The shroud (kafan): pieces and how to wrap it
How many pieces of cloth make up the shroud (kafan) for a man and for a woman, what cloth may be used, and the order of wrapping.
The kafan is the clean white cloth a Muslim's body is wrapped in before it is buried. Getting the kafan ready is something the community must take care of, just like the washing.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do
Providing the kafan is farḍ kifāyah, a duty on the whole community: the same kind of duty as washing the body.
1| Piece | For a man | For a woman |
|---|---|---|
| A big sheet, covering the whole body from head to toe | Yes | Yes |
| A waistcloth, a bit smaller than the sheet | Yes | Yes |
| A shroud like a long shirt with no sleeves, from the neck to the feet | Yes | Yes |
| A chest cloth, from the chest down to the thighs | None | Yes |
| A headscarf to cover the hair | None | Yes |
So a man's kafan has 3 pieces, and a woman's has 5.
The cloth should be something the person would have been allowed to wear while alive, so a man is not wrapped in silk or bright saffron-yellow cloth (a woman may be). White is the best colour for everyone. The cloth can be new or clean and used; either is fine. Before dressing the body, the cloth is perfumed a few times with a nice scent.
Wrapping a man in his kafan
- Lay the sheet flat, then the waistcloth on top of it, then half of the shroud, leaving the other half up near where the head will be.
- Place the body on top, with the hands resting gently at the sides, not on the chest.
- Pull the shroud's other half over the head to cover the top of the body, and put a little perfume and camphor on the head, beard and body.
- Wrap the waistcloth around, left side first, then the right side over it.
- Wrap the big sheet around the same way, right side over left.
- Tie soft strips of cloth around the waist and at both ends so nothing comes loose.
Wrapping a woman in her kafan
- Lay the sheet flat, then the chest cloth, then the waistcloth, then half of the shroud.
- Place her on top and pull the shroud over her, then apply perfume and camphor.
- Part her hair into two, and lay it on her chest, over the shroud.
- Cover her head and hair with the headscarf.
- Wrap the waistcloth around her, then the chest cloth, then the big sheet, each time with the right side folded over the left.
- Tie soft strips of cloth around the waist and at both ends.
Providing the kafan is a communal obligation, like the ghusl. A recommended set of pieces exists for a man and for a woman, with a reduced set permitted when the fuller kafan cannot be arranged.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do
Providing the kafan is farḍ kifāyah: a communal obligation, discharged when enough people see to it.
1| Piece | For a man | For a woman |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet (large enough to cover the body head to toe) | Yes | Yes |
| Waistcloth (similar to the sheet, slightly smaller) | Yes | Yes |
| Shroud (a sleeveless, tunic-like garment, neck to feet) | Yes | Yes |
| Chest cloth (covers chest to thighs) | None | Yes |
| Headscarf (about three hands long, two fists wide) | None | Yes |
The recommended kafan is three pieces for a man and five for a woman. If it cannot be arranged, two pieces (sheet and waistcloth) suffice for a man, and three (sheet, waistcloth and headscarf) for a woman.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do
Where it can be arranged, men should be given no fewer than three pieces and women no fewer than five; where cloth is short, whatever is available and sufficient to cover the body properly is enough, and the fuller kafan is not required in that case.
12| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What kind of cloth? | Cloth that would have been permissible to wear in life. A man is not shrouded in silk or saffron-coloured cloth; a woman may be. White is preferred for everyone. |
| New or used? | Either is acceptable. |
| How costly? | Comparable to what a man would wear for Jumuʿah and Eid prayers, or what a woman would wear to visit her parents' home. |
| Who pays if the deceased left nothing? | Whoever supported them financially in life; failing that, the public treasury (Bait-ul-Mal) or donations collected from the Muslim community. |
Dressing a man in the kafan
- Lay the sheet on a mat or board, place the waistcloth over it, then lay half of the shroud on top, leaving the other half towards where the head will lie.
- Bring the body from the washing table and lay it on the prepared cloth, with the hands resting at the sides, not folded on the chest.
