The Book of Prayer - Funerals — Hadith 2072

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَحَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَطَبَ يَوْمًا فَذَكَرَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ قُبِضَ فَكُفِّنَ فِي كَفَنٍ غَيْرِ طَائِلٍ وَقُبِرَ لَيْلاً فَزَجَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يُقْبَرَ الرَّجُلُ بِاللَّيْلِ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُضْطَرَّ إِنْسَانٌ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِذَا كَفَّنَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَخَاهُ فَلْيُحَسِّنْ كَفَنَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) one day in the course of his sermon made mention of a person among his Companions who had died and had been wrapped in a shroud not long (enough to cover his whole body) and was buried during the night. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) reprimanded (the audience) that a person was buried during the night (in a state that) funeral prayer could not be offered (over him by the Messenger of Allah). (And this is permissible only) when it becomes a dire necessity for a man. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) also said: When any one of you shrouds his brother, he should shroud him well.