 The Cleansing Quality of Water

The Quantity of Water that Always Remains Clean

The Case of a Small Quantity of Water, the Water with a Dead Body in it and its use by a Man to Wash His Dirty Hand in it

The Case of a Well and Things that May Fall in It (Fatwa best explains Ahadith 2-12 as well as the following chapter.)

A Well near a Cesspool

Taking Wudu’ With Water from Which Animals, Beasts and Birds Have Drunk

Taking Wudu’ with the Water from Which a Woman during Her Hayd (menses), People After Having Carnal Relations, a Jew, a Christian or a Person Hostile toward ’A’immah Has Drunk (Fatwa best explains Ahadith 4-6 of this chapter.)

A Man Places His Hand in the Water before Washing, the Limit of Washing Hands Because of Carnal Relations, Urination, Feces and Sleeping

Mixing of Rain Water with Urine, with Water Used for Taking Ghusl (bath) Because of Carnal Relations, Touching of One’s Cloth with Water Used for Washing Because of Urine

Water of Bath Houses and Water Heated by the Sun’s Rays

Places Not Desirable to Use as a Lavatory

Expressions to Say When Entering a Lavatory and When Coming Out

Draining Urine, Washing and If One Does Not Find Water

The Quantity of Water Required for Wudu’, Showers and One Who Is Excessive in the Use of Water for Wudu’

Brushing One’s Teeth

Rinsing One’s Mouth and Nostrils

Description of Wudu’

The Area of the Face and Hands to be Washed for Wudu’

Wiping of Head and Feet

Wiping Over the Shoes

Bandages and Wounds

Facing Doubts about Wudu’ Forgetting or Mixing Proper Order

Matters that Invalidate or Do not Invalidate Wudu’

One’s Stepping over Feces or Other Such Things

Certain Fluid, Which Is Other than Urine and Semen

Kinds of Ghusl (bath)

Matters Covered by Ghusl (bath)

Necessity of Ghusl (bath) on Friday

Description of Ghusl (bath), Wudu’ Before or Thereafter and a Man’s Ghusl (bath) in an Improper Place, Expressions to Say During Taking Ghusl (bath) and Moving a Ring During Ghusl (bath)

Reason Necessitating Ghusl (bath) for Men and Women

Wet Dreams of Men and Women

Finding Fluid Coming Out after Ghusl (bath)

One after Carnal Relations Eats, Drinks, Reads, Enters a Masjid, Dyes Hair, Uses Fragrance and So On

One after Carnal Relation Sweats in His Clothes, Clothes Touch His Wet Body

Semen or Al-Madhiy Comes in Contact with One’s Clothes or Body

Urine Comes in Contact with One’s Clothes or Body

Urine of Animals and Their Dung

Clothes Come in Contact with Blood and Pus

Dogs Touching Clothes, Body and So On

Description of Tayammum

When Tayammum Is Necessary and Finding Water Thereafter

One’s having Little Water on a Journey but Is Afraid of Facing Thirst

One’s Experiencing Carnal Relations and Having Only Ice

Taking Tayammum with Clay

Bandages, Injuries, One’s Suffering from Smallpox and or Experiencing Carnal Relations

Rare Ahadith about Wudu’

Chapters on Hayd (menses)

Minimum and Maximum Duration of Hayd

Women’s Experiencing Hayd After or Before Their Date of Hayd

Women Observe Yellowish Blood Before or After Hayd (menses)

First Time Hayd (menses)

Examining if Hayd (menses) has Ended or Not

Taking Ghusl (bath) Because of Hayd and the Kind of Water Needed

Women Find Blood after Sexual Relation

Comprehensive Instructions About Hayd (menses) and Istihadah (irregular menses)

Signs for Differentiating Between Blood of Hayd and Istihadah

Differentiating Among Blood of Hayd, Virginity or a Wound

Pregnant Woman Finds Blood

Blood Because of Childbirth

Blood Discharge after a Woman’s Experiencing Discharge-Free Period after Childbirth and Blood Discharge before Birth or after Childbirth

Matters Necessary for Women during Hayd at the Times of Salah (prayer)

Women Find Hayd Blood after the Coming of the Time for a Salah (Prayer) Before Performing It Or Become Clean Before the Coming of the Time for a Salah (Prayer) But Are Too Lazy for Ghusl (bath)