- Pull the remaining half of the shroud over the head to cover the upper body. Apply perfume on the head, beard and body, and place camphor at the places of prostration: the forehead, nose, palms, knees and feet.
- Wrap the waistcloth around the body, folding the left side over first, then the right side over it, so the right covers the left.
- Wrap the sheet around the body in the same way, with the right side over the left.
- Tie strips of cloth around the waist and at both ends to keep the kafan from opening.
Dressing a woman in the kafan
- Lay the sheet on a mat, then the chest cloth, then the waistcloth, then the shroud on top.
- Place her on this, dress her in the shroud, then apply perfume and camphor, placing camphor at the places of prostration as for a man.
- Part her hair into two sections and lay them on her chest, over the shroud.
- Place the headscarf over her head, covering her hair.
- Wrap the waistcloth around her, then the chest cloth, then the sheet, each time with the right side folded over the left.
- Tie strips of cloth around the waist and at both ends.
Kafan al-mayyit is farḍ kifāyah, discharged as ghusl is: by sufficient performance on the part of some, and left unfulfilled by the community as a whole if no one attends to it. Two accounts of the pieces and method appear in the source, the main funeral chapter (rulings-of-funeral/kafan-and-related-rulings) and the Supplement (the-supplement/note, the-supplement/shrouding-the-deceased-and-related-guidelines), and they agree on every substantive point below.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do
Providing the kafan is farḍ kifāyah, on the same footing as ghusl and the funeral prayer.
1| Piece | For a man | For a woman | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet (izār al-kafan / large sheet) | Yes | Yes | Large enough to cover the whole body from head to toe. |
| Waistcloth (lower wrap) | Yes | Yes | Similar to the sheet, slightly smaller. |
| Shroud (qamīṣ, the tunic-like garment) | Yes | Yes | Covers from the neck to the feet, without sleeves. |
| Chest cloth | None | Yes | Covers from the chest to the thighs. |
| Headscarf | None | Yes | About three hands long and two fists (hand-spans) wide. |
Recommended totals: three pieces for a man, five for a woman. Reduced kafan: two pieces (sheet and waistcloth) for a man, three (sheet, waistcloth and headscarf) for a woman. Below the reduced kafan: any cloth sufficient to cover the body properly; failing any cloth at all, clean grass, after which no further cloth is required.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do
Where it can be arranged, no fewer than three pieces should be used for a man and no fewer than five for a woman; it is disliked in this sense to reduce the number needlessly, though the reduced kafan is not itself blameworthy when the fuller one genuinely cannot be arranged.
12| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Permitted material | Cloth that would have been lawful to wear in life. A man may not be shrouded in silk or saffron-coloured cloth; a woman may be. White is preferred for both. |
| New or used | Either is acceptable; a new cloth is ideal, per the Supplement's account, but a clean used one is equally valid. |
| Standard of quality | Comparable to what a man wears for Jumuʿah and Eid, or what a woman wears visiting her parents' household. |
| Funding when the deceased left no means | First, whoever supported them financially in life; failing that, the public treasury (Bait-ul-Mal), or donations collected from the Muslim community. |
Dressing a man in the kafan
- Spread the sheet on a mat or board, the waistcloth over it, and half of the shroud on top, with the remaining half left towards the head.
- Lay the body on the prepared cloth, hands at the sides rather than folded on the chest as in prayer.
- Draw the remaining half of the shroud over the head. Apply perfume to the head, beard and body, and camphor to the places of prostration: forehead, nose, palms, knees and feet.
- Fold the waistcloth left side first, then right side over it.
- Fold the sheet the same way, right over left.
- Secure the kafan with ties at the waist and at both ends.
Dressing a woman in the kafan
- Spread the sheet, then the chest cloth, then the waistcloth, then the shroud on top.
- Lay her on the cloth and dress her in the shroud; apply perfume and camphor to the places of prostration as for a man.
- Divide her hair into two sections and lay them on her chest, over the shroud.
- Place the headscarf over her head, securing the hair beneath its edges.
