Lesson 2; Death part 2 of 5

Reasons for the Squeeze in the Grave.

Laziness in purifying oneself after urinating, creating mischief amongst people, backbiting (ghibat), and severing relation with kith & kin are some of the reasons for this punishment.

Sa'ad bin Ma'az was one of the noble men of Ansars. He was held dear by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) Himself and His companions, to the extent that whenever he came to meet the Prophet, He used to instruct His companions to welcome him with honour. The Prophet Himself stood up to welcome him. Sa'ad was wounded in a battle fought against the jews of Qurayza, and later succumbed to the injuries. When he died, seventy thousand Angels attended his funeral. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) was present bare feet till the end, and gave shoulder to his bier, and said that the Angels had come to recite the funeral prayers (Namaze Mayyit), and Jibraeel and Mikaeel were also present alongside him. The Holy prophet loved him so much that He Himself buried him. Seeing these, the mother of Sa'ad remarked, “O my son, rejoice at the attainment of Paradise”. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) says that, if a believer (Mo'min) does not help his believer brother even after having capacity to do so, Allah will send a large serpent named ‘Shaja’ in his grave, who will keep biting at his fingers”. In another narration it is stated that the serpent will keep on biting his fingers even though his sin will have been forgiven.

 

Do people who are drowned or are hanged have to face the Squeeze in the Grave?

Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Yunus who says that once Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) was asked whether a person who is hanged also faces squeezing. (In the olden days it was a custom that when a person was hanged, his body was not brought down from the gallows, but was kept hanging there. As in the case of Zaid bin Ali bin Husain (A.S.), he lay in that manner for three years). Imam Reza (A.S.) answered, “Yes, they too shall face it, because Allah A(who has power over all things) orders the wind to squeeze him, as the earth does”. Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says that, “Verily the Lord of the earth and the wind is One and the same, He commands the wind to squeeze the dead man, and this squeezing is more painful than the squeezing by the earth”. In the same manner those who are drowned or are killed and eaten up by the beasts have to face the squeezing. Not offering thanks to Allah for His blessings and denying them, is also one of the causes of the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr).

 

Those A'mal which saves one from the Squeeze in the Grave.

There are many acts (A'amal) to save one from the squeeze in the grave, but for brevity's sake, I state here only seventeen of them.

(1) Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) says, that a person who recites Surah-an-Nisa on every Friday will remain safe from the squeeze in the grave.

(2) It is narrated that if a person recites Surah-az-Zukhruf, Allah will save him from the reptiles of the earth, and the squeeze in the grave.

(3) A person who recites Surah-al-Qalam in Obligatory Prayers (Wajib Namaz) or Supererogatory Prayers (Nafela), will remain safe from this punishment.

(4) Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says, that if a person dies between the sunset of thrusday and the sunset of friday, Allah will exempt him from this punishment.

(5) Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) says, that the Midnight Prayers (Namaze Shab) is recommended (sunnat) for you. So if a person gets up in the last part of the night and recites Namaze Shab, Allah will save him from the squeeze in the grave and grant him immunity from the fire of hell, and will increase his age and sustenance.

(6) The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, that if a person recites Surah-at-Takasur before going to bed, Allah will grant him freedom from this punishment.

(7) If a person recites this supplication (dua') ten times daily will be saved from this punishment.

(The du'a has already been quoted in Chapter - I under “Those A'mal which prove beneficial during death and eases it's tribulations”).

(8) A person who is buried in Najafe Ashraf. Because the earth of that place has got the speciality, that a person buried there will be saved from the punishment in the grave, and will be exempted from the questioning by Munkir & Nakeer.

(9) To put Jareedatayn (two wet sticks or branches) alongwith the dead body in the grave. It is narrated that so long as the sticks remain wet, the dead person is saved from chastisement. It is related that once the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) was passing by a grave on which Allah's wrath was descending. He called for a leafless branch. He cut it from between,wetted it with water, and kept one on the head of the grave and the other on the feet. It is also related that to sprinkle water on the grave is also beneficial, for so long as the mud of the grave remains wet, the dead person remains safe from the punishment in the grave.

(10) A person who recites ten units (Rak'at) of Namaz on the 1st of Rajab, such that in every Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recites three times Surah-at-Tawheed, will be saved from the squeeze in the grave. To recite twenty Rak'at Namaz on the night of 1st Rajab, such that in every Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite once Surah-at-Tawheed is beneficial to save oneself from the punishment in the grave.

(11) To fast for four days in the month of Rajab or twelve days in the month of Sha'ban is also beneficial.

(12) To recite Surah-al-Mulk on the grave is an act which saves the dead man from the punishment in the grave. Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi relates from Ibne Abbas, who says that once a person pitched a tent on a ground not knowing that there was a grave beneath. Thereafter he started reciting Surah-al-Mulk. Suddenly he heard a voice saying that the Surah gives salvation. He related this incident to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.), who replied that, “Verily this Surah frees a person from the punishment in the grave”. Shaikh Kulanini also narrates from Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) who said that the recitation of Surah-al-Mulk saves one from the punishment in the grave.

(13) It is related from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) in “Da'waat” of Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi that, when a person is being buried and someone recites this supplication (du'a) thrice, the corpse will remain safe from the punishment in the grave till the day of Qayamat:

اللّهُمَّ إنّي أسأَلُكَ بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ أنْ لا تُعذِّبَ هذا المَيِّت.

(14) Shaikh Toosi in his ‘Misbahul Mutahajjid’ relates the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) as saying that, if a person recites the following two Rak'at Namaz on friday night, Allah will free him from the punishment in the grave, and save him from fear on the day of Qayamat. In each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite fifteen times Surah-az-Zilzal.

(15) To recite thirty Rak'at Namaz in the middle part of the month of Rajab, such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times Srah-at-Tawheed is beneficial to ward off punishment in the grave. In the same manner to recite the above Namaz on the night of 16th and 17th Rajab and the 1st of Sha'ban is also beneficial. On the night of the 1st of Sha'ban to recite 100 Rak'at Nasmaz, such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite once Surah-at-Tawheed, after ending the Namaz recite fifty times Surah-at-Tawheed. On the night of 24th Sha'ban recite one hundred Rak'at Namaz, such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times Surah-an-Nasr. Also to recite fifty Rak'at Namaz such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite fifty times Surah-at-Tawheed, fifty times Surah-al-Falaq, and 50 tiems Surah-an-Naas saves one from the punishment in the grave. To recite the same Namaz on the night of ‘Ashoora’ (10th of Moharram) is also beneficial.

(16) To keep ‘Khake Shifa’ (the mud of the grave of Imam Husain A.S.) in the shroud (kafan), or to rub it on the parts of prostration (Sajdah).

