❖ Question:
How many garments should be used in a woman's kafan (shroud), and is it permissible for a woman to be shrouded with a pajama?❖ Authentic Answer Based on Hadith and Scholarly Verdicts:
There is a common view among jurists and Hadith scholars that a woman should be shrouded in five pieces:➊ Izar (lower garment)
➋ Qamees (shirt)
➌ Khimar (head covering)
➍➎ Two sheets (large cloths to wrap the body)
❖ Claimed Evidence for Five Garments:
Some base this view on the narration of Layla bint Qāif al-Thaqafiyyah رضي الله عنها who reportedly participated in the washing of Umm Kulthum رضي الله عنها, the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ. She described a sequence of garments given by the Prophet ﷺ.— [Abu Dawud 3157, Musnad Ahmad 6/380]
Weakness of This Report:
However, this narration is weak due to:✔ Nooh ibn Hakeem — a majhool (unknown) narrator.
✔ A narrator named Dawud is also unidentified.
✔ Historical inconsistency: Umm Kulthum رضي الله عنها passed away while the Prophet ﷺ was at Badr.
— [Nasb al-Rayah 2/258]
Therefore, this narration cannot be relied upon to establish a ruling differentiating a woman’s shroud from a man's.
The Correct Position: Same as Men
According to Shaykh al-Albani رحمہ الله:❝In this matter, the woman is like the man. There is no valid evidence proving a difference.❞
— [Ahkam al-Jana'iz, p. 85]
Prophetic Example:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was shrouded in three white cotton Yemeni sheets (suhuliya), with no shirt or turban.— [Musnad Ahmad 6/40, 118]
Hence, this is the Sunnah for both men and women.
❖ Verdict on Pajama (Pajama in Kafan):
There is no authentic Sunnah or Hadith evidence supporting the inclusion of pajamas or stitched garments in the kafan. The Prophetic tradition strictly used unstitched sheets, emphasizing simplicity and equality in death. Summary:
✔ There is no authentic basis for the five-garment shroud for women.✔ The Sunnah is three unstitched sheets for both men and women.
✔ Pajamas or stitched garments are not part of the prescribed shroud.
❝اللَّهُمَّ تَوَفَّنَا عَلَى السُّنَّةِ وَاجْعَلْ خَاتِمَتَنَا عَلَى الإِيمَانِ❞
