FIQH 4.35: EXTRAVAGANCE IN SHROUDING IS DISLIKED
A shroud should be nice, but not so extravagantly expensive that it would unduly burden a person.
Ash-Shafi’i remarked, “Ali said: ‘Do not be extravagant in shrouding me. I have heard Allah’s Messenger, peace be upon him, say: “Do not be extravagant in preparing your shroud for it will soon be taken away.”‘ This is narrated by Abu Daw’ud, in whose chain of narrators is a man called Abu Malik, who is of somewhat dubious character.
It is narrated that Huzhaifah said, “Do not be extravagant in preparing the shroud. Buy for my shroud two clean white sheets of cloth.”
Abu Bakr said: “Wash this garment of mine, and add another two sheets of cloth, and shroud me in them.” At this ‘Aishah said, “This garment that you are wearing is old and worn out.” He said, “The living are more deserving of the new garments than the dead. This shroud is only to absorb the secretions of the body.”
Fiqh 4.35 a: Using Silk Cloth in the Shroud
It is not permissible for a man to be buried in a silk shroud, but it is permissible for a woman. This is based on the following saying of Allah’s Messenger, peace be upon him, concerning silk and gold: “Both of these things, i.e. gold and silk, are forbidden for the males of my ummah, but they are permissible for the females.”
Many scholars, however, disapprove of a woman using a silk shroud, because this is extravagant and a waste of money and therefore forbidden. These scholars differentiate between the permissibility for a woman to wear ornaments during her lifetime and the practice of beautifying the shroud after her death.
Ahmad said: “I do not like a woman to be shrouded in silk.” Likewise Al-Hasan, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Ishaq expressed their disapproval. Ibn Al-Munzhir said, “I know of no other scholars with a different view on this subject.”
Fiqh 4.35 b: The Shroud Should Be Purchased with the Deceased’s Money
A person who dies and leaves some money behind should have his shroud purchased with his money. If the deceased did not leave any money, then, whoever is responsible for taking care of his living expenses should provide his shroud. In case the deceased leaves no money and there is no one to take care of him, then his shroud should be purchased by the Public Treasury of the Muslims. Otherwise individual Muslims should take care of it. The same applies in case of both the males and the females.
Ibn Hazm said: “The cost of a woman ‘s shroud and the digging of her grave should be met out of hernown money. Her husband is not obliged to pay for it, for the properties of Muslims are forbidden to be used except by the authority of the Qur’an or sunnah.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Verily, your blood and property are sacred and are forbidden to each other.” Allah, the Exalted, imposed on a husband the responsibility of providing his wife with food, clothing, and housing. The shroud is not synonymous with clothing, according to the language in which Allah chose to address us, nor is the grave equivalent to housing.
Source: Fiqh us Sunnah
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