would be exposing his faults. The man has gone on to meet his Lord, and Allah will repay him as he deserves—whether with absolute justice or with favor. If he performed righteous deeds, then Allah rewards one good deed with ten like it; and if he did otherwise, the penalty for an evil deed is its like.

The second category concerns the body itself. Suppose the washer notices a physical defect—such as vitiligo, a congenital dark patch, or anything else a person would dislike others to see. It is likewise impermissible for him to divulge this and say, “I found such-and-such: a white patch on his abdomen, a mark on his back,” and the like. For this reason the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, have stated that the washer must conceal whatever he observes unless it is something praiseworthy. However, if he sees a good sign in the deceased—brightness in his face, or finds him smiling—then that is a virtue he may relay to the people, for it leads them to praise the deceased. There is no harm in doing so, nor is it considered ostentation, for such signs are among the immediate glad tidings granted to a believer. Indeed, a believer may receive many heralds of good: being seen after death in a pleasing state, or having a righteous dream about himself or about him seen by another—these are all indicators that portend well.

Accordingly, the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, have said that anyone other than those specifically appointed to wash the body is discouraged from attending the washing.