Chapter on Guiding the Dying, Positioning Them at Death, Procedures for Their Final Moments, Washing Them, and Placing Them in Shrouds

Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 13
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām

Book 1, Chapter 13

Chapter on Guiding the Dying, Positioning Them at Death, Procedures for Their Final Moments, Washing Them, and Placing Them in Shrouds

وَبِهَذَا اَلْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ وَاِبْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلْعِمَامَةُ لِلْمَيِّتِ مِنَ اَلْكَفَنِ هِيَ قَالَ« لاَ إِنَّمَا اَلْكَفَنُ اَلْمَفْرُوضُ ثَلاَثَةُ أَثْوَابٍ أَوْ ثَوْبٌ تَامٌّ لاَ أَقَلَّ مِنْهُ يُوَارَى فِيهِ جَسَدُهُ كُلُّهُ فَمَا زَادَ فَهُوَ سُنَّةٌ إِلَى أَنْ يَبْلُغَ خَمْسَةً فَمَا زَادَ فَمُبْتَدَعٌ وَ اَلْعِمَامَةُ سُنَّةٌ» وَ قَالَ« أَمَرَ اَلنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ بِالْعِمَامَةِ وَعُمِّمَ اَلنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ[ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ خ ل]» وَبَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ وَنَحْنُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ لَمَّا مَاتَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ اَلْحَذَّاءُ بِدِينَارٍ فَأَمَرَنَا أَنْ نَشْتَرِيَ لَهُ حَنُوطاً وَ عِمَامَةً فَفَعَلْنَا.
And through this chain of transmission, from Ali bin Hadid and Ibn Abi Najran, from Hariz, from Zurara, who said: I asked Abu Ja’far عليه السلام: "Is the turban (imamah) part of the obligatory kafan for the deceased?" Imam عليه السلام said: "No. The obligatory kafan consists of three garments, or at the very least, one complete cloth that covers his entire body. Anything added beyond that is recommended (sunnah) up to five garments. Anything more than that is an innovation (bid'ah). The turban (imamah) is sunnah." Imam عليه السلام also said: "The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم commanded the use of a turban, and He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was shrouded with a turban." Abu Abdullah عليه السلام later sent us, while we were in Medina, when Abu Ubaydah Al-Haddha’ passed away, a dinar and ordered us to purchase hanut (perfumed preparation) and a turban for him. So we did as instructed."
  • Ali Akbar al-Ghaffari
    Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām fī Sharḥ al-Muqniʿah, vol. 1, p. 309
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tahdhīb, p. 112