Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/265)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Know that whenever a communal obligation is fulfilled by a sufficient number of people, the obligation is waived from the rest. But if only one person is available, it becomes an individual obligation upon him.

The author’s statement, “His burial is a communal obligation,” also applies to whatever burial depends upon: it too is a communal obligation. Likewise, whatever the funeral prayer depends upon is a communal obligation. Thus, carrying the deceased from his home to the place of prayer is a communal obligation, and carrying him from the place of prayer to the cemetery is a communal obligation, because whatever is indispensable for fulfilling an obligation is itself obligatory.

If someone were to ask: Since these matters require money, where is that money to be taken from? Washing, for example, requires money; the shroud requires money; burial requires money; and transportation may also require money.

The answer is that it is first taken from the estate of the deceased, then from the one responsible for his maintenance. If that is not possible, then it is borne by the Muslim community at large, because it is a communal obligation.

The person most entitled to wash him is the one appointed in his will, .......................................

His statement, “The person most entitled to wash him is the one appointed in his will,” means that if people dispute over who should wash this deceased person, we say: the one most entitled to wash him is the one appointed in his will—that is, the person whom he instructed should wash him.

From the author’s words, “the one appointed in his will,” we understand that it is permissible for the deceased to stipulate that no one but a particular person should wash him. A deceased person may make such a stipulation for a reason—for example, because the appointed person is pious and will conceal anything unpleasant that he sees; or because he knows the rulings concerning washing the deceased; or because he is gentle. For some of those who wash the dead handle them harshly when removing their clothes, as though they were skinning a slaughtered sheep—may Allah grant us well-being. Thus, he may appoint a particular person. If the deceased has appointed a specific person to wash him, that person has the greatest right to wash him. If he has not made such an appointment, the author will mention who is entitled next.

واعلم أن كل فرض كفاية إذا قام به من يكفي سقط عن الباقين، فإن لم يوجد إلا واحد صار في حقه فرض عين. وقول المؤلف: «دفنه فرض كفاية»، وما يتوقف عليه الدفن فرض كفاية أيضاً، وكذلك ما تتوقف الصلاة عليه فرض كفاية، فحمله من بيته إلى المصلى فرض كفاية، وحمله من المصلى إلى المقبرة فرض كفاية؛ لأن (ما لا يتم الواجب إلا به فهو واجب). فإذا قال قائل: إذا كانت هذه الأشياء تحتاج إلى مال، فمن أين يؤخذ هذا المال، فالغسل ـ مثلاً ـ يحتاج إلى مال، والكفن يحتاج إلى مال، والدفن يحتاج إلى مال، والحمل قد يحتاج إلى مال؟ فالجواب: أنه يكون أولاً من تركة الميت، ثم على من تلزمه نفقته، فإن لم يمكن فعلى عموم المسلمين؛ لأنه فرض كفاية. وَأَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِغَسْلِهِ وَصِيُّهُ، ....................................... قوله: «وأولى الناس بغسله وصيه»، أي: لو تنازع الناس فيمن يغسل هذا الميت؟ قلنا: أولى الناس بغسله وصيه، أي: الذي أوصى أن يغسله. واستفدنا من قول المؤلف: «وصيه» أنه يجوز للميت أن يوصي ألاَّ يغسله إلا فلان، والميت قد يوصي بذلك لسبب، مثل: أن يكون هذا الوصي تقياً يستر ما يراه من مكروه، أو أن يكون عالماً بأحكام الغسل، أو أن يكون رفيقاً؛ لأن بعض الذين يغسلون الأموات يعاملونهم بشدة عند نزع ثيابهم، وكأنما يسلخون جلد شاة مذبوحة ـ نسأل الله العافية ـ، فيوصي لشخص معين، فإذا كان الميت قد أوصى لشخص معين بأن يغسله، فهو أولى الناس بتغسيله، فإن لم يوص فسيذكره المؤلف.