taking payment for giving the ghusl is not permissible, except if several people are involved in washing the body, in which case it is allowed.
- The deceased should be dressed in the shroud after the ghusl and the completion of the ablution.
The Supplement Note
- The person bathing the deceased should be someone who can lawfully see the body, meaning men should not bathe women and vice versa, even if they are family. A wife may bathe her husband, but a husband cannot bathe his wife.
- If a woman passes away where only men are present or vice versa, they should perform dry ablution (tayammum) for the deceased. If the deceased is a relative or spouse, the person doesn’t need to cover their hands with cloth.
- Men and women can bathe boys and girls under puberty, provided they are not close to reaching maturity.
- If an infant dies shortly after birth, bathing is required. If the baby was born lifeless, it is better to wash the body.
- For a decomposed body, rinsing with water is sufficient.
- If more than half or half with the head of a body part is found, it should be washed; otherwise, it’s not required.
- If someone drowned in deep water, moving them three times in the water with the intention of washing is sufficient.
- If a body is buried without a bath and no soil is placed, they should be exhumed, bathed, and reburied. If soil was placed, the body should not be disturbed.
- If water isn’t available for bathing, dry ablution (tayammum) should be performed. If water becomes available before burial, perform the bath.
- If an impure (junub) person, a menstruating woman, or a non-Muslim performs the bath, it is valid but disliked.
- Martyrs should not be washed unless they died in a state of impurity, such as after menstruation, or if they were young, mentally ill, or menstruating women. If proven to be menstrual blood, martyrs should be washed after three days and nights of menstruation.
- The water used to bathe the deceased is considered impure.
- Bathing for pay is not allowed if one person is doing it. However, if multiple people are present, it is permissible.
- After bathing, clothe the deceased in the shroud.
Related
- The funeral prayer: ruling and conditions Why the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is a communal obligation (fard kifayah), its conditions, who has the right to lead it, and when it may not be prayed.
- Washing the body (ghusl of the deceased) Who washes the body, the method used, and the water and materials: the full sunnah way of washing (ghusl) a deceased Muslim.
- How to make the full bath (ghusl), step by step The full sunnah method of the full bath (ghusl) in order, from washing the hands to the final pouring, with the notes that make it valid.
- Miscellaneous rules of death and burial Seeing the deceased's face, a spouse's rights, handling a non-Muslim relative's body, visiting graves, and how long mourning lasts.