Preparing For Eternal Life

Chapter Fifteen : Dua Recited When the Deceased Has Been Lowered Into the Grave

Recite Aayatul Kursi then:

For a Male

"Bislillaahi wa fee sabeelil-laahee wa a'laa millati rasoolillah. Allaahum-mafth' lahoo fee qabrihee wa alh'iqhu bi-bayyih. Allaahumma in kaanamuh'sinan fazid fee ih'saanihee wa in kaana musee-an faghfirlahoo warh'amhoo wa tajaawaz a'nhu."

(In the name of Allah and in the path of Allah and on the faith of the Holy Prophet. O Allah, open (the door of heaven) in his grave and make him meet his condition. O Allah, if he was good and virtuous, increase his virtues and if he was bad, forgive his sins, shower mercy on him and ignore his mistakes.)

For a Female

"Bismillahi wa fee sabeelillaahi wa a'laa millati Rasoolillaah. Allaahum-maftah' lahaa fee qabrihaa wa alh'iqhaa bi'bayyihaa allaahumma in kaanat muh'sinatan fazid fee ih'saanihaa wa in kaanat musee-aa faghfir lahaa warh'amhaa wa tajaawaz a'nhaa."

(In the name of Allah and in the path of Allah and on the faith of the Holy Prophet. O Allah, open (the doors of heaven) in her grave and make her meet her condition. O Allah, if she was good and virtuous, increase her virtues, and if she was bad, forgive her sins, shower mercy on her and ignore her mistakes." [Sayyid, Hadi Husayn (1988), pg. 155-6]

Seeking Pardon

Along with reciting this continuously, one should seek pardon for oneself also.

Imam Ali ibn al- Hussain Zayn Al-Abidin [A.S.] used to recite the following when he used to lower the deceased into the grave:

For a Male

"Allaahuamma jaafil arz"a a'n janbayhi s'aa-I'd a'malahoo wa laqqihee minka riz"waana." (O Allah! Make the earth give freedom on his both sides and accept his record of deeds and grant him Your pleasure.)

For a Female

"Allaahumma jaafil arz"a a'n janbayhaa wa s'aa-I'd a'malahaa wa laqqihaa minka riz"wanaa." (O Allah! Make the earth give freedom on her both sides and accept her record of deeds and grant her Your pleasure.) [Sayyid, Hadi Husayn (1988), pg. 156-7]

Custom

It is customary to show the face of the deceased to the close relatives before the grave is covered. N.B. It is important thought that an individual, who is Naa Mahram (legally allowed to marry the deceased) and is a close relative, is not shown the face of the deceased and this has to be announced. Only Mahram of the deceased can see his / her face.

Chapter Sixteen : Talqeen

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [A.S.] said:

" He who sells his next life for his present life in this world, loses both of them." [Qurar-ul-Hikam, pg. 274]

Before covering the grave with wooden planks or stone, the person sitting in the grave with the deceased is to hold the right shoulder of the deceased with his / her right hand and the left shoulder of the deceased with his / her left hand. During the recitation of the Talqeen, every time the name of the deceased is said, the person is to shake or jerk the shoulders of the deceased, as if to wake him/ her up. The recitation of Talqeen is to remind the deceased of the fundamentals of the true religion.

A separate Talqeen is to be recited for the male and the female.

Text for Recitation of Talqeen

If the deceased is a male, recite the following:

"Ismaa'-ifham ismaa'- ifham ismaa'- ifham yaa (pronounce the name of the deceased and his father [according to another source, his Mother]), hal anta a'lal a;hdil 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 his father [according to another source, his 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 wal Qur-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 his father [according to another source,

his 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 his father [according to another source, his 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 janbayhee was'-a'd birooh'ihee ilayka wa laqqihee minka buhanna allahumma a'fwaka a'fwaka.

Translation

(Listen, understand, listen, understand. Listen, understand O (pronounce the name of the deceased and his father [according to another source, his 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 his father [according to another source, his 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 his father [according to another source, his 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 his father [according to another source, his 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 his two sides and take up his soul to Yourself and grant him from Yourself a Plea. O Allah, Your forgiveness;

Your forgiveness.