سورة المرسلات

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Kahmas narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding these verses: أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ کِفَاتًا * أَحْیَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا [Have We not made the earth to draw together to itself, the living and the dead?], that he said: 'The meaning is the burying of hair and nails.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hammad ibn Isa narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): His Eminence (peace be upon him) looked at the graveyards and said: "O Hammad! This is the kifat (gathering place) of the dead." And he looked at the houses and said: "This is the kifat of the living." And he recited these verses: أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ کِفَاتًا * أَحْیَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا [Have We not made the earth to draw together to itself, the living and the dead?]. And it is narrated that what is meant is the burying of hair and nails.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): کِفَاتًا means dwellings.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), on his return from Siffin, his gaze fell upon the graveyard and he said: "This is the kifat of the dead, meaning their dwellings." Then he cast his gaze upon the houses of Kufa and said: "This is the kifat of the living." Then he recited this verse: أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ کِفاتاً أَحْیاءً وَ أَمْواتاً [Have We not made the earth to draw together to itself, the living and the dead?].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated that [during a funeral procession] Imam Ali (peace be upon him) looked at the grave and said: "This is the container and gathering place of the dead." Then he looked at the houses and said: "This is the container and gathering place of the living."