![[image]](http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8648/assalam.png) 1. WHEN DEATH DRAWS NEARER When the death is near for a person and you have seen some of the signs then it is Sunnat to; 1.1 Lay the person on their right side and face them towards the Qibla (direction facing Makkah) 1.2 It is also allowed to keep the person flat and point their feet towards the Qibla and tuck his/her head slightly up so that he/she will face Qibla If the above is not possible as it would cause the ill person difficulty then leave them as they are. Note: At the time of death a woman on her menstrual cycle or after birth bleeding can be present. However, if a woman has finished eher period or whom it's obligatory to bathe shouls bathe first and should not be present otherwise. Also make sure that no photographs or dogs are present in the room/house, as the angels of mercy do not enter a house that has photos or dogs. At the end time pray for the dying as much as you can and for yourself - do not say anything bad because this is the time when angels say "Ameen" to your prayers Read Surah Yaseen (36), and Surah Ra'ad (13) There is no problem in praying dhikr of any type 1.3 In the dying moments, spoons of water should be fed to the ill, as there is an extreme pang of thirst felt. Ideally the water of the sacred wells of Zam Zam should be used, but if this is not available then normal water is fine. Abu Sa'id al-Kudri, "The Messenger of Allah Salallallahu alaihi Wasalam said, "Rehearse to your dying "There is no deity except Allah." And in a version related by Hudayfa ( the Prophet continued as follows), 'for truly this effaces ones previous sins. (Muslim) 1.4 At the time of near death when the soul has not yet departed then pray this loudly 'Ash Hadu An La illallahu Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan rasoolullah', however do not instruct the ill to pray. 1.5 Once the ill has prayed the Kalima then stop praying it loudly, however if they say something else then start praying the Kalima again because their last words should be La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur Rasollullah' 2 WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WHEN THE SOUL IS EXTRACTED 2.1 When the soul has come out then; Get a wide strip of cloth and take it underneath the jaw and over the head and tie it so the mouth does not open Close the eyes and pray this supplication (Bismillai-wa-a'ala-Millati-Rasoolillah) Straighten the hands and feet Note: This action is better done by the one in the house who can do it carefully. 2.2 Put something heavy on the deceased stomach such as a metal or soil to prevent the stomach from blowing up. Howver, ensure it is not heavier than necessary so that it may cause inconcenience. 2.3 Wrap a cloth around the whole body and then lift it onto something with four legs so that the body is not stuck to the floor. 2.4 You should ensure that the bathing (Ghusl), shroud (Kafan) and burial (Janaza) are done quickly because there has been strong emphasis on this in the hadith. 3 METHOD OF BATHING THE DECEASED Bathing the deceased iso bligatory (fardh-e-kifiya) meaning if some people gave the body a bath then all are no longer responsible. The method of bathing; 3.1 First of all where the body is going to be bathe i.e. tabe, stool should be made sweet smelling by walking around it 3, 5 or 7 times with incense or nice smelling smoke. 3.2 Lay the body on the furniture and cover the body from the neck to toe with a cloth. Note: Make sure the cloth is such that when the cloth is wet that the colour of the deceased's skin cannot be seen. 3.3. The clothes the deceased is wearing need to be removed. Note: Care should be taken when removing the clothes that the flesh of the body and in general the private parts are not exposed. 3.4 The person washing the body should wear gloves or wrap some thick material around her hands and first of all wash the body's private parts (make istinja). Note: The concealed parts are not to be touched without covering the hands. So gloves or thick material should be used for this action. 3.5 Perform the obligatory (fardh) oblution (Wudhu) as done for the prayer (Salah) by; Washing the face Hands up to the elbows Perform the Masha of the head Wash the body's feet Note: Do not wash the hands or wash the inside of the mouth or the nostril as this unnecessary when washing the deceased however; Wet some cotton or small cloth then wipe the teeth and gums and lips with it. Wash the hair with a sweet smelling flower, if not available then wash it with any clean soap which is mad with Halal products, fi this is not available the use water. Turn the body to it's right side and wash the side with water the whole body need's to be washed, meaning the chest, shoulders, back and legs. Repeat the process with the left side. Water from 'Beri' leaves could be used if this is not available then clean with warm water. Also extra care should be taken when bathing a woman with large chest area as water needs to reach all parts of the body, so one may ned to lift the breast in order for the water to reach beneath. Lift the folds of the stomach in order to wash it properly. Then sit the body upright and gently wash the lower part of the stomach and if something is excreted then wash it away but do not perform wudhu or bathe again. Finally, wash the body with 'Kafoor' (camphor) water and then slowly wipe the body with a dry piece of cloth. Note: Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odour, also known as moth balls. Note: Cotton buds should be placed inside the nostril and ears to stop water from entering inside the body. Note: It is obligatory to flow water over the body once, and Sunnah to flow it three times. 4 THREE GRADES OF KAFAN (SHROUD) FOR A FEMALE 4.1 To give the deceased a shroud (Kafan) is fardh-e-Kifaya). There are three grades of a Kafan; Necessity (Zaruriyat) Sufficient (Kifayat) Sunnah 4.2 Necessary (fardh) shroud is a piece of cloth whic covers the entire body. 4.3 Sufficient - three pieces Cover (Lifafah) Bottom (Izaar) Viel (Orni) 4.4 Sunnah - five pieces Cover (Lifafah) Top (Kameez) Bottom (Izaar) Veil (Orni) Chest piece (Sina-Bina) 4.5 The cover should be bigger than the height of the body so that it can be tied at both ends. 4.6 The bottom should be so long that it covers from the hair to the feet, meaning only the extra bits that are used on the cover to tie at both ends are longer than the bottom. 4.7 the top is to cover from the throat to below the knees and is the same back and front. 4.8 The top does not have sleeves or the open collar (used for buttons). 4.9 The difference between the top of males and females is that the male top is ripped at the collars and the females is ripped at thechest part. (so the head can get in easily) 4.10 The veil is to be three arms length in size meaning one and a half yards. 4.11 The chest part for women is from the breasts to below the naval and it is better to have it up to the thighs. Note: Without cause aving the Kafan less than sufficient is Makrooh and not allowed. Note: The tradition used in illiterate people is that the back is shorter than the front, this is wrong. 5 METHOD OF PUTTING THE KAFAN ON The method is after the body has been bathed and dried so that the Kafan does not get wet. 5.1 That you incense the Kafan once, three, five or seven times butno more than seven. 5.2 For a woman; Put on the top (Kameez) then part her hair into two and put them over the top on th echest. Then lay the veil (Orni) from half way down the back and bring it over the head and cover the facelike a Naqab and the end is on the chest, so if it's length is from the half way down the back to the chest and the width is from one earlobe to the other earlobe. Note: Some people put the veil on like they wear it on a day to day basis and this is wrong and against the Sunnat Then wrap the bottom (Izaar). Then the cover (Lifafah) tying at at both ends. Finally wrap the chest cover (Sina-Bina) from the chest to the thighs and tie in the middle with a strip of cloth. ![[image]](http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2589/waalaikum.png) |