Chapter: His Washing, Shrouding, and Burial

Ibn Isḥāq said: Yḥyā ibn ʿAbbād ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to me from his father, who heard ʿĀʾishah say: “When they resolved to wash the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, they said, ‘By Allah, we do not know whether we should remove the Messenger of Allah’s clothes or wash him while he is dressed.’ While they were debating, Allah caused them all to fall asleep—every man’s chin dropped onto his chest. Then a voice spoke to them from a corner of the house, and they did not know who it was: ‘Wash the Prophet while his clothes remain on him.’ They therefore washed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with his shirt still on. They poured water over the shirt and rubbed him from the outside, without touching him directly with their hands. ʿĀʾishah would later say, ‘If I had known then what I know now, only his wives would have washed him.’ This report is sound, and Abū Dāwūd recorded it.

Abū Muʿāwiyah said: Burayd ibn ʿAbd Allāh Abū Burdah narrated to us from ʿAlqamah ibn Mirthad, from Sulaymān ibn Buraydah, from his father, who said: “When they began washing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, a caller from inside exclaimed, ‘Do not remove the Prophet’s shirt.’”

Ibn Fuḍayl narrated from Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥārith, who said: “ʿAlī washed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while the Prophet was wearing his shirt. ʿAlī had a cloth wrapped around his hand with which he washed him; he would insert his hand beneath the shirt and wash him while the shirt remained on.” This chain is weak.

Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid narrated from al-Shaʿbī that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was washed by ʿAlī.