Preparing For Eternal Life

Chapter Seventeen : Talqeen For a Female

If the deceased is a female, recite the following:

"Isma-e'e ifhamee ism-e'e ifhamee isma-e'e ifhamee yaa (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]) ]), hal anta a'laa ahdil lad'ee faaraqtanaa a'layhi min shahaadati allaa ilaala illallaahu, wah'dahoo laa shareeka lahoo wa anna Muh'ammadan, s'allallaahu a'layhi wa aalihee wa sallama, a'bduhoo wa Rasooluhoo wa sayyidun Nabiyeena wa khaatamul mursaleena;

wa anna A'liyyan Ameerul Moo-mineena wa sayyidul was'iyyeena wa Imaamun iftaraz"allaahu t'aa-a'tahoo a'lal a'alameena; wa annal H'asana wal H'usayna wa a'liyyabnal H'usayna wa Muh'ammadabna A'liyyin, wa Jaa'farabna Muh'ammadin wa Moosabna Jaa'farin wa A'liyyabna Moosa wa Muh'ammadabna Aliyyin wa a'liyyibna Muh'ammadin wal H'asanabna A'liyyin wal Qaaa-imal,

H'ujjatul Mahdiyya, s'alawatullaahi a'layhim a-immatul Moo-mineena wa h'ujajullaahi a'lal khalqi ajma-e'ena wa a-immatuka a-immatu hudan abrar yaa (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]), id'aa ataakal malakaanil muqarrabanni Rasoolayna min I'ndillahi tabaraka wa ta-a'alaa wa sa-alaaka an rabbika wa a'n Nabiyyika wa a'n deenika wa a'n Kitaabika wa a'n Qiblatika wa a'n a-Immatika falaa takhaf wa laa tahzan wa qul fee jawaabihimaa allaahu jalla jalaajuhoo rabee wa Muh'ammadun,

s'allallaahu a'layhi wa aalihee wa sallama Nabiyyaa wal Islammu deenee walQur-aanu kitabee wal Kaa'-batu Qiblatee wa Ameerul Moo-mineena a'liyyubnu abee t'aalibin Imaamee walh'asanubnu a'liyyil Mujtaba Imaamee wal H'usaynubnu A'liyyish Shaheedu biKarbaalaa Immaamee wa A'liyyi-un Zaynul A'abideena Imaamee wa Muh'ammadubnu A'liyyin Baaqiru I'lmin Nabiyyeena Imaamee wa Jaa'farus' S'aadiqu Imaamee wa Moosal Kaaz'imu Imaamee wa A'liyyur Riz"aa Imaamee wa Muh'ammadanul Jawaadu Imaamee wa A'liyyuil Haadee Imaamee walH'asanaul A'skariyyu Imaamee wal H'ujjatul Muntaz'aru Imaamee.

Haa-ulaaa-I s'alawaatullaahi a'layhim ajma-e'ena a-Immatee wa saadatee wa qaadatee wa shufa'aa-ee bihim atawallaa wa min aa'-daaa-ihim atabarraa-u fiddunyaa walaakhirati thummaa'-lam yaa fulaanabana fulaan (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]),

annallaaha tabaaraka wa ta-a'alaa nia'-mar rabbu wa anna Muh'ammadan s'allaallaahu a'layhi wa aalihee wa sallama ni'-mar Rasoolu wa anna Ameeral Moo-mineena A'liyyabna abee t'aalibin wa awlaahul a-immatal ah'ada a'shara nia'-mal a-immatu wa anna maajaaa-a bihee Muh'ammadun s'allallaahu a'layhi wa aalihee wa sallama h'aqqun wa annal mawta h'aqqun wa su'waalla Munkarin wa Nakeerin filqab-re h'aqqun walbaa'tha h'aqqun wan nushoora h'aqqun was'siraata haqqun wal meezaana h'aqqun wa tat'aa-iral kutubi h'aqqun wal jannata h'aqqun wan naara haqqun wa annas saa-a'ta aatiyatun laa rayba feeha wa annallaaha yabaa'-thu man filquboori.

Afahimta yaa (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]), thabbatakallaahu bilqawlith thabiti hadaakaallahu ilaa s'iraat'im mustaqeemin. A'rrafallaahu baynaka wa bayna awliyaa-ika fee mustaqarrin min Rah'matihee. Allahumma jaafil arz"a a'n janb-ayhaa was' a'd birooh'ihaa ilayka wa laqqihaa minka burhaanan allaahumma a'fwaka a'fwaka.

Translation Into English

(Listen, understand, listen, understand. Listen, understand O (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]).

Are you on the pledge on which you left us by way of testimony that there is no god except Allah, the One, there being no partner for Him and that Muhammad, Allah may send blessings on him and on his Progeny, and also salutation, is His servant and His Messenger and the chief of the Prophets and the last of the Messengers;

And that Ali is the commander of the faithful and chief of the vicegerents and the Imam whose obedience Allah has made obligatory on the worlds; And that Hassan and Hussain and Ali son of Hussain and Muhammad son of Ali son of Hussain and Muhammad son of Ali, And Jafar son of Muhammad and Moosa son of Jafar and Ali son of Moosa and Muhammad son of Ali and Ali son of Muhammad and Hassan son of Ali and the existing Guide, the Mahdi, Allah's blessings be on them are the Imams of the Faithful;

And the pleas of Allah over the entire creation;

