She asked that her body be buried at night...

She asked that her body be buried at night, that all the funeral rites, including washing, shrouding, prayer, and burial, be done in secret, and that nobody should participate in her funeral except those who had neither sullied their consciences with deviance nor blackened their souls with sin. These were the [few] individuals whose stance regarding al-Sayyida Fatimah was positive, throughout her revolt. Al-Sayyida Fatimah had some other wishes, which she also conveyed to her husband. She wanted him to prepare her grave, recite the Qur’an next to her tomb etc., which were not as important as the previously mentioned requests. Then, al-Sayyida Fatimah asked Asma’ Bint ‘Umays for the hunut that Jibra’il had brought from Paradise saying, “O Asma’, bring me the remaining hunut that was brought for my father, from such and such place, and keep it near me.”

Hunut is lotus jujube and camphor, and it has been narrated from Ali (‘a) that it was in the final will [of the Prophet] that he should be covered with hunut. “…So the Prophet of Allah (S) called me a few moments before his death and said, ‘O Ali and O Fatimah, this is my hunut from Paradise, which was brought by Jibra’il, and he conveyed his greeting to you both and told me to divide it and keep some aside for myself and for the both of you.’” Fatimah (‘a) said, “O Father, a third of it is for you, and let the remainder be kept under the care of Ali Ibn Abi Talib.” The Prophet (S) began to weep and held her close to his chest saying, “You are successful, righteous, guided and inspired.” Then he said, “O Ali, decide about the remainder.” “Half of it is hers and the remainder is for whomever you see fit, O Prophet of Allah,” he said. “It is for you,” said the Prophet (S). Then al-Sayyida Fatimah called Salma, the wife of Abi Rafi’, and said to her, “Prepare some water for me.” And in another version, she said, “Pour me some bathwater.” Then she asked for her new clothes and bathed in the best way possible before putting them on. She then asked for her bed to be placed in the centre of the house. I do not understand the purpose of her bathing and putting on new clothes while al-Sayyida Fatimah was in the last moments of her life, So, close to death. Possibly, and Allah knows best, she (‘a) wanted to wash away the marks of injuries from her limbs and ribs – the injuries she sustained when pushed behind the door of her house, as we have mentioned earlier.