Washing of the Deceased
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 24
وَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ اَلْحَسَنِ اَلصَّفَّارُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: كَمْ حَدُّ اَلْمَاءِ اَلَّذِي يُغْسَلُ بِهِ اَلْمَيِّتُ كَمَا رَوَوْا أَنَّ اَلْجُنُبَ يَغْتَسِلُ بِسِتَّةِ أَرْطَالٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَ اَلْحَائِضَ بِتِسْعَةِ أَرْطَالٍ فَهَلْ لِلْمَيِّتِ حَدٌّ مِنَ اَلْمَاءِ اَلَّذِي يُغْسَلْ بِهِ فَوَقَّعَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ «حَدُّ غُسْلِ اَلْمَيِّتِ يُغْسَلُ حَتَّى يَطْهُرَ إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى.
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar wrote to Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari عليه السلام asking: "What is the prescribed amount of water for washing the deceased, as it has been narrated that the junub (one in a state of major ritual impurity) bathes with six ratls of water and the menstruating woman with nine ratls of water ? Is there a prescribed amount of water for washing the deceased?" And Imam عليه السلام replied in his own handwriting, saying: "The prescribed washing of the deceased is to continue until they are purified, if Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, wills."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 28