(17) It is narrated from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) in “Anware No'maniyah” that if forty persons gather near the body and recite:

اللّهُمَّ إنّا لا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إلاّ خَيراً وأنْتَ أعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنّا فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ .

Allah will safeguard the dead man from the punishment in the grave.

It is related from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that there was a virtuous man in Bani Israil, regarding whom it was revealed to Prophet Dawood (A.S.) that he was a hypocrite (riyakar). When he died, Hazrat Dawood refrained from attending his funeral. But forty other people attended his funeral and said:

اللّهُمَّ إنّا لا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إلاّ خَيراً وأنْتَ أعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنّا فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ .

Then another forty came and repeated the same, for they were not aware of the hidden reality. Allah then revealed to Dawood (A.S.) and asked him as to why did he not attend his funeral? Hazret Dawood answered, “O Lord! You said that the man was a hypocrite, and so I avoided his funeral”. Allah said, “Verily it was true, but because forty persons bore witness to his goodness, I forgave his sins”. It is Allah's mercy and beneficence who thus forgave His servant with any trial or tribulation.

It is for this reason that the believers (mo'meneen) in the olden days kept their shrouds (kafan) with them, and would request other believers to write down their testimonies on it. The sight of the shroud made them remember death and increase the fear of the hereafter. We too should follow this example and request other mo'meneen to write down their testimonies on our shrouds, and preserve it with us, so that we are always reminded of the hereafter.

Benefits of Kindness to Parents.

فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ )ع): يَا مُيَسِّرُ قَدْ حَضَرَ أَجْلُكَ غَيْرُ مَرَّةٍ وَ لاَ مَرَّتَينِ كُلُّ ذٌلِكَ يُؤَخِّرُ اللٌّهُ أَجَلَكَ لِصِلَّتِكَ قُرَابَتِكَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ يُزَادَ فِي عُمْرِكَ فَبِرْ شَيْخَيكَ يَعْنِي أَبَوَيهِ.

[Hanan Ibn Sudair narrates: “We were in the presence of Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and a midst us was Muyassir.  During the discussion, the topic of silah rahim (establishing bonds of kinship with one’s relatives) came to the fore, whereupon] the Imam (peace be upon him), [addressing Muyassir], said: ‘O’ Muyassir!  On several occasions, your end had drawn near, but on each occasion, Allah delayed your death due to your acts of silah rahim with your relatives.  If you desire to have your life-span increased, exhibit goodness and kindness towards your parents.’

Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 84

Lesson 2; Death part 1 of 5

One of the fearsome stages of the Hereafter is the grave, which calls out daily: “I am the abode of loneliness, I am the house of terror, I am the home of worms”.

 

Terror of the Grave

It is quoted in Man La Yahzaruhul Faqih, that when a dead body is brought for burial, it should not be buried immediately. For there is no doubt that the terror of the grave horrifies the dead person, and he seeks refuge from Allah's wrath. The dead body should be laid to rest for sometime far from the grave, so that it prepares itself, and gets accustomed to it. Again one should stop and then take it to the grave. Allamah Majlisi while commenting on the above, says that even though the spirit is separated from the body, it is still maintains relation with it, and remains somewhat attached to it. The darkness & loneliness, questioning by ‘Munkir & Nakeer’, Squeezing in the grave (Fishar), and the chastisement in hell are some of the frightful stages. Hence it is necessary for man to take lessons from a dead man's state, and reflect upon it, because one day he himself will have to pass through these stages. Yunus narrates that one day he asked Imam Moosa-al-Kazim (A.S.) that, “Whenever I think about the door of a house, the house becomes narrow in my sight, why is it so”? Imam (A.S.) replied, “It is so because whenever you take a dead body for burial, you should lay it to rest for sometime near the grave, so that the dead person may ready itself to enter there in, and collect strength to answer the questions of ‘Munkir’ & Nakeer’”.

Bara bin Azib, one of the companions (Ashab) of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) says that one day I was in the presence of the Prophet, when we saw a group of people gathered. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) asked them as to why they had gathered? They replied that they had gathered to dig a grave. As soon as the Prophet heard the name of the grave, he hurried towards it and sat on one side of the grave. I sat on the other side facing him so as to get a clear view of what he did. I saw that the Prophet (S.A.W.S) started weeping bitterly so much so that his face became wet, then he looked at us and said, “O my brothers! Prepare yourselves for this house”.

Shaikh Bahai says that at times he saw many kings and rulers regretting their sins and wailing over their lives while dying. The Shaikh asked one such person who was about to die as to what was the reason for such regret. The dying king replied, “What do you have to say about the person who is proceeding for a journey without having gathered any provisions for it, and devoid of a helpful companion. He is stopped on the way in a horrifying grave, to be produced later before the Almighty Ruler, without having any goodness in store”.

Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi says, that after the death of Hazrat Maryam (A.S.), her son Prophet Isa (A.S.) called her, “O mother! Please speak to me, and tell me whether you are desirous of returning back to this world”. Hazrat Maryam (A.S.) answered, “Yes, I desire to return back, so that during the cold winter nights I could recite Namaz, and during the hot summer days I could fast. O my dear! Verily the way to the hereafter is very difficult.”

It is narrated that when the last moments of Hazrat Fatema (A.S.) neared, She called Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) and said, “When I die, you bathe me, shroud me, pray Namaz over my dead body, and bury me. When you do so, sit near my grave for sometime and recite the Holy Qur'an, and pray for my forgiveness. For verily after death the dead person relies totally on the prayers (dua's) and affection of the living ones”.

When Hazrat Fatema binte Asad (the mother of Hazrat Ali) died, Amirul Mo'meneen (A.S.) came weeping to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) and gave Him the new of her death. The Prophet was grieved and said, “My mother has died”. History bears witness that she had brought up the Prophet affectionately like a mother. The Prophet (S.A.W.S) gave her his own gown for the shroud (Kafan), and Himself lay in the grave for sometime before burying her. After burying her, he stood near the grave and called out: “Your son, your son, not Aqeel, nor Ja'far”. People were surprised and asked him the reason for uttering these words. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) replied that, “One day we were discussing about Qayamat, and I said that on that day people will be come out of their graves in a state of nakedness. My aunt (Fatema binte Asad) started crying, so I assured her that I would give her my own gown for shroud, so she would not have to face that humiliation. She was scared of the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr) , so I lay myself in her grave so as to save her from this too. After burying her, Munkir & Nakeer came to question her. They asked her about her Lord, she replied that Almighty Allah was her Lord. Then they asked her about Prophet hood (Nabuwwah), she bore testimony that I was Allah's Apostle. But when they questioned her about her Imam, she was a bit confused. Hence I called out to her that “Your son, your son, not Aqeel nor Ja'far (but Ali)”. Fatema binte Asad was a distinguished lady, who had the honor of giving birth to a son like Ali (A.S.), and herself remaining in the Ka'bah for three days as Allah's guest. She was the second woman who accepted the Prophet hood of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) the first being Hazrat Khadija (A.S.) even then she was fearful of the hereafter and wept. And we being sinful have forgotten our end, and do not take account of our deeds, but are averse to the terror of the hereafter.

