The Required Depth of a Grave, the form of the Grave and Prepared Lahad for the Messenger of Allah

1. Sahl ibn Ziyad has said that according to the narration of our people:the depth of the grave is up to one’s collarbones. Certain ones have said that it is up to one’s chest and still others say that it is up to the whole height of a man, so one can pull the sheet over the head of those in the grave. The depth of Lahad is as high as one can sit straight inside. He (the narrator) has said that when Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), was about to die, he fainted for a while and then he removed the cloth and said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah who has made us heirs of paradise. We can live wherever we like and this is good reward for those who do good deeds.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Dig for me (a grave) and sprinkle water properly.’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) (a.s.), then pulled the sheet over his face and passed away.’” (Shahid al-Thani has said that fainting of the Imam in this Hadith is not in a literal sense; as long as an Imam is alive he is responsible and in a fainting condition one is not responsible). (Lahad is a prepared room horizontally at the bottom of the grave as opposed to a vertical ditch in the center of the grave)

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hafs af-Bakhtariy and Hisham ibn Salim and Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar and others who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that if people neglect performing al-Hajj, the authorities will force them to perform al-Hajj and to reside therein. If people neglect visiting the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, the authorities will force them to do so and reside there. If they will not be able to bear the expenses, the authorities will pay for them from the public treasury.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman then marries the mother of the child of her father. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’ I then asked, ‘It is narrated to us from your father (a.s.), that Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), married, daughter of al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.), and mother of the child of al-Hassan because a certain person of our people asked me to ask you about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not that way. Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), had married daughter of al-Hassan (a.s.), and mother of the child of Ali ibn al-Husayn who was murdered with you. It was reported to ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who blamed Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), about it and Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), wrote to him the answer. After reading the letter he said, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn lowers himself but Allah raises him up.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Sahl has narrated from certain persons of his people from abu Hammam ’Isma‘il ibn Hammad who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), when about to leave this world said, ‘When I die dig a grave for me as a straight cut in the ground, as opposed to digging straight and then digging horizontally a passage to accommodate the body which is called Lahad. If people say that the Messenger of Allah was place in Lahad, accept it as true.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “If people neglect al-Hajj it becomes obligatory for the Imam to force them to perform al-Hajj whether they agree or disagree; this House is established for al-Hajj.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Sinan who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and a mother of the child of her father. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Abu Talhah al-Ansariy prepared Lahad for the Messenger of Allah.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufiy ibn Jabalah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who gives as a gift his slave- girl with whom he has gone to bed, to his son in-law; if his son in-law can go to bed with this slave- girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Ali has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Holy prophet, prohibited digging the grave deeper than three hands (yards).”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from ‘Imran ibn Musa from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl who has said the following: “Once I was with al-Rida’ (a.s.), when Safwan asked about a man who has married the daughter of a man and the man has a woman and a mother of child. The father of the girl dies; if this man can marry the wife and mother of the child of the deceased. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufiy from ‘Ubays ibn Hisham from Muhammad ibn abu Hamzah who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and her father gives her a slave-girl with whom he has gone to bed, as a gift; if her husband can go to bed with the slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries the mother of the child of a man and her master dies. The deceased has a child from a woman other than his mother of the child; if the man who has married the mother of the child can marry the daughter of her master who has set her free so he will have both the daughter of the master who set her free and the slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.