Reason behind Washing a Dead Body for Burial and After Sexual Activities

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once ‘Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Masir visited abu Ja’far (a.s.), and said, ‘Tell me why a dead body is given Ghusl (bath) because of carnal activities?’ Abu Ja’far (a.s.), said, ‘I do not want to tell you.’ He then left and thereafter found someone of the followers of the Imam. He said to him, ‘It is very strange of you Shi‘ah people. You consider this man as Divine guardian, obey him even if he asks you to worship him. I asked him a question but he had no answer for it.’ A few days later he visited the Imam again, asked the same question and he (the Imam) said, ‘I do not want to tell you.’ ‘Abd Allah ibn Qays then asked one of his people, ‘Join the Shi‘ah and pretend among them to be one of those who love the Imam. Condemn and denounce me. When it is time to perform Hajj come to me so I pay for your expenses; and then ask them to help you visit him (their Imam) Muhammad ibn Ali. When you are there, then ask him about why a dead person is given Ghusl (bath) because of carnal reasons.’ The man joined the Shi‘ah people until it was time to perform Hajj. During this time, he had observed the religious conditions of these people and had already accepted their belief, but did not tell ibn al-Qays about it for fear of being deprived of performing Hajj. When it was time for Hajj, he went to ibn al-Qays who provided him the expenses for Hajj. When he arrived in al-Madinah, his friends told him to stay behind until they informed the Imam about him and asked him for permission for a meeting. When they went to see abu Ja‘far (a.s.), he asked them, ‘Where is your companion? You have not treated him with fairness.’ They said, ‘We did not know if you agreed to see him or not.’ He then sent someone to bring him for a meeting. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), welcomed him. He (the Imam) asked, ‘How do you feel comparing what you have found with what you had before?’ He replied, ‘O child of the Messenger of Allah, I did not have anything.’ He said, ‘You have spoken the truth. Your worships in those days were easier than what they are today; truth is heavy and Satan is assigned to work hard against our Shi ‘ah but other people themselves work for him. I, however, will tell you about the question of al- Qays al-Masir before even you ask me about it and will leave it for you to decide whether to explain it to him or not. Allah, Most High, has created creative agents. When He decides to create a creature, He commands them (agents) to get something from the soil, which He has mentioned in His book. “From it (soil) We created you and to that soil We return you and take you out of that at another time.” (20:57) Seed is then mixed with that soil from which they are created later after settling in the womb for forty nights. When four months are complete they (agents) ask, “Lord, what do you want to create out of it?” He then commands them to do what He wants to be done as regards the gender of the fetus being white or black. When the spirit comes out from the body, the seed comes out from that person just as it was, regardless of being young or grown up, male or female. For this reason the dead body is washed (just as) it is washed for carnal activities. He said, ‘O child of the Messenger of Allah, I will never tell it to al-Qays al-Masir.’ He said, ‘It is up to you.’”

“Once, a person asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Why does a dying person discharge (semen)?’ He said, ‘It is the seed from which he is created that he throws out.’”

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), has said that a creature does not die until the seed from which it is created comes out through his mouth or his eye.”