AL-GHARS WELL
The well that washed the Prophet ﷺ after his death.
The Water of Farewell
When the Prophet ﷺ breathed his last, in Medina, on Monday, 12 Rabi' al-Awwal of the year 11 of the Hijrah, his family had to perform the funeral ritual: washing the blessed body before burial.
According to the tradition reported by classical chroniclers, the water used for the funeral ghusl of the Prophet ﷺ came from Al-Ghars Well. (Ibn Sa'd · Tabaqat al-Kubra · As-Samhudi · Wafa' al-Wafa)
The Prophetic Saying about this Well
A reported tradition mentions that the Prophet ﷺ said: "In Paradise, there is a spring from the springs of Al-Ghars." Or according to another version: "When I die, wash me with seven skins of water from Al-Ghars Well." (At-Tabarani · Ibn Sa'd)
These hadiths are reported but with chains that are sometimes weak. The tradition of the water from Al-Ghars for the washing of the Prophet ﷺ is nevertheless widely attested by the memory of the people of Medina.
The Well Today
Al-Ghars Well still exists in the south of Medina. It is partially preserved by the Saudi authorities as a memorial site. It is one of the wells that learned pilgrims visit to remember the human and mortal dimension of the Prophet ﷺ — who died like any man and was washed with ordinary well water.