What should be done if blood flows from the deceased after the bathing (Ghusl) and shrouding (Takfeen)

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the honourable scholars say regarding the following:

Someone who died with wounds was bathed, i.e. his Ghusl was performed. Whilst bathing the deceased, the blood that was flowing from his wounds was stopped and cleaned away, and then he was shrouded according to the Sunnah. At this point and for some duration later, blood did not flow from the wounds. When the final viewing took place, the deceased was then carried to the place of funeral prayer. As the funeral prayer was about to commence, it was observed that the shroud around the wounded area had turned red due to blood. Someone claimed that it is necessary for the deceased’s shroud to be pure in order for the funeral prayer to take place, and hence, the funeral prayer cannot take place without purifying the shroud. However, the imam continued with leading the funeral prayer, and the burial also took place. Was it necessary to have purified the shroud in the given scenario? Also, was it correct to offer the funeral prayer? Questioner: Abdullah Attari (Karachi)

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   In the given scenario, it was correct to offer the funeral prayer. Moreover, it was not necessary to purify the deceased’s shroud due to the blood that flowed after the bathing and shrouding took place.

   In order for the funeral prayer to be offered correctly, it is also a condition that the body and shroud of the deceased be pure. For the body to be pure means that either the deceased was bathed—i.e. Ghusl was given—or Tayammum (­­dry ablution) was performed in the case of bathing not being possible. If impurity leaves the deceased’s body prior to being shrouded, the impurity should be washed away. If impurity leaves the body after the deceased is shrouded, it is not necessary to wash away the impurity.

   As for the requirement that the shroud must be pure, this refers to [initially] shrouding the deceased in a pure shroud. There is no issue if impurity leaves the deceased’s body afterwards and smears the shroud. In the given scenario, there was no need to purify the shroud as blood flowed from the wound after the deceased was bathed and shrouded. Hence, as there was no requirement to purify the shroud, it was correct to perform the funeral Salah without the shroud being purified. (Radd al-Muhtar Ma’ Durr al-Mukhtar, vol. 3, p. 122, Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, p. 827)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Written by: Mufti  Abu Muhammad Ali Asghar Attari