About two years ago, a renowned elderly gentleman from the local community, who had served the community in various capacities, and who was particularly kind and polite to me; ever smiling when he would meet me, suddenly passed away! I had the good fortune to participate in his funeral. At the cemetery, his burial rites were a little delayed due to a medical condition, which needed attending to, before a proper and valid Muslim burial could take place. So I decided in the meantime, to take the opportunity to visit the graves of my dear deceased relatives, buried in the same cemetery, and to pray for them. One of the things I did then, which was a rite I usually performed at the cemetery, as do many Muslims, is to sprinkle/pour water over the graves visited. Whilst standing at a water tap in the cemetery, waiting for my water can to fill, I was approached by yet another renowned elderly gentleman of the community who asked me the significance of the rite I was about to perform. Not being particularly certain of the details, I promised him to delve deeper into the topic and share my findings with him. Here-below is an abridged version of the results of my deeper delving into the topic, which I carried out by reference to a number of al-fiqh al-istidlāl (demonstrative law) works.

The Ritual at the Level of Juridical Verdicts

It appears that present and past jurists, up to the time of the Imāms, are united in their opinion that sprinkling/pouring water over the grave of a believer immediately after burial is recommended – mustaḥab. However, regarding whether this recommendation – istiḥbāb – extends also to the days, weeks, months, and years subsequent to the burial, there appear to be two camps among the jurists; one camp opines that it does and the other opines that it doesn’t.

In the first camp fall such jurists as the late Āyatullah Khumaini (d. 1989),^[1] Sayyid Muḥammad Saʿīd al-Ḥakīm (b. 1934),^[2] Sayyid Muḥammad Taqi al-Mudarrisi (b. 1945),^[3] and the late Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlullah (d. 2010)^[4] from among contemporary jurists, while there may be others too. From among the ancient scholars we have the example of Shaykh al-Ṣadūq (d. 991) and very probably Muḥaqqiq/Muqaddas al-Ardabīli (d. 993/1585), who also held to this opinion.^[5]

In the second camp falls Syed al-Sīstāni (b. 1930) among probably others too. He writes in response to a question submitted to him on his website that sprinkling water over the grave of a believer is recommended, however the recommendation is only specific to immediately after burial. But he admits that some jurists are of the opinion that it is recommended to continue this rite for forty days after burial, in which case, he writes, it is not a problem to do so, hoping (rajāʾan) that the reward specified for this act will continue to apply.^[6]

In the following pages mention will be made of (1) the reward or the benefit to the deceased of this rite performed on his/her grave along with (2) a brief history of this rite, and (3) the correct manner of performing it. In addition, the evidence which informs the opinion of the first group of jurists in favour of continuing this rite for an extended period of time, subsequent to the burial, will be briefly discussed too.

The Benefit of this Rite

When Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) was asked the reason for sprinkling water over the grave, he answered: ‘the punishment turns away from it (the [inhabitant of the] grave) so long as the moistness remains in the soil’.^[7]

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ السَّعْدَآبَادِيُّ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ‏ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَشِ‏ الْمَاءِ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ قَالَ يَتَجَافَى عَنْهُ الْعَذَابُ مَا دَامَ النَّدَى فِي التُّرَابِ‏

علل الشرائع ؛ ج‏1 ؛ ص307

محمد بن يعقوب،عن عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‏ فِي رَشِّ الْمَاءِ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ قَالَ يَتَجَافَى عَنْهُ الْعَذَابُ مَا دَامَ النَّدَى فِي التُّرَابِ

الكافي ٣: ٢٠٠ / ٦

A Brief History of this Rite

The Rite at the Time of the Prophet Muḥammad (s)

It was a practice current at the time of the Prophet Muḥammad (s)

Imām ʿAli (a) reported: ‘sprinkling water over graves was practiced at the time of the Prophet (s)’.^[8]

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ فِي قُرْبِ الْإِسْنَادِ عَنِ السِّنْدِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ع‏ أَنَّ الرَّشَّ عَلَى الْقُبُورِ كَانَ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ص.

وسائل الشيعة ؛ ج‏3 ؛ ص196

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘the practice of sprinkling water over graves was current at the time of the Messenger of God (s)’.^[9]

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ‏ كَانَ رَشُّ الْقَبْرِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص

الكافي ٣: ٢٠٠ / ٧.

