Al-Hisab: The Reckoning:

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منازل الآخرة – الطريق الى الخلود
STAGES OR STAGES OF THE HEREAFTER
THE PATH TO ETERNITY
By
Yasin T. al-Jibouri

10) STAGE TEN OF THE LIFE HEREAFTER
Al-Hisab: The Reckoning
الحساب

The Reckoning is one of the most terrifying of all stages/stages of the hereafter, so much so that the hereafter is often referred to, as a whole, as “the Day of Reckoning”. Numerous verses in the Holy Qur’an refer to it, emphasizing its significance and urging the faithful to prepare themselves for it with good deeds and acts of adoration, the latter cannot be accepted if the former are not. Some of the verses which refer to reckoning and to the fact that people take it lightly are these: Read more

Al-Hashr The Gathering

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منازل الآخرة – الطريق الى الخلود
STAGES OR STAGES OF THE HEREAFTER
THE PATH TO ETERNITY
By
Yasin T. al-Jibouri

8) STAGE EIGHT OF THE LIFE HEREAFTER
Al-Hashr The Gathering
الحشر

It is a terrifying stage which starts when one comes out of his grave, having a new form with which he is not familiar, and it is one of the three most critical times through which a human being has to go. Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ), peace be with him, refers to these three stages during which he will see Read more

Qiyama: Judgment Day

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منازل الآخرة – الطريق الى الخلود
STAGES OR STAGES OF THE HEREAFTER
THE PATH TO ETERNITY
By
Yasin T. al-Jibouri

7) STAGE SEVEN OF THE LIFE HEREAFTER
Qiyama: Judgment Day
يوم القيامه

Belief in the Day of Judgment is one of the basic principles of the Islamic creed and of almost all other creeds, including primitive non-divine ones. For example, if you ask an Eskimo in the North Pole what will happen when one of his folks dies, he will tell you that he will be placed in his husky dog-pulled Read more

The Barzakh

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منازل الآخرة – الطريق الى الخلود
STAGES OR STAGES OF THE HEREAFTER
THE PATH TO ETERNITY
By
Yasin T. al-Jibouri

6) STAGE SIX OF THE LIFE HEREAFTER
The Barzakh
البرزخ

Is The Barzakh similar to the Purgatory? It is one of the terrifying stages or stages through which the vast majority of people will pass. Exceptions are two kinds: People with whom the Almighty is very pleased, and these go straight to Paradise, and people with whom He is very displeased, and these go straight to hell. Neither group will go through whatever goes on in the grave as indicated above. The barzakh is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an in places such as this:

وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

“(There) is a barrier before them till the Day they are raised up (from their graves for judgment)” (Qur’an, 23:100). This barrier separates this short temporal life as we know it from the other everlasting one awaiting us, but it is also one of its stages or stages, a station, if you will. On p. 71, Vol. 1 of Safeenat al-Bihar we are told that Imam‎ as-Sadiq (as) pointed out to the barzakh once saying, “By Allah‎, I fear for you the barzakh.” He was asked, “What is the barzakh?” He said, “It is the grave from the moment of death till the Day of Judgment.”

قال الامام الصادق عليه السلام في حديث:

«ولكني والله اتخوف عليكم من البرزخ. قيل له: وما البرزخ ؟ قال: القبر منذ حين موته الى يوم القيامة.

It has been cited from ar-Rawandi’s book Lubb al-Lubab that those in the graves go to call upon their families, offspring and relatives and tearfully plead to them saying: “O our children!! O our families! O our relatives! Have mercy on us and bestow upon us of the good things with you and the good deeds, and do remember us, may Allah‎ have mercy on you. We have sat in narrow prisons, bearing many worries and concerns; so, do not be too miser to pray for us and to pay alms on our behalf before your fate becomes similar to ours, perhaps Allah‎ will have mercy on us all. Alas! We used to be like you, enjoying blessings, but we did not spend in the way of Allah‎, so our wealth turned into a calamity on our heads while others benefited from it; so, listen to us and do not forget to do us a favor with a dirham or a loaf of bread or whatever you wish, for you shall join us; you shall weep and your tears will not do you any good, just as we do although we find doing so to be futile. Work hard and seize the opportunity before it is gone and before your condition will be similar to ours.”

ونقل عن لبّ اللباب للقطب الراوندي قال: وفي الخبر كان الموتى يأتون فيقفون ، وينادي كلّ واحد منهم بصوت حزين باكياً:

يا أهلاه ! يا ولداه ! وياقرابتاه ! اعطفوا علينا بشيء يرحمكم الله ، واذكرونا ولا تنسونا بالدعاء وارحموا علينا وعلى غربتنا ، فانّا قد بقينا في سجن ضيق ، وغمّ طويل وشدّة ، فارحمونا ، ولا تبخلوا بالدعاء والصدقة لنا لعل الله يرحمنا قبل أن تكونوا مثلنا. فواحسرتاه قد كنّا قادرين مثل ما أنتم قادرون

فيا عباد الله: اسمعوا كلامنا ولا تنسونا فانّكم ستعلمون غداً فانّ الفضول التي في ايديكم كانت في أيدينا فكنّا لاننفق في طاعة الله ، ومنعنا عن الحقّ ، فصار وبالاً علينا ومنفعةً لغيرنا . اعطفوا علينا بدرهم أو رغيف أو بكسرة.

