In how many garments is the deceased shrouded?
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The questioner : In the book "Rulings on Funerals," you mentioned that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) to shroud the deceased in three garments. Then, in the same book, you quoted the hadith that is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he said: The apparent meaning of this hadith indicates the permissibility of shrouding a person in a single garment of habrah. However, you also stated at the beginning that the recommended practice is three garments. What does this mean? Please clarify this issue for us. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I do not see any contradiction, so let me clarify. Do you see a contradiction if I say, "I have one dinar," and then I say to someone else, "I have three dinars"?
The questioner : The contradiction, in my understanding, is that you initially said three garments.
The Shaykh : No, no, stay with me, do not deviate from my point. I said, "I have one dinar," and then a second time I said to someone, "I have three dinars." Is there a contradiction?
The questioner : There is no contradiction except in your understanding that I said to one person that I have one dinar at a certain time, and three dinars at another time.
The Shaykh : Is there a contradiction?
The questioner : I do not see a contradiction except in the quantity.
The Shaykh : What does that mean? When I said I have three, does it mean I can give all three in charity, or not?
The questioner : You can.
The Shaykh : Well, when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: does that mean there are not three garments?
The questioner : There are three garments.
The Shaykh : So, the problem is over. Habrah does not mean "nothing else." This is the issue: if I say, "I have one dirham," it does not negate anything other than the dirham. Mentioning the lesser does not negate the greater.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Al-Halabi : Our Shaykh, you answered in the footnote at this point that one of them should be a garment of habrah.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
If one of you dies, let him be shrouded in a garment of habrah.
إذا توفي أحدكم فليكفن بثوب حبرةThe Shaykh : I do not see any contradiction, so let me clarify. Do you see a contradiction if I say, "I have one dinar," and then I say to someone else, "I have three dinars"?
The questioner : The contradiction, in my understanding, is that you initially said three garments.
The Shaykh : No, no, stay with me, do not deviate from my point. I said, "I have one dinar," and then a second time I said to someone, "I have three dinars." Is there a contradiction?
The questioner : There is no contradiction except in your understanding that I said to one person that I have one dinar at a certain time, and three dinars at another time.
The Shaykh : Is there a contradiction?
The questioner : I do not see a contradiction except in the quantity.
The Shaykh : What does that mean? When I said I have three, does it mean I can give all three in charity, or not?
The questioner : You can.
The Shaykh : Well, when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
A garment of habrah.
ثوب حبرةThe questioner : There are three garments.
The Shaykh : So, the problem is over. Habrah does not mean "nothing else." This is the issue: if I say, "I have one dirham," it does not negate anything other than the dirham. Mentioning the lesser does not negate the greater.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Al-Halabi : Our Shaykh, you answered in the footnote at this point that one of them should be a garment of habrah.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.