Q 4: Is it permissible for a man to wash the dead body of his mother or daughter in case no woman knowing the rulings of washing the dead is available? Please, give us your Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar)!

A: Washing the dead is a Shar`y (Islamic legal) obligation. However, it is permissible for neither a man to wash the dead body of a woman nor vice versa. An exception to this is the case of two spouses, as it is permissible for a husband to wash the dead body of his wife and for the wife to wash the dead body of her husband. This is supported by the Hadith reported on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that reads: If you die before me, I will wash you and shroud you. (Related by Ahmad and others). Moreover, Asma' bint `Umays (may Allah be pleased with her) washed the dead body of her husband Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) in execution of his will. Similarly, the dead body of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was washed by her husband `Aly (may Allah be pleased with him).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.