The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No.548- The shroud must not be a usurped one, even if nothing else but a usurped one is available. If a usurped shroud is used and the owner does not allow it, it should be removed even if the body has already been buried, and this is the responsibility of the person who has done so. Moreover, it is not permissible to give a shroud made of hide or skin of a dead animal or of a najis thing. As an obligatory precaution, the shroud should not be made of pure silk, woven of gold, or of the wool and fur of a haram meat animal unless there is no other.

Issue No.549-It is not permissible as an obligatory precaution to shroud with the skin of animals, even halal meat ones, in normal circumstances. However, there is no harm to give a shroud with a cloth made of wool or fur of a halal meat animal, though, the recommended precaution is to avoid them.

Issue No.550- If the shroud becomes najis owing to a najis substance from the dead body or from external najāsah, the najis part should be washed or cut off if it does not ruin the shroud, and if it is not possible to do so, the shroud should be replaced, if possible.

Issue No.551- If a person who is wearing Ihram for ḥajj or ‘umrah dies, he should be shrouded like others and there is no harm in covering his head and face.

Issue No.552- After performing ghusl on a dead body it is obligatory to apply ḥanūṭ, which is to apply camphor on the seven places of sajdah (i.e., the forehead, the palms, the knees and both the big toes of the feet). The obligatory precaution is that some camphor be placed on these parts, and the camphor must be ṭāhir, permissible to apply and fresh, so that it keeps its usual fragrance.

Issue No.553- The obligatory precaution is that the camphor should first be applied to the forehead and then to other parts, and this should be done before the body is being shrouded or while it is being shrouded, not after it.

Issue No.554- It is not permissible to apply camphor or any other sweet fragrance to a person who died in the state of Ihram for ‘umrah or ḥajj.

Issue No.555- Even though wearing perfume is haram for a woman whose husband has died while her ‘iddah (waiting period for death of husband) has not expired yet, but if she dies in this state it is obligatory she be camphorated.

Issue No.557- If the available quantity of camphor is not sufficient for both ghusl and camphorating, ghusl has priority, as an obligatory precaution and in case it is not sufficient to be applied on all the seven limbs, it should be applied on the forehead of the dead body first and then the remainder.

Issue No.558- It is better to mix a small quantity of turbah of Imam al-Husayn (as) with camphor but not so much that it may no longer be called camphor.

Issue No.559- It is recommended that two pieces of fresh twigs be placed in the grave with the dead body, either inside the shroud or outside.

Issue No.560- It is obligatory to perform prayer for the dead body of every Muslim who is mature [1] and also, as an obligatory precaution, for the dead body of a child who is not less than six years.