The Prophet Muḥammad (s) Bade in Favour of this Rite

Imām al-Bāqir (a) narrated: ‘the grave of the Messenger of God (s) was raised the height of a hand span from the ground and the Prophet (s) ordered that graves be sprinkled with water’.^[10]

وبإسناده عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن الغفاري، عن إبراهيم بن علي، عن جعفر، عن أبيه (عليهما السلام)، أن قبر رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) رفع شبرا من الأرض، وأن النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) أمر برش القبور.
ورواه الصدوق في (العلل): عن الحسين بن أحمد بن إدريس، عن أبيه، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن بكر بن صالح، عن الحسين بن علي الرافقي، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه (عليهم السلام)، مثله

التهذيب ١: ٤٦٩ / علل الشرائع ؛ ج‏1 ؛ ص307

The Prophet Muḥammad (s) Himself Practiced this Rite

Imām ʿAli (a) narrates: ‘when (the Prophet’s companion) ʿUthmān ibn Maẓʿūn died (in 2/623-624), the Messenger of God (saw) kissed him and when he (the Prophet) had buried him; he sprinkled water over the soil of the grave and spread a cloth over his grave. He (the Prophet) was the first one to spread a cloth over it (the grave) that day. And he smoothed the soil of the grave over it (the grave). Then he called out “bring me a stone”. He was asked: “Messenger of God, what will you do with it (the stone)? He replied: “I shall identify his grave with it so that I may bury my relatives near it”. And he placed the stone at the head of the grave’^[11].^[12] This particular burial was very probably the inception of the Baqiʿ cemetery.

أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع قَالَ: لَمَّا مَاتَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ قَبَّلَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فَلَمَّا دَفَنَهُ رَشَّ عَلَى تُرَابِ الْقَبْرِ الْمَاءَ رَشّاً وَ بَسَطَ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ ثَوْباً وَ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ بَسَطَ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْباً يَوْمَئِذٍ وَ سَوَّى عَلَيْهِ تُرَابَ الْقَبْرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ص عَلَيَّ بِحَجَرٍ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص وَ مَا تَصْنَعُ بِهِ قَالَ أُعَلِّمُ بِهِ قَبْرَهُ حَتَّى أَدْفِنَ إِلَيْهِ قَرَابَتِي فَوَضَعَ الْحَجَرَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ الْقَبْرِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ.

الجعفريات ص203

Imām ʿAli (a) narrates: ‘the Messenger of God (s) sprinkled water over the grave of ʿUthmān ibn Maẓʿūn after he had smoothed the earth over it’.^[13]

عن علي (عليه السلام)، ان رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) رش قبر عثمان بن مظعون بالماء، بعد أن سوى عليه التراب.

دعائم الاسلام ج 1 ص 239، عنه في البحار ج 82 ص 22 ح 13

Abu Rāfiʿ, the freed Coptic slave of the Prophet reports: ‘the Messenger of God (s) drew (his companion) Saʿd (ibn Muʿādh) into his grave and sprinkled water over his grave’.^[14] (Saʿd ibn Muʿādh died in 5/626). And the Prophet’s companion Jābir ibn ʿAbdillah reports that the Messenger of God (s) sprinkled water over a grave.^[15]

عن أبي رافع، قال: سلّ رسول اللَّه صلى الله عليه و آله سعداً، و رشّ على قبره ماء

 ‏ سنن ابن ماجة، ج 1، ص 495، ح 1551.

و عن جابر: أنّ رسول اللَّه صلى الله عليه و آله رشّ على قبر [ه‏] ماءً

 المغني لابن قدامة، ج 2، ص 385

The Prophet performed this rite when his son Ibrāhīm died (in 10/631). ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abi ʿAbdillāh narrates that he asked the Imām about the significance and the reason for the establishment of the practice of a person placing his hand on the grave. The Imām replied: ‘the Messenger of God (s) did it over the grave of his son after having sprinkled water over it’. He (the questioner) relates: ‘I asked him (the Imām): “how do I place my hand over the graves of the Muslims?” The Imām showed him how to do that by signalling with his hand towards the earth. Then he placed his hand on it and then raised it while he was in the direction of the Kaʿbah’.^[16]

حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ‏ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ وَضْعِ الرَّجُلِ يَدَهُ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ مَا هُوَ وَ لِمَ صَنَعَ فَقَالَ صَنَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَلَى ابْنِهِ بَعْدَ النَّضْحِ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ كَيْفَ أَضَعُ يَدِي عَلَى قُبُورِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَ وَضَعَهَا عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَفَعَهَا وَ هُوَ مُقَابِلُ الْقِبْلَةِ.

