Janazah guide · 6 min read
Ghusl — washing the deceased
Who performs the washing, how the body is prepared, and the sequence of the ghusl itself.
On matters of religious practice, your own masjid and scholars are the authority. This guide covers the process around them.
Before you begin
Ghusl — the bathing of the deceased — is a collective obligation, carried out with the utmost gentleness and respect. Men wash a man; women wash a woman. It is preferable for those washing to be in wudhu themselves, and gloves are recommended throughout.
The washing table is usually scented or fumigated. The body is moved carefully onto it, a dark, non-transparent sheet held over it — always covering the awrah — while clothing is removed, cut away where necessary. Dentures, jewellery and nail polish are removed; drips, lines and dressings are taken off carefully, with cotton or gauze to settle any bleeding.
Where possible the body is positioned with the feet or the right side towards the Qibla; if not possible, any direction is acceptable. The water should be moderately warm.
The sequence
- Wash away any impurities, and clean the private areas first — preferably done by a close relative or someone knowledgeable, wearing thick waterproof gloves, with the abdomen gently massaged downwards and everything cleaned and disposed of immediately.
- Perform wudhu on the deceased: hands three times, then the mouth and nostrils wiped gently with moist cotton (in place of gargling), the face three times, the right then left arm to the elbow, masah over the head, and the right then left foot to the ankle.
- Wash the hair, face and beard with soap or shampoo. A woman's plaits are undone and her hair parted in two.
- Soap and wash the whole body beginning with the right side, tilting the body left and then right to reach underneath, then rinse.
- For the final pour, add camphor or sidr (lote) leaves to a bucket of water and pour over the whole body from the head down. The body should be washed an odd number of times in total.
- Pat dry with clean towels from the right side, and replace the wet covering sheet with a dry one over the awrah.
It is considered desirable for those who performed the ghusl to bathe themselves afterwards. Communities differ on details of the method — your masjid's guidance is the authority.
Arranging facilities
Most masjids and Muslim cemeteries have washing facilities or work with a mortuary that does. Your masjid or the cemetery office will arrange access, timing and who will lead the washing.
Adapted, with gratitude, from “What to Do When Someone Dies — A Practical Guide for Muslims” by the Rochdale Council of Mosques (Registered charity no. 1148918), generalised for families anywhere in the UK.