Is Kissing the Deceased Before or After Ghusl Allowed? Wife Kissing Husband’s Body
Question- Is it permissible to kiss the deceased? Be it before the ritual bath (Ghusl) or after? And can a wife kiss her husband’s deceased body? Please answer with evidence.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah:
It is permissible to kiss the deceased; meaning, there is no harm in kissing a person after death, whether they are one’s own relatives or non-relatives. Men can kiss a male deceased, and women can kiss a female deceased. Similarly, men can kiss the deceased body of their Mahram women (mother, sister, daughter, or wife, etc.), and women can kiss the deceased body of their Mahram men (i.e., father, husband, brother, son, etc.). And this kiss is permissible to be given before the ritual bath as well as after the ritual bath, because a Muslim is not impure (Najis) before dying nor after dying, and the Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) himself kissed Uthman bin Maz’oon before the ritual bath.
Please observe the evidence..!
Sunan Abu Dawood
Book: Chapters Regarding Funerals
Chapter: Regarding Kissing the Deceased
Hadith Number: 3163
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُقَبِّلُ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ مَظْعُونٍ وَهُوَ مَيِّتٌ. حتَّى رَأَيْتُ الدُّمُوعَ تَسِيلُ.
Translation:
Mother of the Believers Aisha (RA) says that I saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) kissing Uthman bin Maz’oon (RA) while he had passed away. I saw that tears were flowing from the Prophet’s (PBUH) eyes.
Takhrij (References):
Sunan At-Tirmidhi/Funerals 14 (989),
Sunan Ibn Majah/Funerals 7 (1456),
(Tuhfat al-Ashraf: 17459), and it is narrated in: Musnad Ahmed (6/43, 55, 206) (Sahih)
Clarification:
Uthman bin Maz’oon (RA) was the foster brother (through breastfeeding) of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH); he was the first among the Muhajireen to pass away in Madinah.
Sahih Bukhari
Book: The Book of Maghazi (Expeditions)
Chapter: The illness of the Prophet (PBUH) and his death.
Hadith Number: 4452, 4453
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْن بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ أَخْبَرَتْهُ: أَنَّأَبَا بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى فَرَسٍ مِنْ مَسْكَنِهِ بِالسُّنْحِ حَتَّى نَزَلَ، فَدَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلَمْ يُكَلِّمْ النَّاسَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ، فَتَيَمَّمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ مُغَشًّى بِثَوْبِ حِبَرَةٍ، فَكَشَفَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ، ثُمَّ أَكَبَّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَبَّلَهُ وَبَكَى، ثُمَّ قَالَ: بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي، وَاللَّهِ لَا يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مَوْتَتَيْنِ، أَمَّا الْمَوْتَةُ الَّتِي كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْكَ فَقَدْ مُتَّهَا.
قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَرَجَ وَعُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ، فَقَالَ: اجْلِسْ يَا عُمَرُ، فَأَبَى عُمَرُ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ، فَأَقْبَلَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ وَتَرَكُوا عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ: وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: الشَّاكِرِينَ سورة آل عمران آية 144، وَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَكَأَنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ حَتَّى تَلَاهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْهُ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ، فَمَا أَسْمَعُ بَشَرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلَّا يَتْلُوهَا، فَأَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ أَنَّ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلَّا أَنْ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ تَلَاهَا فَعَقِرْتُ حَتَّى مَا تُقِلُّنِي رِجْلَايَ وَحَتَّى أَهْوَيْتُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ حِينَ سَمِعْتُهُ تَلَاهَا، عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ مَاتَ.
Translation:
Narrated to us by Yahya bin Bukair, narrated to us by Laith bin Saad, from Aqeel, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Abu Salama informed me, and Aisha (RA) informed him that Abu Bakr (RA) came on a horse from his residence at As-Sunh until he dismounted. Then he entered the Mosque and did not speak to anyone until he entered upon Aisha (RA). He went towards the Prophet (PBUH), whose noble body was covered with a Yemeni mantle. He uncovered his face, bent over him, kissed his noble face and wept, then said: “Let my mother and father be sacrificed for you! By Allah, Allah will not combine two deaths upon you. The death which was written for you, you have undergone it.”
Az-Zuhri said: Abu Salama narrated to me from Abdullah bin Abbas (RA) that Abu Bakr (RA) came out while Umar (RA) was speaking to the people. Abu Bakr (RA) said: “Sit down, O Umar!” But Umar refused to sit. So the people turned towards him (Abu Bakr) and left Umar. Abu Bakr (RA) said (after the praise of Allah): “Amma Ba’d! Whoever among you used to worship Muhammad (PBUH), then [know that] Muhammad (PBUH) has passed away; and whoever among you used to worship Allah, then indeed Allah is Ever-Living and will never die. Allah Himself has said: ‘Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him…’ up to His saying: ‘…the grateful.’ (Surah Ali ‘Imran: 144).” Ibn Abbas (RA) said: “By Allah, it felt as if the people did not know that Allah had revealed this verse until Abu Bakr (RA) recited it, so everyone learnt this verse from him. Now the situation was such that whoever I heard was reciting it.” (Az-Zuhri said) Then Saeed bin Musayyib informed me that Umar (RA) said: “By Allah, it was only when I heard Abu Bakr reciting it that I was horrified, to the extent that my legs could not support me and I fell to the ground when I heard him reciting it; I knew that the Prophet (PBUH) had passed away.”