ثم ينادون ما أسرع ما تبكون على انفسكم ولا ينفعكم كما نحن نبكي ولا ينفعنا فاجتهدوا قبل أن تكونوا مثلنا.

Is the barzakh similar to the purgatory? Catholics believe that the purgatory is a place where the souls of the dead are cleansed before receiving God’s grace, and such cleansing includes atonement through pain. This seems to be close to the Islamic concept because the Almighty punishes many of His servants in the grave in order to affect justice so He may not punish them again in hell. This does not apply to everyone, however, because some sinners are punished in this life, in the grave and in hell as well. This “purging” in which the Catholics believe may be close to the “grave’s constriction” detailed above. It is also stated in some traditions that this constriction, or the torment in the grave, is one of the manifestations of the Almighty Who does not wish to torment His servants twice; so, the grave is the last stage where they have to “pay” for some of their sins. But it is better, of course, to avoid such torment by doing simple things in this life that will spare you having to go through it, in other words, the munjiyat, acts bringing salvation, the easiest of which is recitation of supplications on a regular basis and helping others morally and financially, that is, those who deserve to be helped as explained in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The best way to offer charity, of course, is to give with the right hand what the left does not know, that is, let it be a secret you keep to yourself; do not make a show of it and thus lose its rewards. In the reference Jami` al-Akhbar, we read the following on p. 197:

ذكر صحابي عن الرسول الأعظم (ص) أنه قال:

“إبعثوا بهداياكم إلى موتاكم” فسئل عن هدايا الموتى، فقال: “الصدقه و الدعاء”.

A companion of the Greatest Prophet (P) cited the Prophet (P) as saying, “Send your gifts to your dead.” He was asked about what gifts could be sent to the dead, so he said, “Charity and supplication.” If you read the classic reference written by al-Harrani titled Thawab al-A`mal, you will see how rewards for good deeds multiply by many times, starting from the tenfold promised in the Almighty for a good deed and go up the ladder till they reach an astronomical figure of one hundred thousand times. Who will be rewarded so many times and for what? One who offers charity on behalf of both his deceased parents will receive them. If his parents still living, he will receive in the hereafter ten thousand times as much as he gives away as charity in the life of this world on their behalf. But if you have no money to pay charity, supplications will do. A combination of both is the best, though, if you really want to shun many horrors awaiting us in the hereafter and to live a very happy and blissful life here and hereafter.

و فيه أيضا عن النبي الكريم (ص) أنه قال:

إذا تصدق أحدكم لميت، فإن ملكا يحملها في طبق من نور، تمتد أشعته حتى تبلغ السماوات، فيقف على حافة القبر، وينادي بأعلى صوته:

السلام عليكم يا أهل القبور، هذه هدية أهلكم إليكم! فيتسلمها الميت، و يدخلها قبره، و يتسع بها مضجعه. ….

ثم قال رسول الله (ص):

إعلموا أنه من ترحم على ميت بصدقه، فله أجر عند الله مثل جبل أحد، و هو يوم القيامه تحت ظل عرش الله، إذ لا ظل سواه يومذاك و ينجو بالصدقه الأموات و الأحياء.

In the same reference, that is, Jami` al-Akhbar, we read the following on the same page: “The Revered Prophet (P) has been quoted as saying, ‘If one of you offers charity on behalf of a deceased person, an angel carries it on a platter of noor (celestial light) the rays of which extend and reach the heavens. He stands at the edge of the grave and calls out as loudly as he can, saying: Peace be with you, O people of the graves! This is a gift sent to you by your family! The deceased person receives it and takes it with him inside his grave: It expands his resting place…” Then the Messenger of Allah‎ (P) added saying, “Be informed that when someone seeks mercy for a deceased person through offering charity on his behalf, he will get rewards as large as the Uhud Mountain, and he will be on the Judgment Day under the shade of Allah‎’s `Arsh when, on that Day, there will be no shade other than it, and charity will be the salvation of the dead and of the living.” Here we must point out that many writers write about the thirst and hunger of the Judgment Day but do not say much about the darkness which will engulf the bad ones. There are many references to the noor, celestial light, that will shine through and for the good ones on that Day, whereas the bad ones will be terrified because they will have no noor that will enable them to see what is around them, and they will most likely suffer from the stench of the pus coming out of the bodies of many in their company whose bodies will be smitten by the angels of torture. Contrary to their condition is enjoyed by those whom the Almighty will bless on that Day: These will have noor, shade on their heads rather than heat and be brought drinks and fruits from Paradise as they watch others being tried, that is, court marshaled! On p. 59, Vol. 74 and on pp. 573-4 of Zad al-Ma`ad, we read the following statement by Imam‎ as-Sadiq (as):

قال الامام الصادق (ع) يرد الصوم والصلاة والصدقة والحج والأدعية والخيرات على الميت في قبره، و يكتب ثواب جميع الأعمال للميت و لفاعل الخير معا

“Fast, prayers, charity, pilgrimage, supplications and good deeds reach the deceased person inside his grave, and the rewards of all deeds done on behalf of the deceased person will be recorded as they are for the doer of these deeds.”

