Know things to do for dying person
Know Fard Kifaya on behalf of the dead person
Understand rulings of Gusl and Kafan
Death, Gusl and Kafan
It is Sunnah for every Muslim to remember the death and prepare for it. The prophet r said
أكْثِرُوا ذِكْرَ هَاذِمِ اللذَات
“Remember much the death which cut off the pleasure”
But one should not wish to die because of any kind of unhappiness. The prophetr said:
«لا يَتَمَنَّيَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ المَوتَ لضُرٍّ أَصَابَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لا بُدَّ فاعلاً، فَليَقُلْ: اللَّهُمَّ أحْيني مَا كَانَتِ الحَيَاةُ خَيراً لِي، وَتَوفّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الوَفَاةُ خَيراً لي»
None of you should wish for death because of some harm that befalls him. If he must wish for death, let him say: Allahumma ahini ma kanatil-hayatu khairan li wa tawaffani idha kanatil-wafatu khairanli (O Allah, keep me alive so long as life is good for me, and cause me to die when death is good for me)”
It is Sunnah to visit the sick. If he hopes the recovery, he should pray and leave. He can pray seven times as follows:
أَسْأَلُ اللهّ العظيم رَبَّ العَرْشِ العَظِيم أَنْ يَشْفِيكَ
I ask Allah Almighty, the lord of Arsh to cure you”
If he fears the death of the sick because of severe illness, he should inspire the sick to do Taubah (repentance) and instill him to the mercy (رَحمَة) of Allah. It is not recommended to stay with the sick for long time.
The Dying person (المُحْتَضِر)
Islam suggests some etiquettes with regard to a person who is on the verge of death. Followings are performed before the confirmation of death.
- Directing the dying person towards Qiblah.
- Saying Lâ ilaha Illallah very gently.
- Reading Surah Yaseen.
- After the death has been confirmed, care should be taken to do the following:
- Closing his eyes saying بِسْمِ الله وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ.
- Binding the lower jaw to the head.
- Softening the joints.
- Stripping and covering the body with slight clothe.
- Putting something heavy on his abdomen.
- Laying down him on the bed without mattress and directing him towards Qiblah.
- Paying his debts If he owes and executing his Wasiyah (وصية).
- Washing, shrouding, praying Janaza prayer and burying the body.
Processing of the Dead (تَجْهِيز المَيِّت)
The followings are Fard Kifaya
- Washing full body of Muslim dead body except the Martyr (شهيد).
- Shrouding (كَفَن).
- Praying Salaatul Janaza (صَلاَة الجَنَازَة) on him.
- Burying (دَفَن).
As for martyr, only shrouding (كَفَن) and burying (دَفَن) is obligatory. It is Haraam to wash him and pray Janaza for him.
Miscarriage baby(سِقْط) should be processed same as adult if the symptom of the life is appeared in it. If it is just clot of congealed blood(عَلَقَة) or lump of the flesh(مُضْغَة), it is Sunnah to bury it without covering. However, if it is in the shape (خلقة) of human being, all above should be done except Janaza prayer.
It is obligatory to bath the dead body even if he died by drowning. If the bathing becomes impossible, then Tayammum should be done.
In the bathing, water should reach the whole body. This is the minimum requirement of the bathing the dead body.
Niyyat is recommended but not وَاجِب. It is Haraam to see Awrah of the dead body and touching it without a cloth sheet. Only the guardian and those who wash the body are allowed to enter the washing place. It is Sunnah to wash him three times. A little amount of camphor (كَافُور) could be used in each wash.
Followings are Sunnah: One who washes(bath) the dead body should be honestأَمِين)). He should not make any bad comment on the dead body. He should have niyyat of bathing. He should be pure from both minor and major impurities.
Male Mayyit should be bathed by men. If men are not available, then wife and then Mahram females can undertake the bathing.
Shrouding Mayyit (Kafan/ كَفَن)
The minimum requirement of Kafan is to cover the whole body of the deceased with a cloth.
The perfect Kafan for male is to cover with three white winding sheets. Each sheet should cover the whole body. The perfect Kafan of female is to cover with five garments: two winding sheet, a long shirt (قَمِيص), a waist wrapper(إِزَار) and a head vile(خِمَار).
It is Sunnah to use white inexpensive clothe and sprinkle it with Hanoot (حَنُوط / things used to perfume the dead body).
This is excerpts from the book Salaat (Brief rulings of Prayer in Shafi Madh’hab) by Abdu Shaheed Azhary. To download the full chapter click the below link. To support us, please consider acquiring the digital copy of the book from Amazon