Who Should Fill Soil in the Grave and How

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا مَا شَاءَ النَّاسُ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَى الْقَبْرِ تَنَحَّى فَجَلَسَ فَلَمَّا أُدْخِلَ الْمَيِّتُ لَحْدَهُ قَامَ فَحَثَا عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ بِيَدِهِ.

“I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), say, ‘It is what Allah wills, not what people will.’ When he approached the grave, he kept to a side and sat down. When the deceased was placed in the grave, he stood up and filled three handfuls of soil in the grave, one at a time.”

إِذَا حَثَوْتَ التُّرَابَ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ فَقُلْ إِيمَاناً بِكَ وَ تَصْدِيقاً بِبَعْثِكَ‌ هذا ما وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ‌ قَالَ وَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص يَقُولُ مَنْ حَثَا عَلَى مَيِّتٍ وَ قَالَ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ ذَرَّةٍ حَسَنَةً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when you fill soil in the grave of a deceased say, ‘(It is) out of faith in You (O Allah) and an acknowledgement of Your resurrection. This is what Allah and His Messenger have promised us.’ He (the Imam) said that Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah

كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي جِنَازَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا فَلَمَّا أَنْ دَفَنُوهُ قَامَ ع إِلَى قَبْرِهِ فَحَثَا عَلَيْهِ مِمَّا يَلِي رَأْسَهُ ثَلَاثاً بِكَفِّهِ ثُمَّ بَسَطَ كَفَّهُ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ جَافِ الْأَرْضَ عَنْ جَنْبَيْهِ وَ أَصْعِدْ إِلَيْكَ رُوحَهُ وَ لَقِّهِ مِنْكَ رِضْوَاناً وَ أَسْكِنْ قَبْرَهُ مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ مَا تُغْنِيهِ بِهِ عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ ثُمَّ مَضَى.

“I was with abu Ja‘far (a.s.), in a funeral procession for one of our companions. When they buried him, he (the Imam) stood up next to his grave, then filled soil toward his head, three handfuls. He then extended his palm over the grave, and then said, ‘O Allah make earth spacious on his both sides, raise his spirit to

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَطْرَحُ التُّرَابَ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ فَيُمْسِكُهُ سَاعَةً فِي يَدِهِ ثُمَّ يَطْرَحُهُ وَ لَا يَزِيدُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَكُفٍّ قَالَ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ يَا عُمَرُ كُنْتُ أَقُولُ إِيمَاناً بِكَ وَ تَصْدِيقاً بِبَعْثِكَ هَذَا مَا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ تَسْلِيماً[1] هَكَذَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُ- رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ بِهِ جَرَتِ السُّنَّةُ.

“I saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), fill soil in the grave of a deceased. He held it (soil) in his hand for a while then tossed it in the grave and did not do more than three handfuls. I asked him about it and he replied, ‘O ‘Umar I was saying, “It is out of faith in You (O Allah), and an acknowledgement of Your resurrecting

مَاتَ لِبَعْضِ أَصْحَابِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَلَدٌ فَحَضَرَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَلَمَّا أُلْحِدَ تَقَدَّمَ أَبُوهُ فَطَرَحَ عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع بِكَفَّيْهِ وَ قَالَ لَا تَطْرَحْ عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابَ وَ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْهُ ذَا رَحِمٍ فَلَا يَطْرَحْ عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص نَهَى أَنْ يَطْرَحَ الْوَالِدُ أَوْ ذُو رَحِمٍ عَلَى مَيِّتِهِ التُّرَابَ فَقُلْنَا يَا ا

“A son of one of the companions of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), died. Abu ‘Abd Allah attended the funeral. When the deceased was placed in the grave, his father went forward to toss soil into his grave. Abu ‘Abd Allah held his hand and said, ‘You must not toss soil on him. No one of his relatives should do so. The Messenger