Issue No.588- It is recommended to observe the following acts in the burial of a dead body hoping that these may obtain the pleasure of Allah the almighty.1- The depth of the grave should be equal to the height of an average person.2- The dead body should be buried in the nearest graveyard, except when the graveyard which is situated farther is better on some account, e.g., when pious persons are buried there or more people go there to recite al-fātiḥa for the deceased.3- The coffin is placed on the ground a few yards away from the grave and then lifted up for three times and carried gradually toward the grave and finally it is lowered into the grave at the 4th time.4- If the deceased is a male, it is recommended for it to be lowered into the grave from its head. And in case the deceased is a female, it is recommended for it to be lowered into the grave by side of the body and a cloth should be spread over the grave while lowering it. 5- The dead body should be gently taken out of the coffin and lowered into the grave gently and the prescribed supplications should be recited before and during burying the dead body.6- The grave should have a niche in it, i.e., it should be made in a way that earth does not cave in on the dead body. In order to achieve this, the lower part of the grave should be made narrower and after placing the dead body in the grave, bricks should be laid on the upper part of the corpse, or the bottom of the grave from the qiblah side should be expanded a little so that the dead body can be placed in it.7- Some earth or bricks should be placed behind its back so that the dead body may not fall on its back after being initially placed on its right side.8- After the dead body is placed in the grave, the ties of its shroud should be unfastened and its cheek should be placed on earth, and a pillow of soil should be made under its head.9- It is recommended that the person who lowers the dead body in the grave be with wuḍū, bareheaded and barefooted. Moreover, persons, other than the relatives of the deceased, should push the dust into the grave with the back of hand and recite the following: Innā lillāh wa innā ilayhi rāji‘ūn. If the dead person is a woman, her maḥram and in the absence of a maḥram her relatives should lower her into the grave.10- Before closing the niche, it is recommended that one taps with his right hand on the shoulder of the dead body, shaking it and saying three times:اِسْمَعْ اِفْهَمْ یا ... (here the name of the deceased and his father should be called) For example, if the name of the deceased is Muhammad and his father’s name Ali, it should be said three times: “Isma‘ ifham yā Muhammad ibn Ali”. Then the proper Islamic beliefs should be dictated to the deceased in the following order:هَلْ اَنْتَ عَلَى الْعَهْدِ الَّذى فارَقْتَنا عَلَیْهِ مِنْ شَهادَةِ اَنْ لا اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهُ، وَحْدَهُ لا شَریکَ لَهُ، وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَیْهِ وَآلِهِ، عَبْدُهُ وَرسُولُهُ، وَسَیِّدُ النَبِّییّنَ، وَخاتَمُ الْمُرْسَلینَ، وَ اَنَّ عَلِیّاً اَمیرُ الْمُؤْمِنینَ، وَسَیِّدُ الْوَصِیّینَ، وَاِمامٌ افْتَرَضَ اللهُ طاعَتَهُ عَلَى الْعالَمینَ، وَ اَنَّ الْحَسَنَ وَالْحُسَیْنَ، وَعَلِىَّ بْنَ الْحُسَیْنِ، وَمُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِىٍّ، وَجَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّد، وَ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَر، وَعَلِىَّ بْنَ مُوسى، وَمُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِىٍّ، وَعَلِىَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّد، وَالْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِىٍّ، وَالْقآئِمَ الْحُجَّةَ الْمَهْدِىَّ صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَیْهِمْ اَئِمَّةُ الْمُؤْمِنینَ، وَحُجَجُ اللهِ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ اَجْمَعینَ، وَاَئِمَّتُکَ اَئِمَّةُ هُدَىً اَبْرارٌ، یا ... (here the name of the deceased and his father should be called)And then says: اِذا اَتاکَ الْمَلَکانِ الْمُقَرَّبانِ، رَسُولَیْنِ مِنْ عِنْدِاللهِ تَبارَکَ وَتعالى، وَ سَئَلاکَ عَنْ رَبِّکَ، وَعَنْ نَبِیِّکَ، وَعَنْ دینِکَ، وَعَنْ کِتابِکَ، وَعَنْ قِبْلَتِکَ، وَعَنْ اَئِمَّتِکَ، فَلا تَخَفْ وَقُلْ فى جَوابِهِما، اَللهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ رَبّى، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَیْهِ وَآلِهِ نَبِیّى، وَالاِسْلامُ دینى، وَالْقُرْآنُ کِتابى، وَالْکَعْبَةُ قِبْلَتى، وَاَمیرُالْمُؤْمِنینَ عَلِىُّ بْنُ اَبیطالِب اِمامى، وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِىٍّ الْمُجْتَبى اِمامى، وَالْحُسَیْنُ بْنُ عَلِىٍّ الشَّهیدُ بِکَرْبَلاءَ اِمامى، وَ عَلِىٌّ زَیْنُ الْعابِدینَ اِمامى، وَمُحَمَّدٌ باقِرُ عِلْمِ النَّبِیّینَ اِمامى، وَجَعْفَرٌ الصّادِقُ اِمامى، وَمُوسَى الْکاظِمُ اِمامى، وَعَلىٌّ الرِّضا اِمامى، وَمُحَمَّدٌ الْجَوادُ اِمامى، وَعَلِىٌّ الْهادى اِمامى، وَالْحَسَنُ الْعَسْکَرىُّ اِمامى، وَالْحُجَّةُ الْمُنْتَظَرُ اِمامى، هؤُلاءِ صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَیْهِمْ اَجْمَعینَ اَئِمَّتى، وَسادَتى وَقادَتى وَشُفَعآئى، بِهِمْ اَتَوَلّى، وَمِنْ اَعْدآئِهِمْ اَتَبَرَّءُ فِى الدُّنْیا وَالاْخِرَةِ، ثُمَّ اعْلَمْ یا فُلانَ بْنَ فُلان، اَنَّ اللهَ تَبارَکَ وَتَعالى نِعْمَ الرَّبُّ، وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى الله عَلَیْهِ وَآلِهِ نِعْمَ الرَّسُولُ، وَ اَنَّ اَمیرَ الْمُؤْمِنینَ عَلِىَّ بْنَ اَبى طالِب، وَاَوْلادَهُ الاْئِمَّةَ الاَْحَدَ عَشَرَ نِعْمَ الاَئِمَّةُ، وَ اَنَّ ما جآءَ بِهِ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَیْهِ وَآلِهِ حَقٌّ، وَ اَنَّ الْمَوْتَ حَقٌّ، وَسُؤالَ مُنْکَر وَنَکیر فِى الْقَبْرِ حَقٌّ، وَالْبَعْثَ حَقٌّ، وَالنُّشُورَ حَقٌّ، وَالصِّراطَ حَقٌّ، وَالْمیزانَ حَقٌّ، وَتَطایُرَ الْکُتُبِ حَقٌّ، وَالْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ، وَالنّارَ حَقٌّ، وَاَنَّ السّاعَةَ آتِیَةٌ لارَیْبَ فیها، وَاَنَّ اللهَ یَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِى الْقُبُورِAnd then says:اَفَهِمْتَ یا ... (here the name of the deceased and his father should be called)Then should recite:عَرَّفَ اللهُ بَیْنَکَ وَبَیْنَ اَوْلِیائِکَ فى مُسْتَقَرّ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ اَللّهُمَّ جافِ الاَرْضَ عَنْ جَنْبَیْهِ، وَاصْعَدْ بِرُوحِهِ اِلَیْکَ، وَلَقِّهِ مِنْکَ بُرْهاناً، اَللّهُمَّ عَفْوَکَ عَفْوَکَ11- The grave should be rectangular in shape and should be higher than the ground by four fingers’ height, and a sign should be fixed on it for the purpose of identification and water should also be sprinkled on it, and then those present should place their hands on the grave and drive the fingers into earth and recite sūrah al-Qadr seven times and pray for the forgiveness of the departed soul.12- Thereafter, recite the following supplication:اَللهُمَّ جافِ الاْرْضَ عَنْ جَنْبَیهِ وَ اَصْعِدْ اِلَیْکَ رُوحَهُ وَ لَقِّهِ مِنْکَ رِضْواناً وَ اَسْکِنْ قَبْرَهُ مِنْ رَحْمَتِکَ ما تُغْنِیهِ بِهِ عَنْ رَحْمَهِ مَنْ سِواکَOf course, if the deceased is a female, it is better to use pronouns and nouns in feminine form.
