How is a deceased person shrouded? Can a deceased person be buried in their clothes without being shrouded?

After the body is washed, wrapping and covering it with properly prepared cloths is called shrouding (takfin). Shrouding the deceased is a communal obligation (fard kifayah) upon Muslims. It is one of the final duties that the living fulfill for a deceased believer, along with the funeral prayer. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “When one of you undertakes the preparation and shrouding of his (deceased) religious brother, let him do it well.” (Muslim, Janaiz, 49 [943]; Ibn Majah, Janaiz, 12 [1474])

Shrouding is done with three pieces of cloth for men: a shirt, an izar (lower wrap), and a lifafah (outer wrap). For women, in addition to these, a headscarf and a chest cover are used, making a total of five pieces.

If there is not enough shroud cloth, it is sufficient to use two pieces (izar and lifafah) for men, and three pieces (including a headscarf) for women. If even these are not available, a single cloth that covers the entire body is sufficient. (Muslim, Janaiz, 44 [940]) In this case, there is no difference between shrouding a man or a woman.

The shirt, which is one of the shroud pieces, covers the deceased from the neck to the feet; the ‘izar’ and ‘lifafah’ are two cloths that cover from head to toe. The ‘lifafah’ is the outermost piece of the shroud, covering from head to toe, and is slightly longer so it can be tied at the head and feet.

It is more virtuous for the shroud to be made of white cotton cloth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Shroud your dead in white shrouds.” (Ibn Majah, Janaiz, 12 [1472])

According to Islam, a deceased person cannot be buried in their clothes without being shrouded. However, those who are martyred while fighting in the way of Allah are an exception. Those who are considered martyrs both in this world and the Hereafter are not shrouded; after their funeral prayer is performed, they are buried in their blood-stained clothes, as their garments serve as their shroud.

Source: T.C. Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, Din İşleri Yüksek Kurulu