Must a martyr (*Shaheed*) who dies in battle be washed (Ghusl)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Funerals
Primary text
If a martyr dies in the battlefield, they are not washed. This is a single narration from Ahmad and the position of the majority of scholars, with no known dispute on this point.
Supporting text
The exceptions are Al-Hasan and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, who stated that the martyr should be washed, arguing that every deceased person requires washing unless they are in a state of major ritual impurity (*janaba*). However, following the Prophet and his Companions in omitting the washing of martyrs is preferable.