Preparation for Placing a Deceased in the Grave

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that you should place a deceased, after his arrival near the grave, in it from the side where you intend to place his feet. When the deceased is placed in the grave, read Ayatu al-Kursiy and say, ’(I begin) in the name of Allah, in the way of Allah and on the path of the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, make his grave comfortably spacious and join him with his prophet, who with his family are ‘Alayhim al-Salam .’ Then say what you have just said in Salah (prayer) for the deceased only once nearby, ‘O Allah, if he is a person of good deed, increase his good deeds and if he is a person of bad deeds, please forgive him, have mercy on him and ignore his sins.’ You should ask forgiveness for him as much as possible. The Imam said, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, Alayhi al-Salam, at the time of placing a deceased in the grave would say, “O Allah make his place spacious on both sides, accept his good deeds and grant him happiness from Your side.’””

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 Wahab ibn ‘ Abd Rabbihi who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if al-Hajj can be performed on behalf of one hostile to ’A’immah. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it cannot be performed.’ I then asked, ‘Even if he is my father?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If he is your father it is permissible.’”

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban ‘Uthman fro al-Fadl ibn ‘Abd al-Malik who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who arranges marriage for his son who is small. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’ I asked if divorce is permissible. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not permissible.’ I asked, ‘Who must pay mahr (dower)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The father must pay mahr (dower) if he has taken responsibility for it; but if he has not taken the responsibility on himself then the boy must pay unless the boy has no assets, then still he is responsible even if he has not taken the responsibility.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘If a man arranges marriage for his son it is up to him but if he gives his daughter in marriage it is binding.’”

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id and Muhammad ibn Khalid, all from al-Nadr ibn al-Suwayd from Yahya ibn ‘Imran from Harun ibn Kharijah from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said to say this, when you place a deceased in the grave, ‘(I begin) in the name of Allah, with Allah and on the path of the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, take him to Your mercy and not to Your punishment.’ Say, when the deceased is placed in the grave, with your hand on his ear, ‘Allah is your Lord, al-Islam is your religion, Muhammad is your prophet, Quran is your book and Ali is your Imam.’”

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Mahziyar from who has said the following: “I once wrote to him (the Imam) and asked, ‘If one performs al-Hajj for one hostile to ’A’immah, is it a sin and does it benefit the person hostile to ’A’immah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam ? He (the Imam) said, ‘al- Hajj is not performed for one hostile to ’A’immah and al-Hajj is not performed with him.’”

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Faddal from ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr from ‘Ubayd ibn Zurarah who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who arranges marriage for his son who is small. He (the Imam) said, ‘If his son has any assets mahr (dower) is on him but if the son does not have any asset then the father is responsible for mahr (dower) whether he accepts such responsibility or not.’”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “I asked one of the two Imam, Alayhim al-Salam, about a deceased. He said, ‘Place him in the grave from the side of the feet. Keep the grave above the ground by four open fingers and make it four cornered.’”

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the case of a man who had sons and he arranged marriage for two of them and assigned mahr (dower) then he died; who was to pay mahr (dower); was it to be from all of the legacy or from the share of the two sons. He (the Imam) said in such case, ‘It is from the whole of the legacy because it is like debts.’”

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

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Ubaydah al-Hadhdha’ who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a boy and a girl for whom marriage is arranged by their guardians and they are not mature yet. He (the Imam) said, ‘Marriage is binding and whichever becomes mature has a choice but if they die before maturity there will be no inheritance between them and no mahr (dower) unless they become mature and agree with the marriage.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if one of them becomes mature before the other?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It becomes binding on him if he agrees.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if he becomes mature before the girl and agrees with the marriage, then he dies before the girl becomes mature; if she can inherit him.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, her share of inheritance is kept aside until she becomes mature, then she is made to take an oath that nothing has made her to claim the inheritance except her agreement with the marriage, then it is given to her as well as one-half of the mahr (dower).’ I then asked, ‘What happens if the girl dies before becoming mature and if the husband who has become mature can inherit her.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, because she had the choice upon her becoming mature.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if her father is the one who gives her in marriage before her becoming mature?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Marriage which is arranged for her by her father becomes binding on her and on the boy and mahr (dower) is on the father in favor of the girl.”’

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

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Isma’il from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Mahfuz al- Iskaf who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the person nearest in kinship to the deceased should enter the grave for burial near his head, remove the shroud from the right side of his face, place it on earth, with his mouth near the ear of the deceased, say three times, ‘Listen and understand.’ Allah is your Lord, Muhammad is your prophet, al-Islam is your religion, so and so is your Imam. Listen and understand. He should repeat this dictation three times.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Muhammad ibn Muslim from one of the two Imam the following: “The Imam (a.s.), said, ‘When a deceased is placed in the grave you should say, “(I begin) in the name of Allah, in the way of Allah and according to the traditions of the Messenger of Allah. (O Allah), this, Your servant, son of Your servant has become Your guest and You are the best host. O Allah, make his grave spacious and join him with his prophet. O Allah, all we know of him is good but You are more knowledgeable about him than we are.” When you place the slab, (to cover his grave) say, “O Allah, find connections for his loneliness and comfort for his dread. Settle with him from Your mercy a mercy that will suffice him of the mercy of those other than Yourself.” When coming out of the grave say, “We are for Allah and to Him we return. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, raise his position in the highest of high places, make a successor among those whom he has left behind, who suffer grief, O Lord of the worlds.”’”

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

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from more than one person of our people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that a shroud should be cut open from where the head of the deceased is when he is placed in the grave.”

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

10. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama‘ah from certain individuals of his people from Aban from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn Sayabah from abu ‘Abd Allah, who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You should place the deceased in the grave gently.’”

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

4. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said to place a deceased gently in the grave. The person from the side of his head, when he is placed in the grave, should speak of the names of Allah. He should also say ‘Allahumma Salli ‘Ala Muhammad wa ‘Ali Muhammad (O Allah grant Muhammad and his family a compensation worthy of their serving Your cause).’ He should ask protection with Allah against Satan; read al-Fatihah al-Kitab, chapters 113, 114, 112 of the Holy Quran and Ayatu al-Kursiy. If possible, one should place the side of his face on the soil without covering, say the testimonies, and speak of Allah whatever he knows until he is in the presence of his guardian (Imam al-Mahdi).”

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

7. It is a narration from him (narrator of previous Hadith) by his father from Hammad from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “He (the Imam), ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, that when you place a deceased in his grave, read Ayatu al-Kursiy and hold his right shoulder with your hand, then say, ‘O so and so say, “I accept Allah as the Lord, al-Islam as the religion, Muhammad as the prophet and Ali as the Imam.” Then mention the Imam of his time.’””

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

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub from Sanaa ‘ah who has said the following: “I asked abu ’Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘What should we say when placing a deceased from us in the grave?’ He said to say, ‘O Allah, this is Your servant so and so son of Your servant who has become Your guest and You are the best host. He is in need of Your mercy. O Allah, all we know from him is good. You know his secrets. We are only witnesses about his appearances. O Allah, make the earth spacious on his both sides. Dictate to him the statement of authority (that he needs) and make this day the best of days that he has ever lived. Make this grave the best house where he has ever lived. Place him in the best of what he has ever experienced. Make his entrance spacious, comfort his dread, forgive his sins and do not deprive us of the reward (because of him) and do not make us to go astray thereafter.’”

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