Should the martyred Mujahid be washed and shrouded, or buried in his clothes?
If a martyr dies in battle, he is not to be washed or shrouded. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars, based on the hadith of Jabir that the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded the burial of the martyrs of Uhud with their blood, and he did not wash them, so that the mark of martyrdom would remain upon them. If the martyr was in a state of ritual impurity (junub), he is not to be washed; there is no difference between one who is ritually impure and one who is not, for martyrdom expiates everything. As for what was mentioned about Abdullah ibn Handhalah, that the angels washed him, there is no proof in it for the permissibility of his being washed by humans, because human rulings are not to be analogized to the rulings pertaining to angels. What happened to him was a matter of divine grace (karamah).
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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