No woman may wear mourning clothes for any relative for more than three days. The only exception is her husband for whom she may be in mourning dress throughout her mourning period, which lasts four months and ten days, unless she is pregnant when it lasts until her delivery. Preparing for burial starts with washing the deceased which is a duty incumbent upon the Muslim community. If some of them fulfill it, the others are released of their duty. If none of them washes the body of a deceased Muslim, all of them incur a sin.
Washing is with water.
It is sufficient to wash the deceased once, but is more preferable to wash his or her body three times with soap and water. If any impurity has fallen on the body of the deceased, it should be removed first. Only those who are needed for the washing should attend and they do not publicize any secret they may find out. The deceased should be undressed but his private parts should remain covered during washing. When the washing is finished, the body is dried with a clean dress or cloth other than his wrappers.