QUESTION:
What do the scholars of the Dīn and muftīs of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: Is it essential that one removes the pubic hair of a deceased person? Is this part of washing the deceased?
Questioner: Zeeshan from London, UK
ANSWER:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
Removing the public hairs (i.e. the hair from below the navel), or from any other area for that matter, is not a part of washing the deceased. In fact, cutting them is impermissible and makrūh tahrīmī [majorly disliked]. If someone has cut the pubic hair of a deceased person, they must repent. The hairs are to be placed in the shroud, just as it is mentioned in Durr Mukhtār,
“وَلَا يُسَرَّحُ شَعْرُهُ) أَيْ يُكْرَهُ تَحْرِيمًا)”
“The hair of the deceased will not be removed, meaning doing so is makrūh tahrīmī.”
Regarding this, ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Ābidīn al-Shāmī, may Allāh ﷻ shower mercy upon him, states in Radd al-Muhtār that,
“أَيْ يُكْرَهُ تَحْرِيمًا لِمَا فِي الْقُنْيَةِ مِنْ أَنَّ التَّزْيِينَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَالِامْتِشَاطَ وَقَطْعَ الشَّعْرِ لَا يَجُوزُ نَهْرٌ، فَلَوْ قُطِعَ ظُفْرُهُ أَوْ شَعْرُهُ أُدْرِجَ مَعَهُ فِي الْكَفَنِ”
“It is makrūh tahrīmī to cut the hair of the deceased because it is stated in al-Qunyah that beautifying, combing or cutting the hair after death is not permissible. If the hair of the deceased was cut [knowingly or unknowingly – as it is not allowed], then it should be placed in the shroud.”
[al-Durr al-Mukhtār & Radd al-Muhtār, vol 3, pg 104]
On a further note, it is stated in Bahār-e-Shari’at that to comb the beard or the hair on the head of the deceased or to clips the nails or to shave off, trim or pluck out hair from anywhere is impermissible and makrūh tahrīmī. The ruling is that he must be buried in the condition in which he is. However, if a nail is broken, then one can remove this. If the hair or nails were clipped (which is not allowed), then this too must be kept in the shroud.
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Haider Ali
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0595] Should we cut the nails and remove the pubic hairs of a deceased person?
Also see:
[Q-ID0435] What is the method of performing ghusl on a deceased person? [Hanafi]