Can Wife Give Ghusl to Dead Husband?

Question: 14016

Is it permissible for a woman to see her husband after he dies, or is it haram for her to see him? Can she wash him if there is no one who can wash him?

Summary of answer

It is permissible for the wife to see her husband after he dies, and for her to wash him according to the correct scholarly opinion which says that either spouse may wash the other after death.

Answer

Table Of Contents

Can wife give ghusl to dead husband?
Can husband give ghusl to dead wife?

Can wife give ghusl to dead husband?

It is permissible for a woman to see her husband after he dies , and for her to wash him, according to the correct scholarly opinion, which says that either spouse may wash the other after death , even if there is someone else who could wash them.

`Aishah said: “If we could go back and change anything, no one would have washed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but his wives.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud)

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) left instructions in his will that he should be washed by his wife Asma bint ‘Umays, and she did that.

Abu Musa was washed by his wife Umm ‘Abd-Allah.

Can husband give ghusl to dead wife?

It is also permissible for a man to wash his wife when she dies , according to the correct scholarly view, because it was narrated by Ibn al-Mundhir that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) washed Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) after she died. That was well known among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and no one denounced him for that, thus there was consensus on this point.

And Allah knows best.

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Source:

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah Li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Iftaa’