Chapter on Obligatory and Recommended Ritual Washing
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 5
وَ بِهَذَا اَلْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ اَلنَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنِ اِبْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ غُسْلِ اَلْمَيِّتِ فَقَالَ« اِغْسِلْهُ بِمَاءٍ وَ سِدْرٍ ثُمَّ اِغْسِلْهُ عَلَى أَثَرِ ذَلِكَ غَسْلَةً أُخْرَى بِمَاءٍ وَ كَافُورٍ وَ ذَرِيرَةٍ إِنْ كَانَتْ وَ اِغْسِلْهُ اَلثَّالِثَةَ بِمَاءٍ قَرَاحٍ» قُلْتُ ثَلاَثُ غَسَلاَتٍ لِجَسَدِهِ كُلِّهِ قَالَ« نَعَمْ» قُلْتُ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبٌ إِذَا غُسِّلَ فَقَالَ« إِنِ اِسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَيْهِ قَمِيصٌ تُغَسِّلُهُ مِنْ تَحْتِهِ» وَ قَالَ« أُحِبُّ لِمَنْ غَسَّلَ اَلْمَيِّتَ أَنْ يَلُفَّ عَلَى يَدِهِ اَلْخِرْقَةَ حِينَ يُغَسِّلُهُ».
Through this chain of narration, from Muhammad ibn Ya’qub, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from al-Husayn ibn Sa’id and Muhammad ibn Khalid, from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd, from Ibn Miskan, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said:
I asked Imam عليه السلام about washing the deceased. Imam عليه السلام said: 'Wash him with water and lote-tree leaves (sidr), then wash him afterward with another wash using water and camphor, and if available, add some powdered perfume (dharirah), and then wash him a third time with plain water.' I asked: 'Three washes for the entire body?' Imam عليه السلام said: 'Yes.' I asked: 'Should there be a garment on him while he is being washed?' Imam عليه السلام said: 'If you are able, let there be a shirt on him, and wash him underneath it.' Imam عليه السلام further said: 'I prefer that whoever washes the deceased wraps a cloth around his hand while washing him.'"
- Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām fī Sharḥ al-Muqniʿah, vol. 1, p. 113
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tahdhīb