Women Feel Hayd during Salah (Prayer)

Women Must Make-up-for Fasting Because of Hayd but Not Salah (Prayer) 

Women’s Reading the Holy Quran During Hayd or Child-birth 

Women during Hayd Can Pick up Things from a Masjid but Must Not Leave Anything Therein

Women’s Hayd (menses) Stops, Comes Again and the Time of Menopause

Women’s Using Medicine to Have Hayd (menses) after It Stops 

Using Dye during Hayd (menses) 

Washing Clothes of Women during Hayd 

Women During Hayd Pick up Prayer Rug or Water 

Causes of Death and that Believing People May Die by any Manner of Dying 

The Reward for a Person Suffering from Illness 

Another Section on the Same Subject 

The Limits of Complaints 

A Patient’s Giving Permission to His Visitors 

How Often a Patient Should Be Visited, How Long the Duration of Visitation Should Be and Complete Visit 

The Limit of a Sudden Death 

The Virtue (Reward) of Visiting a Patient 

Dictations to a Dying Person

Difficulty in Dying (If Dying Becomes Difficult and the Agony of Death Intense) 

Facing the Dying Person Toward Qiblah

A Believing Person Is Not Caused to Die Against His Will

Things that Believers and Unbelievers See in Dying Conditions

Taking out of the Souls of Believing and Unbelievers

Burial Should Take Place Immediately

Rare Ahadith

Women during Hayd Nurse a Patient (The following chapters are about rules of washing a dead body for burial, shrouding and other matters of burial, and are best explained in the form of fatwa. Consult current fatwa about them.)

Washing a Dead Body

Hunut (Rubbing Camphor) on a Dead Body and Shrouding

Shrouding a Deceased Women

Undesirability of Perfuming the Shroud or Warming Water for Washing Dead Bodies

The Desirable Pieces of Shroud and the Undesirable Ones

The Amount of Water Needed for Ghusl (bath) of a Deceased Person

The Two Fresh Al-Jaridah (Twigs of Palm Tree)

Persons Dead Without Shower Due to Carnal Relations Hayd or Child Birth Reasons

Chapter 26- Dead Woman with a Baby Moving Inside Her

Cutting of Nails and Hairs of Dead Person Undesirable

Things Coming Out of a Dead Body after Ghusl (bath)

Washing of Persons of opposite Gender

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ أَجِيدُوا أَكْفَانَ مَوْتَاكُمْ فَإِنَّهَا زِينَتُهُمْ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Prepare good quality shroud for your deceased ones; it is beautification for them.’” 

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَيْسَ مِنْ لِبَاسِكُمْ شَيْ‏ءٌ أَحْسَنَ مِنَ الْبَيَاضِ فَأَلْبِسُوهُ مَوْتَاكُمْ.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from abu Jamilah from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘In your dresses the best is white. Dress up with them your deceased ones also.’” 

3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنِ الْمُفَضَّلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَيْسَ مِنْ لِبَاسِكُمْ شَيْ‏ءٌ أَحْسَنَ مِنَ الْبَيَاضِ فَأَلْبِسُوهُ وَكَفِّنُوا فِيهِ مَوْتَاكُمْ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman and others from al-Mufaddal ibn Salih from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that the Holy prophet has said, ‘No other clothes in your clothes is better than white, so dress up and shroud your deceased ones in white.” 

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي كَفَنِهِ ثَوْبٌ كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهِ نَظِيفٌ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ يُكَفَّنَ فِيمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهِ.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from certain persons of his people who has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘It is desirable to keep for shroud a piece which one has used in Salah (prayer). It should be clean; it is desirable.”’ 

5ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ مَرْوَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى مِنْ كِسْوَةِ الْكَعْبَةِ شَيْئاً فَقَضَى بِبَعْضِهِ حَاجَتَهُ وَبَقِيَ بَعْضُهُ فِي يَدِهِ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ بَيْعُهُ قَالَ يَبِيعُ مَا أَرَادَ وَيَهَبُ مَا لَمْ يُرِدْ وَيَسْتَنْفِعُ بِهِ وَيَطْلُبُ بَرَكَتَهُ قُلْتُ أَ يُكَفَّنُ بِهِ الْمَيِّتُ قَالَ لاَ.

