Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 943
sahih

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) one day in the course of his sermon made mention of a person among his Companions who had died and had been wrapped in a shroud not long (enough to cover his whole body) and was buried during the night. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reprimanded (the audience) that a person was buried during the night (in a state that) funeral prayer could not be offered (over him by the Messenger of Allah). (And this is permissible only) when it becomes a dire necessity for a man. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also said: When any one of you shrouds his brother, he should shroud him well.

حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَحَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَطَبَ يَوْمًا فَذَكَرَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ قُبِضَ فَكُفِّنَ فِي كَفَنٍ غَيْرِ طَائِلٍ وَقُبِرَ لَيْلاً فَزَجَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يُقْبَرَ الرَّجُلُ بِاللَّيْلِ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُضْطَرَّ إِنْسَانٌ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏ إِذَا كَفَّنَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ فَلْيُحَسِّنْ كَفَنَهُ ‏

‏ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 11, Hadith 63
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 4, Hadith 2058 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The burial of a Muslim is part of the honor granted to him by Allah Almighty. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Ummah how to take care of the dead Muslims, including washing, shrouding, burying, and following the funeral procession, as well as other duties and Sunnah acts. In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to his Companions one day and admonished them. In his sermon, he mentioned a man from among his companions who died and was shrouded in a shroud that was unbelievably bad or not completely concealing; moreover, he was buried and put into his grave at night. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked, prohibited, and banned his Companions from repeating an act like this with their dead brother, given his rights upon them. This includes burial at night. Indeed, a dead person should be buried during the daytime so that a lot of people can offer prayer for him, more than the people who would pray for him at night, or so that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) could offer the prayer for him, which is another reason for those who died during his lifetime. This also means that the burial of a dead person should be delayed until the morning, if it is hoped that those who will bless him will join the prayer. And he clarified to them that burial at night should only occur in the case of necessity, like fearing that the body may decay. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you shrouds his brother, he should make his shrouding good." This is intended to direct, teach, and enjoin excellence in shrouding the dead. Excellence, however, does not mean extravagance or immoderation in choosing the shroud or that it should be expensive. Rather, the intended meaning is that it should be clean, pure, thick, concealing, and of the same type of clothing he mostly wore in his life, neither finer nor lower in quality. In the Hadīth: We are enjoined to use a good shroud, without extravagance or stinginess. And in it: Demonstrating the Prophet's care about the conditions of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) whether they were alive or dead.
Related hadiths6
Compare isnād across 6 related chains →