Is there any religious evidence for preventing a wife from seeing her deceased husband's body, based on a widespread custom among Hanafis in India?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A woman is permitted to see the body of her deceased husband, and she is even allowed to wash him as long as she is within her (waiting period). However, if her iddah ends, for instance, by giving birth, then she is not permitted to do so. Wailing over the deceased is forbidden. As for a woman seeing her maharim (unmarriageable kin), this has no connection to her husband's death; she is allowed to see them, shake their hands, and converse with them. This has no relation to the superstitions and ignorance of the common people.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/19288
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 19288
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy