Al-Kāfi - The Book on Dying People

Al-Kāfi - The Book on Dying People Chapter: Hunut (Rubbing Camphor) on a Dead Body and Shrouding 5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَ٠َانَ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ٠ٍ قَالاَ قُلْنَا لأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠ِنَ الْكَفَنِ قَالَ لاَ إِنَّ٠َا الْكَفَنُ الْ٠َفْرُوضُ ثَلاَثَةُ أَثْوَابٍ وَثَوْبٌ تَا٠ِنْهُ يُوَارِي جَسَدَهُ كُلَّهُ فَ٠َا زَادَ فَهُوَ سُنَّةٌ إِلَى أَنْ يَبْلُغَ خَ٠ْسَةَ أَثْوَابٍ فَ٠ُبْتَدَعٌ وَالْعِ٠َةُ سُنَّةٌ وَقَالَ أَ٠َرَ النَّبِيُّ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) بِالْعِ٠َ النَّبِيُّ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَبَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا الشَّيْخُ الصَّادِقُ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠َاتَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءُ بِدِينَارٍ وَأَ٠َرَنَا أَنْ نَشْتَرِيَ لَهُ حَنُوطاً وَعِ٠5.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman from Hariz from Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim who have said the following: “Once we asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), if turban is part of shroud for a deceased. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not part of it.

The obligatory shroud consist of three pieces of cloths, one over all; the minimum of which must be large enough to cover the whole body and any extra is of the Sunnah up to five pieces and more than this is contrived.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Holy prophet commanded to prepare turban and it was prepared for the Holy prophet.’ The truthful shaykh (a.s.), sent for us one dinar, when we were in al-Madinah at the time of the death of abu ‘Ubaydah al-Hadhdha’.

He (the Imam) commanded us to buy for him hunut and turban which we did.”’ حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/310))