Purity: Recommended Actions After Death

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani

Ruling 529:

After someone has died, it is recommended to close his lips, eyes, and mouth, straighten his hands and legs, and cover him with a piece of cloth. If someone dies at night, [it is recommended] to keep the place where he died lighted, inform the believers about the funeral, and hasten in burying his body. However, if his death is not certain, people must wait until it is certain. If the deceased is a pregnant woman and the child in her womb is alive, the burial must be delayed so that the woman’s stomach can be cut open, the baby removed, and the woman’s stomach stitched up.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Purification (Taharah)