مرآة العقول في شرح أخبار آل الرسول ؛ ج‏14 ؛ ص110

The Prophet ordered this rite to be carried out on his own grave and it was duly accomplished

Imām al-Bāqir (a) narrated: ‘the Prophet (s) instructed ʿAli, saying: ‘ʿAli, bury me at this place, raise my grave from the ground the height of four fingers, and sprinkle/spray water over it (grave)’.^[17]

وَ عَنْهُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْمَغْرَاءِ عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص لِعَلِيٍّ ع يَا عَلِيُّ ادْفِنِّي فِي هَذَا الْمَكَانِ وَ ارْفَعْ قَبْرِي مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَ أَصَابِعَ وَ رُشَّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ.

الكافي ١: ٣٧٥ / ٣٦

Imām ʿAli (a) narrated: ‘the grave of the Messenger of God (s) was raised from the ground the height of a hand span and four fingers, and water was sprinkled over it’, and he (ʿAli) said: ‘the normative practice is to sprinkle water over the grave’.^[18]

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ فِي قُرْبِ الْإِسْنَادِ عَنِ السِّنْدِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ع‏ أَنَّ قَبْرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص رُفِعَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ قَدْرَ شِبْرٍ وَ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ وَ رُشَّ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءُ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَ السُّنَّةُ أَنْ يُرَشَّ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ الْمَاءُ.

قرب الإسناد: 72

This Rite Was Performed on the Grave of lady Fāṭimah (a)

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) reported from his forefathers, saying: ‘when Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) laid Fāṭimah (a), the daughter of the Messenger of God, in her grave and had smoothed the soil over her, he sprinkled water over it’.^[19]

عن أبي عبد الله، عن آبائه (عليهم السلام)، ان أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) لما وضع فاطمة بنت رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) قال، في القبر إلى أن قال ” فلما سوى عليها التراب، امر بقبرها فرش عليها الماء “.

البحار ج 82 ص 27 ح 13 عن مصباح الأنوار ص 260

Hence, this became an established Imāmi practice which continued to be taught and practiced after the time of the Prophet (s) and Imām ʿAli (s).

The Rite during the Time of the Imāms

Thus Imām al-Bāqir (a) taught: ‘when dust has been poured over him (the deceased) and his grave has been smoothed over, then place your palm at the head of the grave, separate your fingers, and sink your palm into it (the soil) after it (the grave) has been sprayed with water’.^[20]

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: قَالَ: فَإِذَا حُثِيَ عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابُ وَ سُوِّيَ قَبْرُهُ فَضَعْ كَفَّكَ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ وَ فَرِّجْ أَصَابِعَكَ وَ اغْمِزْ كَفَّكَ عَلَيْهِ بَعْدَ مَا يُنْضَحُ بِالْمَاءِ.

التهذيب ١: ٤٥٧ / ١٤٩٠، وسائل الشيعة ؛ ج‏3 ؛ ص197

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘my father instructed me one day during his illness: “when I die, give me the funeral bath, enshroud me, raise my grave (from the ground) the height of four fingers, and sprinkle it with water”.’^[21]

وَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: إِنَّ أَبِي قَالَ لِي ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فِي مَرَضِهِ إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَغَسِّلْنِي وَ كَفِّنِّي وَ ارْفَعْ قَبْرِي أَرْبَعَ أَصَابِعَ وَ رُشَّهُ بِالْمَاءِ الْحَدِيثَ.

