abdas, noun
/ˈabdas/
- Origin:
- PersianShow more From Persian ābdast ablution before prayer, āb water + dast hand.
In the Cape Muslim community: the ritual washing of a corpse.
1937 Argus in I.D. Du Plessis Cape Malays (1944) 30The ceremonial ablution known as abdas then follows. The body is washed and persistently massaged with hot water until all the limbs are as soft and pliant as those of a living person.
1985 S. Afr. Panorama Jan. 24The death of a Cape Malay is an occasion of profound solemnity...After death follows the ablution ceremony, the abdas.
the ritual washing of a corpse.
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