With best regards of Yasin T. al-Jibouri. I invite you to visit my Scribd Web Page by clicking on this link: http://www.scribd.com/yasinaljibouri to review 41 of my books and articles. Publish, reprint, quote or just enjoy them! I also invite you to visit my Amazon web page to see a list of some of the books which I have written, edited or translated; the link is:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=yasin+t.+al-jibouri&x=0&y=0

Questioning by Munkir and Nakeer

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منازل الآخرة – الطريق الى الخلود
STAGES OR STAGES OF THE HEREAFTER
THE PATH TO ETERNITY
By
Yasin T. al-Jibouri

5) STAGE FIVE OF THE LIFE HEREAFTER
Questioning by Munkir and Nakeer
سؤال منكر و نكير

On p. 223, Vol. 6 of Bihar al-Anwar, Imam‎ Ja`far as-Sadiq (as) is quoted as having said:

« ليس من شيعتنا مَن أنكر ثلاثة أشياء: المعراج، المساءَلة في القبر، والشفاعة»

“Not among our followers (Shi’a‎s) is one who denies three things: the ascension [to heavens], the questioning in the grave (by Munkir and Nakeer) and the intercession.” In the same reference on p. 261, we are told the following:

روي أن الملكين (منكر و نكير) يأتيان في هيئة هائلة، لهما صوت كالرعد و أعين كالبرق، يسألان: من ربك؟ و من نبيك؟ و ما دينك؟ و يسألان عن وليه و امامه، و بما أن الاجابة، في تلك الحال، صعبة على الميت، و أنه لا جرم يحتاج الى مساعدة، تعين التلقين في موضعين: أحدهما حين وضعه في القبر، و يستحسن أن يؤخذ كتفه الأيمن باليد اليمنى، و كتفه الأيسر باليد اليسرى، و يحرك و يلقن في حالة الاهتزاز و الادخال في القبر، و الثاني بعد وضعه في القبر و دفنه، يستحب أن يجلس أقرب أنسبائه، و هو ولي الميت، على رأس الميت، بعد أن تركه الباقون و غادروا المكان، و يلقن الميت بصوت مرتفع، و يستحسن به أن يضع (الملقن) كفيه على القبر، و يقرب فاه من القبر، أو يفعل ذلك من ينوب عنه، فلقد ورد أن الملكين حينما يسمعان هذا التلقين، يقول منكر لنكير: دعنا نعود، فلقد لقنوه تلقين الحجة، و لا يحتاج الى سؤال، فيتركان السؤال و يعودان.

It has been reported that the two angels (Munkir and Nakeer) come in a terrifying form: Their voice is like thunder and their eyes like lightening. They will ask the dead person: “Who is your God? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion?” And they will ask him about his wali and Imam‎. Since the answers under such conditions will be very difficult for the dead person, and he undoubtedly needs help, the talqeen becomes a must in two places: One of them when he is placed inside the grave, and it is recommended that his right shoulder be held by the mulaqqin and his left shoulder by the left hand and moved then instructed with talqeen when his body is being shaken and entered into the grave. The other place is after the deceased person is put in the grave and buried: It is recommended that the mulaqqin, who is a close relative and a wali of the deceased person, sits at the area of the head after everyone else had left. He should raise his voice as he conducts the talqeen, and it is recommended that the mulaqqin places both his hands on the grave and brings his mouth close to the grave. Someone else who acts on behalf of the mulaqqin may do so. It is reported that when both angels hear the talqeen, Munkir will say to Nakeer: “Let us go back, for they have taught him the talqeen of evidence, and he needs no question,” whereupon they both leave. On p. 183, Vol. 1 of Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, we are told that Imam‎ as-Sadiq (as) has said the following:

“اذا دخل المؤمن القبر، حضرت الصلاة الى يمينه، و الزكاة الى شماله و أشرف عليه البر والاحسان: أما الصبر فيستقر في جانب، فاذا حضر الملكان ليسألاه، يخاطب الصبر الصلاة والزكاة والبر (قائلا): أعينوا صاحبكم، يعني الميت، فان عجزتم عن ذلك، فأنا مستعد لذلك”

If the believer enters the grave, prayer come at his right and zakat at his left as kindness and benevolence look on. As for perseverance, it will stand aside. When both angels (Munkir and Nakeer) come to question him, perseverance will address prayer, zakat and kindness saying, ‘Help your fellow,’ meaning the deceased person, ‘and if you cannot, I am ready.'” Also,

في بصائر الدرجات للصفار : ص 145 ـ 146 الطبعة الحجرية بالإسناد عن زر بن جبيش قال : روي في المحاسن بسند صحيح عن احدهما عليهما السلام ـ يعني الامام الصادق أو الامام الباقر ـ قال: «اذا مات العبد المؤمن دخل معه في قبره ستة صور ، فيهنّ صورة أحسنهنّ وجهاً ، وأبهاهنّ هيئة ، وأطيبهنَّ ريحاً ، وأنظفهنّ صورة . قال : فتقف صورة عن يمينه واُخرى عن يساره واُخرى بين يديه ، واُخرى خلفه ، واُخرى عند رجله . وتقف التي هي أحسنهنّ فوق رأسه . فإن اُوتي عن يمينه منعته التي عن يمينه، ثمّ كذلك الى أن يؤتى من الجهات الست. قال : فتقول أحسنهنّ صورة : ومن أنتم جزاكم الله عنّي خيراً؟ فتقول التي عن يمين العبد : أنا الصلاة. وتقول التي عن يساره : أنا الزكاة. وتقول التي بين يديه : أنا الصيام. وتقول التي خلفه: أنا الحجّ والعمرة . وتقول التي عند رجليه : أنا برّ مَن وصلت من اخوانك. ثمّ يقلن : مَن أنت ؟ فأنت أحسننا وجهاً وأطيبنا ريحاً ، وأبهاناً هيئة . فتقول : أنا الولاية لآل محمّد صلوات الله عليهم أجمعين».

