over him; and because it will be mentioned later that he is to be covered, flies and the like will not reach him. However, the first rationale we mentioned is more appropriate: namely, preventing disfigurement. The deceased will be washed and uncovered; if he is uncovered after this has occurred, he will appear disfigured. Perhaps what some scholars have said about preventing vermin from reaching the pupil may apply when he is buried in the grave, for if the eyes remain open and the deceased then becomes cold, they can no longer close afterwards; rather, they will remain open until Allah wills.

When closing the eyes, one should supplicate with the prayer that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made for Abu Salamah, saying: “O Allah, forgive so-and-so, raise his rank among the rightly guided, make his grave spacious for him, illuminate it for him, and succeed him among those he has left behind,” as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did. Thus, there is here a practical sunnah and a verbal sunnah. The practical sunnah is closing the eyes, and the verbal sunnah is this supplication.

Tying His Jaws and Loosening His Joints, …

His statement, “tying his jaws”: this is the second matter to be done for the deceased—tying his jaws, that is, binding them. The two jaws are the two bones from which the teeth grow. They should be tied with a rope, thread, or bandage, because if they are not bound, the mouth may open. But if they are bound and the deceased becomes cold, they will remain tied.

As far as I know, there is no transmitted textual evidence for this, but there is a rational basis for it: preventing the deceased’s face from becoming disfigured.

The second reason is to protect his interior from vermin entering it, even in the grave.

His statement, “and loosening his joints”: this is the third matter, namely, loosening