Al-Kafi · Hadith 4

The Book on Dying People · Washing a Dead Body · Volume 3, book 3, chapter 18, Hadith 4

Original Arabic text

4ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله الْكَاهِلِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) عَنْ غُسْلِ الْمَيِّتِ فَقَالَ اسْتَقْبِلْ بِبَاطِنِ قَدَمَيْهِ الْقِبْلَةَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ وَجْهُهُ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ ثُمَّ تُلَيِّنُ مَفَاصِلَهُ فَإِنِ امْتَنَعَتْ عَلَيْكَ فَدَعْهَا ثُمَّ ابْدَأْ بِفَرْجِهِ بِمَاءِ السِّدْرِ وَالْحُرُضِ فَاغْسِلْهُ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ وَأَكْثِرْ مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَامْسَحْ بَطْنَهُ مَسْحاً رَفِيقاً ثُمَّ تَحَوَّلْ إِلَى رَأْسِهِ وَابْدَأْ بِشِقِّهِ الأيْمَنِ مِنْ لِحْيَتِهِ وَرَأْسِهِ ثُمَّ ثَنِّ بِشِقِّهِ الأيْسَرِ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ وَلِحْيَتِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِرِفْقٍ وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْعُنْفَ وَاغْسِلْهُ غَسْلاً نَاعِماً ثُمَّ أَضْجِعْهُ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الأيْسَرِ لِيَبْدُوَ لَكَ الأيْمَنُ ثُمَّ اغْسِلْهُ مِنْ قَرْنِهِ إِلَى قَدَمَيْهِ وَامْسَحْ يَدَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ وَبَطْنِهِ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ ثُمَّ رُدَّهُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ الأيْمَنِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ لَكَ الأيْسَرُ فَاغْسِلْهُ مَا بَيْنَ قَرْنِهِ إِلَى قَدَمَيْهِ وَامْسَحْ يَدَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ وَبَطْنِهِ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ ثُمَّ رُدَّهُ إِلَى قَفَاهُ فَابْدَأْ بِفَرْجِهِ بِمَاءِ الْكَافُورِ فَاصْنَعْ كَمَا صَنَعْتَ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ اغْسِلْهُ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ بِمَاءِ الْكَافُورِ وَالْحُرُضِ وَامْسَحْ يَدَكَ عَلَى بَطْنِهِ مَسْحاً رَفِيقاً ثُمَّ تَحَوَّلْ إِلَى رَأْسِهِ فَاصْنَعْ كَمَا صَنَعْتَ أَوَّلاً بِلِحْيَتِهِ مِنْ جَانِبَيْهِ كِلَيْهِمَا وَرَأْسِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ بِمَاءِ الْكَافُورِ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ ثُمَّ رُدَّهُ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الأيْسَرِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ لَكَ الأيْمَنُ فَاغْسِلْهُ مِنْ قَرْنِهِ إِلَى قَدَمَيْهِ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ ثُمَّ رُدَّهُ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الأيْمَنِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ لَكَ الأيْسَرُ فَاغْسِلْهُ مِنْ قَرْنِهِ إِلَى قَدَمَيْهِ ثَلاَثَ غَسَلاَتٍ وَأَدْخِلْ يَدَكَ تَحْتَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَذِرَاعَيْهِ وَيَكُونُ الذِّرَاعُ وَالْكَفُّ مَعَ جَنْبِهِ طَاهِرَةً كُلَّمَا غَسَلْتَ شَيْئاً مِنْهُ أَدْخَلْتَ يَدَكَ تَحْتَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَفِي بَاطِنِ ذِرَاعَيْهِ ثُمَّ رُدَّهُ إِلَى ظَهْرِهِ ثُمَّ اغْسِلْهُ بِمَاءٍ قَرَاحٍ كَمَا صَنَعْتَ أَوَّلاً تَبْدَأُ بِالْفَرْجِ ثُمَّ تَحَوَّلْ إِلَى الرَّأْسِ وَاللِّحْيَةِ وَالْوَجْهِ حَتَّى تَصْنَعَ كَمَا صَنَعْتَ أَوَّلاً بِمَاءٍ قَرَاحٍ ثُمَّ أَزِّرْهُ بِالْخِرْقَةِ وَيَكُونُ تَحْتَهَا الْقُطْنُ تُذْفِرُهُ بِهِ إِذْفَاراً قُطْناً كَثِيراً ثُمَّ تَشُدُّ فَخِذَيْهِ عَلَى الْقُطْنِ بِالْخِرْقَةِ شَدّاً شَدِيداً حَتَّى لاَ تَخَافَ أَنْ يَظْه��رَ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُقْعِدَهُ أَوْ تَغْمِزَ بَطْنَهُ وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَحْشُوَ فِي مَسَامِعِهِ شَيْئاً فَإِنْ خِفْتَ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ مِنَ الْمَنْخِرَيْنِ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَلاَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تُصَيِّرَ ثَمَّ قُطْناً وَإِنْ لَمْ تَخَفْ فَلاَ تَجْعَلْ فِيهِ شَيْئاً وَلاَ تُخَلِّلْ أَظَافِيرَهُ وَكَذَلِكَ غُسْلُ الْمَرْأَةِ.

Published English translation

4. It is a narration from him (narrator of previous Hadith) by Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Abd Allah al-Kahiliy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about Ghusl (bath) for a dead body. He (the Imam) said, Turn the bottom of the sole of the dead body’s feet toward al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) which makes the dead body facing al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah). Thereafter, soften the joints of the bones of the dead body if possible; if not then leave them alone. First wash the private parts with water mixed with Sidr (berry leaves) and al-Huruz. (saltwort), You must give it three Ghusl (baths). Use plenty of water. Rub the belly of the dead body gently. Turn to the head. Begin with the right side of the beard and head, then the left side of the head, beard and face gently and avoid roughing it up. Wash with softness. Then make it lie down on the left side, so the right side is exposed to you. Wash it from head to the toes and rub gently the back and belly, wash it three times; then turn it on its right side to expose the left side to wash it from the head to the toes; rub its back and belly gently and wash it three times. Reach out to its underarms, arms and shoulder with your hand and make its side clean. Whenever you wash, reach with your hand under his shoulders and the inside of his arms. Thereafter make the dead body lie down on its back; then begin with the private parts with water mixed with camphor and do as you did before. Wash it three times with water mixed with camphor and al-Huruz (saltwort) and rub the belly of the dead body gently. You must then turn to the head and face and do as you did before on both sides, the head and face with water mixed with camphor three times. You must then turn it on its left side, so its right side is exposed. You must then wash it from head to the toes three times. Thereafter you must turn it on its right side to expose its left side. You must then wash it from its head to its toes three times, and push your hand under the shoulder bones of the dead body and arms. The arms and hands must be cleansed along with the sides. Whenever you wash anything, push your hand under the shoulder bones of the dead body and inside of the arms. You must then turn it on its back. You must then wash it with pure water as you did before. You must begin with the private parts, then turn to the head, beard and face to do what you did before with pure water. You must then wrap it with a piece of fabric from the waist down with a great deal of cotton underneath. You must then tie the thighs with a piece of fabric tightly, so nothing can come out. You must not make the dead body sit up or press its belly. You must not fill up the ears with something but if you are afraid of something coming out of the nostrils, you may fill it with cotton; but if you are not afraid do not fill it up with anything. Do not clean underneath the nails of the dead body: and so also is Ghusl (bath) for women.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/305)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

Source, rights, and attribution

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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