Short answer
Wash it as far as you can without harming it. If water poured gently would make it fall apart, give tayammum instead. In the Hanafi school, if most of the body is found, or half with the head, it is washed, shrouded and prayed over; a smaller part is wrapped and buried without the janazah.
If washing would cause the body to disintegrate, water is poured without rubbing, and if even that is not possible, tayammum is given. When most of the body, or half of it with the head, is found, it is washed, shrouded and prayed over. Less than that, or half without the head, is not prayed over; it is wrapped in cloth and buried.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Any part of a Muslim's body that is found is washed, wrapped and prayed over.
- Hanbali
- Any part of the body that is found is washed and prayed over, if the person's death is known.
Explanation
After a fire, a crash or a disaster, families may receive a body that is badly damaged, or only part of it. This is one of the hardest moments of grief, and the sharia keeps it simple and gentle. The dead keep their dignity whatever has happened to them, and the Prophet ﷺ said that breaking a dead person's bone is like breaking it while alive.
A burned or badly injured body:
- Wash it if you can do so without the skin or flesh coming away. Pour water gently, without rubbing.
- If even pouring would make it fall apart, give tayammum: strike clean earth or stone with the hands and wipe the face and arms of the deceased.
- Wounds can be covered with clean dressings. A bag or sheet may be used under the kafan to hold the body together.
An incomplete body (Hanafi):
- Most of the body, or half of it with the head: washed, shrouded and prayed over.
- Less than half, or half without the head: no janazah. The part is washed if possible, wrapped in cloth and buried with respect.
- If more parts are found after burial, they are buried with care, near the grave if possible, without a second janazah.
In many disasters, the authorities hold remains for identification. Ask them early to release the body for burial, and ask the mosque team to help with the washing; they have often seen this before. Families should not feel guilty if they could not wash fully: doing what is possible is all Allah asks. See how to wash a dead body.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Israa 17:70
۞ وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍۢ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًۭا ﴿٧٠﴾
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
The human body keeps its honour after death.
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:286
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿٢٨٦﴾
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
Only what is possible is required.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3207
Graded sahih... كسر عظم الميت ككسره حيا ...
"Breaking a dead person's bone is like breaking it while he is alive."
The body must be handled gently.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, Bab al-Jana'iz, section on washing. Most of the body, or half with the head, is washed and prayed over.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the jana'iz, section on washing. A body that would disintegrate is given water without rubbing, or tayammum.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Jana'iz, praying over a part of the body. The Shafi'i ruling on any part found.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.