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from certain persons of our people from ibn Faddal from Marwan from “Abd al-Malik who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who has purchased a certain amount of the covering of al-Ka‘bah of which he has used a certain amount for his needs, and a certain amount is left with him. Can he sell? He (the Imam) said, ‘He can sell whatever he wants or give it as gift or benefit thereby and seek blessings.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘Can it be used for shrouding a deceased person?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘No, it cannot be used for this purpose.’” 

6ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي خَدِيجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ تَنَوَّقُوا فِي الأكْفَانِ فَإِنَّكُمْ تُبْعَثُونَ بِهَا.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Hashim from abu Khadijah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Try to make your shrouds look beautiful; you will be raised with your shrouds.’” 

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي خَدِيجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ الْكَتَّانُ كَانَ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ يُكَفَّنُونَ بِهِ وَالْقُطْنُ لأُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه).

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Hashim from abu Khadijah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The Israelites used silk for shroud; and cotton is for the followers of the Holy prophet, Muhammad, O Allah grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.’” 

8ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الأوَّلِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنِّي كَفَّنْتُ أَبِي فِي ثَوْبَيْنِ شَطَوِيَّيْنِ كَانَ يُحْرِمُ فِيهِمَا وَفِي قَمِيصٍ مِنْ قُمُصِهِ وَعِمَامَةٍ كَانَتْ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِما الْسَّلام) وَفِي بُرْدٍ اشْتَرَيْتُهُ بِأَرْبَعِينَ دِينَاراً لَوْ كَانَ الْيَوْمَ لَسَاوَى أَرْبَعَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ.

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa’id from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub who has said the following: “I once, heard abu al-Hassan al-Awwal (a.s.), say, ‘I shrouded my father with two pieces of Shatawiyayn (name of a place in Egypt) fabric. He (the Imam) had used them for ’Ihram, and with a shirt of his shirts, a turban which Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), had used, and in a large sheet, which I purchased for forty dinars. Today it costs four hundred dinars.”’ 

9ـ سَهْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ نُوحٍ عَمَّنْ رَوَاهُ عَنْ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ الأنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) أَنَّ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ (عَلَيْهِما الْسَّلام) كَفَّنَ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ بِبُرْدٍ أَحْمَرَ حِبَرَةٍ وَأَنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) كَفَّنَ سَهْلَ بْنَ حُنَيْفٍ بِبُرْدٍ أَحْمَرَ حِبَرَةٍ.

9. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ayyub ibn Nuh from those whom he has mentioned from abu Maryam al-Ansariy who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that abu al-Hassan (a.s.), shrouded ‘Usamah ibn Zayd with a red Burd which was made in Hibarah and Ali (a.s.), shrouded Sahl ibn Hunayf with a red Burd which was made in Hibarah.” 

10ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُصَدِّقِ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ الْكَفَنُ يَكُونُ بُرْداً فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بُرْداً فَاجْعَلْهُ كُلَّهُ قُطْناً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ عِمَامَةَ قُطْنٍ فَاجْعَلِ الْعِمَامَةَ سَابِرِيّاً.

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan ibn Ali from ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from ‘Ammar ibn Musa who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Shroud can be made of Burd; if Burd is not available, then the whole shroud is of cotton. If a turban of cotton is not available, then Sabiriy fabric can be used for this purpose.’” 

11ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ لاَ يُكَفَّنُ الْمَيِّتُ بِالسَّوَادِ.

11. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from certain persons of his people from al-Washsha’ from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A deceased is not shrouded in black.’” 

12ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ثِيَابٍ تُعْمَلُ بِالْبَصْرَةِ عَلَى عَمَلِ الْعَصْبِ الْيَمَانِيِّ مِنْ قَزٍّ وَقُطْنٍ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُكَفَّنَ فِيهَا الْمَوْتَى قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ الْقُطْنُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ الْقَزِّ فَلاَ بَأْسَ. 

12. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Rashid who has said the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the fabrics made in al-Basrah in the form of Yemenite workmanship out of silk or cotton if it can be used to shroud a deceased? He (the Imam) said, ‘If the amount of cotton in the fabric is more than the amount of silk, then it is permissible to use it for shrouding.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 3

Book 3, Chapter 22