الكافي ٣: ٢٠٠ / ٥، والتهذيب ١: ٣٢٠ / ٩٣٣

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘my father instructed me that I should raise his grave (from the ground) the height of four parted fingers, and mentioned that sprinkling the grave with water was good, and he said “perform the minor ablution [al-wuḍūʾ] when you insert the corpse into the grave”.’^[22]

وَ أَخْبَرَنِي جَمَاعَةٌ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ وَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عُبْدُونٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَلَبِيِّ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: أَمَرَنِي أَبِي أَنْ أَجْعَلَ ارْتِفَاعَ قَبْرِهِ أَرْبَعَ أَصَابِعَ مُفَرَّجَاتٍ وَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّ الرَّشَّ بِالْمَاءِ حَسَنٌ وَ قَالَ تَوَضَّأْ إِذَا أَدْخَلْتَ الْمَيِّتَ الْقَبْرَ.

تهذيب الأحكام، ج 1، ص 321، ح 934؛ وسائل الشيعة، ج 3، ص 193، ح 3382

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘when you have finished pouring sand over the grave then sprinkle it (with water), and place your hand at the head of the grave and press your palm on it after the sprinkling’.^[23]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‏ إِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ فَانْضِحْهُ ثُمَّ ضَعْ يَدَكَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ وَ تَغْمِزُ كَفَّكَ عَلَيْهِ بَعْدَ النَّضْحِ‏

الكافي ٣: ٢٠٠ / ٧;الكافي ٣: ٢٠٠ / 8

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said (in a lengthy report where he details the various rites of burial): ‘….so when you come out of the grave then say, while dusting off the soil from your hands, (Q2:156): “innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn” (We surely belong to God and We are certainly returning to Him). Thereafter, pour dust upon it (the open grave) by the exterior of your hand, thrice, and say “O God, (I am doing this deed) in a state of faith in You, and in a state of attesting to Your book. This is what God and His Messenger have promised us, and God and His Messenger have said the truth”. Whoever does that (deed) and utters these words shall have God register a good deed for him in lieu of every grain of soil poured over the grave. Then when the grave is straightened / smoothed over, pour water over it and render the grave infront of you while you are facing the Kaʿbah….^[24]

محمد بن علي بن الحسين بإسناده عن سالم بن مكرم، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) أنه قال: فإذا خرجت من القبر فقل – وأنت تنفض يديك من التراب -: إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون، ثم احث التراب عليه بظهر كفيك ثلاث مرات وقل:” اللهم إيمانا بك، وتصديقا بكتابك، هذا ما وعدنا الله ورسوله، وصدق الله ورسوله ” فإنه من فعل ذلك وقال هذه الكلمات كتب الله له بكل ذرة حسنة، فإذا سوى قبره فصب على قبره الماء وتجعل القبر أمامك وأنت مستقبل القبلة، وتبدأ بصب الماء عند رأسه، وتدور به على قبره من أربع جوانبه حتى ترجع إلى الرأس من غير أن تقطع الماء، فإن فضل من الماء شئ فصبه على وسط القبر، ثم ضع يدك على القبر وادع للميت واستغفر له.

الفقيه ١: ١٠٨ / 500

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘it is recommended that a wet/moist (freshly cut?) palm branch stripped of its leaves is buried with the corpse in the grave; that the grave is raised from the ground the height of four fingers joined together, and that water is sprinkled over it and thereafter the grave is vacated’.^[25]

أَخْبَرَنِي الشَّيْخُ أَيَّدَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ مَعَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ جَرِيدَةٌ رَطْبَةٌ وَ يُرْفَعَ قَبْرُهُ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ قَدْرَ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ مَضْمُومَةٍ وَ يُنْضَحَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءُ* وَ يُخَلَّى عَنْهُ.

الكافي ٣: ١٩٩ / ٣، والتهذيب ١: ٣٢٠ / 932

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘my father instructed me to raise the grave from the ground the height of four parted fingers and mentioned that sprinkling the grave with water was good.’^[26]

وَ عَنْهُمْ عَنْ سَهْلٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‏ إِنَّ أَبِي أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَرْفَعَ الْقَبْرَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَ أَصَابِعَ مُفَرَّجَاتٍ وَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّ رَشَّ الْقَبْرِ بِالْمَاءِ حَسَنٌ.

