It had belonged to Saʿd ibn Khaythamah, and the Messenger of Allah used to drink from it. ʿAlī undertook the washing while al-Faḍl held him to his chest (1), and al-ʿAbbās poured the water. Al-Faḍl kept saying, “Give me a moment—my very lifeline is being cut; I feel something weighing heavily upon me.” (2)

Al-Wāqidī said: ʿĀṣim ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥakamī narrated to us, from ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥakam, who said that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) declared, “How excellent is the well of Ghars! It is one of the springs of Paradise, and its water is the finest of waters.” The Prophet used to have sweet water fetched for him from it, and he was washed with water drawn from that well.

Sayf ibn ʿUmar reported from Muḥammad ibn ʿAwn, from ʿIkrimah, from Ibn ʿAbbās: When the grave had been prepared and the people had performed the Ẓuhr prayer, al-ʿAbbās began to wash the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Inside the house he hung around him a curtain of thick Yemeni cloth, went in, and called for ʿAlī and al-Faḍl. Whenever he needed to pass them water he would summon Abū Sufyān ibn al-Ḥārith and bring him inside, while some men of Banū Hāshim stood behind the curtain. Of the Anṣār, the only person admitted—after they had pleaded with my father—was Aws ibn Khawlī, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Sayf further related, through al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Yarbuʿ al-Ḥanafī, from Māhān al-Ḥanafī, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that a curtain was hung and al-ʿAbbās brought inside it ʿAlī, al-Faḍl, Abū Sufyān and Usāmah, while men of Banū Hāshim remained behind the curtain inside the house. Drowsiness overcame them and they heard a voice saying, “Do not wash the Messenger of Allah, for he is already pure.” Al-ʿAbbās replied, “Indeed we shall.” The people of the household said, “He has spoken the truth, so do not wash him.” Al-ʿAbbās said, “We will not abandon a Sunnah for the sake of a voice whose source we do not know.” Sleep overtook them again (3) and they heard, “Wash him while his clothes are on.” The household said, “Certainly not,” but al-ʿAbbās insisted, “Indeed, yes!” They therefore began washing him while he wore a shirt and an open-front garment (migwal) (4). He was washed with plain water, perfumed with camphor at the places of his prostration and his joints, his shirt and migwal were wrung out, and then he was wrapped in his shrouds. They perfumed him with aloeswood and ambergris, carried him, placed him on his bier, and covered him. This version is exceedingly unusual.

[Description of his shroud]

Imām Aḥmad (5) said: al-Walīd ibn Muslim narrated to us; al-Awzāʿī narrated to us; al-Zuhrī told me, from al-Qāsim, from ʿĀʾishah, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was wrapped in a hibrah garment, after which it was removed from him.” Al-Qāsim added, “The remnants of that cloth are still with us.”