Rule 150

It is Haram to open the grave of a Muslim, even if it belongs to a child or an insane person. However, there is no objection in doing so if the dead body has decayed and turned into dust.

Rule 151

Digging up or destroying the graves of the descendants of the A’immah (Peace be upon them), the martyrs, the ‘Ulama and the pious people is Haram, even if they are very old, since it amounts to desecration.

Rule 152

Digging up the grave is allowed in the following cases1:

• When the dead body has been buried in a usurped land and the owner of the land is not willing to let it remain there.

• When the Kafan of the dead body or anything else that is buried with it had been usurped, and the owner of the thing in question is not willing to let it remain in the grave.

• If anything, belonging to the heirs has been buried along with the deceased and the heirs do not give permission to let it remain in the grave. However, if the deceased had made a will that a certain supplication, the holy Qur’an, or a ring be buried along with his dead body, and if that will was valid, then the grave cannot be opened up to bring those articles out.

• When opening the grave does not amount to disrespect of the deceased, and it transpires that one was buried without Ghusl and/or Kafan, or the Ghusl that was performed was void, or one was not given Kafan according to religious rules, or was not laid in the grave facing the Qiblah.

• When it is necessary to inspect the body of the deceased to establish a right, which is more important than not exhumation it.

• When the dead body of a Muslim has been buried in a place which is against sanctity, such as when it has been buried in the graveyard of non-Muslim or at a place of garbage.

• When the grave is opened up for legal purposes which are more important than not exhuming it. For example, when it is necessary to take out a living child from the womb of the buried woman.

• When it is feared that a wild beast would tear up the corpse or it will be carried away by flood or exhumed by the enemy.

• When the deceased had willed that his body be transferred to a sacred place before burial, and if it was intentionally or forgetfully buried elsewhere, then the body can be exhumed - provided that doing so does not result in disrespect to the deceased.

The Squeezing In The Grave Is An Atonement For One’s Sins

عن السكوني عن أبي عبد الله جعفر بن محمد الصادق (عليه السلام) عن أبيه عن آبائه عن أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) قال: قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ضغطة القبر للمؤمن كفارة لما كان منه من تضييع النعم.

1. Sakuni narrates from Aba ‘Abdillah Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (‘a) from his father from his forefathers from Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) who said, the Messenger of Allah (S) said: “The squeezing of the grave is an atonement for the sins a believer had committed”2

Explanation: One of the greatest blessings of Allah is to be granted a long and prosperous life in His service, and it is in the ‘Alam Barzakh (the period after death, and before the Day of Resurrection) that a person will truly understand the loss one is in because of the time that one had wasted in this world.

The Reward For Visiting The Deceased

عن إسحاق بن عمار عن أبي الحسن عليه السلام قال: قلت له المؤمن يعلم من يزور قبره؟ قال: نعم، لا يزال مستأنسا به ما زال عند قبره، فإذا قام وانصرف من قبره دخله من انصرافه عن قبره وحشة.

Ishaq Ibn ‘Ammar relates that: “I said to Abu al-Hasan (‘a), ‘Does a believer who has passed away know those people who visit his grave?’ The Imam (‘a) replied, ‘Of course, he is acquainted with those who visit him as long as they are sitting beside his grave. As soon as they get up from his grave side and leave, the fear takes over the person in the grave because of his leaving’.3”

عن عبد الله بن سنان قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام : كيف التسليم على أهل القبور؟ فقال : قل : السلام على أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمين أنتم لنا فرط ونحن إنشاء الله بكم لاحقون.

‘Abdullah Ibn Sanan relates that: “I asked Aba ‘Abdillah (‘a) how should one greet the deceased in the graveyard?” He (‘a) replied, “One should say:

السلام على أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمين أنتم لنا فرط ونحن إنشاء الله بكم لاحقون

Translation: “Peace be upon the people of the lands from the believers and the Muslims. You are an example for us (that we too shall die) and God willing, we will meet with you”.4

عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن بزيع أنه سمع أبا جعفر عليه السلام يقول: من زار قبر أخيه المؤمن فجلس عند قبره واستقبل القبلة ووضع يده على القبر فقرأ إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ سبع مرات أمن من الفزع الكبر.

Muhammad Ibn Isma’il Ibn Bazi’ narrates that, “I heard Aba Ja’far (‘a) say, ‘The person who goes to visit a believing brother’s grave, and then while facing the Qiblah, sits near the head of the grave, and places his hand on top of it and recites Surah al-Qadr seven times, will be protected from the greatest fear and fright on the Day of Judgement’.5”

محمد بن علي بن الحسين بإسناده عن محمد بن مسلم أنه قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: الموتى نزورهم؟ قال: نعم، إلى أن قال: ققلت: فأي شيء نقول إذا أتيناهم؟ قال: قل: اللهم جاف الأرض عن جنوبهم ، وصاعد إليك أرواحهم، ولقِّهم منك رضوانا، وأسكن إليهم من رحمتك ما تصل به وحدتهم، وتونس به وحشتهم، إنك على كل شيء قدير.

Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn narrates from his chain of narrators from Muhammad Ibn Muslim that he said, “I asked Aba ‘Abdillah (‘a), ‘Do we go to visit the deceased?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ I asked him, ‘What should we say when we go to visit them?’ ‘The Imam replied’, ‘You should say:

اللهم جاف الأرض عن جنوبهم ، وصاعد إليك أرواحهم، ولقِّهم منك رضوانا، وأسكن إليهم من رحمتك ما تصل به وحدتهم، وتونس به وحشتهم، إنك على كل شيء قدير

Translation: “O’ Allah, make the earth spacious on their sides (in the grave) and raise their souls to Yourself and reveal to them Your pleasure and place in their grave, out of Your mercy, that what will reach out to them in their isolation and give them solace in their loneliness; verily You have power over all things.6”

The Testimony Of Forty Believers Concerning The Deceased

عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: إذا مات المؤمن وحضر الجنازته أربعون رجلا من المؤمنين فقالوا: اللهم إنا لا نعلم منه إلا خيرا وأنت أعلم به منا، قال الله تبارك وتعالى: قد أجزت شهاداتكم وغفرت لله ما علمت مما لا تعلمون.

1. It has been narrated from Aba ‘Abdillah (‘a) that he said, “Any time a believer leaves this world, and forty believers are present at his funeral and they all testify that, ‘O’ Allah, we

know nothing of this man except good, and You know that which we do not know.’ Allah, the Glorious and Most High says, ‘I accept your affirmation and testimony concerning this person, and I have forgiven those actions which he performed which I know and you do not know’”.7

• 1. There are certain situations when the exhuming is not permitted even if the land, the Kafan or the articles buried with the corpse are Ghasbi, but there is no room for details here.
• 2. Thawab al-A’mal, Page 437.
• 3. Wasa’il al-Shi’a, Volume 3, Page 223.
• 4. Wasa’il al-Shi’a, Volume 3, Page 227.
• 5. Wasa’il al-Shi’a, Volume 3, Page 227.
• 6. Wasa’il al-Shi’a, Volume 3, Page 228.
• 7. Wasa’il al-Shi’a, Volume 3, Page 285.