الكافي ٣: ١٤٠ / ٣

It’s Repeated Performance in the Days, Weeks, Months, and Years Subsequent to Burial

Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Kashshi (d. 340/951) records in his bio-bibliographical work, the Rijāl al-Kashshi, from ʿAli ibn al-Ḥasan who reports from Muḥammad ibn al-Walīd who said that after Yūnus ibn Yaʿqūb’s burial the caretaker of the (Baqiʿ) cemetery saw him at his grave and asked him about the identity of Yūnus ibn Yaʿqūb. The caretaker asked him: ‘who is the person buried in this grave? This is because Abu al-Ḥasan ʿAli ibn Mūsa al-Riḍā (a) commended and ordered me in respect of him that I should sprinkle water over his grave for forty months or forty days; once every day’.^[27] (The confusion regarding the time period is on the part of ʿAli ibn al-Ḥasan).

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ الْكَشِّيُّ فِي كِتَابِ الرِّجَالِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ أَنَّ صَاحِبَ الْمَقْبَرَةِ سَأَلَهُ عَنْ قَبْرِ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ- وَ قَالَ مَنْ صَاحِبُ هَذَا الْقَبْرِ فَإِنَّ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى الرِّضَا ع أَوْصَانِي بِهِ وَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَرُشَّ قَبْرَهُ أَرْبَعِينَ شَهْراً أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْماً فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّةً.

وسائل الشيعة ؛ ج‏3 ؛ ص197

This report above by al-Kashshi regarding Yūnus ibn Yaʿqūb needs to be understood in light of the additional information about him that al-Kashshi records in his work. Yūnus ibn Yaʿqūb was a Kufan companion of the Imāms al-Ṣādiq, al-Kāẓim, and al-Riḍā. He also served as a representative of Imām al-Kāẓim and died in Medina during the life-time of Imām al-Riḍā. He enjoyed the Imāms’ favours and was considered trustworthy and reliable. He transmitted many reports from the sixth and seventh Imāms and had atleast one book to his credit (if not more) titled Kitāb al-Ḥajj (wherein he had collected the teachings of the Prophet and the Imāms regarding this central Muslim rite). When he died in Medina, the eighth Imām went to great lengths to honour him. He had all the necessary funeral materials sent for him such as camphor and the shroud. He further ordered his clients and the clients of his father and grandfather to attend his funeral, stating that Yūnus ibn Yaʿqūb was a partisan/client of the sixth Imām. The eighth Imām insisted that he be buried in al-Baqiʿ despite him being an Iraqi and not a Medinan, and asked his Kufan colleague Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥabbāb to officiate at his funeral prayers. The bed of the Messenger of God, which served as a bier to carry the dead members of the Banū Hāshim to their graves was used to carry Yūnus ibn Yaʿqūb to his grave too as if he was a Hashimite. Indeed, the sixth or seventh Imām even mentioned him to be from the ahl al-bayt (as). It is in this context that the eighth Imām instructed the caretaker of the Baqiʿ cemetery to water his grave for an extended time period.^[28]

Thus this report suggests continuing this rite for a number of days subsequent to the burial, unlike the other reports above which seem to suggest that this rite’s recommendation only applies to immediately after burial. Indeed, this report is the mainstay of the juridical opinion that inclines to the continued recommendation of this ritual subsequent to burial. This is apparent from the wording of the fatāwās of those scholars who incline to this opinion since the wording of their fatāwās on this issue closely mimic the wording of the report above.

However it appears that Syed al-Sīstāni is probably not convinced by this report and has a perspective regarding it contrary to those scholars who rely on it. Nevertheless, he does incline favourably to the performance of this ritual subsequent to the burial, for an extended time period, since he writes: ‘the recommended nature of sprinkling/spraying water (over the grave subsequent to the burial) for forty days or forty months is not unlikely (or improbable).^[29]

Shaykh al-Ṣadūq records a report (which is classified as mursal, meaning a report with an incomplete chain) from Imām al-Ṣādiq (a), in his work al-Hidāyah, where the Imām is quoted as saying that ‘sprinkling the grave with water is good’. Al-Ṣadūq comments: ‘it means, every time’[30] which is understood to mean that he understood the recommendation of this rite as not being limited to immediately after burial.

الصدوق في الهداية: قال الصادق (عليه السلام):” والرش بالماء على القبر حسن ” يعني: في كل وقت.

