Putting plastic over the shroud to stop a foul odour

Question 90004

We work for a charity that washes the dead, and sometimes there come to us bodies of people who have been dead for several days so they have started to rot, or sometimes they have cuts because of accidents, and there is a lot of blood. So we wrap some plastic over part of the shroud that is next to the body of the deceased, then we put the rest of the shroud after that. That is so as to avoid the distress that is caused to people because of the blood and smell coming from the body. Is this permissible under the heading of warding off harm from people and mosques?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

There is nothing wrong with putting plastic over the shroud, to stop blood and unpleasant smells coming out. But if perfume is enough to stop the unpleasant smell, then you should stick to using that.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Some of those who wash the dead put a plastic bag over the one who has died in a car accident so that the blood will not come out onto the shroud.

He replied:

There is nothing wrong with putting something over the wound to seal it. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (13/128).

And Allaah knows best.

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Putting plastic over the shroud to stop a foul odour

Question 90004

Answer