Al-Kafi · Hadith 12

The Book on Dying People · Washing of Persons of opposite Gender · Volume 3, book 3, chapter 29, Hadith 12

Original Arabic text

12ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُصَدِّقِ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ الْمُسْلِمِ يَمُوتُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ وَمَعَهُ رِجَالٌ نَصَارَى وَمَعَهُ عَمَّتُهُ وَخَالَتُهُ مُسْلِمَتَانِ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ فِي غُسْلِهِ قَالَ تُغَسِّلُهُ عَمَّتُهُ وَخَالَتُهُ فِي قَمِيصِهِ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُهُ النَّصَارَى وَعَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَمُوتُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهَا امْرَأَةٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ وَمَعَهَا نِسَاءٌ نَصَارَى وَعَمُّهَا وَخَالُهَا مُسْلِمَانِ قَالَ يُغَسِّلاَنِهَا وَلاَ تَقْرَبُهَا النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ كَمَا كَانَتِ الْمُسْلِمَةُ تُغَسِّلُهَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهَا دِرْعٌ فَيُصَبُّ الْمَاءُ مِنْ فَوْقِ الدِّرْعِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ مَاتَ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ وَلاَ امْرَأَةٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ مِنْ ذِي قَرَابَتِهِ وَمَعَهُ رِجَالٌ نَصَارَى وَنِسَاءٌ مُسْلِمَاتٌ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُنَّ قَرَابَةٌ قَالَ يَغْتَسِلُ النَّصْرَانِيُّ ثُمَّ يُغَسِّلُهُ فَقَدِ اضْطُرَّ وَعَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ الْمُسْلِمَةِ تَمُوتُ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهَا امْرَأَةٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ وَلاَ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ ذَوِي قَرَابَتِهَا وَمَعَهَا نَصْرَانِيَّةٌ وَرِجَالٌ مُسْلِمُونَ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ قَرَابَةٌ قَالَ تَغْتَسِلُ النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ ثُمَّ تُغَسِّلُهَا وَعَنِ النَّصْرَانِيِّ يَكُونُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَهُوَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَيَمُوتُ قَالَ لاَ يُغَسِّلُهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَلاَ كَرَامَةَ وَلاَ يَدْفِنُهُ وَلاَ يَقُومُ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ.

Published English translation

12. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan from ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from ‘Ammar ibn Musa who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about a Muslim man who dies on a journey and there is no other Muslim man with him but there are Christian men with him and his paternal and maternal aunts who are Muslimah how to be given Ghusl (bath) is give to him. He (the Imam) said, ‘His aunts must give him Ghusl (bath) from behind his shirt and Christians must not come close to him.’ It then was asked about a woman who dies on a journey and there are no other Muslim women except Christian women and her paternal and maternal uncles. He (the Imam) said, ‘The uncles may give her Ghusl (bath). Christian women must not come close to her. Only the uncles give her Ghusl (bath) from behind a shield and water is poured from above the shield.’ I then asked about a Muslim man who dies on a journey and there is no other Muslim man or women from his relatives but there are Christian men and none relative Muslim women. He (the Imam) said, ‘Christian men themselves first take Ghusl (bath) to give him (the deceased) Ghusl (bath) because of the need.’ He (the Imam) was asked about the case of a Muslim woman who dies and there are no other Muslim women with her or men of her relatives; but there is a Christian woman and non-relative Muslim men. He (the Imam) said, ‘The Christian woman first herself must take Ghusl (bath) then she gives her (the deceased) Ghusl (bath).’ He (the Imam) was asked about a case where on a journey a Christian man dies among the Muslims. He (the Imam) said, ‘A Muslim cannot give him Ghusl (bath): it is not an honor (befitting) he cannot bury him and cannot stand on his grave.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: موثق

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (13/338)

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
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