سورة الأحزاب

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Allah then described the believers who believed the Messenger of Allah's (peace be upon him and his family) foretelling of the hardship they would face at the Khandaq [Trench], and said: وَ لَمَّا رَأَی المُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا هَذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ ما زادَهُمْ إِلَّا إِیماناً [And when the believers saw the confederates, they said: This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth; and it only increased them in faith] — meaning that trial, striving, and fear.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Ibn Muljam struck the Imam a terrible blow and fled from the mosque. The people gathered around Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) while he was in the mihrab binding the site of the blow, taking some earth and sprinkling it upon it. Then he recited the noble verse: "We created you from it [the earth], and We shall return you into it, and We shall bring you forth from it once again [at the Resurrection]!" (Ta-Ha/55), and said: "The command of Allah has come to pass, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) spoke the truth." And when that accursed one struck the Imam, the earth trembled, the seas and heavens surged, and the doors of the mosque clashed together. And he said: "Another accursed one named Shabib ibn Bujra struck the Imam a blow, but it missed and landed upon the arch of the mihrab." When the people heard the cry, everyone in the mosque came toward the mihrab, bewildered by the severity of the blow, not knowing what to do, and they surrounded Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) while the Imam was binding the wound with his garment, and blood was flowing over his face and blessed beard, which was drenched with blood, and he was saying: هَذَا مَا وَعَدَ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُه [This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth].

Imam Husayn (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hasan said: We were with Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) at the river of Karbala. The Imam looked at Shimr ibn Dhi al-Jawshan, whose body was afflicted with leprosy and vitiligo, and said: "اللهُ أَکْبَرُ! اللهُ أَکْبَرُ! [Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest!] Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth." For the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "It is as though I am looking at a spotted dog lapping up the blood of my Ahl al-Bayt."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): When you bring the deceased to the grave, do not place him suddenly into the grave and thereby make the grave and the entry hard and difficult for the deceased, for the grave has tremendous terrors, and we seek refuge in Allah from the terror of the Day of Resurrection. Place the deceased near and beside the grave on the ground, and when you come out of the grave, while you are shaking the dust off your hands, say: "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return!" (Al-Baqarah/156). Then with the back of your hands pour dust upon his grave three times and recite this supplication: "O Allah, all of these things we do are because we believe in You and we believe in Your Book. This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. These matters are what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth." For indeed whoever does this act, Allah writes for him a good deed for every speck [of the dust].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated that when Imam Ali (peace be upon him) poured dust upon a grave, he would supplicate thus: "O my Allah, I believe in You. I affirm Your messengers and I am certain of the Day of Recompense." And he said: "Whoever recites this supplication, for him there is a good deed equal to every speck of the dust."

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): The first glad tidings given to the believer is that it is said to him: "Welcome," indeed Allah has forgiven all those who escorted you, and answered the prayer of all those who sought forgiveness for you, and accepted the testimony of all those who bore witness in your favour. Then those matters which the deceased believed in during his lifetime are dictated to him. Then the bricks are arranged over the grave, and he says: "O Allah, connect with him and rescue him from loneliness, and be the companion of his fright and feeling of loneliness, and have mercy on his estrangement, and send from Your mercy such a mercy upon him that he becomes needless of the mercy of any other than You, and raise him with those whom he used to love." When he finishes arranging the bricks over the grave, he leaves the grave from the side of the deceased's feet. He pours earth over the grave, and likewise all those who are present pour earth over the grave with the palms of their hands, except those who are related to the deceased. While pouring the earth they should say: "We are Allah's and to Him we shall return" (Baqarah/156). هذا ما وَعَدَنَا اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ [This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth]. O Allah, increase our faith and make us submissive to Your command!

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): Whoever meets a funeral procession or, upon seeing a bier, recites this supplication: "Allahu Akbar; هذا ما وَعَدَنَا اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ [This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth]. O Allah, increase our faith and make us submissive to Your command. Praise be to Allah who is Mighty through His power, who overpowers His servants by means of death," no angel remains in the heavens except that he weeps out of mercy for this supplicant.