Chapter on Instructing the Dying (Talqin al-Muhtadarin)
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 23
اَلْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَقْطِينٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ اَلْعَبْدَ اَلصَّالِحَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ غُسْلِ اَلْمَيِّتِ أَ فِيهِ وُضُوءُ اَلصَّلاَةِ أَمْ لاَ فَقَالَ« غُسْلُ اَلْمَيِّتِ يُبْدَأُ بِمَرَافِقِهِ فَيُغْسَلُ بِالْحُرُضِ ثُمَّ يُغْسَلُ وَجْهُهُ وَ رَأْسُهُ بِالسِّدْرِ ثُمَّ يُفَاضُ عَلَيْهِ اَلْمَاءُ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ وَ لاَ يُغَسَّلَنَّ إِلاَّ فِي قَمِيصٍ يُدْخِلُ رَجُلٌ يَدَهُ وَ يَصُبُّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ وَيَجْعَلُ فِي اَلْمَاءِ شَيْئاً مِنْ سِدْرٍ وَ شَيْئاً مِنْ كَافُورٍ وَ لاَ يَعْصِرُ بَطْنَهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَخَافَ شَيْئاً قَرِيباً فَيَمْسَحُ مَسْحاً رَفِيقاً مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَعْصِرَ ثُمَّ يَغْسِلُ اَلَّذِي غَسَّلَهُ يَدَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَفِّنَهُ إِلَى اَلْمَنْكِبَيْنِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ إِذَا كَفَّنَهُ اِغْتَسَلَ».
Al-Husayn ibn Sa’id narrated from Ya’qub ibn Yaqtin, who said:
I asked the righteous servant (of Allah سبحانه وتعالى), Imam Musa Al-KadHim عليه السلام about the washing of the deceased - does it include the ablution (wudu) of prayer or not? Imam عليه السلام said: "The washing of the deceased begins with his elbows (marafiq), and he is washed with lotus leaves (sidr). Then his face and head are washed with sidr, and water is poured over him three times. He should not be washed except in a shirt (qamis). A man inserts his hand and pours water over him from above. Something of lotus leaves (sidr) and something of camphor (kafur) should be added to the water. His abdomen should not be pressed unless something close (to release) is feared. In that case, it should be wiped gently without pressing. Then the one who washed him should wash his hands up to the shoulders three times before shrouding him. Then, after shrouding him, he should perform ghusl (ritual purification)."
- Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām fī Sharḥ al-Muqniʿah, vol. 1, p. 473
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tahdhīb, p. 125