Sayyed ibne Tawoos relates from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) that he said that the first night is the most fearful and difficult for the dead person, hence give Sadqa for his safety. If you do not have to give anything as ‘Sadqa’ then recite two unit (Rak'at) Namaz: In the first Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite twice Surah-at-Tawheed, and in the second Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times Surah-at-Takasur. After finishing the Namaz recite the following dua:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وابْعَثَ ثَوابَها اِلى قَبْرِ ذِلِكَ المَيِّتِ فُلان بن فُلان.

(here take the name of the dead man)

Allah will immediately send one thousand Angels to the grave of the dead person with attires of Paradise, and expand his grave till Qayamat. And for the one who recites this Namaz, Allah will offer him great rewards and exalt his position forty times.

The other Namaz to be recited on the first night of burial is as follows: Two Rak'at Namaz is to be recited, in the first Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite once Ayatal Kursi, and in the second Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times surah-al-Qadr. After finishing Namaz say:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وابْعَثَ ثَوابَها اِلى قَبْرِ فُلان

(here take the name of the deceased person).

My teacher Allamah Mirza Husain Noori (may Allah exalt his position) quotes in his book Darus Salaam from his teacher Haj Fath Ali Sultanabadi that he said: It was my routine that whenever I heard about the death of follower (Shi'ah) of Ahlulbait (A.S.), whether known or unknown to me, I recited (the above stated) Namaz, and this was not known to anyone else except myself. One day I met one of my friends who told me that the previous night he saw in a dream a Shi'ah who had died some days ago. May friend asked him as to how his state was. He replied that he was in deep trouble facing the consequences of his deeds, till one so and so (he took my name) person recited Namaz for him. He said that, “May Allah bless his father, he rescued me from severe chastisement”. My friend asked me regarding the Namaz and I had to tell him.

 

Those deeds which are beneficial for warding off fear of the Grave.

One of them is performing Ruku' with entire recitation. Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) says, that a person reciting entire recitation of Ruku' in Namaz will be saved from the fear of the grave. And one who recites.

لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ المَلِكُ الحَقُّ المُبينُ

100 times daily, will be saved from anxiety in the grave, will become prosperous  and the doors of Paradise will be opened for him. It is also related that the person who recites Surah-al-Yaseen before going to bed, and the following Namaz (Namaze Laylatur Raghaib), he will be saved from the terror of the grave. The first night of the month of Rajab is known as Laylatur Raghaib.

The Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) used to fast on the first Thursday of the month of Rajab, and between Maghrib and Isha Prayers recite twelve Rak'at Namaz (in si sets of two units) as under:

In every Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite three times Surah-al-Qadr and twelve times Surah-an-Naas. After Salaam recite seventy times:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبيِّ الأمِّي وَعلى آلِهِ

Then go into prostration (Sajdah) and say seventy times:

سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبَّ المَلائِكَةِ والرُّوحِ

Then sit erect and say seventy times:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَتَجاوَزْ عَمَّا تَعْلَمُ إنَّكَ أنْتَ العَليُّ الأعْظَمُ

Then again go into Sajdah and say seventy times:

سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبَّ المَلائِكَةِ والرُّوحِ

It has been related that a person who fasts for twelve days in the month of Sha'ban, Allah will send seventy thousand Angels daily to his grave. And if a person visits an ailing man, Allah appoints an Angel for him who accompanies him in his grave till Qayamat.

Abu Sa'eed Khudri says, that he heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) telling Amirul Mo'mineen Ali (A.S.), “O Ali! Give glad tidings to your Shi'ahs that their death will be eased, and they will be saved from the terror of the grave and Qayamat”.

Narrowness of. and Squeeze in the Grave (Fishare Qabr).

This event is so horrifying, that it makes a person shiver with fright in this very world. Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) says: “O the servants of Allah! The state in the grave of a person whose sins are not forgiven is more horrifying than death it self. Fear it's (grave's) narrowness, it's squeezing, it's imprisonment  and it's loneliness. Verily the grave calls out daily: I am the house of loneliness, of terror and worms. Grave is like a garden of Paradise for a good doer, while it is like a dungeon of hell for the evil doer. Allah tells His enemies that He will send ninety nine serpents in their graves, who will tear their flesh and smash their bones, and this punishment will continue till the outbreak of Qayamat. If one of the serpents exhales towards this earth, all plants and trees will be destroyed. O servants of Allah! Your souls are tender, and your bodies delicate, you cannot confront any ordinary serpent of this world, how then will you face them”. It is related that Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) used to get up daily in the middle of the night and call out in a loud voice so that everyone in the house could hear, and would say:

اللّهُمَّ أعِنِّي عَلى حَوْلِ المُطَّلَعِ وَوَسِّعْ على ضِيقِ المَضْجَعِ وَارْزُقْني ما قَبلَ المَوتِ وارْزُقني خَيرَ ما بَعدَ المَوتِ.

One of his (A.S.)'s Supplication (Du'a) is also stated:

اللّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لي في المَوتِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على سَكَراتِ المَوتِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على غَمِّ القَبْرِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على ضَيْقِ القَبْرِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على وَحْشَةِ القَبْرِ اللّهُمَّ زَوِّجْني مَنَ الحُورِ العِينِ.

 

Ayatullah Abdul Hadi Al-Fadhli returns to His Lord

 Please recite Surah Fatiah for the late Murhoom, 8th of April 2013, after suffering from illness for several years. Ayatullah Hadi was a well known cleric fro his area and town, and also slowly becoming a worldwide attention. His amazing works within his life period include:

1. Islam Is a Principle.
2. The Mode of Islamic Call.
3. The Proverbs in (The Main Road to Eloquenc) – Nahjul Balagha. 
4. The Summary of Logic.
5. Religion in the Language and Qura’n.
6. Arabic Eloquence : its originating & its Development.
7. The Principle of Derivation in Arabic.
8. The Summary of Grammar.
9. The Summary of Morphology.
10. Studies on Parsing.
11. Studies on the Verb.
12. About Prosody: criticism and a suggestion

13. Introduction to Hadith 

Long Live Sh'an-e-Ali! 

