The Book on Dying People
The Reward for Washing a Believer for Burial
2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ طَرِيفٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ غَسَّلَ مَيِّتاً فَأَدَّى فِيهِ الأمَانَةَ غَفَرَ الله لَهُ قُلْتُ وَكَيْفَ يُؤَدِّي فِيهِ الأمَانَةَ قَالَ لاَ يُحَدِّثُ بِمَا يَرَى.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Um ay r from Sa‘d ibn Tarif who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, Tf one washes a dead body and keeps the trust, Allah grants him forgiveness.’ He was asked, ‘What is the trust?’ The Imam replied, ‘Does not make public whatever he sees.’”
3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ يُغَسِّلُ مُؤْمِناً وَيَقُولُ وَهُوَ يُغَسِّلُهُ رَبِّ عَفْوَكَ عَفْوَكَ إِلاَّ عَفَا الله عَنْهُ.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Any believing person who when washing the dead body of a believing person says, “O Allah grant him forgiveness,” Allah then grants forgiveness to him also.’”
4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ فِيمَا نَاجَى الله بِهِ مُوسَى قَالَ يَا رَبِّ مَا لِمَنْ غَسَّلَ الْمَوْتَى فَقَالَ أَغْسِلُهُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ كَمَا وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ.
4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Sinan from abu al-Jarud who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘One of the matters that Moses spoke about before Allah was this, “O Allah, what is the reward for one who washes a dead body?” The answer was, “I wash his sins as if his mother has just given him birth.’””
The Book on Dying People
The Reward for Shrouding the Body of a Believing Person
1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ طَرِيفٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ كَفَّنَ مُؤْمِناً كَانَ كَمَنْ ضَمِنَ كِسْوَتَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.
1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from Sa‘d ibn Tarif who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘One who provides shrouding (materials) for a believing person is like one whose dressing (needs) is guaranteed up to the Day of Judgment.’”
The Book on Dying People
The Reward for One who Prepares the Grave for a Believing Person
1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ طَرِيفٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ حَفَرَ لِمَيِّتٍ قَبْراً كَانَ كَمَنْ بَوَّأَهُ بَيْتاً مُوَافِقاً إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.
1. Ali has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Sayf ibn ‘ Amira from Sa‘d ibn Tarif who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘One who prepares the grave for a believing person is like one who provides him a desirable dwelling up to the Day of Judgment.”’
The Book on Dying People
The Required Depth of a Grave, the form of the Grave and Prepared Lahad for the Messenger of Allah
1ـ سَهْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ قَالَ رَوَى أَصْحَابُنَا أَنَّ حَدَّ الْقَبْرِ إِلَى التَّرْقُوَةِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى الثَّدْيِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ قَامَةِ الرَّجُلِ حَتَّى يُمَدَّ الثَّوْبُ عَلَى رَأْسِ مَنْ فِي الْقَبْرِ وَأَمَّا اللَّحْدُ فَبِقَدْرِ مَا يُمْكِنُ فِيهِ الْجُلُوسُ قَالَ وَلَمَّا حَضَرَ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِما الْسَّلام) الْوَفَاةُ أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ فَبَقِيَ سَاعَةً ثُمَّ رُفِعَ عَنْهُ الثَّوْبُ ثُمَّ قَالَ الْحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي أَوْرَثَنَا الْجَنَّةَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ نَشَاءُ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ ثُمَّ قَالَ احْفِرُوا لِي وَابْلُغُوا إِلَى الرَّشْحِ قَالَ ثُمَّ مُدَّ الثَّوْبُ عَلَيْهِ فَمَاتَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام).
1. Sahl ibn Ziyad has said that according to the narration of our people:the depth of the grave is up to one’s collarbones. Certain ones have said that it is up to one’s chest and still others say that it is up to the whole height of a man, so one can pull the sheet over the head of those in the grave. The depth of Lahad is as high as one can sit straight inside. He (the narrator) has said that when Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), was about to die, he fainted for a while and then he removed the cloth and said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah who has made us heirs of paradise. We can live wherever we like and this is good reward for those who do good deeds.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Dig for me (a grave) and sprinkle water properly.’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) (a.s.), then pulled the sheet over his face and passed away.’” (Shahid al-Thani has said that fainting of the Imam in this Hadith is not in a literal sense; as long as an Imam is alive he is responsible and in a fainting condition one is not responsible). (Lahad is a prepared room horizontally at the bottom of the grave as opposed to a vertical ditch in the center of the grave)
2ـ سَهْلٌ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي هَمَّامٍ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ هَمَّامٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) حِينَ احْتُضِرَ إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَاحْفِرُوا لِي وَشُقُّوا لِي شَقّاً فَإِنْ قِيلَ لَكُمْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لُحِدَ لَهُ فَقَدْ صَدَقُوا.
2. Sahl has narrated from certain persons of his people from abu Hammam ’Isma‘il ibn Hammad who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), when about to leave this world said, ‘When I die dig a grave for me as a straight cut in the ground, as opposed to digging straight and then digging horizontally a passage to accommodate the body which is called Lahad. If people say that the Messenger of Allah was place in Lahad, accept it as true.’”
3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَحَدَ لَهُ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ الأنْصَارِيُّ.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Abu Talhah al-Ansariy prepared Lahad for the Messenger of Allah.’”
4ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) نَهَى أَنْ يُعَمَّقَ الْقَبْرُ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثَةِ أَذْرُعٍ.
4. Ali has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Holy prophet, prohibited digging the grave deeper than three hands (yards).”
The Book on Dying People
Informing People to Attend a Funeral Service
1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَلاَّدٍ وَعَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ يَنْبَغِي لأَوْلِيَاءِ الْمَيِّتِ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُؤْذِنُوا إِخْوَانَ الْمَيِّتِ بِمَوْتِهِ فَيَشْهَدُونَ جَنَازَتَهُ وَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لَهُ فَيُكْتَبُ لَهُمُ الأجْرُ وَيُكْتَبُ لِلْمَيِّتِ الاسْتِغْفَارُ وَيَكْتَسِبُ هُوَ الأجْرَ فِيهِمْ وَفِيمَا اكْتَسَبَ لِمَيِّتِهِمْ مِنَ الاسْتِغْفَارِ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father all from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Wallad and ’Abd Allah ibn Sinan all who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The guardians of a deceased should inform the brothers (in belief) of the deceased about his death so they may attend his funeral services, perform prayer and appeal on his behalf for forgiveness (from Allah). Thus, a reward for them is written down as well as forgiveness. Also the person informing others about the funeral services earns a reward in addition to forgiveness for the deceased person.”’
