The Sunnah to Carry a Dead Body

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from more than one person from Yunus from Ali ibn Yaqtin from abu al-Hassan (a.s.), who has said the following: “Once, I heard the Imam saying, ’It is of the Sunnah (noble tradition) to lift up the front corner of the coffin on one’s right shoulder. Thereafter one should move back to lift up the second corner of the coffin, then move to the other side of the coffin from the back side to lift up the third corner and lastly move (forward) to lift up the fourth corner on one’s left shoulder.’”

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

1. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Nahdiy, from Muhammad ibn al-Wafid from Aban from Dharih who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one who passes five years without delegating himself before his Lord when he is able to do so, is in fact a deprived person.”

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 abu Ayyub af-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who wanted to marry a woman if he could look at her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so because he wants to pay a high price/”

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

2. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Ali ibn al-Hadid from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from ‘Amr ibn Shimr from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘It is of the Sunnah (noble tradition) to lift up all the four corners of the coffin (in a manner mentioned in the Hadith above). Other than this is extra and voluntary.’”

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

2. Afi ibn Muhammad ibn Bundar has narrated from ibrahim ibn Ishaq from ‘Abd Allah ibn Hammad from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Humran who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah has an announcer who announces, ‘Any servant to whom Allah has done favors and has increased his sustenance, but he does not delegate himself before his Lord once every five years to appeal for the extra favors from Him, such person is indeed a deprived one.’”

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

2. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim and Hammad ibn ‘Uthman and Hafs ibn al-Bakhtariy all have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not unlawful for a man to look at her face and hands to wrists, if he wants to marry her.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated from his father, from some of his companions, from Al-Fadl ibn Yunus, who said: "I asked Abu Ibrahim (as) about the method of carrying a bier (funeral procession). He said: 'If you are in a situation of taqiyya, start with the right hand, then the right foot, then return from your place to the right side of the deceased. Do not pass behind his feet at all until you face the bier again and take his left hand, then his left foot, then return from your place and do not pass behind the bier at all until you face it again, doing as you did before. If you are not in a situation where you need to practice taqiyya, the proper way according to the Sunnah for carrying the bier is to start with the right hand, then the right foot, then the left foot, then the left hand, making a complete circle around it.'"

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

3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from ibn Muskan from al-Hassan ibn al-Sariy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who wants to marry a woman; if he can think about her, look behind her and to her face. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is lawful for a man to look at the woman, if he wants to marry, behind her and to her face/”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn ‘Uqbah from Musa ibn ’Ukayl from al-‘Ala’ ibn Sayabah who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Begin to lift up the coffin from the right side, then go around by the backside of the coffin to the other side then turn to the front like grinding stone (counterclockwise) . ’ ”

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

4. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from certain persons of our people from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from al-Hassan al-Sariy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who looks at a woman before he marries her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so; then what for he gives his assets?’”

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl from a man who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who wants to marry a woman; if he can look to her hairs and beauty. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is lawful if it is not with lust.’”

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