Washing of Persons of opposite Gender

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who dies and there is no one to give him Ghusl (bath) except women. He (the Imam) said, ‘His wife can give him Ghusl (bath) or a woman of his relatives and other woman can just pour water from behind the cloth.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Who gave Ghusl (bath) to Fatimah, ‘Alayha al- Salam ? He (the Imam) said, ‘That was ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). It seems as if you find it astonishing to hear such words.’ He (the Imam) said to me, ‘It seems you are strained because of what I told you.’ I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, that is true.’ He (the Imam) said to me, ‘You must not be stressed out; she was a truthful one and no one other than a truthful one could give her Ghusl (bath). Consider the case of Maryam (Mary) who was given Ghusl (bath) by no one other than Jesus (a.s.) .’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what do you say about the case of a woman who dies during a journey in the company of men among whom there is no one of her relatives or other woman. What they must do?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Only those parts of her body are washed which Allah has made obligatory to be used for Tayammum. She is not touched and neither anything of her beauty which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has covered must be exposed.’ I then asked, ‘What they must do?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Only her palms, face and the backs of her hands are washed.’”