Janaza-Bathing

“Bismillahir Rahmannir Raheem”Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen was Salaatu was- Salaamu ‘Alaa Sayidinaa Muhammadin wa Aalihi wa Asabihi Ajma ‘een (tauheed- risalat- ahkirat and islam-iman-ihsan)

Kafaan/ shroud

Washing the dead is “Fard-e-Kifaayah” (an obligation which is fulfilled if performed by a few men). All will be relieved of the obligation if “Ghusl” is done to the dead by some, otherwise all will be sinner if do not wash it despite knowledge.

It is “Mustahab” to cover the place where the dead is to be washed so that others could not see it than those involved in the washing process.

The one who gives bath to the dead should be in the state of purity (not sexually or otherwise polluted).

It is better that any close relative may wash the dead otherwise any pious and reliable man should wash it well.

Shrouding the dead is “Fard-e-Kifaayah”. If only one man provides “shroud” to the dead all will be relieved of the obligation otherwise all people will be sinner.

A man’s shroud, according to Sunnah, consists of (1). “Lifaafah” (outer covering) which should be long enough to be easily tied on the head and foot ends,(2). “Izaar” (inner covering) from the head to the feet, smaller than “Lifaafah” in length i.e. without extra cloth for knots at both ends unlike “Lifaafah” and (3). “Qameez” or “Kafnee” (shirt-like garment without front-opening and sleeves) from the neck(shoulders) upto, inclusive of, knees and its front and back should also be equal in length.

Five pieces of cloths are Sunnat for woman’s shroud i.e. three are the same as those of a man and two others are/ “Orhnee”(sheet) 1 1/2 yards in length and “Seena Band”(chest covering) from the chest to the thighs or at least to the navel. Man’s shirt-like garment (Kafnee) should be slit on the shoulder and woman’s on the chest.

Shroud should be of good cloth i.e. carry the price of what cloths the male dead used to put-on on Eids’ days and Friday and female dead used to wear on visiting her parents.

A Hadees says shroud your dead in good cloths as they meet one another and rejoice at it. The best shroud is that of white cloth. Saffron or dark-saffron coloured or silk shroud is forbidden for man but lawful for woman. One can be shrouded in the cloth (quality-wise) which he/she wears in life.

It is an act of ibadat to give shoulder to a janazah. It is not permissible nor allowed for ladies to go with the Janazah.

The Sunnat way of carrying “Janaazah”(bier) to graveyard is that four persons should carry the four-poster shouldering one of its legs and change his shoulder after walking ten steps on each of the four legs in succession. And “accepted way” according to Sunnah is that one should shoulder the front right-leg of the four-poster and then the back right-leg and thereafter the front left-leg and then the back left-leg walking ten steps on shouldering each leg. Thus the distance covered will be forty paces. A Hadees to this effect says/ the one who carries “Janaazah” forty paces, will have his forty major sins erased.

The bier should be carried with the head of the four-poster forward and swiftly but taking care that the swiftness does not cause shaking to the dead body.

An infant or a minor boy or girl may either be carried on the hands by people one after another or on a cot,little four-poster.

It is better for the people who accompany Janaazah to walk behind the bier instead of the right side or the left and if one wants to walk ahead of it then he should walk at a considerable distance so as not to be included in the funeral procession. Besides, they should neither talk with one another nor laugh but instead observe silence keeping in view death and grave and do “Zikr” (remembrance of Allah ﷻ, recitation of the Holy Quran) in the heart. However, religious scholars have permitted to do “Zikr” loudly in the present age.

One should not return without praying the Janzah if he is with the Janzah, and he may return after the prayer with the permission of the awliyae mayyat and there is no need for permission after the burial.

When I want to talk to allah I say prayers and when I want that he talk to me I recite quran- Hazrath Ali(ra)

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