Ruling on covering the bier of the deceased

Firstly: 

It is not permissible to uncover the face of the deceased
when he is placed in the lahd (niche in the grave), whether the deceased is
a man or a woman. For more information please see the answer to question no.
48959 

Secondly: 

With regard to covering the deceased, many of the scholars
(may Allah have mercy on them) regarded it as mustahabb to cover the bier of
a woman. That was narrated from some of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased
with them). 

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is mustahabb
to use a na‘sh for a woman. The na‘sh is a frame that is placed over the
woman on the bier, and is covered with a cloth so as to screen her from
people’s eyes. … They quoted as evidence for that the story of the funeral
of Zaynab the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her). It
was said that she was the first Muslim woman to be carried on a bier covered
with a na‘sh. Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that
Faatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him, and may Allah be pleased with her), left instructions
that this should be done for her, and they did that. If this report is
saheeh, she died many years before Zaynab. As for the report narrated by
al-Bandaneeji, that the first time this was done was in the funeral of
Zaynab the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him), and that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) ordered that that be done, this is untrue and is not known; I
draw attention to it so that no one will be deceived by it.

End quote from Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 5/234 

In Haashiyat ad-Dasooqi (1/418) it says: It is
recommended to conceal the dead woman with a frame to be placed on top of
the bier, because it is more effective in covering. End quote. 

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is
mustahabb to place over the bier of a woman something made of wood or palm
branches, like a frame, over which a cloth should be placed, to be more
covering for her.

End quote from al-Mughni, 2/211 

Al-Bahooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is
mustahabb to cover the bier of a woman with a frame.

End quote from Daqaa’iq Ooli’n-Nuha, 1/369 

The texts of the scholars which speak of it being mustahabb
to cover the bier of a woman with a frame indicate that a man should not be
covered, rather he may be left uncovered (i.e., with no frame over his
bier).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Should a makabbah be placed over the bier or not? 

The makabbah is like a frame made of bent sticks that is
placed over the bier, and a cloth is placed over it. 

Answer: if the deceased is female, then yes. Many of the
scholars regarded it as mustahabb because that is more covering for her. 

Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that
Faatimah, the daughter of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), left instructions that that should be done for her. 

This is done in the Hijaz, but in Najd it is not known,
however if someone does it, he is doing something good and should not be
denounced for it, because sometimes there are funerals of women in which one
may see things that one does not want to see, but if they put this makabbah
over her, that would cover her. 

It says in ar-Rawd: If the deceased is a woman, it is
mustahabb to cover her bier with a makabbah, because that is more covering
for her, and it was narrated that this was done for Faatimah on her
instructions. And a cloth should be placed over the makabbah. The same
applies if the deceased was a hunchback or the like, so as to conceal this
deformity. 

In the case of a man, it is not Sunnah to do this; rather he
should be left as he is, because there is a benefit in that, which is the
powerful lesson to be learned by those who were with him yesterday and see
him now, a dead body on this bier. But if he is covered with an abayah, as
is done in our country, there is nothing wrong with that.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 5/356 

And Allah knows best.