How is ghusl (the ritual washing) performed for someone who has died?

When a Muslim passes away, one of the last acts of love the community offers is ghusl — washing the body with gentleness and dignity. It is a communal obligation (fard kifayah), traditionally performed by someone of the same gender as the deceased, though a spouse may wash their partner. The body is undressed under a covering to preserve modesty, and washed an odd number of times — usually three, though five or seven if needed — starting with the right side and the parts used for wudu. Water mixed with sidr (lotus leaf) is used for the earlier washes, and a little camphor is added to the final wash, following the instruction the Prophet ﷺ gave to the women washing his own daughter. Throughout, those washing are encouraged to handle the body as carefully as they would a living, sleeping person, and to keep silent about anything they notice, protecting the deceased's honor to the very end. This act reminds us that our bodies, entrusted to us by Allah, are treated with reverence even after the soul has departed — a final, quiet mercy.

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