Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 4074

Sayyidah Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her), the mother of Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a woman dies and people (that is, women) intend to wash her, they should begin first with her abdomen. They should gently pass the hand over her abdomen if she is not pregnant; if she is pregnant, then they should not move her. If you intend to wash her, begin first with her lower part, and place a cloth over her private parts that covers them. Then take cotton and wash her with it, and wash her well. Then put your hand beneath the cloth and wipe her with cotton three times; then wipe her well before you give her ablution. Then wash her with water in which lote-tree (sidr) leaves have been mixed, and let a woman pour the water while standing, doing no other task besides that, until she has been cleaned with the lote-tree leaves while you keep washing. The one in charge of the woman's washing should be her closest female relative; otherwise, a woman who is a Muslim and pious. If she is young or weak, then another woman who is pious and a Muslim should take charge of it. When she has finished washing her lower part, which has been thoroughly cleaned with lote-tree leaves and water, then that woman should give the deceased ablution like the ablution for prayer; this is the description of her ablution. Then after that she should wash her three times with water and lote-tree leaves, beginning with the head before everything else, washing it clean with lote-tree leaves along with water, and she should not comb her hair with a comb. If something (hadath) issues from her after washing her three times, then wash her five times; if it happens after five times, then wash her seven times. In every case the use of water and lote-tree leaves should be an odd number of times. In the fifth or the third washing, a little camphor and a little lote-tree should be added, and it should be kept in a new earthen pot. Then sit her body up and pour water over her, beginning with her head until it reaches her feet. When you have finished with that, place a clean cloth over her, then put your hand beneath the cloth and remove her clothing. Then put cotton into her lower part as much as you can, and fill the cotton in. Then take a long, washed sibti cloth and tie it around her hips, the way a waist-cord is tied. Then make a knot between her two thighs and bring her two thighs together. Then lay one end of that cord over her side so that it is near her knee. This is the matter of her lower part. Then apply perfume to her and shroud her, and braid her hair into three plaits: one large bun and two side locks, and do not make her resemble men. A woman's shroud should consist of five cloths, one of which is a waist-wrapper (izar) that you wrap around her thighs. Do not remove any of her hair with lime (nurah) or anything else. Whatever of her hair has fallen out, wash it and then put it into the hair of her head. Apply perfume to the hair of her head, and apply it well. Do not wash her with heated water. After covering her, apply a little perfume to her shroud seven times if you wish, and keep each of these at an odd number; and if you see fit to perfume her with incense on her bier, keep that at an odd number too. This is the matter of her shroud and her head. If her body was swollen, then take one cloth, wash her with water, and seek out and clean every part of her, and do not move her, for I fear that something may come out of her that cannot be put back."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir with two chains. One chain contains a narrator, Layth bin Abi Sulaym, who is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), but he is thiqah (trustworthy). The other chain contains a narrator, Junayd; he has been declared trustworthy, and he has also been somewhat criticised.