On pp. 145-146 of the old edition of as-Saffar’s Basa’ir al-Darajat, through isnad which goes back to Zurr ibn Jubaish narrating an authentic tradition in the Mahasin book from one of them, peace be with them, namely Imam‎s as-Sadiq and al-Baqir, saying, “When a believer dies, six faces (forms or shapes, i.e. personifications) enter the grave with him, each is more beautiful, more fragrant and more clean than the rest. These faces settle in six positions: on his right side, on his left, behind him, in front of him and at his feet. The most beautiful and the most fragrant one rests at his head. If questioning or torture approaches him from all sides, it will be prevented by one of the six faces. The most beautiful face will ask the other faces saying: ‘Who are you, may Allah‎ reward you well on my behalf?!’ The face settling at the believer’s right side will say, ‘I am the prayers.’ The face settling on the believer’s left side will say, ‘I am the zakat.’ The face settling opposite to the believer’s face will say, ‘I am the fast.’ The one settling behind the believer will say, ‘I am the pilgrimage’, while the one settling at his feet will say, ‘I am kindness and benevolence towards the believing brothers.’ Everyone will then ask him about himself thus: ‘And who are you with your dazzling beauty and extra-ordinary fragrance?’ He will say, ‘I am the wilaya (mastership) of the Progeny of Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah‎ be with them all).'”

With best regards of Yasin T. al-Jibouri. I invite you to visit my Scribd Web Page by clicking on this link: http://www.scribd.com/yasinaljibouri to review 41 of my books and articles. Publish, reprint, quote or just enjoy them! I also invite you to visit my Amazon web page to see a list of some of the books which I have written, edited or translated; the link is:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=yasin+t.+al-jibouri&x=0&y=0

Grave’s Constriction (pressure)

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منازل الآخرة – الطريق الى الخلود
STAGES OR STAGES OF THE HEREAFTER
THE PATH TO ETERNITY
By
Yasin T. al-Jibouri

4) STAGE FOUR OF THE LIFE HEREAFTER
Grave’s Constriction (pressure)
ضغطة القبر

This is a very terrifying stage to the extent that it is difficult for the living to imagine. Commander of the Faithful Imam‎ Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) has said the following about it:

«يا عِباد الله ما بَعدَ المَوتِ لمَن لا يُغفَر له أشدُّ مِنَ المَوتِ: القبر، فاحذروا ضيقَةُ وضَنكَهُ وظُلمَتَهُ وَغُربتَهُ ، إنَّ القَبرَ يقولُ كُلَّ يَومٍ: أنا بَيتُ الغربة! انا بيتُ الوَحشَة!ِ أنا بَيتُ الدّود!ِ ، وَالقَبرُ روضَةٌ من رياض الجنّة أو حُفرهٌ من حُفرِ النّار… الى أن قالَ : وَإنَّ مَعيشَةَ الضَّنكِ الَّتي حَذَّرَ اللهُ مِنها عَدُوَّهُ (هي) عذابُ القبر ، إنَّه يُسلّطُ على الكافرِ في قَبِره تِسعةً وتسعين تنيناً فَينهشنَ لحَمهُ ويَكسِرنَ عظمهُ، يَتردَّدنَ عليه كذلك الى يوم يبعث ؛ لَو انَّ تنيناً مِنها نَفَخَ في الأرض لَم تُنبِت زَرعاً. يا عباد الله: إنَّ انفسَكُمُ الضَّعيفة وأجسادكُمُ الناعمة الرّقيقة التي يكفيها اليسيرُ تَضعُفُ عن هذا».

“O servants of Allah‎! There is nothing harder, on those who are not forgiven, than death save the grave: So, beware of its constriction, darkness and loneliness. Each day, the grave says: ‘I am the abode of loneliness! I am the abode of worms!’ And the grave is either like one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the pits of Hell… Indeed, the “life of hardship” about which Allah‎ has warned those who are hostile to Him is the torment in the grave: The unbeliever is assaulted as he is in his grave by ninety-nine dragons that tear up his flesh, crush his bones and keep visiting him thus till the Day of Resurrection. Had one of these dragons blown on earth, no vegetation would have ever grown in it. O servants of Allah‎! Your weak selves, tender and soft bodies which are satisfied with little, are too weak to withstand all of this.” As indicated above, the sins, transgressions and wrongdoings will each take a form in the hereafter, and the worse one is the worse its form will be. What will help during this difficult situation? Page 327, Vol. 4 of Usul al-Kafi, tradition No. 13, says that whenever Imam‎ as-Sadiq (as) woke up at the end of the night, he would raise his voice so his family members could hear him saying the following:

«اللّهمّ أَعِنِّي على هول المطلعِ ، و وسع علي ضيق المضجع، اللّهُمَّ بارِك لِي في الموتِ ، و ارزقني خير ما قبل الموت، و ارزقني خير ما بعد الموت؛ اللّهُمّ أعِنِّي على سَكراتِ المَوتِ، اللّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي على غمِّ القَبر ، اللّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي على ضيقِ القَبر،ِ اللَّهُمَّ أعِنِّي على وَحشَةِ القَبرِ،ِ اللّهُمَّ زَوِّجني مِن الحور العينِ»

