Is a wife permitted to wash her deceased husband?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Funerals
Primary text
A wife is permitted to wash her deceased husband. This is the famous position attributed to Ahmad, and it is also the view of 'Alqamah, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Yazid ibn al-Aswad, Jabir ibn Zayd, Sulayman ibn Yasar, Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, Qatadah, Hammad, Malik, Al-Awza'i, Al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq. The evidence supporting this is the report that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) washed Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her), which became known among the Companions without denunciation, implying consensus. Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), 'If I died before you, I would have washed and shrouded you.' The primary meaning of attributing an action to a person is direct performance, and interpreting it as a command nullifies the specificity of the statement. It is permitted because the spouses are permitted to see and touch each other due to the closeness and mercy established between them during life, allowing for the washing to be performed perfectly.
Supporting text
A second narration from Ahmad holds that the husband cannot wash his wife, a view held by Abu Hanifa and Al-Thawri, based on the analogy that death constitutes a separation (similar to a triple divorce) that prohibits viewing and touching. Another view suggests that if necessity dictates (i.e., no one else is available), the husband washing his wife is permissible, though disliked (makruh) due to existing scholarly difference, but it is not considered forbidden (haram).