Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 1350
sahih

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to `Abdullah bin Ubai (a hypocrite) after his death and he has been laid in his pit (grave). He ordered (that he be taken out of the grave) and he was taken out. Then he placed him on his knees and threw some of his saliva on him and clothed him in his (the Prophet's) own shirt. Allah knows better (why he did so). `Abdullah bin Ubai had given his shirt to Al-Abbas to wear. Abu Harun said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) at that time had two shirts and the son of `Abdullah bin Ubai said to him, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! Clothe my father in your shirt which has been in contact with your skin.' ' Sufyan added, "Thus people think that the Prophet (ﷺ) clothed `Abdullah bin Tubal in his shirt in lieu of what he (Abdullah) had done (for Al `Abbas, the Prophet's uncle.)"

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ عَمْرٌو سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَتَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُبَىٍّ بَعْدَ مَا أُدْخِلَ حُفْرَتَهُ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ، فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَنَفَثَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ رِيقِهِ، وَأَلْبَسَهُ قَمِيصَهُ، فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، وَكَانَ كَسَا عَبَّاسًا قَمِيصًا‏.‏ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَقَالَ أَبُو هَارُونَ وَكَانَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَمِيصَانِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَلْبِسْ أَبِي قَمِيصَكَ الَّذِي يَلِي جِلْدَكَ‏.‏ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ فَيُرَوْنَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَلْبَسَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ قَمِيصَهُ مُكَافَأَةً لِمَا صَنَعَ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 23, Hadith 104
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 2, Book 23, Hadith 433 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool was the chief of the hypocrites in al-Madeenah, and he would harborenmity against the Prophetﷺand the Muslims. However, that did not prevent the Prophetﷺfrom rewarding him for some matters. In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ʿAbdullah (may Allah be pleased withboth of them) reports that the Prophet ﷺordered for ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy, after he had been buried, to be exhumed from his grave. Then heﷺ sat him up on his two knees, dressed him in one of his ﷺgarments, and blew some of his saliva on him. Jaabir ibn ʿAbdullah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) then says: ‘Allah knows best as to why the Messenger of Allahﷺ had dressed him in his garment. So, either, he ﷺ did that because Ibn Salool was a hypocrite who had clothed al-Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) - who was the paternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ -with a garment when he was taken as a prisoner on the day of Badr. So, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him a garment in place of it; lest it remain that he ﷺ would be obliged to owe a disbeliever a favor. With this [in mind], Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah - the narrator of the hadeeth - told that they thought it more likely that the Prophet ﷺ dressed ʿAbdullah in his garment, as a requital for him for when he clothed al-Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) with his own garment. [Or] perhaps he ﷺ did that because ʿAbdullah, the son of ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy was a good Muslim; and had requested of the Prophet ﷺ to clothe his dead father with his garment, which had touched his ﷺ skin; so that it would be a mercy for his father. The Prophet ﷺ granted his request in honor of him. And the Prophet ﷺ did this before the [following ayah] was revealed by Allah, The Almighty, [as] He says: {And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.} [Quran 9:84]. In Saheehal-Bukhaaree and Muslim, it is reported that this ayah with this prohibition was revealed after the Prophet ﷺprayed over ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy. It is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree says: On the authority of Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that when ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy passed away, his son came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Please give your garment to shroud him in it, offer his funeral prayer, and ask for Allah’s forgiveness for him.’ Then, the Prophet ﷺ gave him his garment, and said: ‘Inform me when to prayer for him [i.e., the funeral prayer].’ Later, he informed him ﷺ, and when The Prophet ﷺ intended to pray for him, ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) took him by the hand and said: ‘Has Allah not forbid you to pray for the hypocrites?’ To which, he ﷺ responded: ‘I have two choices [i.e., either to ask for forgiveness or not], and Allah says: {Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muḥammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times - never will Allah forgive them.} [Quran 9:80].Then he ﷺ performed the funeral prayer over him, and [the following ayah] was revealed afterwards: {And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.} [Quran 9:84]. From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights the permissibility of exhuming the deceased [from their graves] after they have been buried, for a legitimate reason. It also shows the permissibility of shrouding the deceased in a garment (Qamees). .
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