440 – ʿĀʾishah (Allah be pleased with her) reported: “When the Prophet ﷺ passed away, he was covered with a striped Yemeni cloak of ḥibrah.” Agreed upon (1).

Glossary of terms
– sujjiya (passive verb, with ḍammah on the sīn and a jīm beneath it): means “he was covered.”
– burd (with ḍammah on the bāʾ, a sukūn on the rāʾ, followed by a dāl): a cloak marked with decorative stripes; plural: abrād and burud.
– ḥibrah (with kasrah on the ḥāʾ, fatḥah on the bāʾ, fatḥah on the rāʾ, followed by a feminine tāʾ): a cotton or linen garment, striped, manufactured in Yemen. One may say burd ḥabīr or burd ḥibrah, either as an adjective or in an iḍāfah construction; the plurals are ḥubur and ḥuburāt.

Points derived from the ḥadith

1. It is recommended to cover the entire body of the deceased; this is preferable to leaving the face or limbs exposed. After death the human body is deemed ʿawrah (something that must be concealed). Hence it is commendable to veil it before burial by shrouding it in a way that hides its private parts. Allah, Exalted is He, quotes the son of Adam as saying: “Woe to me! Could I not even be like this crow and conceal my brother’s naked corpse?” (al-Māʾidah 5:31). The term sawʾah here refers to the carrion.
2. Al-Nawawī stated that this covering (tasjiyah) is unanimously agreed upon. Its wisdom is to protect the deceased from exposure and to shield his appearance—which changes after death—from the sight of onlookers.