QUESTION ❓
Assalamu Alaikum. My question is: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, how was his body washed? Was the funeral prayer performed for him? Some people also say that he was buried in the clothes he was wearing when he died. Is this claim authentic?
ANSWER
❗️
Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi
wa Barakatuh.
The death of the Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him) was a profoundly sorrowful event for the
Muslim community. The Companions took responsibility for preparing his body for
burial, and the historical accounts describe how he was washed, shrouded,
prayed over, and buried.
The following explains what is
reported about these events, distinguishing the authentic hadith concerning his
shroud from the historical accounts concerning the details of his funeral.
1.
When Did the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) Pass Away?
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) passed away in Madinah in the 11th year after the
Hijrah, at approximately 63 years of age.
His death is commonly dated to
Monday, 12 Rabiʿ al-Awwal, 11 AH, although scholars have differed over the
precise date. Therefore, the exact Gregorian equivalent should not be presented
as undisputed.
2.
How Was the Prophet's Body Washed?
Historical accounts report that the
Companions initially differed over whether they should remove the Prophet's
clothes before washing him or wash him while his clothes remained on.
The accounts state that they were
then directed to wash him with his clothes on. Consequently, his body was
washed without removing his clothing in the manner ordinarily followed when
washing a deceased person.
Those reported to have participated
in preparing him included Ali ibn Abi Talib, his uncle al-Abbas ibn Abd
al-Muttalib, al-Abbas's sons al-Fadl and Qutham, Usamah ibn Zayd, and Shuqran,
who had served the Prophet.
These details are reported in
historical and biographical works about the Prophet's life. They should be
distinguished from the well-established hadith concerning the three white
garments used for his shroud.
3.
Was He Buried in the Clothes He Was Wearing?
No. The authentic hadith establishes
that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was shrouded in
three white garments made of cotton from Sahul, a place associated with Yemeni
cloth.
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with
her) narrated:
Arabic:
«كُفِّنَ
رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ بِيضٍ سَحُولِيَّةٍ مِنْ كُرْسُفٍ،
لَيْسَ فِيهَا قَمِيصٌ وَلَا عِمَامَةٌ»
Transliteration:
Kuffina Rasūlullāhi ﷺ fī thalāthati athwābin bīḍin saḥūliyyatin
min kursufin, laysa fīhā qamīṣun wa lā ʿimāmah.
English translation:
“The Messenger of Allah was shrouded
in three white cotton garments from Sahul, among which there was neither a
shirt nor a turban.”
References:
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 941a.
This authentic narration clarifies
the matter: although his body was washed while his clothes remained on, he was
subsequently shrouded in three white garments. Therefore, it is inaccurate to
say that he was buried simply in the clothes he had been wearing at the time of
his death.
4.
Was the Funeral Prayer Performed for the Prophet?
Yes. Accounts preserved by Muslim
scholars report that the Companions performed the funeral prayer for the
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
However, the manner in which the
prayer was performed was unusual compared with an ordinary congregational
funeral prayer.
According to these historical
reports, people entered in groups and prayed for him without a single imam
leading the entire congregation. Men prayed first, followed by women and
children, according to the commonly reported account.
The absence of a single imam in this
particular event should not be interpreted as evidence that the funeral prayer
was omitted.
Scholars discuss the details and
interpretation of these reports in works on the Prophet's biography and Islamic
jurisprudence. <Cite
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5.
Where Was the Prophet Buried?
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) was buried in the room of Aishah (may Allah be pleased
with her), where he had passed away. That room later became part of the area
associated with the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.
The burial location is also
connected with the well-known principle reported in the hadith that prophets
are buried where they die. The details of the burial are discussed in the
historical accounts of his final days.
Conclusion
The principal points are as follows:
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
passed away in Madinah in 11 AH.
- Historical accounts report that he was washed while his
clothes remained on his body.
- He was subsequently shrouded in three white cotton
garments, as established in authentic hadith.
- Reports in the Islamic historical tradition state that
the Companions performed his funeral prayer in groups without one imam
leading everyone.
- He was buried in the room of Aishah (may Allah be
pleased with her), where he had passed away.
The claim that he was buried in the
clothes he was wearing at death is therefore misleading: the authentic hadith
explicitly describes his three-piece white shroud.
May Allah grant us a deeper
understanding of the life of His Messenger, increase our love for him, and
enable us to follow his authentic Sunnah.
Wallāhu Taʿālā Aʿlam — And Allah
knows best.
Zauren Fatawoyi Bisa Alƙur’ani da Sunnah
ﺳُﺒﺤَﺎﻧَﻚَ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﻭَﺑِﺤَﻤْﺪِﻙَ ﺃﺷْﻬَﺪُ ﺃﻥ ﻟَﺎ ﺇِﻟَﻪَ ﺇِﻻَّ ﺃﻧْﺖَ ﺃﺳْﺘَﻐْﻔِﺮُﻙَ ﻭﺃَﺗُﻮﺏُ ﺇِﻟَﻴْﻚ
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