حَدَّثَنَا النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَبَّادِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَائِشَةَ، تَقُولُ لَمَّا أَرَادُوا غَسْلَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ مَا نَدْرِي أَنُجَرِّدُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ ثِيَابِهِ كَمَا نُجَرِّدُ مَوْتَانَا أَمْ نُغَسِّلُهُ وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابُهُ فَلَمَّا اخْتَلَفُوا أَلْقَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ النَّوْمَ حَتَّى مَا مِنْهُمْ رَجُلٌ إِلاَّ وَذَقْنُهُ فِي صَدْرِهِ ثُمَّ كَلَّمَهُمْ مُكَلِّمٌ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ لاَ يَدْرُونَ مَنْ هُوَ أَنِ اغْسِلُوا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابُهُ فَقَامُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَغَسَلُوهُ وَعَلَيْهِ قَمِيصُهُ يَصُبُّونَ الْمَاءَ فَوْقَ الْقَمِيصِ وَيُدَلِّكُونَهُ بِالْقَمِيصِ دُونَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ تَقُولُ لَوِ اسْتَقْبَلْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُ مَا غَسَّلَهُ إِلاَّ نِسَاؤُهُ .
By Allah, we did not know whether we should take off the clothes of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as we took off the clothes of our dead, or wash him while his clothes were on him. When they (the people) differed among themselves, Allah cast slumber over them until every one of them had put his chin on his chest.
Then a speaker spoke from a side of the house, and they did not know who he was: Wash the Prophet (ﷺ) while his clothes are on him. So they stood round the Prophet (ﷺ) and washed him while he had his shirt on him. They poured water on his shirt, and rubbed him with his shirt and not with their hands. Aisha used to say: If I had known beforehand about my affair what I found out later, none would have washed him except his wives.