كتاب الجنائز
16  
Burials

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that he had heard that when Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was ill he asked A'isha, "How many shrouds did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, have?" and she replied, "Three pure white cotton garments." Abu Bakr said, "Take this garment (a garment he was wearing on which red clay or saffron had fallen) and wash it. Then shroud me in it with two other garments." A'isha said, "Why's that?", and Abu Bakr replied, "The living have greater need of the new than the dead. This is only for the body fluids that come out as the body decays."

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقَ، قَالَ لِعَائِشَةَ وَهُوَ مَرِيضٌ فِي كَمْ كُفِّنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ فِي ثَلاَثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ بِيضٍ سَحُولِيَّةٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ خُذُوا هَذَا الثَّوْبَ - لِثَوْبٍ عَلَيْهِ قَدْ أَصَابَهُ مِشْقٌ أَوْ زَعْفَرَانٌ - فَاغْسِلُوهُ ثُمَّ كَفِّنُونِي فِيهِ مَعَ ثَوْبَيْنِ آخَرَيْنِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَمَا هَذَا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْحَىُّ أَحْوَجُ إِلَى الْجَدِيدِ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَإِنَّمَا هَذَا لِلْمُهْلَةِ ‏.‏
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 16, Hadith 6
Arabic reference : Book 16, Hadith 528