English translation
990. Umm ‘Aṭiyah narrated: “One of the daughters of the Prophet ﷺ died, so he said: ‘Wash her an odd number of times; three, or five, or more than that as you see fit. Wash her with water and Sīdr, and in the last (washing) add camphor, or something from camphor. When you are finished then inform me.’ When we finished we informed him so he gave us his waist-sheet and said: ‘Wrap her in it.’” (Ṣaḥīḥ)
Hushaim said: “In the narration of others besides these people – and I do not know perhaps Hishām was
one of them – she said: 'We entwined her hair in three braids.'"
Hushaim said: "I think he said: 'We put them (braids) behind her (head).'" Hushaim said: "Khālid narrated to us, among the people, that Ḥafṣah, and Muḥammad (narrated) that Umm 'Aṭiyyah said: 'And we began with the right side and the places of Wudu'.'"
And there is something about this topic from Umm Sulaim.
Abū 'Eisā said: The Ḥadīth of Umm 'Aṭiyyah is a Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ Ḥadīth.
This is acted upon according to the people of knowledge. It has been reported that Ibrāhīm An-Nakha'ī said: "Ghusl for the dead is like Ghusl for Janābah." Mālik bin Anas said: "To us, there is no fixed number of times for the washing, and similarly, there is no well known description, rather it is done to clean." Ash-Shāfi'ī said: "In summary, Mālik's view is that it is done for washing and cleaning, and when the dead is cleaned (once) by clear water, or other water, then such washing is sufficient. But to me it is better to wash him three times or more, and that one not be washed less than three times, since the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: "Wash her three or five (times)." If they clean with less than three times, it will be acceptable. And, he did not think that the saying of the Prophet ﷺ meant to clean three or five times, so he did not consider the number of times binding."
And this is what the Fuquhā' said, and they are more knowledgeable about the meaning of the Hadīth. Aḥmad and Ishāq said that the washings are to be done with water and Sidr, and some type of camphor is to be used in the last washing.
Arabic text
٩٩٠ - حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدٌ وَمَنْصُورٌ وَهِشَامٌ ، فَأَمَّا خَالِدٌ وَهِشَامٌ فَقَالَا: عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ وَحَفْصَةَ ، وَقَالَ مَنْصُورٌ: عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ، عَنْ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ قَالَتْ: «تُوُفِّيَتْ إِحْدَى بَنَاتِ النَّبِيِّ» صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: اغْسِلْنَهَا وِتْرًا؛ ثَلَاثًا، أَوْ خَمْسًا، أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ إِنْ رَأَيْتُنَّ، وَاغْسِلْنَهَا بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ، وَاجْعَلْنَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ كَافُورًا أَوْ شَيْئًا مِنْ كَافُورٍ، فَإِذَا فَرَغْتُنَّ فَآذِنَّنِي، فَلَمَّا فَرَغْنَا آذَنَّاهُ، فَأَلْقَى إِلَيْنَا حِقْوَهُ فَقَالَ: أَشْعِرْنَهَا بِهِ
قَالَ هُشَيْمٌ: وَفِي حَدِيثِ غَيْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ وَلَا أَدْرِي وَلَعَلَّ هِشَامًا مِنْهُمْ، قَالَتْ: وَضَفَّرْنَا شَعَرَهَا ثَلَاثَةَ قُرُونٍ، قَالَ هُشَيْمٌ: أَظُنُّهُ قَالَ: فَأَلْقَيْنَاهُ خَلْفَهَا، قَالَ هُشَيْمٌ: فَحَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْقَوْمِ عَنْ حَفْصَةَ وَمُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ قَالَتْ: وَقَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: وَابْدَأْنَ بِمَيَامِنِهَا وَمَوَاضِعِ الْوُضُوءِ.
وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أُمِّ سُلَيْمٍ.
حَدِيثُ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.
وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ.
وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ النَّخَعِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: غُسْلُ الْمَيِّتِ كَالْغُسْلِ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ.
وَقَالَ مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ: لَيْسَ لِغُسْلِ الْمَيِّتِ عِنْدَنَا حَدٌّ مُؤَقَّتٌ، وَلَيْسَ لِذَلِكَ صِفَةٌ مَعْلُومَةٌ، وَلَكِنْ يُطَهَّرُ.
وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ: إِنَّمَا قَالَ مَالِكٌ قَوْلًا مُجْمَلًا، يُغَسَّلُ وَيُنْقَى، وَإِذَا أُنْقِيَ الْمَيِّتُ بِمَاءٍ قَرَاحٍ أَوْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِهِ أَجْزَأَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ غُسْلِهِ، وَلَكِنْ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ أَنْ يُغْسَلَ ثَلَاثًا فَصَاعِدًا، لَا يُقْصَرُ عَنْ ثَلَاثٍ لِمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: اغْسِلْنَهَا ثَلَاثًا، أَوْ خَمْسًا، وَإِنْ أَنْقَوْا فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلَاثِ مَرَّاتٍ أَجْزَأَ، وَلَا يَرَى أَنَّ قَوْلَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ عَلَى مَعْنَى الْإِنْقَاءِ ثَلَاثًا أَوْ خَمْسًا، وَلَمْ يُؤَقِّتْ، وَكَذَلِكَ قَالَ الْفُقَهَاءُ وَهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَعَانِي الْحَدِيثِ.
وَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ، وَإِسْحَاقُ: وَتَكُونُ الْغَسَلَاتُ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ، وَيَكُونُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ كَافُورٍ.