“Lord! Help me with regard to the horror of what is awaiting me [after death] and expand for me the narrowness of the grave. Lord! Grant me a blessing at the time of death, and grant me goodness before death, and grant me goodness after death. Lord! Help me during the time of the stupors of death. Lord! Help me against the agonies of the grave. Lord! Help me against the constriction of the grave. Lord! Help me against the loneliness of the grave. And Lord! Do marry me to the huris with large, lovely eyes.” Be informed, dear reader, that most torment in the grave is due to one not paying enough attention and care while using the toilet, taking lightly the sources of najasa, uncleanness, and also due to committing calumny and backbiting as well keeping a distance from his family, according to p. 222, Vol. 6 of Bihar al-Anwar. From a narration by Sa’eed ibn Jubair, another cause is one having bad manners with his wife, speaking to her roughly rather than with kindness and consideration. Whatever the reason may be, we are assured by Imam‎ Ja`far as-Sadiq (as) that “No believer is spared the grave’s constriction,” according to p. 221, Vol. 6 of the same reference. On p. 221, Vol. 6 of Bihar al-Anwar and on p. 74, Vol. 2 of Safeenat al-Bihar, Imam‎ as-Sadiq (as) is quoted as having said: “The grave’s constriction is atonement for a bliss wasted by a believer.” Now let us review what helps in this terrible stage of the afterlife: Luckily, there are many acts of adoration which one can perform during his lifetime which will help him in the life to come, and the book titled Manazil al-Akhira by Abbas al-Qummi counts 15 of them. But we, in order to be brief, would like to cite the following for you: 1) Commander of the Faithful Imam‎ Ali (as) has said,

من قرأ سورة النساء من القرآن في كل يوم جمعة أمن من ضغطة القبر

“One who recites Surat an-Nisaa (Chapter 4 of the Holy Qur’an) every Friday will have security against the grave’s constriction,” according to p. 330, Vol. 74 of the same reference. 2) It is recorded on p. 397, Vol. 2 of Safeenat al-Bihar that

من داوم على قراءة سورة الزخرف، آمنه الله تعالى في قبره من حشرات الأرض و الحيوانات و ضغطة القبر

“One who recites Surat an-Nisaa (Chapter of the Women [Chapter 4] of the Holy Qur’an) every Friday will be granted security in his grave from the earth’s insects, animals and the grave’s constriction.” 3) According to the same reference and page, some traditions of the Prophet (P) indicate that

من قرأ سورة “ن و القلم” في فريضة الصلاة أو النافلة، آمنه الله من ضغطة القبر

“If one recites Surat Noon (Chapter 68 of the Holy Qur’an which is also called Surat al-Qalam), during obligatory or optional prayers, Allah‎ will grant him security from the grave’s constriction.” 4) On pp. 221 and 243, Vol. 6 of Bihar al-Anwar, we are told that Imam‎ ar-Ridha (as) has said:

من مات بين زوالي الخميس و الجمعه، آمنه الله من ضغطة القبر

“One who dies between the periods of zawal زوال (midday) of Thursday and Friday, he will be secured by Allah‎ from the grave’s constriction.” 5) Imam‎ ar-Ridha (as) is also quoted as having said:

عليكم بصلاة الليل، فما من عبد مؤمن قام آخر الليل فصلى ثماني ركعات صلاة الليل، و ركعتين صلاة الشفع، و ركعة صلاة الوتر، و استغفر في قنوت الوتر سبعين مرة، الا و آمنه الله من عذاب القبر، و من عذاب النار، و طال عمره، و توسعت معيشته

“Uphold the Night Prayer; no believing servant of Allah‎ stands at the end of the night to offer 8 rek’ats (prostrations), two Shaf` rek’ats, one Witr Rek`a, then he seeks forgiveness of Allah‎ in the Qunoot (invocation) of the Witr seventy times except that Allah‎ will grant him security against the torment of the grave and against the torture of the Fire, grants him a longer lifespan and expands his means of livelihood for him”, as we are told on p. 397, Vol. 2 of Safeenat al-Bihar where the subject of the grave is discussed.

With best regards of Yasin T. al-Jibouri. I invite you to visit my Scribd Web Page by clicking on this link: http://www.scribd.com/yasinaljibouri to review 41 of my books and articles. Publish, reprint, quote or just enjoy them! I also invite you to visit my Amazon web page to see a list of some of the books which I have written, edited or translated; the link is:
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SUPPLICATION: Essence of worship

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“الدعاء مخ العبادة”
SUPPLICATION IS THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP
Yasin T. al-Jibouri
[email protected]

1. ألْحَمْدُ للهِ الاوَّلِ بِلا أَوَّل كَانَ قَبْلَهُ، وَ الاخِر بِلاَ آخِر يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُ . الَّذِي قَصُرَتْ عَنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ أَبْصَارُ النَّاظِرِينَ، وَ عَجَزَتْ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ أَوهامُ اَلْوَاصِفِينَ . ابْتَدَعَ بِقُدْرَتِهِ الْخَلْقَ اَبتِدَاعَاً، وَاخْتَرَعَهُمْ عَلَى مَشِيَّتِهِ اخترَاعاً، لايَمْلِكُونَ تَأخِيراً عَمَا قَدَّمَهُمْ إليْهِ، وَلا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَقَدُّماً إلَى مَا أَخَّرَهُمْ عَنْهُ، وَ جَعَلَ لِكُلِّ رُوْح مِنْهُمْ قُوتَاً مَعْلُوماً مَقْسُوماً مِنْ رِزْقِهِ لاَ يَنْقُصُ مَنْ زادَهُ نَاقِصٌ، وَلاَ يَزِيدُ مَنْ نَقَصَ منْهُمْ زَائِد

