Doctor in KP Bathes COVID-19 Victim & Leads Funeral Prayers After Everyone Backs Out

A doctor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Dr. Hafiz Sanaullah, is being hailed as a hero after he bathed a coronavirus patient’s body, led his funeral prayers and burial after religious leaders refused to do so.

In Muslim societies, the responsibility of bathing (Islamic ritual of ghusl) a dead body and leading his funeral prayers lies with religious clerics, but in this case, no one agreed to even come close to the body due to the fear of the virus.

Dr. Sanaullah is treating COVID-19 patients at a government-run hospital in Besham, Shangla district of KP. According to him, the hospital management approached a local cleric for his funeral proceedings, he refused, suggesting the doctor should do that himself.

Dr. Sanaullah said that the patient had come from a far-flung area for treatment. Unfortunately, the person lost the battle, and that he had no choice but to perform his last rituals.

To a question, Dr. Sanaullah said that being a hafiz, he was aware of the procedure, so it wasn’t a problem.

I led the funeral prayers and was joined by local paramedics as well as hospital staffers.

He highlighted that he had attended a UNICEF workshop in the past so he was aware of how to perform the last rites of an infected person.

“After bathing it, I wrapped the body in a plastic sheet and placed it in the coffin, Dr. Sana said,” adding that Dr. Sana said that he himself laid him to the rest.


  • It’s not such a big news. What’s big deal in it if the doctor prays while clerics don’t. As a Muslim person should know these things. It’s not compulsory duty of a cleric to give bath or pray the funeral prayer.

  • “In Muslim societies, the responsibility of bathing (Islamic ritual of ghusl) a dead body and leading his funeral prayers lies with religious clerics”

    Rightly pointed out. No such thing exists in Islam. Any practicing Muslim can perform Nikkah and funeral prayers.

    The restrictions to the contrary (as in quoted sentence) exists only in so-called “Muslim societies”.


  • Get Alerts

    Follow ProPakistani to get latest news and updates.


    ProPakistani Community

    Join the groups below to get latest news and updates.



    >