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A Wife Performing Ghusl to Her Ill or Deceased Husband

Question

Can a woman give her ill husband a Ghusl and a woman bathe (Ghusl-e- Mayyit) her husband's dead body because no one is available for either?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It is lawful for each of the spouses to help the other in performing ablution or Ghusl even though the other spouse is capable or well. There is no objection to that since it is lawful for each one of them to look at the ‘Awrah of the other.

‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her said: “I used to perform Ghusl with the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) from the same receptacle and our hands used to cross in it.” [Al-Bukhari]

Moreover, Muslim reported that ‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her said: “I used to perform Ghusl along with the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) from a receptacle between us. He used to be faster than me, until I said to him: “leave some, leave some (water).

Besides, An-Nasaa'i reported with the words that prophet used to say: “leave me the water” and I used to reply to him saying: “you leave me some”.

It is part of good company that the husband helps his needy wife and that the wife helps her needy husband. So, there is no harm in doing that.

Moreover, it is lawful for the husband to wash the body of his dead wife and vise versa even with the existence of other people who could carry out the task.

The evidence is the Hadeeth reported by ‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said to her: “If you die before me, I will wash you.” When Faatimah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her died she made a will that her husband ‘Ali  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him should wash her. Ibn Al-Mundhir reported that ‘Ali  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him washed her when she died.

For more benefit on washing the dead, please refer to Fataawa 394099, 84697, 98808, 146943, and 85432.

Allah knows best.

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