- Fold the waistcloth, then the chest cloth, then the sheet, each time right over left, as with a man.
- Secure with ties at the waist and both ends.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 1,526 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Funeral Kafan and Related Rulings
- Giving the kafan (shroud) to the deceased is a communal obligation, just like performing the ghusl (ritual washing). For a man, three pieces of cloth are recommended for the kafan: a sheet, a waistcloth, and a shroud. For a woman, five pieces are required: a sheet, a waistcloth, a shroud, a chest cloth, and a headscarf.
- Explanation: The sheet should be large enough to cover the body from head to toe. The waistcloth is similar to the sheet but slightly smaller. The shroud is a tunic-like garment, covering the body from the neck to the feet without sleeves. The chest cloth should cover from the chest to the thighs, and the headscarf should be three hands long and two fists wide.
- If the recommended kafan is unavailable, it is enough to cover a man with two pieces (sheet and waistcloth) and a woman with three pieces (sheet, waistcloth, and headscarf). If even these are not available, any cloth that covers the body properly should be used. If no cloth is available, the body can be wrapped in clean grass and placed in the grave. There is no need for extra cloth.
- If possible, men should be covered with no fewer than three pieces and women with no fewer than five. It is sufficient to cover the body with any available cloth, and the recommended kafan is not required.
- It is permissible to cover small children with one or two pieces of cloth, although it is better to use a full kafan.
- If a child dies at birth or is stillborn, a simple prayer should be offered for them before burial.
- A martyr (shahid) does not require a kafan. They should be buried in the blood-stained clothes they wore at the time of their martyrdom.
- The kafan should be made of cloth that was permissible to wear during life. Therefore, a man should not be buried in silk or saffron-colored clothes, but a woman can wear them. However, white is preferred for everyone.
- The kafan cloth can be old or new; both are acceptable.
- The cost of the kafan should be similar to what a man would wear for Jumu'ah and Eid prayers or what a woman would wear when visiting her parents’ home.
- If the deceased has no wealth, the responsibility of providing the kafan falls on the person who supported them in life. If no one is available, the kafan can be provided from the public treasury (Bait-ul-Mal) or collected from donations by the Muslims.
- Before dressing the deceased in the kafan, it is recommended to perfume the cloth three to five times with a pleasant fragrance.
- For dressing a man in the kafan, first lay the sheet on a mat or board, then place the waistcloth on it. Lay half of the shroud on the waistcloth and leave the other half near the head. Bring the body from the washing table and lay it on the mat, positioning the hands on the sides of the body (not on the chest). Then, wrap the shroud around the body, leaving the head exposed. Apply perfume (e.g., scent) on the head, beard, and body, and place camphor on the places of prostration (forehead, nose, palms, knees, and feet). Then wrap the waistcloth around the body, starting from the left side and then the right side, so that the right side covers the left side. Finally, wrap the sheet around the body, ensuring the right side covers the left.
- For dressing a woman in the kafan, first place the sheet on a mat, then add the chest cloth and waistcloth. Lay the shroud on top and place the woman on it. Dress her in the shroud, then apply fragrance and camphor. Part her hair into two sections and place them on her chest, covering with the shroud. Then place the headscarf over her head, covering her hair. After this, wrap the waistcloth around her, followed by the chest cloth, and finally the sheet, making sure the right side covers the left.
- Bind the kafan with pieces of cloth around the waist and at both ends to prevent it from opening.
- The cloth placed over the body during the funeral procession is not part of the kafan and is not essential. If someone places their own cloth over the body and removes it at the grave, there is no issue.
- Once the body is dressed in the kafan, perform the funeral prayer for it.
The Supplement Shrouding the Deceased and Related Guidelines
- Shrouding the deceased, like bathing, is a communal obligation (fard kifaya), meaning that if some people do it, others are relieved of the duty.
- For a man, the recommended shroud (kafan) consists of three pieces: a large sheet, a wrap for the lower body, and a shirt-like garment. For a woman, it is five pieces: a large sheet, a wrap for the lower body, a shirt-like garment, a chest cover, and a headscarf.
