Kafan and Ghusl Preparing the body for burial is a

FARD Kifayaah- a communal obligation for muslims

Who should and can give ghusl?

• Family, relative or close friends

• Those who know the masnoon method of ghusl

• Somebody who is pious and can be trusted (who will not comment if he would see anything in the deceased)

Special cases

• If the deceased is a child, then washing maybe done by male or female.

• If the deceased was married, then the spouse can wash the body

• If a new muslims dies, and has no muslim relatives, then it is the duty of other muslims to give him ghusl and kafan

Things needed for ghusl

• Camphor or non alcoholic perfumes • Warm water (preferred) • Soap/shampoo • Gloves • Wash cloths • Napkins/tissue • Cotton balls • Garbage can • Clean towels • Comb • Multiple sheets (some dark colored ones better for

covering the body when sheets get wet)

Place for Ghusl

• It should be clean • Floor should be smooth and stable (no sudden steps…easy

for water to flow) • Drainage should be checked (no water blockage) • Completely covered • It should be spacious enough so that the dead body,

washers and materials needed for ghusl are not too cramped • If the bathroom in the house is not big enough, then a room

can be used for the purpose or a tented (completely covered) deck/lawn.

• The washing board should be elevated from the head side

Process of Ghusl • Lay the body covered properly throughout • Cut the clothes if cannot be removed easily • Make sure the Awra is covered AT ALL TIMES. • Get the body waste out by slightly pressing the abdomen and tilting

the body (if possible) • First clean the pvt parts without looking (the body should still be

covered with one or more sheets or dark colored sheet) • Washer should change the gloves now • Now start with wudu • No water in nose or mouth (these should be gently cleaned with

wet cotton or wash cloth) • Now cover the nose, mouth, ears with cotton (so no water goes in

there) • Shampoo the hair and beard • Now wash the body (right front, right back, left front, left back)

ending ghusl…

• Repeat the ghusl 3, 5, 7 or more times (in odd numbers)

• If possible, add camphor/kafoor in the last rinse

• The hair (and beard) should be brushed

• Women’s hair to be braided in 3 parts

• Nails not to be cut

• Hair not to be removed from any part

• After ghusl, wipe the body with towels.

Incase of bleeding

• If deceased is a female having periods or child birth bleeding, then padding should be used to prevent blood from leaving body.

Special cases…

• Incase the death has occurred due to accident or burning and ghusl is not possible, then TAYAMMUM is ok.

• If the death has occurred in Ihram, then NO perfume should be applied

• If death has occurred in battlefield, no ghusl required

People who wash the body should:

• Make wudu before starting the ghusl for deceased

• Must not indulge in unnecessary talk

• Take a shower after the ghusl is done (this is not a requirement…it’s a recommendation only for hygiene)

• There is NO specific dua or zikr to be recited during this time.

Kafan- number of sheets recommended

• For men, 3 pieces of sheets are preferred – One as a Shirt – Second wrapped from navel to knees – Overall cover

• For women, 5 pieces are preferred – The above three – One extra for covering the chest – One piece to be used as a scarf In all cases, 4 strips of seamless cloth needed to tie the kafan – from above the head – below the feet – Around the body (waist) – And a rather wide piece to be placed under the waist for lifting the body

Other preferences for Kafan (shroud)

• White color was preferred by Prophet (sm) • Does not have to be new (used is ok but it should

be clean and washed) • Does not have to be fancy, expensive material

(muslims are actually discouraged to be extravagant in kafan)

• Should be perfumed (except if the deceased was in Ihram)

• Clothing of martyr not to be removed…the outer sheet to be wrapped on clothes

If you do not have kafan kit

• You can buy king size bed sheets from shops and cut the stitched seams

– All the other pieces are simply cut into rectangular pieces except the shirt, in which a cut is made near the neck area

Shirt or Qamees in kafan

Fold the cloth from middle and make a slit as shown.

Scarf for female kafan

Take a square piece of cloth and fold it to make it triangular

Steps for laying the kafan

Step 1

First place the 3 ties and a wide piece in the middle

Step 2

Then place the biggest sheet (lafafa) which will be the outermost cover

Step 3

Now place the shirt as shown (let the back half on the board and the other half falling out for now)

Step 4

Now place the sheet which will cover the body from Navel to knee

Step 5

Now place the sheet which will cover the upper body (this extra sheet is for female kafan only)

Step 6

This is what the completely shrouded body will look like

(do not tie knots which will be difficult to open while placing the body in grave)