Six months after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) departed from this world to the presence of Allah, his beloved daughter, Fatimah (RA), fell seriously ill.
During her illness, Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) visited her home to inquire about her health. Staying constantly by her side to nurse and care for her was her close friend, Asma bint Umays (RA), who was also the wife of Abu Bakr (RA).
Note on Asma (RA): After Ali’s (RA) brother, Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (RA), was martyred in the Battle of Mu’tah, Abu Bakr (RA) had remarried his widow, Asma (RA). Fatimah (RA) and Asma (RA) shared a deep and affectionate bond of friendship.
The Conversation About the Funeral Bier (Janazah Box)
Realizing that her final moments were approaching, Asma (RA) stayed close to offer comfort. Fatimah (RA) anxiously looked at her and said, “O Asma! You see the condition I am in right now,” subtly hinting that she was close to death.
The conversation then turned to how a funeral bier (Sanduq) should be designed for women.
Fatimah (RA) expressed her concern, saying: “O Asma! I am deeply unsatisfied with how the deceased are currently carried. The body (Mayyit) is placed on a flat wooden plank and a single cloth is thrown over it. It is the same for both men and women. When a woman is carried like this, the shape and outline of her body remain clearly visible to everyone!”
To this, Asma (RA) replied: “O beloved daughter of the Messenger of Allah! I saw a unique type of funeral bier while I was in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). If you wish, I can replicate and show it to you right now.”
(Asma bint Umays (RA) had migrated to Abyssinia during the first Hijrah and stayed there for some time with her first husband, Ja’far (RA), before later migrating to Medina).
Designing the Covered Bier
Fatimah (RA) requested her to demonstrate it. Asma (RA) immediately called for a bed frame (bier) and ordered fresh, green palm fronds to be brought. She arranged them by bending both ends of each branch to form a semi-circular arch. She then secured these arched structures to both sides of the bed frame and draped a large cloth over the top, completely enclosing it.
She explained, “This method completely covers the body. Now, no one will be able to see the outline of the deceased.”
Upon seeing this design, Fatimah (RA) felt immensely relieved and satisfied. She said: “This is excellent. This method is beautiful. If the deceased is carried inside this, no one will be able to distinguish whether it is a man or a woman.
This is exactly how my Janazah must be carried. Furthermore, only you and my husband, Ali (RA), must wash my body (perform Ghusl); do not allow anyone else inside!”
With this final testament (Wasiyyat) delivered to Asma (RA), Mother Fatimah (RA) passed away within the next day or two.
Fulfilling the Final Testament
Upon hearing the news of Fatimah’s (RA) passing, the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) began to gather. Sitting in a quiet corner of the house to fulfill her final wish, Asma (RA) began constructing the covered bier just as she had seen in Abyssinia.
When the time for the ritual washing (Ghusl) arrived, Asma (RA) informed Ali (RA) of Fatimah’s final testament and joined him in washing the body.
During this time, Mother Aisha (RA) arrived and requested permission to enter and assist with the washing, but Asma (RA) refused to let her in. Aisha (RA) then went to her father, Caliph Abu Bakr (RA), and complained: “O my father! This woman from the Khath’am tribe (Asma) has refused to let me—the Prophet’s wife—wash the Prophet’s daughter, Fatimah. Moreover, she has prepared a strange, novel box (Sanduq) that has never been made for anyone before! Please question her about it.”
Abu Bakr (RA) approached and inquired about the matter, saying: “I hear you denied Aisha permission to wash Fatimah (RA) and asked her to leave? Also, you have prepared a new type of bier that no one has ever used before?”
Asma (RA) explained the situation and replied: “This was the explicit final testament (Wasiyyat) of Fatimah (RA) herself!”
Hearing this, Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) said: “Do exactly as the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded you.”
The Burial and Legacy
Accordingly, Fatimah (RA) was ritually washed, placed inside that covered bier, carried to the graveyard, and buried under the cover of night.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA) and Umm Ja’far (RA), who narrate this incident, stated:
- Fatimah (RA) was the very first person in Islam to be carried to her grave in this fully covered manner.
- A few days later, when Zaynab bint Jahsh (RA) passed away, she was also carried using this same method.
- Eventually, over time, this practice of completely veiling a woman’s funeral bier was adopted across all regions.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) once said:
“My daughter Fatimah is a part of me (a piece of my heart).”
O Allah! Have mercy upon Mother Fatimah (RA)! Ameen!
