THE RITUAL BATHING (GHUSL) OF THE DECEASED

A dead person must be bathed three ritual bathings; first, with water of the leaves of lote-tree; second, with water of camphor; and third, with pure water.

Just like the ritual bathing after ceremonial impurity, the first organs of a dead person to be washed are the hands; they must be washed three times. Then, they may be rubbed dry with a little amount of moss (i.e. a kind of cotton-grass) three times. Then, the head should be washed with the foam of the water of lote-tree three times. The same thing should be then made to the right and then the left sides of the body. The hand of the bather (i.e. the person who bathes) must pass over the entire body with the water of the lote.

The vessels that have contained the water mixed with lote must be cast and another liquid, which is a mixture of water and (a little quantity of) camphor must be poured in the vessels. Then, the same previous process of washing must be repeated, yet with the mixture of water and camphor this time. Then, the vessels that have contained the mixture of water and camphor must be cast and re-filled with pure water with which the dead body must be washed in the same previous way.

The bather must stand to the right side of the dead body. At each time of bathing, the bather must repeat this word:

Pardon! Pardon!

Upon accomplishment, the dead body must be dried with a clean piece of cloth. It is then obligatory upon the bather to bathe himself, either immediately or afterwards. However, it is recommended to perform a ritual ablution (wuzu’) to the bathings of the dead body.