Purification after touching dead bodies

23-6-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am studying medicine in practices I have to touch dead men and women. I want to know if I have to make (Ghusl) or (Wudu)?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

The preponderant opinion of the knowledgeable persons is that a dead body and its parts are pure. Therefore, the clothes that touch them are also pure and the prayers and other forms of worship can be performed wearing such clothes. However, if the blood touches the clothes it should be removed since it is impure.
Taking a bath due to touching a dead body directly or indirectly is not compulsory. But, there is a narration that proves taking a bath after washing a dead body is required. It is narrated in al-Musnad and books of al-Sunan from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever washes a dead body should take bath" . Imam al-Syooti graded it as Hasan and Sheikh al-Albani considered it as sound.
Allah knows best.