Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
527. If a person touches a human dead body which has become cold and
has not yet been given Ghusl (i.e. brings any part of his own body in contact
with it) he should do Ghusl regardless of whether he touched it while asleep or
awake, voluntarily or otherwise. Ghusl will also be wajib if his nail or bone
touches the nail or bone of the dead body. However, Ghusl is not obligatory if
one touches a dead animal.
528. If a person touches a dead body which has not become entirely
cold, Ghusl will not be wajib, even if the part touched has become cold.
529. If a person brings his hair in contact with the body of a dead
person, or if his body touches the hair of the dead person, or if his hair
touches the hair of the dead person, Ghusl will not become obligatory.
530. If a person touches a dead child or a foetus in which life has
entered, then Ghusl for touching it will be obligatory. Hence, if a still-born
child whose body has become cold, comes in contact with the outer part of its
mother's body, the mother should do Ghusl for touching the dead body. In fact,
as an obligatory precaution, she should do Ghusl even if the child has not
touched the outer part of her body.
531. A child who is born after its mother has died, and her body has
become cold, and if it touches any outer part of mother's dead body, it should
do Ghusl on attaining the age of puberty. In fact, it should do Ghusl, as a
precaution, even if it did not touch the mother's body.
532. If a person touches a dead body after it has been given three
obligatory Ghusls, Ghusl for touching will not be wajib. However, if he touches
any part of the dead body before the completion of 3 Ghusls he should do Ghusl
for touching the dead body, even if the 3rd Ghusl of that part which he has
touched may have been done.
533. If an insane person or a minor touches a dead body, the insane
person would do Ghusl when he becomes sane, and similarly the minor child would
do Ghusl when he attains the age of puberty.
534. If a part is separated from a living person, or from a dead body
which has not yet been given Ghusls, and a person touches that separated part he
does not have to do any Ghusl even if that separated part contains bones.
535. It is not obligatory to do Ghusl for touching a separated bone
which has not been given Ghusl, whether it has been separated from a dead body
or a living person. The same rule applies to touching the teeth which have been
separated form a dead body or a living person.
536. The method of doing Ghusl for touching the dead body is the same
as of Ghusl for Janabat. However, for a person who has done Ghusl for touching a
dead body, the recommended precaution is that he should perform Wudhu if he
wants to pray.
537. One Ghusl is sufficient for one who touches several corpses or
touches the same corpse a number of times.
538. A person who has not done Ghusl after touching a dead body is not
prohibited from halting or pausing in a masjid or from having sexual intercourse
with his wife, or from reciting the verses of the holy Qur'an which have
obligatory Sajdah. However, he should do Ghusl for offering prayers or for other
similar acts of worship.