Chapter on Guiding the Dying, Positioning Them at Death, Procedures for Their Final Moments, Washing Them, and Placing Them in Shrouds
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 13
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām
Book 1, Chapter 13
Chapter on Guiding the Dying, Positioning Them at Death, Procedures for Their Final Moments, Washing Them, and Placing Them in Shrouds
وَ بِهَذَا اَلْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ اِبْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ:« إِذَا أَرَدْتَ غُسْلَ اَلْمَيِّتِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَهُ ثَوْباً يَسْتُرُ عَوْرَتَهُ إِمَّا قَمِيصاً وَ إِمَّا غَيْرَهُ ثُمَّ تَبْدَأُ بِكَفَّيْهِ وَ تَغْسِلُ رَأْسَهُ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ بِالسِّدْرِ ثُمَّ سَائِرَ جَسَدِهِ وَ اِبْدَأْ بِشِقِّهِ اَلْأَيْمَنِ فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَغْسِلَ فَرْجَهُ فَخُذْ خِرْقَةً نَظِيفَةً فَلُفَّهَا عَلَى يَدِكَ اَلْيُسْرَى ثُمَّ أَدْخِلْ يَدَكَ مِنْ تَحْتِ اَلثَّوْبِ اَلَّذِي عَلَى فَرْجِ اَلْمَيِّتِ فَاغْسِلْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَرَى عَوْرَتَهُ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنْ غَسْلِهِ بِالسِّدْرِ فَاغْسِلْهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى بِمَاءٍ وَ كَافُورٍ وَ شَيْءٍ مِنْ حَنُوطِهِ ثُمَّ اِغْسِلْهُ بِمَاءٍ بَحْتٍ غَسْلَةً أُخْرَى حَتَّى إِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنْ ثَلاَثِ غَسَلاَتٍ جَعَلْتَهُ فِي ثَوْبٍ نَظِيفٍ ثُمَّ جَفَّفْتَهُ».
With this chain of narration, from Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub, from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr, from Hammad, from al-Halabi, from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام, who said:
Imam عليه السلام said: "When you intend to wash the deceased, place a cloth between you and the body to cover its private parts - either a shirt or any other covering. Then start by washing the hands and washing the head three times with lotus leaves (sidr). Then proceed to wash the rest of the body, starting with the right side. When you are about to wash the private parts, take a clean cloth, wrap it around your left hand, and insert your hand under the covering cloth that is over the private area of the deceased. Wash it without looking at the private parts. Once you complete the washing with lotus leaves, wash the body again with water mixed with camphor and some hanoot (perfume). Then, wash it a third time with plain water. When you have completed the three washes, place the deceased in a clean cloth and dry it."
- Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām fī Sharḥ al-Muqniʿah, vol. 1, p. 317
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tahdhīb