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Du’aa for Repentance

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دعاء التوبة
SUPPLICATION FOR REPENTANCE
By Imām Ali son of al-Hussain “Zainul-`Abidin”
Yasin T. al-Jibouri
[email protected]

This supplication is recommended to be recited during the nights of Lailatul-Qadr (the Night of Destiny), on all occasions, when one is bound to plead for forgiveness for his sins and request the fulfillment of his worldly needs from his Lord. It is as follows: Read more

Abu Hurayra and the Falsification of Hadith

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آراء الكاتب
Yasin T. al-Jibouri
http://www.scribd.com/yasinaljibouri/

Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan ibn Harb played a major role in distorting the Islamic creed by paying writers to tailor design “traditions” to serve his interests and support his deviated views. He installed himself as ruler of Syria[1] in 40 A.H./661 A.D. and ruled for twenty long years till his death at the Read more

A Brief History of the Shrime of Imam Husain

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Yasin T. al-Jibouri
[email protected]

Waves of visitors have never stopped coming to Kerbala from the time of the Umayyads, who incurred the Wrath of the Almighty when they massacred the family of His Prophet’s grandson, and that of the Abbaside caliphs, who did all they could to prevent the construction of his shrine, till the time when the faithful were finally able to build the precinct despite the hardships and difficulties imposed on them. It befits this text to familiarize the reader with Kerbala.

Two main roads lead the visitor to Kerbala. One is from the Iraqi capital Baghdad, through Mosul, and the other is from the holy city of Najaf. Upon reaching Kerbala, the holy place would draw the visitor’s attention to its magnificent minarets and domes that shine due to the light of their lord. At the city’s entrance, the visitor finds a row of houses decorated with wooden columns, and while proceeding further towards the holy mausoleum, he sees architecture similar, to some extent, to modern ones. Upon reaching the holy shrine, one finds himself in front of a boundary wall that surrounds wooden gates covered with glass decorations. When one enters one of those gates, he enters a precinct surrounded by small rooms called “iwans”. The holy grave is located in the middle of the precinct, surrounded by square shaped structures each of which is called “rawaq”. The grave itself is located in the middle of the grave site with golden windows around it very beautifully illuminated. It really is a great site to see.

“KERBALA”: DERIVATION & MEANING
There are many opinions among different researchers about the origin of the word “Kerbala”. Some have pointed out that “Kerbala” has a connection to the “Kerbalato” language, while others attempt to derive the meaning of the word “Kerbala” by analyzing its spelling and language. They conclude that it originates from the Arabic word “Kar Babel” which was a group of ancient Babylonian villages that included Nainawa (Nineveh), Al-Ghadiriyya, Karbella, Al-Nawawees, and Al-Heer. This last word is now known as Al-Haa’ir; it is here that Imam Hussain’s grave is located. The traveler Yaqut al-Hamawi (1179 – 1229 A.D.), author of Mujma’ al-Buldan, had pointed out that the meaning of “Kerbala” could have several explanations one of which is that the place where Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ was killed is made of soft earth, “al-Kerbalat”. Other writers made the connection between the name and the disastrous event which painted the desert with blood, so the word “Kerbala” was said to be comprised of two Arabic words: “Karb”, which means grief and sorrow, and “Balaa”, which means affliction. But Kerbala was known by this name even before the arrival of Imam Hussain (ع).

KERBALA’S POPULARITY
Kerbala was at first an uninhabited place and did not witness any construction activity, although it was rich in water and fertile soil. Following the tenth of Muharram of 61 AH (October 10 according to the Julian or the 13th according to the Gregorian calendar, 680 A.D.), after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎, people from far away as well as tribes living nearby started visiting the holy grave. Many of those who came stayed behind and/or asked their relatives to bury them there after their demise. Despite many attempts by successive rulers, such as Haroun “al-Rashid” (763 – 809 A.D.) and “al-Mutawakkil ala Allah” Ja’far ibn al-Mu’tasim Billah (821 – 861 A.D.), to put restrictions on the development of this area, it has nonetheless spread as time passed by to become a city.

The historian Ibn Qawlawayh[1] has indicated that those who buried Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ made a special and rigid construction with signs marking the grave perhaps due to their knowledge of real attempts at the time at defacing it. Higher and bigger constructions above the grave started during the regime of the first Abbaside ruler, “Abul-Abbas” Abdullah ibn Muhammed al-Saffah (the latter title meaning “the blood shedder”) (721 – 754 A.D.), who was busy battling the Umayyads for power. But Haroun al-Rashid later on put heavy restrictions in order to prevent people from visiting the grave. During the time of Al-Ma’mun son of Haroun al-Rashid (786 – 833 A.D.), construction around the grave resumed until the year 236 A.H./851 A.D. when the Abbaside ruler “al-Mutawakkil ala Allah” Ja’far ibn al-Mu’tasim (821 – 861 A.D.) ordered the destruction and interring of the grave, then the filling of the pit with water… His son, al-Muntasir, who succeeded him in 861 and who is suspected of having killed him, allowed people to visit the grave site. Since then, building the precinct to the grave increased and developed step by step.