الهداية ص ٢٨، وعنه في البحار ج ٨٢ ص ٥٨ ح ٤٦

Al-Muḥaqqiq/al-Muqaddas al-Ardabili (d. 993/1585 and buried in al-Najaf) writes in his work Majmaʿ al-Fāʾidah^[31] that the report in al-Kāfī, which mentions the benefit to the deceased of this rite (and which is cited right at the beginning, it being the second of the two reports cited), is reliable, and it would not be far-fetched to use this report as evidence of the absolute recommendation of this rite (at all times).

Another probable reason for sprinkling/pouring water over the grave, apart from the one mentioned at the beginning of this paper, is that it allows the soil of the grave to stick together, preventing it from scattering and dispersing when the wind blows, thereby preventing the grave from becoming obscure.^[32]

Most of the relevant reports have the terms ‘sprinkle’ (al-rashu), ‘spray’ (al-naḍḥu), in them while the term ‘pour’ (al-ṣabbu) occurs in only one report; nevertheless what is probably important is that graves of believers are watered, however that may take place.

As Sayyid Muḥammad Rizvi writes, he considers this recommended rite and the benefit that ensues from it to be an excuse for the Merciful Lord to forgive the believers on whatever pretext available,^[33] in addition to which water has been described in the Qurʾān to be a form of God’s mercy and blessings.

The Manner of the Performance of this Rite

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said (in a lengthy report where he details the various rituals of burial, part of which has already been cited above): ‘….Then when the grave is straightened / smoothed over, pour water over it and render the grave infront of you while you are facing the Kaʿbah. Start pouring the water from the head of the grave and continue pouring over it in a circular manner such that you water all four sides till you return to the head of the grave without interrupting the flow of water. And if anything of the water remains after the circular pouring then pour the remainder in the middle of the grave. Then place your hand over the grave and pray for the deceased and seek forgiveness for him/her’.^[34]

وَ قَدْ رَوَى سَالِمُ بْنُ مُكْرَمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ‏ ‏فَإِذَا سُوِّيَ قَبْرُهُ فَصُبَّ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ الْمَاءَ وَ تَجْعَلُ الْقَبْرَ أَمَامَكَ وَ أَنْتَ مُسْتَقْبِلُ الْقِبْلَةِ وَ تَبْدَأُ بِصَبِّ الْمَاءِ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ وَ تَدُورُ بِهِ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ مِنْ أَرْبَعِ جَوَانِبِهِ حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ إِلَى الرَّأْسِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَقْطَعَ الْمَاءَ- فَإِنْ فَضَلَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَصُبَّهُ عَلَى وَسَطِ الْقَبْرِ ثُمَّ ضَعْ يَدَكَ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ وَ ادْعُ لِلْمَيِّتِ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُ‏

روضة المتقين في شرح من لا يحضره الفقيه ج‏1، ص: 456

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘the normative practice regarding sprinkling/spraying water over the grave is that the person should face the Kaʿbah and start the rite at the head of the grave (and continue pouring) to the feet and then circle the grave by (pouring on) the other side and (finally) sprinkle in the middle of the grave, for that is the normative practice regarding this rite’.^[35]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ وَ ذُبْيَانَ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ أُكَيْلٍ النُّمَيْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: السُّنَّةُ فِي رَشِ‏ الْمَاءِ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ أَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَ يَبْدَأَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الرَّأْسِ إِلَى عِنْدِ الرِّجْلِ ثُمَّ يَدُورَ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ مِنَ الْجَانِبِ الْآخَرِ ثُمَّ يَرُشَّ عَلَى وَسَطِ الْقَبْرِ فَكَذَلِكَ السُّنَّةُ فِيهِ.

التهذيب ١: ٣٢٠ / 931

Imām al-Riḍā (a) said: ‘when the grave has been smoothed then pour water over it rendering the grave infront of you while you are facing the Kaʿbah. Start with pouring water from the place of the head and circle the grave by pouring on all four sides of the grave till you return to the place of the head without interrupting the flow of water. And if any water remains then pour it in the middle of the grave’.^[36]

وقال مولانا الرضا (عليه السلام) في كتاب الفقه الرضوي  ” فإذا استوى قبره فصب عليه ماء وتجعل القبر أمامك وأنت مستقبل القبلة وتبدأ بصب الماء من عند رأسه وتدور به على القبر من أربع جوانب القبر حتى ترجع إلى الرأس من غير أن تقطع الماء فإن فضل من الماء شئ فصبه على وسط القبر

الفقيه ١ : ١٠٩ / ٥٠٠ ، والهداية : ٢٧ باختلاف يسير.