And your Imams, the Guides, the virtuous (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]) when come to you the two angels of high position and messengers from Allah the High, and Exalted, And question you about your Sustainer, and about your Prophet; And about your religion, and about your Book;

And about your Qibla and about your Imams;

Then do not fear and do not grieve and say in their reply that Allah, His Glory be Heightened is my Sustainer and Muhammad, Allah may send blessings on him and his Progeny and also salutation, is my Prophet, and Islam is my religion;

And the Quoran is my Book; And Ka'aba is my Qibla; And the Commander of the Faithful Ali son of Abu Talib is my Imam; And Hussain son of Ali, the martyr of Kerbala is my Imam; And Ali Zayn Al-Abidin is my Imam; And Muhammad son of Ali, Baqir-e Ilme Nabiyeen is my Imam; And Jafar Sadiq is my Imam; and Moosa Kazim is my Imam; And Ali Riza is my Imam; And Muhammad-ul Jawad is my Imam; And Ali-il Hadee is my Imam; And Hassan-al Askari is my Imam; And the Awaited Hujjat is my Imam.

All these, Allah's blessings be on them all, are my Imams and my masters and my leaders and my intercessors.

To them I bear love and from their enemies I seek aloofness in this world and the Next one.

Then know O (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]) that Allah the High and the Exalted is the Best Sustainer;

And that Muhammad, Allah may send blessings on him and his Progeny and also salutation, is the best Messenger; and that Ameerul Momineen Ali son of Abu Talib and his sons, the eleven Imams, are the best Imams;

And that whatever was bought by Muhammad, Allah may send blessings on him and his Progeny and also salutation, is True; And that death is true;

And the questioning by Munkar and Nakeer in the grave is true;

And Resurrection is true, and that Revival is true;

And Sirat is true, and the Scale is true;

And the coming down of Scriptures is true;

And Paradise is true; and Hell is true;

And that Day of Judgement is to come, there being no doubt in it; and that Allah would raise up those in the graves.

Did you comprehend O (pronounce the name of the deceased and her father [according to another source, her Mother]) Allah may keep you firm in firm talk Allah may guide you towards the Right Path.

Allah may create mutual knowledge between you and your friends in the abode of His Mercy.

O Allah expand the earth from her two sides and take up her soul to Yourself and grant her from Yourself a Plea.

O Allah, Your forgiveness;

Your forgiveness.

Talqeen should be recited in the deceased own language also.

Procedure after Talqeen

When the recitation of the Talqeen is completed, the grave should be covered with wooden planks or stone slabs, and the grave filled with soil. It is Makrooh for blood relatives to throw dust onto the grave thrice with the back of the right hand.

The grave, when covered, should not sit higher than four fingers breadth above the ground. If the grave sinks at a later date, more soil is to be added to bring the level up to the height described.

The upper surface of the grave should be sprinkled with water from the head to the feet continuously, with the person who is doing so, facing Qibla. All the believers present should then sit on the ground and put their fingers of their right hand into the moistened dirt and recite Surah Al-Humd once and Surah Al-Ikhlas thrice. Bismillah should be recited each time and Salawat (praying Allah's peace be upon the Holy Prophet [S.W.S.] and his Progeny [A.S.]) said and the blessings awarded to the deceased by stating their name.

The Talqeen should be recited again by the same individual leading prayer, as all the people depart from the grave site.

N.B. A permanent construction of the grave, such as brick, cement, stone, mortar etc. is Makrooh. Digging up the grave and constructing it again is not allowed. [Sayyid, Hadi Husayn (1988).]

Chapter Eighteen : Acts to Assist the Deceased in the Grave

Sayyid ibn Tawoos narrates from the Holy prophet [S.W.S] that the first night is the most difficult and fearful for the deceased. It is recommended to give 'Sadqa' for the deceased, but is there is nothing to give as 'Sadqa', then perform a two unit Rak'at (Namaz) .

In the first Rak'at, after Surah Al-Humd, recite Surah at-Tawheed twice.

In the second Rak'at after Surah Al-Humd, recite Surah at-Takasur ten times.

After finishing the Namaz, recite the following dua:

"Allaahumma s'ale a'laa Muh'ammadin wa aalw Muh'ammadinw wab-a'th thawaabaha ilaa qabre d'aalekal mayyate fulan bin fulan" (here say the name of the deceased person)

The Heir's Responsibilities to the Deceased The Holy prophet [S.W.S.] is quoted as having said:

"There comes no night but that the angel of death calls to the dead in the graves and inquires what they regret for today when that have vividly seen (and known) this (the next life). Then the dead will say: 'Verily, we regret and envy the believers who are in their mosques and they are praying while we are not, they give alms and we do not, that fast during Ramadan but we do not; they donate in charity what they have more than the need of their family members while we do not;..."

[Ayatullah Sayyid Kamal Faghih (1998), pg. 53.]

Islam commands the children of the deceased to discharge, on behalf of the deceased, duties that they could not do so for themselves. Duties such as Haj, Zakat, Fasting in the Month of Ramadan etc.

It is recommended that in holding a Majalis for the remembrance of the deceased, to read Qu'oran and give Zakat on behalf of the deceased.....It is of great benefit to them [Sayyid, Hadi Husayn (1988), pg. 171].

The soul of the deceased is completely reliant on the living to do good deeds and acts as they can no longer do so. Giving Fatihah to the deceased is also highly recommended.