General Islamic codes: Death related issues

From the rulings of Grand Ayatullah Sayed Ali Hussaini Al-Seestani

Here are some rules in brief concerning the dying person, washing of the corpse and its shrouding, and burial procedure.¹

Before Death

132. It’s a matter of obligatory precaution that one should move the dying person in the direction of the qiblah during the last moments of his life. This is to be done by placing him on his back with his feet pointing towards the qiblah as though if he sits up, his face would be facing in that direction.
     It is recommended to read and ask the dying person to repeat the testament of belief (shahãda) concerning the Oneness of God and the faith in Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and the Imams (a.s.).
133. It is recommended to close the eyes of the dead person, their mouth, stretch their arms along their sides, straighten their legs, cover the body with a sheet of cloth, recite the Qur’ãn, and light up the room in which they lived. It is disliked to leave the corpse alone.

Ablution (Ghusl) for the Corpse

134. After getting rid of the impure (najis) elements that are on the body of the dead person (e.g., blood, semen, etc.), the corpse has to be given three ablutions as follows:
     1. First wash it with sidr water. That is, water to which a little of sidr has been added.²
     2. The second wash is with camphour water. That is, water to which a little bit of camphour has been added.
     3. The third wash is with pure water.
     
     
     If sidr is not available, then it is precautionarily obligatory to wash the corpse with pure water instead. Similarly, if camphour is not available, it is precautionarily obligatory to wash it with pure water instead. Then it should be washed the third time with pure water. In such a case, after the three washings, one tayammum should be performed on the corpse.
135. It is necessary that the ablution given to the corpse be of the tartibi kind: that is, the body should be washed in proper sequence with the head and the neck first, then the right side of the body, and then the left side.
136. The person washing the corpse must be of the same gender as the dead person. So, a male should wash a male corpse, and a female should wash a female corpse. However, husband and wife are allowed to perform ablution to one another; although it is better that the washing be done with the body covered with a sheet of cloth.
     If a person of the same gender is not available, then, based on obligatory precaution, those of the opposite gender who are mahram to the deceased can perform it. Mahram means those relations with whom marriage is forbidden because of blood relationship or nursing (suckling) relationship or marriage, like brother and sister [or son-in-law and mother-in-law]. However, it is better that the washing be done with the body covered with a sheet of cloth. Unity of gender is not required when giving ablution to a corpse of a child that had not reached the age of discerning the right and wrong.³
137. Based on obligatory precaution, the person performing ablution must be a mu’min. If neither a mu’min of the same gender as the deceased is available nor a mahram [even of the opposite gender], it is permissible that a Muslim of the same gender can wash the deceased.
     If even a Muslim is not available, then the deceased can be washed by an Ahlul Kitãb person [that is, a Jew, a Christian or a Zoroastrian] of the same gender with the condition that the person should first wash himself and then perform ablution to the corpse. If even an Ahlul Kitab person of the same gender is not available, the duty of performing ablution to the corpse is lifted, and the deceased should be buried without it.

Tahnít and Shrouding

138. After giving the ablution, it is wãjib to do tahnít. Tahnít means to rub camphour powder (which has maintained its fragrance) on the seven parts of the body that touch the ground in a posture ofsajdah: the forehead, the palms, the knees, and feet toes. It is preferable to start tahnít with the forehead and end with the palms.
139. After tahnít, the deceased has to be shrouded in three pieces of cloth as follows:
     1. The mi’zar: a piece of cloth [like an apron] that must cover the body between the navel and the knees, based on obligatory precaution.
     2. The qamís: a piece of cloth [like a shirt] that must cover the body from the shoulders to mid shank, based on obligatory precaution.
     3. The izãr: a large sheet of cloth that must cover the entire body. Based on obligatory precaution, it must be long and wide enough so that the top and the bottom parts could be tied [with a string], and the front parts overlap.

The Prayer

140. It is obligatory to say prayer over a deceased Muslim’s body of six years and over. Based on obligatory precaution, prayer should also be said over the body of a child who could do the salãt even if he or she had not yet reached the age of six.
141. The way to conduct prayer on the deceased:
     The person praying should recite five takbírs (say “Allãhu Akbar”). However, it is preferable that after each takbír he says the following:
     After the first takbir, he should say the shahãdatayn (declaration of faith in God and Prophet Muhammad).
     After the second takbír, he should say the salawãt on Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and his progeny (a.s.).
     After the third takbír, he should say a prayer for the believing men and women.
     After the fourth takbír, he should say a prayer for the deceased.
     He should say the fifth takbír and end the salãt.

Burial

142. It is necessary to bury the deceased after the salãt. Burial is intended to protect the body from wild animals and its smell is contained within so that no one is annoyed by it. The body should be placed on its right side with the face towards the qiblah.
143. It is not permissible to bury a deceased Muslim in the graveyard of non-Muslims, except if a section of that graveyard is specifically reserved for Muslims. Similarly, no non-Muslim can be buried in the graveyard of Muslims.
144. When it is neither possible to get a grave for a deceased Muslim in the graveyard of Muslims, nor transfer the body to a Muslim country for burial in a Muslim graveyard, that deceased Muslim may be buried in the graveyard of non-Muslims.
145. It has been narrated from the Prophet (s.a.w.) that he said, “No time comes upon the dead person more difficult than the first night [of burial]. Therefore have mercy on your dead ones by giving charity [on their behalf]. If one does not have anything [to give in charity], one of you should pray two rak‘ah for them: in the first rak‘ah, after al-Hamd, recite Ãyatu ’l-kursi; and in the second rak‘ah, afteral-Hamd, recite surah al-Qadr ten times. After salãm, say: ‘Allãh humma salli ‘alã Muhammadin wa Ãli Muhammad, wab‘ath thawãbahã ila qabri fulãn;’⁴ and name the deceased person [instead of fulãn].”⁵

---

1. For further details, see Sayyid as-Sistani, Minhaju 's-Saliheen, vol. 1, p. 95 ff.; as-Sistani, al-Masa'ilu 'l-Muntakhaba, p. 50 ff.
2. Translator's Note: Sidr is name of a lotus tree; "sidr water" means the water to which sidr leaves have been added.
3. Translator's Note: The age of discerning right and wrong (tamyiz) is different from the age of maturity (bulûgh). The latter is 9 for girls and 15 for boys but the former could be at five or six.
4. "O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad, and send the reward of this prayer to the grave of x."
5. Sayyid as-Sistani, al-Masa'ilu 'l-Muntakhaba, p. 63.

Imam Naqi makes a lion come out of no where...