A husband can give the ritual bath to his wife’s deceased body
Aisha Siddiqa (RA) narrates:
رجَع إليَّ رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ ذاتَ يومٍ مِن جِنازةٍ بالبقيعِ وأنا أجِدُ صُدَاعًا في رأسي وأنا أقولُ: وارَأْسَاه قال: (بل أنا يا عائشةُ وارَأْسَاه)ثمَّ قال: (وما ضرَّكِ لو مِتِّ قبْلي فغسَلْتُكِ وكفَّنْتُكِوصلَّيْتُ عليكِ ثمَّ دفَنْتُكِ)؟ قُلْتُ: لَكأنِّي بكَ أنْ لو فعَلْتَ ذلك قد رجَعْتَ إلى بيتي فأعرَسْتَ فيه ببعضِ نسائِك فتبسَّم رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ ثمَّ بُدِئ في وجَعِه الَّذي مات فيه
Hadrat Aisha (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) returned one day from a funeral at Jannat al-Baqi while my head was hurting, and due to this, I was saying “Oh, my head!” So He (PBUH) said: “Nay, I say ‘Oh, my head!’ (meaning my head is also hurting).”
[He continued]: “If you were to die before me, it would not harm you; I would wash you myself, shroud you, pray your funeral prayer, and bury you myself.”
(Sahih Ibn Hibban – Hadith Number – 6586 • Narrated in his Sahih • Hadith Hasan)
(Al-Irwa al-Ghalil, 700)
(Musnad Ahmed, Vol 6, Pg 228)
Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapter: What has been narrated regarding a man washing his wife and a woman washing her husband.
Chapter: A husband washing the wife and a wife washing the husband – Hadith Number – 1465)
(Nayl al-Awtar: 2/58)
Wives can give the ritual bath to their husband’s deceased body
Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha (RA) used to say:
وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ تَقُولُ: لَوِ اسْتَقْبَلْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُ، مَا غَسَلَهُ إِلَّا نِسَاؤُهُ
“If I had known beforehand what I came to know later, none but his wives would have washed him [The Prophet (PBUH)].”
(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith Number – 3141)
(Sunan Ibn Majah / Chapter: What has been narrated regarding a man washing his wife and a woman washing her husband
Chapter: A husband washing the wife and a wife washing the husband – Hadith Number: 1464)
(Nayl al-Awtar 2/58)
Amir San’ani (Rahimahullah) states that,
“Sahhahuhu Al-Hakim” meaning “Imam Hakim has declared this Hadith as Sahih.”
(Subul al-Salam 2/550)
Furthermore, numerous Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) including Allama Albani (Rahimahullah) have declared this Hadith as Sahih.
In the event of the husband’s death, since the marriage (Nikah) remains intact and the wife observes the waiting period (Iddah), it is permissible for the wife to touch the husband’s body and give him the ritual bath, just as Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA) was washed by his wife Hadrat Asma (RA) according to his will, and Fatima (RA) was washed by Hadrat Ali (RA) according to her will. When husband and wife can wash each other and touch every part of the body, then certainly it is also permissible for them to kiss each other’s deceased body.
The four Imams are also of the opinion that kissing the face of the deceased is permissible.
(Al-Bahr al-Raiq by Ibn Nujaym 2/187)
(Hashiyat al-Tahtawi pg: 376)
(Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil by Al-Kharashi 2/136)
(Al-Majmoo’ by Al-Nawawi 5/127)
(Mughni al-Muhtaj by Al-Khatib Al-Sherbini 1/357)
(Kashshaf al-Qina’ by Al-Bahuti 2/85)
Imam Badr al-Din Ayni (Rahimahullah) states that it is proven from the Hadith of Abu Bakr (RA) that kissing the deceased is permissible.
[Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood 6/94, Pub. Maktaba Al-Rushd].
Imam Nawawi (Rahimahullah) states that it is permissible for the family of the deceased and his friends to kiss the face of the deceased, because doing so is proven from Ahadith.
[Sharh al-Muhadhdhab 5/111]
Allama Shawkani (Rahimahullah) states that none of the Companions objected to this action of Abu Bakr (RA) kissing the Prophet (PBUH), as if there is a consensus (Ijma) of the Companions on this.
[Nayl al-Awtar].
Allama Ibn Baz (Rahimahullah) states that there is no harm if a woman from among his Mahrams or a man kisses the deceased, just as Abu Bakr (RA) kissed the Prophet (PBUH).
[Majmoo’ Fatawa Ibn Baz 13/102]
From the aforementioned arguments, it is known that there is no harm in kissing the deceased. However, remember that no man should look at the face of a non-Mahram deceased woman nor kiss her, and similarly, it is not permissible for any woman to look at the face of a non-Mahram man or kiss him; doing so is not permissible.
((And Allah the Exalted knows best what is correct)
Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/1399
