Washing and Shrouding the Dead - Section 1

Umm 'Atiya said:

God’s messenger came in where we were when we were washing his daughter and said, “Wash her with water and lotus leaves three or five times, or more than that if you think fit, and put camphor, or some camphor, in the last washing, then inform me when you are finished.” When we had finished we informed him, and he threw us his lower garment saying, “Put it next her body.” A version has, "Wash her an odd number of times, three, or five, or seven, beginning with the right side and the places where ablution is performed.” She said that they braided her hair in three plaits and placed them behind her back. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

عَنْ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ قَالَتْ: دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَحْنُ نُغَسِّلُ ابْنَتَهُ فَقَالَ: اغْسِلْنَهَا ثَلَاثًا أَوْ خَمْسًا أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكِ إِنْ رَأَيْتُنَّ ذَلِكَ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ وَاجْعَلْنَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ كَافُورًا أَوْ شَيْئًا مِنْ كَافُورٍ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتُنَّ فَآذِنَّنِي فَلَمَّا فَرَغْنَا آذناه فَألْقى إِلَيْنَا حقوه وَقَالَ: «أَشْعِرْنَهَا إِيَّاهُ» وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ:

اغْسِلْنَهَا وِتْرًا: ثَلَاثًا أَوْ خَمْسًا أَوْ سَبْعًا وَابْدَأْنَ بِمَيَامِنِهَا وَمَوَاضِعِ الْوُضُوءِ مِنْهَا

. وَقَالَتْ فَضَفَّرْنَا شَعَرَهَا ثَلَاثَةَ قُرُونٍ فألقيناها خلفهَا

'A’isha said that God’s messenger was shrouded in three cotton garments of white Yemeni stuff from Sahul (This is said to have been cither the place where the cloth was woven, or the place from which it was exported), among which was neither a shirt nor a turban. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُفِّنَ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ يَمَانِيَّةٍ بِيضٍ سَحُولِيَّةٍ مِنْ كُرْسُفٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا قَمِيصٌ وَلَا عِمَامَة

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you shrouds his brother he should use a shroud of good quality.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا كَفَّنَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ فليحسن كَفنه» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

‘Abdallah b. 'Abbas said that a man wearing the ihram who was along with the Prophet (ﷺ) was thrown by his she-camel and had his neck broken and died. God's messenger then said, “Wash him with water and lotus leaves, shroud him in his two garments, but do not put any perfume on him or cover his head, for he will be raised on the day of resurrection saying the talbiya.”(The cry of pilgrims! “At Your service (<i>labbaika</i>), O God, at Your service, at Your service; You have no partner:

at Your service; praise and grace are Your, and the dominion ; You have no partner." See Book XI, chap. ii) (Bukharl and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَوَقَصَتْهُ نَاقَتُهُ وَهُوَ مُحْرِمٌ فَمَاتَ ن فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اغْسِلُوهُ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ وَكَفِّنُوهُ فِي ثَوْبَيْهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهُ بِطِيبٍ وَلَا تُخَمِّرُوا رَأْسَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُبْعَثُ يَوْم الْقِيَامَة ملبيا»

Ibn 'Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Wear your white garments, for they are among your best garments, and shroud your dead in them. Among the best types of collyrium you use is antimony (<i>ithmid</i>) for it makes the hair sprout and clears the vision." Abu Da wad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted' up to “shroud your dead in them."

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الْبَسُوا مِنْ ثِيَابِكُمُ الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهَا مَنْ خَيْرِ ثِيَابِكُمْ وَكَفِّنُوا فِيهَا مَوْتَاكُمْ وَمِنْ خَيْرِ أَكْحَالِكُمُ الْإِثْمِدُ فَإِنَّهُ يُنْبِتُ الشّعْر ويجلوا الْبَصَر» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ

'All reported God’s messenger as saying 'Do not be extravagant in shrouding, for it will quickly be decayed." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَغَالَوْا فِي الْكَفَنِ فَإِنَّهُ يُسْلَبُ سَلْبًا سَرِيعًا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

When Abu Sa'id al-Khudri was about to die he called for new clothes and put them on, then said he had heard God’s messenger say, “The dead will be resurrected in the clothes in which he died." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ. دَعَا بِثِيَابٍ جُدُدٍ فَلَبِسَهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم يَقُولُ: «الْمَيِّتُ يُبْعَثُ فِي ثِيَابِهِ الَّتِي يَمُوتُ فِيهَا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God's messenger as saying, “The best shroud is a lower garment and one which covers the whole body, (The Arabic has <i>al-kulla</i>, which means the two garments known as the <i>izar</i> (lower garment) and <i>rida'</i> (a cloak which covers the whole body)) and the best sacrifice is a horned ram." Abu Dawud transmitted it; and Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Abu Umama.

وَعَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «خَيْرُ الْكَفَنِ الْحُلَّةُ وَخَيْرُ الْأُضْحِيَةِ الْكَبْشُ الْأَقْرَنُ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَرَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ

Ibn ‘Abbas said God’s messenger commanded that those killed at Uhud should be stripped of iron and skins and buried in their clothing without having the blood washed off. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِقَتْلَى أُحُدٍ أَنْ ينْزع عَنْهُم الْحَدِيدُ وَالْجُلُودُ وَأَنْ يُدْفَنُوا بِدِمَائِهِمْ وَثِيَابِهِمْ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

Sa'd b. Ibrahim told on his father’s authority that ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf was brought food when he was fasting and said, “Mus'ab b. ‘Umair who was better than I am was killed and was shrouded in a cloak [which was so short that] if his head was covered his feet appeared and if his feet were covered his head appeared. ([Sa'd] added that he thought he said ‘And Hamza who was better than I am was killed.’) Then we were given such great worldly wealth as we have been given (or, We have been given such worldly goods as we have been given), and I am afraid that my good things have been given me in advance.” He then began to weep and left the food untouched. Bukhari transmitted it.

عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ عَوْفٍ أُتِيَ بِطَعَامٍ وَكَانَ صَائِمًا فَقَالَ: قُتِلَ مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي كُفِّنَ فِي بُرْدَةٍ إِنْ غُطِّيَ رَأْسُهُ بَدَتْ رِجْلَاهُ وَإِنْ غُطِّيَ رِجْلَاهُ بَدَا رَأْسُهُ وَأَرَاهُ قَالَ: وَقُتِلَ حَمْزَةُ وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي ثُمَّ بُسِطَ لَنَا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَا بُسِطَ أَوْ قَالَ: أُعْطِينَا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَا أُعْطِينَا وَلَقَدْ خَشِينَا أَنْ تَكُونَ حَسَنَاتُنَا عُجِّلَتْ لَنَا ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَبْكِي حَتَّى تَرَكَ الطَّعَامَ. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Jabir said that God’s messenger came to ‘Abdallah b. Ubayy after he had been placed in his grave and ordered him to be taken out. He then placed him on his knees, blew some of his saliva into him, and clothed him with his shirt. He said that he had clothed ‘Abbas with a shirt. ( i.e.. Jabir said the Prophet (ﷺ) had clothed ‘Abbas with a shirt) (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُبَيٍّ بَعْدَمَا أُدْخِلَ حُفْرَتَهُ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَاخْرُج فَوَضعه على رُكْبَتَيْهِ ن فَنَفَثَ فِيهِ مِنْ رِيقِهِ وَأَلْبَسَهُ قَمِيصَهُ قَالَ: وَكَانَ كسا عباسا قَمِيصًا الْمَشْي بالجنازة وَالصَّلَاة عَلَيْهَا