she is to be dressed in a shirt and covered, just as she does during her life, and no perfume should be brought near her (10); for it is forbidden for her during her life, and it is the same after her death.

383 - Issue: He said: (And if something falls off the deceased, it shall be washed and placed with him in his shrouds).

The collective meaning is that if something separates from the deceased and is present, it shall be washed and placed with him in his shrouds. This was stated by Ibn Sirin, and we know of no disagreement regarding it. It has been narrated from Asma' that she washed her son and was removing [his] limbs; whenever she washed a limb, she would perfume it and place it in his shroud (1). This is because in doing so, one gathers the parts of the deceased in one place, which is better than scattering them.

Section: If only a part of the deceased is found, the madhhab (school of thought) is that it should be washed and the funeral prayer should be performed over it. This is the opinion of al-Shafi'i. Ibn Mansur reported from Ahmad that the funeral prayer is not performed over detached limbs. Al-Khallal said: Perhaps this is an early opinion of Abu Abd Allah [Ahmad], but the established view of Abu Abd Allah is that the funeral prayer is performed over the limbs. Abu Hanifa and Malik said: If the majority is found, the prayer is performed over it; otherwise, it is not. This is because it is a part that does not exceed half, so the prayer is not performed over it, similar to what separates from a person during their life, such as hair or nails. Our evidence is the consensus of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Ahmad said: Abu Ayyub prayed over a foot, Umar prayed over some bones in the Levant (al-Sham), and Abu Ubaydah prayed over some heads in the Levant. Both were narrated by Abdullah ibn Ahmad with his chain of transmission. Al-Shafi'i said: A bird dropped a hand in Mecca from the Battle of the Camel, and it was identified by its ring. It was the hand of Abd al-Rahman ibn Attab ibn Asid, and the people of Mecca prayed over it (2). This took place in the presence of the Companions, and we do not know of any Companion who opposed this, and because it is a part of a whole upon which prayer is obligatory, so prayer is performed over it, like the majority [of the body]. It differs from what separates during life, because that is from a whole over which no prayer is performed, and hair and nails have no life in them.