Using Silk Cloth in the Shroud

Using Silk Cloth in the Shroud
It is not permissible for a man to be buried in a silk shroud, but it is permissible for a woman. This is based on the following saying of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, concerning silk and gold: "Both of these things, i.e. gold and silk, are forbidden for the males of my ummah, but they are permissible for the females."

Many scholars, however, disapprove of a woman using a silk shroud, because this is extravagant and a waste of money and therefore forbidden. These scholars differentiate between the permissibility for a woman to wear ornaments during her lifetime and the practice of beautifying the shroud after her death.

Ahmad said: "I do not like a woman to be shrouded in silk." Likewise Al-Hasan, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Ishaq expressed their disapproval. Ibn AlMunzhir said, "I know of no other scholars with a different view on this subject."