The Supplement Note
The large sheet should be long enough to cover the entire body from head to toe. The lower wrap is similar to the large sheet but slightly shorter, covering from head to toe. The shirt-like garment covers from the neck to the feet but has no sleeves. The chest cover goes from the chest to the thighs, and the headscarf should be about three hands long and two hand-spans wide.
- If the recommended shroud is not available, two pieces (a large sheet and lower wrap) are sufficient for a man, and three pieces (a large sheet, lower wrap, and headscarf) for a woman. If even that is not available, use whatever cloth is at hand, at a minimum enough to cover the body. If there is a shortage, the body can be partly covered with grass or leaves. If no cloth is available at all, wrap the deceased in clean grass and proceed with the funeral prayer and burial.
- When possible, use the full three pieces for men and five for women, as it is best to avoid adding more pieces or reducing the number.
- For small children, using one or two pieces for shrouding is acceptable, though using the full shroud is preferable.
- For a stillborn baby or a miscarried fetus, wrapping in a clean cloth is sufficient, and the full shroud is not necessary.
- There is no need to shroud a martyr; they should be buried in their blood-stained clothing.
- The shroud should be of a type of cloth that would have been permissible to wear in life. Therefore, men should not be shrouded in pure silk or saffron-dyed cloth, although these are permitted for women. White cloth is preferred for everyone.
- A new shroud is ideal, though a clean, used cloth is also acceptable.
- The quality of the shroud should be similar to the clothes a man would wear for Friday or Eid prayers, or what a woman would wear to visit her family.
- If the deceased has no funds, the responsibility to provide the shroud falls on whoever was financially supporting them during their life. If no one can do this, the shroud should be funded by the public treasury (Bait-ul-Mal), or through donations from the Muslim community.
- Before placing the shroud on the deceased, it is recommended to perfume it by passing incense over it three or five times.
- Method for Shrouding a Man:
- Lay out the shroud by first spreading a large sheet on a mat or table, followed by the lower wrap, and half of the shirt-like garment on top. Leave the other half of the shirt towards the head.
- Place the body on the shroud, with the hands positioned at the sides (not on the chest or as in prayer). Pull the shirt over the head, covering the upper body with the part left near the head.
- Wrap the lower cloth by folding the left side over first, then the right side over it, so the right side overlaps the left.
- Finally, wrap the large sheet in the same manner, with the right side overlapping the left.
- Method for Shrouding a Woman:
- Spread the shroud by laying out a large sheet, then the chest cover, then the lower wrap, and half of the shirt-like garment on top, similar to the process for a man.
- Place the body on the shroud, and pull the shirt over her. After applying perfume and camphor on the prostration points, divide her hair into two parts and lay it on her chest, on the shirt.
- Cover her head and hair with the headscarf, ensuring it holds the hair in place under its edges.
- Then, wrap the lower cloth, followed by the chest cover (extending from the chest to the thighs), and finally, wrap the large sheet, ensuring each fold overlaps as with the man’s shroud.
- Tie small pieces of cloth at both ends and around the waist to secure the shroud from coming undone (due to wind or movement).
- The extra sheet traditionally placed over the coffin is not part of the shroud, nor is it essential. If unavailable, there is no issue.
- After shrouding the deceased, the funeral prayer is performed.
Terms on this page
Related
- Washing the body (ghusl of the deceased) Who washes the body, the method used, and the water and materials: the full sunnah way of washing (ghusl) a deceased Muslim.
- The funeral prayer: ruling and conditions Why the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is a communal obligation (fard kifayah), its conditions, who has the right to lead it, and when it may not be prayed.
- Miscellaneous rules of death and burial Seeing the deceased's face, a spouse's rights, handling a non-Muslim relative's body, visiting graves, and how long mourning lasts.
- Washing the dead (ghusl): who may wash whom, and special cases Who is allowed to wash whose body, and what to do for a martyr, a newborn, a drowned person, a decayed body, or when water or a same-sex washer is not available.