 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 عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ فُضَيْلٍ سُكَّرَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَلْ لِلْمَاءِ حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَاسْتَقِ لِي سِتَّ قِرَبٍ مِنْ مَاءِ بِئْرِ غَرْسٍ فَغَسِّلْنِي وَكَفِّنِّي وَحَنِّطْنِي فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنْ غُسْلِي وَكَفْنِي وَتَحْنِيطِي فَخُذْ بِمَجَامِعِ كَفَنِي وَأَجْلِسْنِي ثُمَّ سَلْنِي عَمَّا شِئْتَ فَوَ الله لاَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ إِلاَّ أَجَبْتُكَ فِيهِ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Fudayl Sukkarah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, how much water is needed for Ghusl (bath) of a deceased? He (the Imam) said, The Messenger of Allah said to Ali (a.s.), “When I die, bring six pails of water from Ghars well (name of a well) and give me Ghusl (bath) with it. Thereafter shroud me and apply hunut on me. When you complete hunut (applying camphor), then make me sit up, then ask me whatever you want, by Allah, of whatever you ask I will give the right answer.’”” 

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لِعَلِيٍّ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) يَا عَلِيُّ إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَغَسِّلْنِي بِسَبْعِ قِرَبٍ مِنْ بِئْرِ غَرْسٍ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Um ay r from Hafs al-Bakhtariy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah said to Ali (a.s.), “O Ali, when I die give me Ghusl (bath) with seven pails of water from Ghars well.’”” 

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) فِي الْمَاءِ الَّذِي يُغَسَّلُ بِهِ الْمَيِّتُ كَمْ حَدُّهُ فَوَقَّعَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) حَدُّ غُسْلِ الْمَيِّتِ يُغْسَلُ حَتَّى يَطْهُرَ إِنْ شَاءَ الله قَالَ وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُغَسَّلَ الْمَيِّتُ وَمَاؤُهُ الَّذِي يُصَبُّ عَلَيْهِ يَدْخُلُ إِلَى بِئْرِ كَنِيفٍ أَوِ الرَّجُلُ يَتَوَضَّأُ وُضُوءَ الصَّلاَةِ أَنْ يُصَبَّ مَاءُ وُضُوئِهِ فِي كَنِيفٍ فَوَقَّعَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ فِي بَلاَلِيعَ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has said that Muhammad ibn al-Hassan who has narrated the following: “I once wrote to abu Muhammad (a.s.), ‘How much water is needed for Ghusl (bath) of a deceased person?’ The answer came with the signature of the Imam, ‘The amount of water needed is to wash the dead body clean, by the will Allah.’ He (the narrator) has said that he wrote again to him (the Imam) asking, ‘Is it permissible to wash a deceased person where the water poured on him flows into the toilet or cesspool or if water with which one takes Wudu’ flows in the toilet?’ He (the Imam) wrote back to him with his signature, ‘It does end up in the toilet.’” 

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ السُّنَّةُ فِي الْحَنُوطِ ثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ دِرْهَماً وَثُلُثٌ أَكْثَرُهُ وَقَالَ إِنَّ جَبْرَئِيلَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) نَزَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) بِحَنُوطٍ وَكَانَ وَزْنُهُ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَماً فَقَسَمَهَا رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) ثَلاَثَةَ أَجْزَاءٍ جُزْءٌ لَهُ وَجُزْءٌ لِعَلِيٍّ وَجُزْءٌ لِفَاطِمَةَ (عَلَيْهِا الْسَّلام).

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father in a marfu‘ manner: “The Sunnah about hunut (application of camphor) is thirteen dirham (in weight) and one third at most. He (the Imam) has said that Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah with hunut (camphor) that weighed forty dirhams. The Messenger of Allah divided it in three part: one for himself, one for Ali, and one for Fatimah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam.’” 

5ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ أَقَلُّ مَا يُجْزِئُ مِنَ الْكَافُورِ لِلْمَيِّتِ مِثْقَالٌ. وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الْكَاهِلِيِّ وَحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ الْقَصْدُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَرْبَعَةُ مَثَاقِيلَ. 

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad ibn abu Najran from certain persons of his people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The minimum camphor for a deceased is one Mithqal (4.68 g).”’ In the narration of al-Kahiliy and Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), it is said that a balanced amount of camphor for this purpose is four Mithqal. 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 3

Book 3, Chapter 23