Seeing this, Imam Ali an-Naqi (as) cast a wrathful glance on the pillow on which there was a picture of a lion and upon which this Indian magician was reclining and resting; he slapped on the pillow and addressed the lion, "What are you looking at, eat up this magician"! As if the lion was waiting for a command from the Imam (as) that it immediately pounced upon the magician and within a matter of seconds, it ate and gobbled him up and then went back to its original shape of a picture!! All the people gathered there were completely spellbound and a deathly silence prevailed. The Imam (as) got up to go when Mutawakkil came begging for the magician to be restored back to life.

The Imam (as) turned around and said, "You shall never get him back, you tried to impose an enemy of Allah upon Allah's friends"; saying this the Imam (as) left." 

[This has been taken from the book Mukhtar al-Kharaij wal Jaraih, p.210.]

Imam Naqi was challenged by Mutawakill and his men every now and the, from the topic of his Imamate, to his clothing and repute... Imam Naqi gave this magician, whom was sent by Mutawakil, such a death, that some books say people fainted. This is the power of Imam Ali Al-Hadi An-Naqi (as)!

Lesson 1; Death part 4 & last 5

Those A’mal which prove beneficial during death and eases it’s tribulations:

Reciting Surah-al-Yaseen, Surah-as-Saffat and the following supplication (du'a) eases the tribulation during death:

لا إلهَ إلاّ الله الحَليمُ الكَريمُ. لا إلهَ إلاّ الله العَلِيِّ العَظيمُ. سُبْحانَ اللهِ رَبِّ السَّمواتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبِّ الأرَضينَ السَّبْعِ وَما فِيهِنَّ وَما بَيْنَهُنَّ وَما فَوقَهُنَّ وَما تَحتَهُنَّ وَهوَ رَبُّ العَرشِ العَظيمِ وَالحَمدُ للهِ رَبِ العالَمينَ.

Shaikh Sadooq narrates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said, “For the person who fasts on the last day of the month of Rajab, Allah will save him from the after effects of death”. Fasting on the 24th of Rajab carries great reward (Sawab). One of it's merits is that when the Angel of death comes to remove his spirit (Rooh), he comes in the form of a handsome youth carrying a bowl of the pure drink (Sharabe Tahoora) and offers him to drink. The dying person does so and dies in peace.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says that if a person recites four unit (Rak'at) Namaz on the night of 7th Rajab in a manner that in each unit (Rak'at) after Surah-al-Hamd recites thrice Surah-at-Tawheed, once Surah-al-Falaq, and once Surah-an-Naas. After finishing the Namaz, sends Salawat on Us and recites ten times Tabeehate Arba.

سُبْحانَ اللهِ وَالحَمدُ للهِ وَلا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ واللهُ أكْبَرُ

Almighty Allah will offer him shelter under the Throne (Arsh), and give him reward of a person fasting in the month of Ramazan. Till the time he finishes the prayers, the Angels pray for his forgiveness. Allah will ease the pangs of death on him, and save him from the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr). He will not die until he sees his place in Paradise, and will be safe from the hardships of Resurrection (Qayamat).

Shaikh Kaf'ami quotes from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.), that he said that a person who recites the following supplication (Du'a) 10 times daily, Allah ill forgive four thousand major sins (Gunahane Kabeera) of his, offer him refuge from one lac calamities at the time of death, the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr) & Qayamat. Allah will also save him from satan (shaitaan) and his army, will pay off his dues and save him from troubles and anxieties.

أعْدَدْتُ لِكُلِّ هَولٍ لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ وَلِكُلِّ غَمٍّ وَهَمٍّ ما شاءَ اللهُ وَلِكُلِّ نِعْمَةٍ اَلحَمْدُ للهِ وَلِكُلِّ رَخاءٍ الشُّكرِ للهِ وَلِكُلِّ اُعْجُوبَةٍ سُبْحانَ اللهِ وَلِكُلِّ ذَنْبٍ اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَلِكُلِّ مُصيبَةٍ إنّا للهِ وإنّا إلَيْهِ رّاجِعونَ وَلِكُلِّ ضَيْقٍ حَسْبِيَ اللهُ وَلِكُلِّ قَضاءٍ وَقَدَرٍ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلى اللهِ وَلِكُلِّ عَدُوٍّ اِعْتَصَمْتُ باللهِ وَلِكُلِّ طاعَةٍ وَمَعْصِيَةٍ لا حَولَ ولا قُوَّةَ إلاّ بِاللهِ العَلِيِّ العَظيمِ.

The recitation of the following du'a seventy times carries great reward. The least of which is that he will be given glad tidings that he will enter Paradise

يا أسمَعَ السَّامِعينَ وَيا أبْصَرَ المُبْصِرينَ ويا أسْرَعَ الحاسِبينَ وَيا أحْكَمَ الحاكِمينَ

Shaikh Kulaini relates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said that the one who recites Surah-az-Zilzal in the Supererogatory Prayers (Nafela), Allah will save him from earthquake, lightening and the calamities of the land and sky. And during death He will send this Surah in the form of a handsome youth who will sit besides him and request the Angel of death (Malekul Maut to remove his spirit with ease.

 

Turning away from the Right path during death.

It means that a person should turn away from the Right Path (Sirat-al-Mustaqeem) during death. At the time of death satan (shaitaan) comes to the dying man adn tries his best to deceive him and puts him in doubt, so as to turn him away from faith (Eeman). Fakhr Muhaqqeqeen says that, “A person who wishes to remain safe from the mischief of shaitaan at the time of death should preserve five proofs regarding the fundamental principals of faith (Usoole Deen) in his mind, and present it to Allah's custody, so that during death these may come as a handy against shaitaan's deceit. Then he should recite the following supplication (du'a):

اَللّهُمَّ يا أرْحَمَ الرّاحِمينَ إنّي قّدْ أوْدَعْتُكَ يَقينِي هذا وَثَباتَ دِيني وأنْتَ مُسْتَودع وقَدْ أمَرْتَنا بِحِفظِ الوَدائِعَ فَرُدَّهُ عَلَيَّ وَقْتَ حُضُورِ 

مَوْتي.

Fakhrul Muhaqqeqeen also says that those who wish to reamin safe from shaitaan's mischief of abandoning faith during death, should recite dua'e Adeelah with a pure mind and heart. (Du'ae Adeelah is found in all the renowned books of du'as, and also in the first volume of Mafateehul Jinaan by the same author).

