Preparation for Placing a Deceased in the Grave

إِذَا أَتَيْتَ بِالْمَيِّتِ الْقَبْرَ فَسُلَّهُ مِنْ قِبَلِ رِجْلَيْهِ فَإِذَا وَضَعْتَهُ فِي الْقَبْرِ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ وَ قُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص اللَّهُمَّ افْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَ أَلْحِقْهُ بِنَبِيِّهِ ص وَ قُلْ كَمَا قُلْتَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ عَلَيْهِ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً مِنْ عِنْدِ- اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِناً فَزِدْ فِي إِحْسَانِهِ وَ إِنْ كَ

“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 Al

إِذَا سَلَلْتَ الْمَيِّتَ فَقُلْ- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص اللَّهُمَّ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ لَا إِلَى عَذَابِكَ فَإِذَا وَضَعْتَهُ فِي اللَّحْدِ فَضَعْ يَدَكَ عَلَى أُذُنِهِ‌[1] فَقُلِ اللَّهُ رَبُّكَ وَ الْإِسْلَامُ دِينُكَ وَ مُحَمَّدٌ نَبِيُّكَ وَ الْقُرْآنُ كِتَابُكَ وَ عَلِيٌّ إِمَامُكَ.

“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, ‘A

سَأَلْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا ع عَنِ الْمَيِّتِ فَقَالَ تَسُلُّهُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الرِّجْلَيْنِ وَ تُلْزِقُ الْقَبْرَ بِالْأَرْضِ إِلَى قَدْرِ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ مُفَرَّجَاتٍ وَ تُرَبِّعُ قَبْرَهُ.

“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.’”

سُلَّهُ سَلًّا رَفِيقاً فَإِذَا وَضَعْتَهُ فِي لَحْدِهِ فَلْيَكُنْ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ مِمَّا يَلِي رَأْسَهُ لِيَذْكُرَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ص وَ يَتَعَوَّذَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَ لْيَقْرَأْ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ وَ الْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ وَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ وَ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ وَ إِنْ قَدَرَ أَنْ يَحْسِرَ عَنْ خَدِّهِ‌[4] وَ يُلْزِقَهُ بِالْأَرْضِ فَعَلَ وَ يَشْهَدُ وَ يَذْكُرُ مَا ي

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 ‘Al

إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَدْفِنَ الْمَيِّتَ فَلْيَكُنْ أَعْقَلُ مَنْ يَنْزِلُ فِي قَبْرِهِ‌[5] عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ وَ لْيَكْشِفْ خَدَّهُ الْأَيْمَنَ حَتَّى يُفْضِيَ بِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَ يُدْنِي فَمَهُ إِلَى سَمْعِهِ وَ يَقُولُ اسْمَعْ افْهَمْ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ اللَّهُ رَبُّكَ وَ مُحَمَّدٌ نَبِيُّكَ وَ الْإِسْلَامُ دِينُكَ وَ فُلَانٌ إِمَامُكَ اسْمَعْ وَ افْهَمْ وَ أَعِدْهَا عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ هَذَا التَّلْقِينَ.

“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,

إِذَا وُضِعَ الْمَيِّتُ فِي لَحْدِهِ فَقُلْ- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص عَبْدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ نَزَلَ بِكَ وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْزُولٍ بِهِ اللَّهُمَّ افْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَ أَلْحِقْهُ بِنَبِيِّهِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا لَا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إِلَّا خَيْراً وَ أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ فَإِذَا وَضَعْتَ عَلَيْهِ اللَّبِنَ فَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ صِلْ وَحْدَتَهُ وَ آنِسْ وَحْشَتَهُ وَ أ

“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 spac

إِذَا وَضَعْتَ الْمَيِّتَ فِي لَحْدِهِ قَرَأْتَ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ وَ اضْرِبْ يَدَكَ عَلَى مَنْكِبِهِ الْأَيْمَنِ ثُمَّ قُلْ يَا فُلَانُ قُلْ‌[4] رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبّاً وَ بِالْإِسْلَامِ دِيناً وَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ ص نَبِيّاً وَ بِعَلِيٍّ ع إِمَاماً وَ سَمِّ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ.

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,

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا أَقُولُ إِذَا أَدْخَلْتُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَّا قَبْرَهُ قَالَ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ هَذَا عَبْدُكَ فُلَانٌ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ قَدْ نَزَلَ بِكَ وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْزُولٍ بِهِ وَ قَدِ احْتَاجَ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَ لَا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إِلَّا خَيْراً وَ أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِسَرِيرَتِهِ وَ نَحْنُ الشُّهَدَاءُ بِعَلَانِيَتِهِ اللَّهُمَّ فَجَافِ الْأَرْضَ عَنْ جَنْبَيْهِ وَ لَقِّنْهُ حُجَّتَ

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,

يُشَقُّ الْكَفَنُ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَأْسِ الْمَيِّتِ إِذَا أُدْخِلَ قَبْرَهُ.

“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.”

سُلَّ الْمَيِّتَ سَلًّا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You should place the deceased in the grave gently.’”

إِذَا وَضَعْتَ الْمَيِّتَ فِي الْقَبْرِ قُلْتَ- اللَّهُمَّ هَذَا عَبْدُكَ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَ ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَزَلَ بِكَ وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْزُولٍ بِهِ فَإِذَا سَلَلْتَهُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الرِّجْلَيْنِ وَ دَلَّيْتَهُ‌[1] قُلْتَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص اللَّهُمَّ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ لَا إِلَى عَذَابِكَ اللَّهُمَّ افْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَ لَقِّنْهُ حُجَّتَهُ وَ ثَبِّتْهُ بِالْقَوْلِ

11. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that when you place a deceased in the grave say, ‘O Allah [this is] Your servant son of a male servant and a female servant who has become Your gues