Praise be to Allah.
Preparing for death is something essential, and the evidence indicates that it is prescribed in Islam. That includes the hadith that was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), according to which he said: “Frequently remember that which will put an end to all pleasures,” meaning death. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2307), an-Nasaa’i (1824) and Ibn Maajah (4258); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
Preparing for death means doing a lot of righteous deeds, competing in doing good, and rendering one’s dues to other people, and so on.
Preparing one’s own shroud is not something that is recommended, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not advise people to do that, but it is something that is permissible, and it is narrated that some of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) did that.
In the answer to question no. 82184 , we noted that there is nothing wrong with a person preparing his grave.
In Asna al-Mataalib (1/310) it says: It is not recommended for a person to prepare his own shroud, but it is permissible. It is soundly narrated from some of the Sahaabah that they did that. End quote.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) was referring to the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1277) from Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah have mercy on him), who said: A woman brought a cloak and said: O Messenger of Allah, I wove this with my own hands to give it to you to wear. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took it, as he needed it, and he came out to us, wearing it as a waist wrapper (izaar). A man among the people said: O Messenger of Allah, give it to me to wear. He said: Yes. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat in the gathering, then he went back and [took it off and] folded it up and sent it to that man. The people said to him: You did not do a good thing; you asked him for it, when you know that he would not refuse anyone who asked of him. The man said: By Allah, I only asked him for it so that it could be my shroud on the day I die. Sahl said: And it became his shroud.
Ibn Battaal (may Allah have mercy on him) said regarding this hadith: It is permissible to prepare something before one needs it. Some of the righteous people dug their graves with their own hands, to remind them of death. And the best to prepare for death is when you have plenty of time ahead of you. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of the believers in terms of faith are those who remember death most often, and make the best preparations for it.” End quote from Sharh al-Bukhaari (3/267).
And Allah knows best.
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