Shaikh Toosi relates from Mohammad b. Sulayman Daylami that I asked Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that, “Some of your faithful followers (Shi'ahs) say that faith (Eeman) is of two types: (1) Permanent & firmly established, and (2) One which has been given to us as a trust, and also can be ruined. Please give me a du'a by which my faith may also become permanent and first established.” Imam (A.S.) told him to recite the following du'a after every obligatory prayers (Wajib Namaz):

رَضِيتُ بِاللهِ رَبّاً وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وآلِهِ نَبِيَّاً وبِالإسْلامِ دِيناً وبِالقُرآنِ كِتاباً وَبِالكَعْبَةِ قِبْلَةً وبِعلِيٍّ وَلِيّاً وإماماً وبِالحَسَنِ والحُسَينِ وعَلِيّ بنِ الحُسَينِ ومُحَمَّدِ بنِ عَليٍّ وجَعْفَرِ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُوسى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ وعَليِّ بْنِ مُوسى ومُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عليِّ وعَليِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ والحَسَنِ والحُجَّةِ بْنِ الحَسَنِ صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أئِمَّةً اللّهُمَّ إنّي رَضيتُ بَهِمْ أئِمّةً فارْضِني لَهُمْ إنَّكَ 

علي كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدير.

Those acts which prove beneficial during death.

The best deed is to perform Prayers (Namaz) on time. It is related that there is no person in the east or the west on whom the sight of the Angel of death (Malekul Maut) does not fall at least five times during the time of Prayers. Whenever the time of death of that person comes, the Angel of death (Malekul Maut) recognizes him and helps him to recite Kalema and shuns away satan (shaitaan) from him. It is narrated that once Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) wrote to a person: “Do you wish that you may face death while on the Right path? And do you wish that your spirit (Rooh) may be removed from your body while you be performing good deeds? Then hold Allah's orders dear to yourself and obey them, and do not waste the bounties offered by Him by being disobedient to Him, and do not take undue advantage of His Mercy, nor become arrogant. Honour those who follow Us and respect those who love Us”.

The recitation of Dua-e-Tamjeed (Du'a No. 11) of ‘Saheefae Kamelah’ is beneficial, so as to die while on the Right path and to be saved from turning away from it.

To recite the following supplication (dua) in the Namaz of sundays in the month of Zilqad:

رَبَّنا لا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنا بَعْدَ إذْ هَدَيْتَنا وَهَبْ لَنا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إنَّكَ أنْتَ الوَهّابُ

The other beneficial acts are: To always recite Tasbeehe Fatema (A.S.) (34 times Allaho Akbar, 33 times Alhamdo Lillah, and 33 times Sub-hanallah), to wear ar ring of Cornelian (Aqeeq, specially of red color), it is better if the following is engraved on it: “Mohammadun Nabiyyullahe wa Aliyyun Waliyyullahe”. To recite Surah-al-Mo'menoon every friday, to recite the following supplication (du'a) seven times after morning (Subh)

and evening (Maghrib) Prayers:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إلاّ بِاللهِ العَلِيِّ العَظيمِ

To recite 8 units (Rak'at) Namaz on the night of 22nd Rajab, in each unit (Rak'at) after Surah-al-Hamd recites 7 times Surah-at-Tawheed. After ending Namaz, recite 10 times ‘Salawat’, and 10 times ‘Istighfar’ (Astagferullah Rabbi wa atoobo Ilayh).

Sayyed ibne Tawoos quotes the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) as saying, that if a person recites 4 units (Rak'ats) Namaz in the month of Sha'ban, such that in each unit (Rak'at) after Surah-al-Hamd recites 50 times Surah-at-Tawheed, then during death his spirit will be removed with ease, and his grave will become spacious, and on the day of Qayamat when he comes out of his grave, his face will be shining bright like a full moon and kalmae Shahadat will be on his lips”.

The following Incidents will prove helpful for further explanation:

 

Incident - 1

Fuzail bin Ayaz who was one of the great Sufi Saints, says that he had a pious and virtuous student. The student once fell ill, and when his death approached, Fuzail came to visit him and started reciting Surah-al-Yaseen. The student requested Fuzail to stop reciting it. Fuzail then requested him to recite the Kalema, but he refused to do so and said that he was sick of it (Allah's refuge . Fuzail was shocked and felt sad at the attitude of one of his pious students, he returned home and did not come out for some days. One night he dreamt that the same student was being dragged to the fire of hell by the Angels of wrath. Fuzail stopped them and inquired of his student as to why was he being treated in that manner, when he was always a pious and devout student of his. He asked him as to what was the reason behind his painful end. The student replied that he had three bad habits in him: (1) Slander, (Woe be on every slanderer & defamer) Surah-al-Humazah: 1), (2) Jealousy, (Verily jealousy destroys faith (Eeman) in the same manner as fire destroys wood. - Usoole Kafi), and (3) Creating mischief, (Cheating mischief is graver than murder) - (Surah-al-Baqarah: 217). The student also told Fuzail that he once committed an act which also proved harmful for his Hereafter. He said that once he had a disease, and the doctor had prescribed him to drink wine for it's cure. The doctor told him that if he did not do so he would never be cured. He did as the doctor said. Because of this and the other 3 bad habits his end was such painful, and he died in the state of shame.

For further explanation of the above narrative, I state below an incident quoted by Shaikh Kulaini, who quotes Abu Baseer as saying that, Once I was seated in the presence of Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.), when Umme Khalid binte Ma'badiyyah came and told the Imam (A.S.) that since she knew the prohibition of it's use, she had come to the Imam (A.S.) to take advice regarding it. Imam Sadiq (A.S.) asked her, “What stopped you from using it”? She said that being one of His devout followers, she wished to be saved from shame, and on the day of Qayamat if she be questioned about it she could reply that it's use (or prohibition) was ordered to her by the Imam (A.S.) himself. The Imam (A.S.) turned towards me and said, “O Abu Mohammad! (referred to Abu Baseer), do you pay heed to what this woman says”? Then Imam Sadiq (A.S.) answered, “By Allah I never give you permission to consume even a drop of it, for if you do so, you shall have to regret when your spirit reaches here”. and Imam (A.S.) pointed towards his neck and repeated the sentence thrice, and took the woman's assurance that she had understood it well.

 

Incident - 2

Shaikh Bahai states in his book ‘Kashkol’ that there was a person who had spent his entire life in pleasures and luxuries of this world. When he was about to die, the people gathered around him and requested him to recite the ‘Kalema’. But instead of the ‘Kalema’ the dying man said: Where is that woman who in a state of exhaustion came to me and asked me the way to the public bath (named Manjab). He said so because one day a virtuous and beautiful woman came out of her house to have bath in a famous bath house named ‘Manjab’. She forgot her way and was exhausted searching it. She saw this man standing near a door and asked him the way to it. He pointed towards his house and said that the same was the bath house named ‘Manjab’.As soon as the woman entered there in, the man locked the door and intended to have illicit physical relation with her. The virtuous woman sensed that there was no escape from his lustful fold, and hence pretended to be interested in him. She said that she was a state of uncleanliness and was proceeding for a bath. She told the man to go and get some scent for her so that she may perfume and adorn her self for him, and also to get something to eat as she was exhausted. The man was deceived by her words and went to the market to buy things. As soon as he stepped outside, the woman thanked Allah for preserving her chastity and ran away. When the man returned, he understood his mistake and regretted. Now when his end neared, her remembered this indecent act and instead of reciting the ‘Kalema’ said the above words.

