Is washing obligatory for one who is found dead without visible wounds or if the cause of death is unclear?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Funerals
Primary text
If the person falls from their mount or is found dead without any apparent injury, they must be washed. This is the explicit position of Ahmad, who interprets the hadith "Bury them with their wounds (*bi-khuloomihim*)" to mean that washing is omitted only if wounds are present. This aligns with the view of Abu Hanifah regarding one found dead without marks.
Supporting text
Al-Shafi'i holds that washing is never omitted due to the possibility that the death resulted from a cause related to combat. However, the foundation is the obligation of washing, which cannot be dropped based on mere possibility. Moreover, the omission of washing in agreed-upon cases is tied to the presence of wounds, meaning the absence of wounds should maintain the default ruling.