Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Badat
Question:
Is it permissible to view the deceased’s face after the washing and shrouding prior to the burial?
Answer:
In the Name of God, Most Merciful, Most Kind
Jazak Allah Khayr/ Thank you for your question.
It is mubah (islamicaly allowed) to view the deceased’s face prior to the burial. However there is no Islamic merit to this act. If viewing does take place, it should be brief and preferably only close family members, relatives and friends that fall under the Islamic protocol of upright gender interaction and maḥram rules. (See: Fatḥ Al-Bari)
Unnecessary delaying the deceased’s burial is also against the Islamic injunctions.
In Canada, leaving the body out of the mortuary can also lead to unpleasant occurrences.
The Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings upon him) kissed the face of his deceased Companion, ʿOthman Ibn Maʾdhun (See: Sunan Abi Dawud)
Jabir (may God be pleased with him) viewed his deceased’s father’s face in the presence of the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him). (See: Sahih Bukhari)
Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with him) viewed and kissed the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings upon him) when he passed away. (See: Sahih Bukhari)
“Hurry up with the dead body [for its burial].” (Sahih Bukhari)
“When any one of you die, do not keep them with you rather hasten them to their grave.” (Mishkat Al-Masabiḥ)
And Allah Knows Best.
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