The Incident is to be reflected upon that when the person was about to die, the sin (even though he had not committed it, but had intented) stopped him from reciting the ‘Kalema’. Shaikh Kulaini quotes Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) as saying that, “One who does not pay even one Qeerat of Zakat due on him (Qeerat is equal to 21 dinars), will die the death of a jew or a christian”. The same tradition (hadees) is also said about the person who intentionally does not perform Haj even after being capable of doing so.

 

From Death till Grave

After the spirit (Rooh) is separated from the body, it lingers on the top for sometime. Thereafter the Spirit of the believer is taken to the Heavens,

while that of a non-believer below. When a believer's bier is being carried, he calls out: “Hasten me to my eternal destination”, while a non-believer calls out: “Do not make haste to bury me in my grave, making way for my chastisement”. During bath of the believer's dead body, the Angels ask him if he desires to return to the world back to his kith & kin, to which he replies that he does not intend to go back to the world of miseries and misfortune.

The Spirit of the dead remains present and witnesses the bath given to his body. It is also narrated that when the bath is being performed, the dead person feels as if he is being thrown from height, and the rough hands of the person performing the bath seems to be smiting him. Hence it is necessary that bath should be performed with gentle hands.

The Spirit hears the voices of the people who have come to attend his funeral. Hence it should be borne in mind that one should avoid talking during funeral. A woman in menses or nifaas (blood discharge after child birth), and a person in the state of pollution should avoid coming near the dead body, because it becomes the reason for the displeasure of the blessed Angels, who turn away in disgust. Such acts should be performed for the dead person which become the reason for Allah's blessings, viz. remembrance of Allah and Ahlulbait (A.S.), recitation of Qur'an etc.

It is also narrated that after the dead body is buried, the spirit returns back and maintains relation with the body. When it sees that the people are returning back, knows that from now on it is destined to live alone. It becomes restless, and says: “Alas! Those children of mine whom I brought up with love and care have abandoned me, and now my only companions are my deeds (A'amal) which I performed while alive”. The first glad tidings which a believer receives is in the grave: “Oh you who believe! Allah has forgiven your sins and the sins of those who attended your funeral”.

Lesson 1; Death part 3 of 5

Friendship with death:

It is of utmost importance that man should hold death dear and consider it an opportunity of meeting with his Almighty, and not hate it and consider it as evil, but should take lessons from it. He should ask forgiveness from Allah for his sins and tame the rebellious self (nafs). When the call of his Lord comes, he should welcome it with open arms accepting it to be a blessing from Allah. He should be contented with the decree (Qadr) of Allah. He should also rejoice that shortly he would be taken to the presence of Ahlulbait (A.S.) and meet his deceased companions and other believer brothers. He should also not be disheartened by the delay in death but should consider it as an opportunity afforded by Allah to him to repent. This delay would give him a chance to gather provisions useful for his journey to the other world, for the journey is tiresome and full of dangerous valleys & difficult paths.

 

Relating to the removal of the Spirit and its hardships (Sakarat):

“And the stupor of death will come in truth, that is what you were trying of escape”. (Surah-al-Qaf : 19). This stage is full of difficulties & troubles. On one hand a man feels pain, his tongue turns motionless, his bodily components cease to function, while on the other hand weeping & wailing of relatives, grief of their separation  orphanation of children, and the sorrow of leaving behind hardly earned wealth and enormous property for others to feast upon. The wealth which was sometimes gathered by usurpation or through illicit means. The dying man remembers his sins and regrets, but alas, the time (to repent) has passed and accounts closed. Amirul Mo'meneen (A.S.) says, “He (the dying person) regrets over his wealth which he gathered bearing hardships, and now he is being separated from it, leaving it to be feasted upon by his inheritors. His hard earned wealth is left for the use of others.” The dying person feels scared, for he is about to enter an unknown & unexplored world, and is all the more frighted when he witnesses those things which are totally new to him. The Holy Qur'an says, “Certainly you were heedless of it, but now we have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp”. (Surah-al-Qaf: 22) He feels the presence of Angels around him and wonders about what is in store for him. It has been narrated in traditions (Ahadees) that at the time of death, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) and the Holy Aimmah (A.S.) come near the head of the dying person, who is able to see them. It is narrated in third volume of ‘Bihar-al-Anwar’ that once Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) went to meet one of his companions (sahabi) who was about to die. He looked towards the Imam (A.S.) and said, “I see the radiant faces of your Grand father (the Holy Prophet), Your Father the Commander of the faithful), Your Mother (Hazrat Fatema), and the other Imams in Your Ancestry. I also see your luminous face along with them”. It is a fact that every dying man has a glimpse of the Aimmah (A.S.), according to his love for and knowledge of them. For a believer mo'min) their sight is a blessing from Allah, and for a hypocrite (munafiq) and disbeliever it is a sign of Allah's wrath. In the Salutation (Ziarat) of Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) we utter these words:

السَّلامُ على نِعْمَةِ اللهِ على الأبْرارِ ونَقْمَةِ اللهِ على الجَبَّارِ

The dying man is confused, because on one hand satan (shaitaan) with his companions tries hard to spoil his faith (Eeman), and on the other hand the thought of the arrival of the Angel of death makes him all the more puzzled. He wonders as to in what state would he (the Angel of death) come and how would his spirit be removed. The Commander of the faithful Ali (A.S.) says, “And when the signs of death approaches, he knows not what will befall him.”

Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) who said that once Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was suffering from the ailment of the eye. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) came to inquire about his health. He saw that Ali (A.S.) was in intense pain and was restless because of it. The Prophet asked him, “Is this anxiety the outcome of the ailment”? Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied that, “I had never witnessed such a pain before”. The Holy Prophet (to console him) said, “O Ali! when the Angel of death comes to take the spirit of the disbeliever,he brings along with him a club of fire, by which he removes his spirit and the flames of hell scream at the dying man”. The Commander of the faithful sat upright and said, “O Prophet! Please explain to me the tradition (hadees), for I do not fell the pain anymore. Will the spirit of anyone from among your ummat be removed in the same manner”? The Holy Prophet replied, “Yes, three types of persons from among my ummat too will be subjected to this punishment (1) An oppressive (Zalim) ruler, (2) Those who unjustly usurp the rights of orphans, and (3) The bearer of false witness”.

