Salah (Prayer) for a Believer’s Dead Body, Takbir and Du’a

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Yunus ibn Ya’qub who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Badanah (a camel) that I bought, and what should I do. He (the Imam) said, ‘Take it with you until you reach Masjid al-Shajarah. You must make Ghusl (bath) and put on your two pieces of cloths. Make it kneel down facing the Qiblah (towards the Ka‘bah), then enter the Masjid and prayer, after prayer make it obligatory; then go out to the offering animal and mark the side of its hump then say, “In the name of Allah, O Allah, it is from You and for You. O Allah, accept it from me”, then move until you arrive in al-Bayda’ (name of a place), then say Talbiyah.’”

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 ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from Zurarah ibn ‘A‘yan who has said the following: “Once abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who married a woman without witness. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful at all between him and Allah. Witness in marriage is for the sake of children, if that is not the concern then it is not unlawful.’”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘In Salah (prayer) for a deceased say Takbir (Allah is great beyond description), then say, “O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause,” then say, “O Lord, this is Your servant the son of Your male and a female servant. I do not know about him except good but You know more about him than I know. O Lord if he is a person of good deeds, increase his good deeds, but if he is a person of bad deeds, forgive his sins, grant him mercy, make his grave spacious and make him of the friends of Muhammad, O Allah grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.” Then say the second Takbir (Allah is great beyond description). Then say, “O Lord, if he is a person of purity, purify him but if he is a sinner forgive him.” Then say the third Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) and say, “O Lord, do not deprive us of receiving rewards because of him and do not put us to trial after him.” Then say the fourth Takbir (Allah is great beyond description). Then say, “O Lord, write him (his name) with You among those of high status and replace him in his children whom he has left behind and make him of the friends of Muhammad, O Allah grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.” Then say the fifth Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) and end the Salah (prayer).’”

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

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Aban from Muhammad al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about the decorating and placing something around the neck of the offering animal. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not important whichever you did.’ I asked about marking the offering animal. He said, ‘Yes, mark it on its right side.’ I asked, ‘When should I do it?’ He said, ‘Do it when you want to assume the state of Ihram.”’

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Witness and testimony (for marriage) is only for the sake of children and inheritance.’ In another Hadith it is said, ‘and it is for the sake of criminal issues.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from a number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad all from ibn Mahbub from abu Wallad who has said the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about Takbir over a deceased person. He (the Imam) said, ‘There are five Takbir. In the first one say, “I testify that only Allah deserves worship, He is one and has no partners and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, I pray to You to grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.” Then say, “O Lord, this person, shrouded in front of us, is your servant and the son of Your servant whose soul You have taken to Yourself, and he is in need for your mercy and You do not need his being punished. O Lord, if he is a person of good deeds, increase his good deeds; if he is a person of bad deeds, forgive his sins.” Then say the second Takbir and do the same after every Takbir.”

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

3. Aban has narrated from Ibrahim ibn abu ‘Abd Allah and Zurarah who have said the following: “We once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Budn (camel), how to mark it, when the owner is required to assume the state of Ihram, which side is marked and is it slaughtered tied down or knelt down. He (the Imam) said, ‘Slaughter it tied down and mark it on its right side.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from and Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hafs ibn al-Bakhtariy who has said the following: “About the case of a man who marries without witness, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘In Salah (prayer) for a deceased say Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) and the testimony and say, “We are from Allah and to Allah we return. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Lord of death and life. O Allah, I pray to You to grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. O Allah I pray to You to grant Muhammad the best of rewards for his favors to his followers and for his preaching the message of his Lord.” Then say, “O Lord, this is Your servant, the son of Your male and a female servant. His forehead is in Your control. He has left this world, he is in need of Your mercy, and You do not need his being punished. O Lord, we do not know about him anything except good; but You know more about him than we know. O Lord, if he is a person of good deeds, increase his good deeds. If he is a person of bad deeds, forgive his sins, grant him mercy, forgive him through your mercy, join him with your Holy prophet, and keep him on the unchangeable word in the worldly life and in the hereafter. O Lord, make us to walk on the path of guidance and guide him and us to the right path. O Lord, grant (us) forgiveness, O Lord grant (us) forgiveness.” Then say the second Takbir. Repeat what you have said after every Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) until you say all five Takbir (Allah is great beyond description).’”

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

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Dawud al-Nahdiy from ibn abu Najran from Muhammad ibn al- Fudayl who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), once said to abu Yusuf, al-Qadi, ‘Allah, most Blessed, most High, has commanded in His book about divorce and He has placed strong emphasis on the presence of two witnesses. He has not accepted anyone as witness other than two just ones. He has commanded in His book about marriage but He has left it (presence of witness) as overlooked. You, however, have established firmly the need for the presence of witnesses where He has overlooked, but you have invalidated the need for the presence of witnesses where He has placed strong emphasis (which is divorce).”’

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. People raise their hands during the first Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) in Salah (prayer) for a deceased but not in the rest of Takbir and if should I raise my hand in the first Takbir only or in all Takbir. He (the Imam) said, ‘Raise your hand in all Takbir.’”

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When there are many al-Budn, one stands in between the two, then marks on the right and then on the left. Never mark before you are ready to assume the state of Ihram because when it is decorated, something placed around its neck or marked, assuming the state of Ihram becomes obligatory upon you and it is like Talbiyah.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ali ibn al-Hassan from Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahim abu al-Sakhr from ’Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al- Khaliq ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘In Salah (prayer) for a deceased say, ‘O Lord, You have created this soul and You have caused it to die. You know all of its secret and public matters. We have come to You to mediate before You in his favor, so accept our intercession. O Lord, entrust it with those whom it took as supreme power and raise it with those whom it loved.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Bun is marked on its right side and the man stands on the left, then places something around its neck like an old shoe with which one has performed Salat (prayer).”’

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Najran from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Budn, how it is marked. He (the Imam) said, ‘Mark it when tied down and slaughter it when it is standing. Mark it on its right side and its owner assumes the state of Ihram when something is placed around its neck or is marked.’”

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