serious, for if it were merely a fainting spell and we prepared him for burial and buried him when he had not in fact died, this would amount to killing a person. Therefore, if he dies suddenly, it is obligatory to wait.

What the scholars—may Allah have mercy on them—mentioned was before the advancement of medicine. Nowadays, however, it is possible to determine quickly that he has died, because there are reliable means that indicate a patient’s death. But if such means are unavailable, then it is obligatory to wait until we are certain of his death.

Al-Rawd states: “His death is recognized by the hollowing of his temples, the drooping of his nose, the separation of his hands, and the slackening of his legs.” These are four signs:

The first is the hollowing of the temple, because the jaws become loose, and when they loosen, the temple becomes sunken.

The second is the drooping of the nose. When a person dies, his nose droops, for the nose remains straight as long as life remains in the person; then, when he dies, it becomes slack and soft and droops.

The third is the separation of his hands—that is, from his forearms—such that the hand becomes loose from the forearm, and you find it limp.

The fourth is the slackening of his legs: the foot separates from the ankle, becoming limp and inclined.

These are four signs by which death may be known. They are physical signs that require no instruments. Nowadays, however, doctors have instruments that indicate death without relying on these signs.

It is related that a man suffered a fainting spell, so they prepared him for burial and carried him to the cemetery,