Man due to difficulty or ease during death also sees the effects of his good or bad deeds which he committed. There are also some who turn apostates during death due to some of their bad deeds. “Then evil was the end of those who did evil, because they rejected the communications of Allah and used to mock them”. (Surah-ar-Room : 10) It has also been narrated that during death (sakarat) or afterwards, the following persons should not be near the dying man: a woman in menses (Haiz) or Istahaza (irregular period), and a polluted (Junoob) person, because the Blessed Angels go away and the dying man falls in trouble. Shaikh Sadooq in his book ‘Ilalush Sharaye’ quotes Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) as saying, that woman in menses (Haiz) or a polluted person (Junoob) should not remain near the dying person, because the Angels feel disgusted because of it and go away.

In the book ‘Darus Salaam’, the great scholar Sayyed Murtaza Najafi quotes: Once an extreme epidemic broke in Iraq and Arabia. I was seated in the courtyard of the Shrine of the Commander of the faithful Ali (A.S.) with a distinguished Scholar (Aalim) Sayyed Mohammad Baqir Qazwini. He was distributing work for serving the effected people among us, when we saw a youth who was standing in the last rank and was struggling to come near the Sayyed, but could not do so because of immense crowd. Suddenly he started wailing aloud, the Sayyed looked at him and told me to inquire the matter from him. I went to him and asked him the reason for weeping. He replied, “I desire that if I die in the epidemic, the Sayyed should recite the Prayer (Namaze Mayyit) over my dead body individually and not combined as he does (due to many deaths in the epidemic). I returned to the Sayyed and narrated the matter to him. He promised to fulfill his desire. Next day we saw an infant child who came crying to us. When we inquired of him he answered that he was the son of the youth who had come us yesterday with a desire. He told us that he had become the victim of epidemic and was about to die, and he was desirous of meeting the Sayyed. Some of us accompanied Sayyed Mohammad Baqir to meet the dying man. On the way we met a pious man who was coming out of his house. When he saw us he saluted us, and asked us, as to where we were going. We answered that we were going to visit a believer who was in his last moments. With permission he accompanied us in order to share the reward (sawab). When we came to the house, Sayyed Mohammad Baqir entered the room first, then one after the other we entered there in. The dying man was pleased and signaled us to sit. As soon as the pious man who had met us on the way entered, the dying man’s color changed. His face turned pale and in rage signaled him to go away. He became restless as if some trouble had befallen him. We were all the more surprised when we learnt that the dying man did not even know him, whom we could assume to be his enemy. The man excused himself and went out but returned back after sometime. This time when he entered, the dying person was pleased and welcomed him. After sometime we took permission to leave. On the way we asked the pious man the reason for the sudden change in the attitude of the dying man. He replied that he was in the state of pollution (Junoob), and was leaving his house with the intention of performing ceremonial bath (Ghusle janabat) in the public bath. He met us on the way, and not wanting to miss the opportunity of performing this noble task accompanied us. He said that when he first entered the house and saw the dying man's restlessness, he understood and left. To make himself sure he returned back after having performed the ceremonial bath (Ghusle Janabat). He concluded that the dying man had come to know about his impurity because the blessed Angels had left him and he felt immense pain. (Khazeenatul Jawaher)

 

Those deeds whose performance eases death:

Shaikh Sadooq quotes from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said, “If a person wishes that his last moments should be easy, he should maintain cordial relations with his kith & kin, and be kind to his parents. Whoever does so, death will be eased, and he will never fall prey to misfortunes in his lifetime”.

It is narrated that once the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) went to see a youth who was in his last moments. He told him to recite Kalamae Tawheed (There is no God but Allah), but they youth could not utter it because his tongue had turned speechless. The Prophet repeated his order but with no awail. He repeated it twice but the youth could not answer. The Prophet turned towards a woman who was sat near the youth's head and asked her if she was his mother. She replied in the affirmative. He then asked her if she was unhappy with her son. She answered that she was certainly unhappy, but would forgive him if the Prophet commanded her to do so. The Prophet told her to forgive him. As soon as she forgave, the youth's speech returned and he recited the ‘Kalema’. The Prophet asked him as to what he saw. He answered that he saw an ugly looking man who had held him by the neck, and was trying to strangle him. The Prophet told him to recite the following:

يا مَنْ يَقْبَلُ اليَسيرَ وَيَعْفُو عَنِ الكَثيرِ اقْبَلْ مِنّي اليَسيرَ وَاعْفُ عَنّي الكَثيرَ إنَّكَ أنْتَ الغَفورُ الرَّحيمُ.

When he did so, the Prophet asked him as to what he saw now. He answered that he saw that a handsome man had come to his rescue while the ugly man had turned back. The Prophet ordered him to recite the above du'a again and after having done so asked him what he saw. He replied that the ugly man had left, and the handsome youth was there by his side comforting him. He uttered these words and breathed his last. The above narration should be understood well, and lesson should be learnt that parents's displeasure becomes the reason for anguish in death. Even after being a companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet, and the Prophet being present besides him, the youth could not recite the ‘kalema’ and was in agony till his mother forgave him.

Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says, “For a person who gives clothes to his brother believer during the summer or in winter, it is incumbent upon Allah to present the dress of Paradise to him, make his end easy, and save him from the narrowness of the grave.” The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, “A person who offers to eat something sweet to his brother believer, the pangs of death will be easy on him”.

Ayatollah Tabrizi's secret to Ayatollah Isfahani

Ayatollah Muhammad Husain Isfahani known as Kompani was an outstanding Muslim Jurist and philosopher of his time.  In a letter to Ayatollah Tabrizi - known as ‘The Beauty of Wayfarers’ - he requested him to write a practical prescription for his spiritual perfection.
I quote parts of the prescription from my teacher Ayatollah Hasan-Zadeh (pictured) who quoted it from his teacher Allamah Tabatabaei:

“ … The beneficial way in knowing the self is to endeavour in reducing your animality by the following disciplines: 
1. Reducing your meals in that you don’t have more than two meals a day and not to have meat more than two or three times in a week. 
2. Reducing your sleeping hours in that you don’t sleep more than six hours. 
3. Endeavour in safeguarding your tongue and abstaining from heedless people. These three will be very helpful in reducing the animality of man.

As for accelerating and reinforcing your spirituality:
1. Have permanent grief of the heart (not facial) in fear of not reaching your destination.
2. Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and Fikr (to think and ponder) as these two are the wings of flying to the heaven of knowledge. As for the Dhikr, the Dhikr of Yunusiyah (Laa Elaaha Ellaa Ant Sobhanaka Enni Konto Mena dhalemin) in the morning and at night is very much experienced and brings about many blessings. The minimum times of reciting it is 400 times. As for the Fikr for a beginner the best is to ponder upon death.”

Ayatollah Hasan-Zadeh, 1001 Words, Word 301