The historian and biographer “Ibn Al-Athir”, namely Izz ad-Deen ibn al-Athir “Abu al-Hassan” Ali ibn Muhammed al-Jazri (1160 – 1233 A.D.), has stated that in the year 371 A.H./982 A.D., Adud Al-Dawlah “Abu Shuja’ Fana Khosroe son of Rukn al-Dawlah al-Buwayhi عضد الدولة أبو شجاع فنا خسرو بن ركن الدولة who lived from 937 to 983 A.D. and ruled Persia from 951 till his death in 983, became the first to largely lay the foundations for a large scale construction, generously decorating the place. He also built houses and markets around the precinct, surrounding Kerbala with a high boundary wall and turning it into a strong castle. In the year 407 A.H./1016 A.D., the precinct caught fire due to the dropping of two large candles on the wooden decorations, but Hassan ibn Fadl, then state minister, rebuilt the damaged sections.

History has recorded the names of several rulers who shared the honor of expanding, decorating or keeping the precinct in good condition. Amongst them is Fatih Ali al-Qajari who, in 1250 A.H./1737 A.D., ordered the construction of two domes, one over Imam Hussain’s‎ grave and the other over that of his brother, Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas ‎(‎ع‎)‎. The first dome is 27 meters high and completely covered with gold. At the bottom, it is surrounded with 12 windows each of which is about 1.25 m away from the other from the inside and 1.30 m from the outside.

The mausoleum has an area of 59 m / 75 m with ten gates, and about 65 rooms (iwans), well decorated from the inside and outside and used as classrooms for studying. As for the grave itself, in the middle of the precinct, it is called the “rawda”, garden, and it has several gates. The most famous of these gates is called that of al-qibla or “bab al-dhahab”, gold gate. Upon entering through it, one can see the tomb of Habib ibn Madhahir al-Asadi to the right hand side. Habib was a friend and companion of Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ since their childhood, and he was one of those who were honored with martyrdom in the Battle of Kerbala.

THE RESTING PLACE OF ABBAS SON OF ALI IBN ABU TALIB (ع)
Abu al-Fadl Abbas (‎ع‎) was brother of Imam Hassan ‎(‎ع‎)‎ and Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ and the standard-bearer of Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ in the Battle of Kerbala. He is well known in history for his valor, loyalty and similarity to his father, the Lion of God, Ali ibn Abu Talib (‎ع‎). The resting place of Abbas ‎(‎ع‎)‎ received similar attention as that of Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎. In the year 1032 A.H./1623 A.D., the Safavid King Tahmasp of Ghazvin, Persia, who ruled from 1500 to 1730s, ordered the decoration of the grave’s dome. He built a window on the ‘darih’ ضريح (shrine) around the grave and organized the precinct. Other similar activities were done by other rulers.

Kerbala contains, besides the grave of Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ and his brother al-Abbas (‎ع‎), the graves of all the 72 martyrs of Kerbala, all males. They were buried in a mass grave which was then covered with soil up to the ground level. This mass grave is at the foot of Imam Hussain’s grave. In particular, besides Imam Hussain’s grave, there are the graves of his two sons, Ali al-Akbar and 6-month old Ali al-Asghar who was shot with an arrow on the 10th of Muharram as his father pleaded for water for the infant. Imagine the extent of those beasts’ cruelty, and their unrepentant followers, who still live among other Muslims of the world, are no less cruel.

