444 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “When they set out to wash the Messenger of Allah ﷺ they said, ‘By Allah, we do not know whether we should strip the Messenger of Allah as we strip our dead, or not?’ …” The hadith. Narrated by Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd (1).

Hadith grading:
The report is ḥasan.
It was recorded by Abū Dāwūd, Ibn al-Jārūd (1362), and al-Ḥākim (3/61), who said, “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim.” Al-Bayhaqī and Aḥmad also transmitted it with a sound chain, and it has a corroborating narration from Buraydah that both al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī declared authentic.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī said: “Its transmitters are trustworthy; among them is Ibn Isḥāq, the reliable imām.” Al-Sindī likewise judged it authentic, and it is further supported by additional reports.

Vocabulary:
– nujarridu: from the verb jarrada (to strip); tajarrada min thiyābihi means “he removed his clothes,” i.e., uncovered the body.

Points of benefit:
1 – The complete wording in Abū Dāwūd reads: “When they differed, Allah caused them to fall asleep; then a voice spoke to them from the direction of the house—though they did not know who it was—saying, ‘Wash the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while his clothes remain on him.’”
2 – The report indicates that the recommended practice is to undress the deceased before washing him, provided the washing is carried out in a covered place—even if that cover is merely a tent or the like.