The Book of Funerals

Ishaq informed us: Sulayman ibn Harb informed us: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Humayd ibn Hilal, from Anas, that the Messenger of Allah announced the deaths of Zayd and Ja‘far before news of them arrived. He announced their deaths while his eyes were shedding tears.

Abu Dawud narrated to us: Ya‘qub narrated to us: My father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Abu Salamah and Ibn al-Musayyab told me that Abu Hurayrah informed them that the Messenger of Allah announced to them the death of the Negus of Abyssinia on the very day he died, and said: ‘Ask forgiveness for your brother.’

‘Ubaydullah ibn Fadalah ibn Ibrahim narrated to us: ‘Abdullah—meaning Ibn Yazid al-Muqri’—narrated to us. [A change of chain:] Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Muqri’ informed us: My father narrated to us, saying: Sa‘id told me, from Rabi‘ah ibn Sayf al-Ma‘afiri, from Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, who said: We were traveling with the Messenger of Allah when he noticed a woman. She did not think he recognized her. When he reached the middle of the road, he stopped until she came to him, and it was Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. He said to her: ‘What has brought you out of your house, Fatimah?’ She said: ‘I came to the family of this deceased person, prayed for mercy for them, and consoled them over their dead.’ He said: ‘Did you perhaps go with them as far as al-Kuda?’ She said: ‘Allah forbid that I should have gone there; I heard what you have said about that.’ He said to her: ‘Had you gone there with them, you would not see Paradise until your father’s grandfather saw it.’ Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman said: ‘Rabi‘ah is weak.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Ayyub, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, that Umm ‘Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah said: The Messenger of Allah came to us when his daughter had died and said: ‘Wash her three or five times—or more, if you think that is needed—with water and lote leaves. Put camphor, or some camphor, in the final wash. When you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, we informed him. He gave us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her in it as her inner garment.’

Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: al-Layth narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Abu al-Hasan, the client of Umm Qays bint Mihsan, from Umm Qays, who said: My son died, and I was distraught over him. I said to the person washing him: ‘Do not wash my son with cold water and kill him!’ ‘Ukashah ibn Mihsan went to the Messenger of Allah and told him what she had said. He smiled and said: ‘What she said! May her life be long.’ We know of no woman who lived as long as she did.

Yusuf ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Hajjaj narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ayyub said: I heard Hafsah say: Umm ‘Atiyyah told us that they arranged the hair of the Prophet’s daughter in three braids. I asked: ‘Did they undo her hair and then make it into three braids?’ She said: ‘Yes.’

‘Amr ibn Mansur narrated to us: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal narrated to us: Isma‘il narrated to us, from Khalid, from Hafsah, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, that the Messenger of Allah said regarding the washing of his daughter: ‘Begin with her right side and the parts of her body washed in wudu.’

‘Amr ibn ‘Ali narrated to us, saying: Yahya narrated to us, saying: Hisham narrated to us, saying: Hafsah narrated to us, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: One of the daughters of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and he sent word to us, saying: ‘Wash her with water and lote leaves, and wash her an odd number of times—three, five, or seven, as you think appropriate. Put some camphor in the final wash, and when you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, we informed him. He handed us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’ We combed her hair into three braids and placed them behind her.

Isma‘il ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us, from Yazid, who said: Ayyub narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came in to us while we were washing his daughter. He said: ‘Wash her three or five times, or more than that if you think it appropriate, with water and lote leaves. Put camphor—or some camphor—in the final wash. When you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, we informed him. He handed us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Hammad narrated to us, saying: Ayyub narrated to us, from Muhammad, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: One of the daughters of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and he sent word to us, saying: ‘Wash her three or five times, or more than that if you think it appropriate, with water and lote leaves. Put camphor—or some camphor—in the final wash. When you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, we informed him. He handed us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Hammad narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Hafsah, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, with a report similar to the preceding one, except that he said: ‘Three, five, or seven times, or more than that if you think it appropriate.’

Isma‘il ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us, saying: Bishr narrated to us, from Salamah ibn ‘Alqamah, from Muhammad, from one of his brothers, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: A daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and he instructed us to wash her. He said: ‘Wash her three, five, or seven times, or more than that if you think it appropriate.’ She said: I asked, ‘An odd number?’ He said: ‘Yes. Put camphor—or some camphor—in the final wash, and when you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, we informed him, and he gave us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’

‘Amr ibn Zurarah narrated to us, saying: Isma‘il narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Muhammad, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to us while we were washing his daughter. He said: ‘Wash her three or five times, or more than that if you think it appropriate, with water and lote leaves. Put camphor—or some camphor—in the final wash, and when you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, we informed him. He handed us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’ The narrator said—or Hafsah said: ‘Wash her three, five, or seven times.’ The narrator said: Umm ‘Atiyyah said: ‘We combed her hair into three braids.’

Muhammad ibn Mansur narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, saying: Ayyub narrated to us, from Muhammad, who said: Hafsah informed me, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: ‘We arranged her hair in three braids.’

Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us, saying: Hammad narrated to us, from Ayyub. Hafsah said, from Umm ‘Atiyyah: ‘We arranged her hair in three braids.’

Yusuf ibn Sa‘id narrated to us, saying: Hajjaj narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ayyub ibn Abi Tamimah informed me that he heard Muhammad ibn Sirin say: Umm ‘Atiyyah was a woman from among the Ansar. She had come in haste to reach one of her sons but did not reach him. She related to us, saying: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came in to us while we were washing his daughter. He said: ‘Wash her three or five times, or more than that if you think it appropriate, with water and lote leaves. Put camphor—or some camphor—in the final wash, and when you have finished, let me know.’ When we had finished, he handed us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’ He did not add anything further. The narrator said: ‘I do not know which of his daughters it was.’ I asked: ‘What did he mean by, “Wrap her with it against her skin”? Is she to be wrapped in it like an izar?’ He replied: ‘I think he meant only that she be wrapped in it.’

Shu‘ayb ibn Yusuf al-Nasa’i narrated to us, saying: Yazid narrated to us, saying: Ibn ‘Awn narrated to us, from Muhammad, from Umm ‘Atiyyah, who said: One of the daughters of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and he said: ‘Wash her three or five times, or more than that if you think it appropriate. Wash her with lote leaves and water, and put camphor—or some camphor—in the final wash. When you have finished, let me know.’ She said: We informed him, and he handed us his waist-wrapper and said: ‘Wrap her with it against her skin.’

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid al-Raqqi al-Qattan and Yusuf ibn Sa‘id narrated to us—and this is Yusuf’s wording. He said: Hajjaj informed us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Jabir say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered a sermon and mentioned a man among his Companions who had died. He had been buried at night and shrouded in an inadequate shroud. The Messenger of Allah rebuked burying anyone at night unless necessity compelled it. The Messenger of Allah also said: ‘When one of you takes charge of preparing his brother, let him make his shroud good.’

‘Amr ibn ‘Ali narrated to us, saying: Yahya ibn Sa‘id informed us, saying: I heard Sa‘id ibn Abi ‘Arubah narrating from Ayyub, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu al-Muhallab, from Samurah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: ‘Wear white garments, for they are purer and better, and shroud your dead in them.’

Ishaq narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd al-Razzaq informed us, saying: Ma‘mar narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from ‘Urwah, from ‘A’ishah, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was shrouded in three white Suhuli garments.