Ruling on funeral and burial of a woman who drowned and died in a flood:*
Ruling on funeral and burial of a woman who drowned and died in a flood
Question: A woman drowned in a flood and her body was found without any clothes, and there were no signs to indicate whether she was a Muslim or a non-Muslim. What is the ruling on her burial and funeral prayer?
Answer: In the situation described, if there are no signs to indicate that she was a Muslim, she should be washed and buried without following the usual funeral procedures. However, if there is some indication that suggests she was a Muslim, the funeral prayer should be performed and she should be buried in a Muslim graveyard.
(Jami'-ul-Fatawa, Volume: 5, Page: 277).