How a deceased woman is placed in the grave

Question

Our custom is that when a woman is buried, a customary screen is put up on all four sides of the grave (by means of a sheet and the like), although people still see the deceased. The question now asked is: is there any basis for this prevalent screen or not, given that the deceased is wrapped in the kafan (shroud)?

Answer

When the deceased is lifted from the cot and placed in the lahd (niche grave), she sometimes slips from the hands, or through carelessness the kafan comes open, or the shape of the deceased’s body begins to show. For this reason a sheet is stretched out on all four sides so that the gaze of a stranger does not fall on her.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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