CHRONOLOGY OF IMAM HUSSAIN’S SHRINE AT KERBALA

AH CE Events
61 lst October, 680 Imam Hussain ‎(‎ع‎)‎ was buried at this sacred spot.
65 18th August, 684 Al-Mukhtar ibn Abu Ubaidah al-Thaqafi built an enclosure around the grave in the form of a mosque and erected a dome over the grave. There were two entrances to this building.
132 12th August, 749 A roof was built over a portion of this mosque and two entrances were added during the reign of Abul-Abbas al-Saffah, founder of the Abbasid dynasty.
140 31st March, 763 The roof was demolished during the reign of Abbasid al-Mansur al-Dawaniqi.
158 11th November, 774 During the reign of al-Mahdi, the Abbaside ruler, the roof was reconstructed.
171 22nd June, 787 During the reign of Haroun al-Rashid, the dome and roof were demolished and the plum tree, which stood near the grave, was cut down.
193 25th October, 808 During the reign of al-Amin son of Haroun al-Rashid, the building was reconstructed.
236 15th July, 850 Abbasid ruler al-Mutawakkil demolished the buildings and ordered the plot ploughed.
247 17th March, 861 Al-Muntasir built a roof over the grave and set up an iron pillar near it to serve as a landmark for the pilgrims.
273 8th June, 886 The roof was demolished again.
280 23rd March, 893 The Alid representative built a dome in the centre, with two roofs, on either side and an enclosure with two entrances.
307 19th August, 977 Adud ad-Dawlah ibn Buwayh عضد الدولة أبو شجاع فنا خسرو بن ركن الدولة Adhud ad-Dawlah “Abu Shuja’” Fana Khosroe son of Rukn ad-Dawlah, who lived from 937 – 983 A.D. and ruled from 951 – 983 A.D., rebuilt the dome, the surrounding galleries and constructed a screen of teak wood around the sepulchre. He also constructed houses all round the shrine and erected the city’s boundary wall. At the same time, Imran ibn Shahin (d. 979 A.D.) built a mosque adjacent to the tomb.
407 10th June, 1016 The buildings were damaged by fire and Vizier al-Hassan ibn al-Fadl rebuilt them.
620 4th February, 1223 al-Nasir li Deenillah أبو العباس “الناصر لدين الله” أحمد بن الحسن المستضئ, namely “Abu al-Abbas” Ahmed ibn al-Hassan al-Mustadhee’ (1158 – 1225 A.D.), the Abbaside ruler who ruled for almost 50 years, reconstructed the screens of the sepulchre.
757 18th Sept. 1365 Sultan Owais ibn Hassan al-Jala’iri السلطان أويس بن حسن الجلائري (1374 – 1382 A.D.), one of the Moghal (Moghul, Mughul, Moghol) Jala’iri sultans who ruled Iraq, remodeled the dome and raised the walls of the enclosure.
780 24th Feb. 1384 Sultan Ahmad ibn Sultan Owais (who ruled briefly from 1382 to 1383 A.D. after seizing power from his brother, Sultan Ali) erected two minarets covered with gold and extended the courtyard.
920 26th Feb. 1514 Safavid Shah Isma’il أبو المظفر شاه إسماعيل الهادي الوالي الصفوي namely “Abū al-Muzaffar” bin Haydar bin Sheikh Junayd as-Safawī (the Safavid) (July 17, 1487 – May 23, 1524), founder of the Safavid Shi’ite Empire which survived until 1736 A.D., visited the holy shrine and built a sacrophagus of the inlaid work over the grave.
1032 5th Nov. 1622 Safavid Shah Abbas, also known as “Abbās the Great”, who was born on January 27, 1571 and died on January 19, 1629) and was shah of Persia from 1588 to 1629, constructed the screens (darih ضريح) of brass and bronze and decorated the dome with Kashi tiles.
1048 15th May 1638 Ottoman Sultan Murad IV, who was born on June 26, 1612 in Istanbul (Constantinople, city of emperor Constantine who built it), and whose father was Sultan Ahmet (Ahmed) I, visited the holy shrine and whitewashed its dome.
1155 8th March 1742 Nadir (or Nader) Shah, namely Nāder Shāh Afshār (Persian: نادر شاه افشار; also known as Nāder Qoli Beg – نادر قلی بیگ or Tahmāsp Qoli Khān – تهماسپ قل), who was born in November of 1688 and died on June 19, 1747, ruled as Shah of Iran from 1736 – 1747 A.D. and was founder of the Afsharid dynasty, visited the holy shrine, decorated the building and offered valuable presents to the shrine’s treasury.
1211 7th July 1796 Shah Muhammed Qajar, namely Muhammed Shah Qajar (born Mohammad Mirza, Persian: محمد شاه قاجار)‎‎, who was born on January 5, 1808 and died on September 5, 1848, was king of Persia from the Qajar dynasty which ruled from October 23, 1834 to September 5, 1848. Muhammed Shah was son of Abbas Mirza, the crown prince and governor of Azerbaijan, who in turn was the son of Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar, the second Shah of the Qajari dynasty. His rule lasted for about 40 days. He was quickly deposed at the hands of Mirza Abolghasem (Abul-Qasim) Ghaem Magham Farahani, a politician, scientist, and poet. Shah Muhammed Qajar covered the dome of Imam Hussain’s shrine with gold.
1216 14th May, 1801 Wahhabis from Saudi Arabia raided Kerbala, spoiled the screens and portico and looted the shrine.
1232 21st Nov., 1817 Fateh Ali Shah Qajar, or Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar or Fathalishah or Fathali Shah or Fath Ali Shah (In Persian, he is known as فتح على شاه قاجار), was born on September 5, 1772 and died on October 23, 1834. Fateh Shah was the second Qajar king of Iran. He ruled from June 17, 1797 to October 23, 1834. He repaired the screens of Imam Hussain’s shrine and plated them with silver. He also plated the center of the main portico with gold and repaired the damage done by the professional Wahhabi looters.
1283 16th May, 1866 Nasiruddin (or Naser al-Din) Qajar Shah of Persia, who lived from 1831 – 1896 A.D., extended the courtyard of the shrine.
1358 21st February, 1939 Dr. Syedna Taher Saifud-din, or Taher Saifuddin, (in Arabic, (سيدنا طاهر سيف الدين who lived from August 1885 to November of 1965, was leader of the Dawoodi Bohras (Shi’a) community (of Mumbai, India) from 1915 to 1965. He offered a set of screens of solid silver which remain fixed in the shrine. He also rebuilt the western minaret in January of 1941.
1367 20th Dec., 1948 Sayyid Abdul Rasoul al-Khalsi عبد الرسول الخالصي, attorney and once minister of justice in Iraq, who was at the time administrator of Kerbala, acquired the houses in the neighborhood of the courtyard according to the price fixed by the government in order to build a road around the holy mausoleum and extend the courtyard.

[1] His name is “Abu al-Qasim” Ja’far ibn Muhammed ibn Ja’far ibn Mousa ibn Qawlawayh al-Qummi, the senior faqih mentor, a man of high prestige, reliability and in-depth researching in fiqh and hadith. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani regards him as one of the senior and renown Shi’a scholars. His date of birth is unknown but he died in 368 or 369 A.H./979 or 980 A.D.