Footnotes

[1] Taḥrīr al-Wasīlah volume 1, pg 91

[2] Source

[3] Source

[4] http://arabic.bayynat.org/ListingFAQ2.aspx?cid=345&Language=1

[5] A reference to their work where their opinion is mentioned occurs later in the text.

[6] https://www.sistani.org/arabic/qa/0473/page/2/#8827

[7] ʿIlal al-Sharāʿi volume 1, pg 307; al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 200, ḥadīth number 6

[8] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿah volume 3, pg 196

[9] Al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 200, ḥadīth number 7

[10] Al-Tahdhīb volume 1, pg 469; ʿIlal al-Sharāʿi volume 1, pg 307

[11] In the 660s or 670s CE, while Marwān I was the governor of Medina, he passed by a rock in the cemetery of al-Baqī‘, which commemorated the burial site of ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ‘ūn (d. 624 CE), an early convert to Islam who fought at the battle of Badr. According to Muslim tradition, the prophet Muḥammad himself had commanded the placement of this rock in honor of the deceased man, “so that I will recognize him by it.” This was the first burial of a Muslim at al-Baqī‘, and from this point onward, the Muslims of Medina, following the Prophet’s example, would bury their dead at the same cemetery. Disregarding this history, Marwān I ordered the removal of the monument, saying: “By God, there will not be on the grave of ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ‘ūn a rock by which he can be recognized” (ḥajar yu‘rafu bihi). The “Banū Umayya”—a category representing in this case the Sufyanid branch of the Umayyad dynasty (661–684 CE)—complained to the Medinese governor and eventual founder of the Marwānid branch of this dynasty (684–750 CE) about the removal of a memorial set in place by the Prophet. “It is wretched what you have done,” they declared. To which the caliph-to-be replied, “No way, since I removed it, it cannot be returned.” (Ta’rīkh al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah by Ibn Shabbah volume 1:, pg 68–69, nos. 315, 318; Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abī Shayba, Kitab al-Janaʾiz, pg 334–335, cited in Muhammad’s Grave: Death Rites and the Making of Islamic Society pg 48-50).

[12] Al-Jaʿfariyyāt pg 203

[13] Daʿāʾim al-Islām volume 1, pg 239; Bihār al-Anwār volume 82, pg 22, ḥadīth number 13

[14] Sunan Ibn Mājah volume 1, pg 495, ḥadīth number 1551

[15] Al-Mughni of Ibn Qudāmah volume 2, pg 385

[16] Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl volume 14, pg 110

[17] Al-Kāfī volume 1, pg 375, ḥadīth number 36

[18] Qurb al-Isnād pg 72

[19] Bihār al-Anwār volume 82, pg 27, ḥadīth number 13; Miṣbāḥ al-Anwār pg 260

[20] Al-Tahdhīb volume 1, pg 457; Wasāʾil al-Shīʿah volume 3, pg 197

[21] Al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 200, ḥadīth number 5; al-Tahdhīb volume 1, pg 320

[22] al-Tahdhīb volume 1, pg 321; Wasāʾil al-Shīʿah volume 3, pg 193

[23] Al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 200, ḥadīth number 7; al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 200, ḥadīth number 8

[24] Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh volume 1, pg 108

[25] Al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 199, ḥadīth number 3; al-Tahdhīb volume 1, pg 320

[26] Al-Kāfī volume 3, pg 140, ḥadīth number 3

[27] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿah volume 3, pg 197

[28]  Muʾjam Rijāl al-Ḥadīth volume 21, entry number 13874; Mawsūʿah Ṭabaqāt al-Fuqahāʾ volume 2, p 652

[29] https://www.sistani.org/arabic/book/22/1737/

[30] Al-Hidāyah pg 28; Bihār al-Anwār volume 82, pg 58, ḥadīth number 46

[31] volume 2, pg 485

[32] Jawāhir al-Kalām volume 4, pg 316

[33] Death: Before, During, and After, pg 22

[34] Rawḍat al-Muttaqīn fī Sharḥi Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh volume 1, pg 456

[35] al-Tahdhīb volume 1, pg 320

[36] Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh volume 1, pg 109; Al-Hidāyah pg 27