When the people gathered to wash the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), there was no one in the house apart from his family: his paternal uncle al-'Abbas bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, al-Fadl bin al-'Abbas, Qutham bin al-'Abbas, Usamah bin Zaid bin Harithah and Salih, his freed slave. When they decided to start washing him, Aws bin Khawli al-Ansari called out from behind the door, then one of Banu 'Awf bin al-Khazraj, who had been present at Badr, called out to 'Ali bin Abi Talib, saying to him: O 'Ali, I adjure you by Allah, we have the right to be present at the washing of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). 'Ali said to him: Come in. So he came in and was present at the washing of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), but he was not involved in the washing itself. 'Ali made him [the Prophet (ﷺ)] lean against his chest, and he was wearing his chemise, and al-'Abbas, al-Fadl and Qutham turned him over with 'Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه), whilst Usamah bin Zaid and Salih, their freed slaves, poured the water, and ‘Ali started washing him. Nothing was seen of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) of that which is usually seen in a dead person, and ‘Ali kept saying: May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; how good you are in life and in death! When they finished washing the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who was washed with water and lotus leaves, they dried him and they did what is usually done for the deceased, then he was wrapped in three pieces of cloth: two white pieces of cloth and a striped cloak. Then al-'Abbas called two men and said: Let one of you go to Abu 'Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah - as Abu ‘Ubaidah used to dig graves for the people of Makkah - and let the other go to Abu Talhah bin Sahl al-Ansari. Abu Talhah used to make the niche [in the grave] for the people of Madinah. Then al-'Abbas, said after he sent these two people. O Allah, choose for Your Messenger, So they went, but the one who was sent to Abu 'Ubaidah did not find Abu ‘Ubaidah, but the one who was sent to Abu Talhah found him and brought him, and he dug a grave with a niche (lahd) for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).