Fatwa: 971

Category: fatwas about funerals

Receiving payment for washing a dead person

The question:

Is it permissible to receive payment for washing a dead person?

The answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

It is permissible to receive payment for washing a dead person, for bearing him and digging his tomb…etc, because these acts of worship have a conceivable meaning. They are valid even if their author does not have the intention to get nearer to Allah through them. In fact, the intention of getting nearer to Allah is a condition to obtain Allah’s reward, but it is not a condition for the validity of the act of the worship.

However, it is better to carry out these acts by way of benevolence, in order to get closer to Allah تعالى and to obtain reward and recompense, if this is possible of course.

If the person who takes charge of these acts is one of the relatives, and he is a needy one, he can receive payment commensurate with his action. I think that he will be rewarded by Allah تعالى.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers Al-Muharram 8^th, 1430 H
Corresponding to January 5^th, 2009