Accordingly, the Muslim’s stance toward the disbeliever, whether alive or dead, must be one of tabarrī (disavowal) and bughd (hatred). Allah the Exalted says, recounting the words of His intimate friend Abraham and those with him: “When they said to their people, ‘We are free of you and of whatever you worship apart from Allah. We reject you, and hostility and hatred have arisen between us and you forever, until you believe in Allah alone.’” [60:4]

Allah also says: “You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day showing affection to those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their own clan.” [58:22]

This is because of the enmity that exists between faith and disbelief, and because the disbelievers are enemies of Allah, His messengers, and His religion; therefore, it is impermissible to ally with them, whether they are living or dead.

We ask Allah to keep our hearts firm upon the truth and to guide us to His straight path.

The water used in washing the deceased must be ritually pure and lawfully obtained. It is preferable for it to be cold, except when there is a need to remove filth from the body or when the weather is extremely cold; in such cases, heating the water is permissible.

The washing should take place, if possible, in an enclosed, roofed location—such as a house or a tent—that is hidden from view.

Before the washing begins, it is obligatory to cover the area between the deceased’s navel and knees. The body is then stripped of its clothes and placed on a washing board inclined toward the feet so that water and any discharges can run off.