The Sunnah to Carry a Dead Body

Al-Kāfi|Volume 3|Book 3|Chapter 39

Al-Kāfi

Volume 3, Book 3, Chapter 39

The Sunnah to Carry a Dead Body
4 hadiths
Hadith 1

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَقْطِينٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ السُّنَّةُ فِي حَمْلِ الْجَنَازَةِ أَنْ تَسْتَقْبِلَ جَانِبَ السَّرِيرِ بِشِقِّكَ الأيْمَنِ فَتَلْزَمَ الأيْسَرَ بِكَتِفِكَ الأيْمَنِ ثُمَّ تَمُرَّ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الآخَرِ وَتَدُورَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الثَّالِثِ مِنَ السَّرِيرِ ثُمَّ تَمُرَّ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الرَّابِعِ مِمَّا يَلِي يَسَارَكَ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from more than one person from Yunus from Ali ibn Yaqtin from abu al-Hassan (a.s.), who has said the following: “Once, I heard the Imam saying, ’It is of the Sunnah (noble tradition) to lift up the front corner of the coffin on one’s right shoulder. Thereafter one should move back to lift up the second corner of the coffin, then move to the other side of the coffin from the back side to lift up the third corner and lastly move (forward) to lift up the fourth corner on one’s left shoulder.’”

Hadith 2

2ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ السُّنَّةُ أَنْ يُحْمَلَ السَّرِيرُ مِنْ جَوَانِبِهِ الأرْبَعِ وَمَا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ حَمْلٍ فَهُوَ تَطَوُّعٌ.

2. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Ali ibn al-Hadid from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from ‘Amr ibn Shimr from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘It is of the Sunnah (noble tradition) to lift up all the four corners of the coffin (in a manner mentioned in the Hadith above). Other than this is extra and voluntary.’”

Hadith 3

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ يُونُسَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) عَنْ تَرْبِيعِ الْجَنَازَةِ قَالَ إِذَا كُنْتَ فِي مَوْضِعِ تَقِيَّةٍ فَابْدَأْ بِالْيَدِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ بِالرِّجْلِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ مِنْ مَكَانِكَ إِلَى مَيَامِنِ الْمَيِّتِ لاَ تَمُرَّ خَلْفَ رِجْلِهِ الْبَتَّةَ حَتَّى تَسْتَقْبِلَ الْجَنَازَةَ فَتَأْخُذَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى ثُمَّ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ مِنْ مَكَانِكَ وَلاَ تَمُرَّ خَلْفَ الْجَنَازَةِ الْبَتَّةَ حَتَّى تَسْتَقْبِلَهَا تَفْعَلُ كَمَا فَعَلْتَ أَوَّلاً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَتَّقِي فِيهِ فَإِنَّ تَرْبِيعَ الْجَنَازَةِ الَّتِي جَرَتْ بِهِ السُّنَّةُ أَنْ تَبْدَأَ بِالْيَدِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ بِالرِّجْلِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ بِالرِّجْلِ الْيُسْرَى ثُمَّ بِالْيَدِ الْيُسْرَى حَتَّى تَدُورَ حَوْلَهَا.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated from his father, from some of his companions, from Al-Fadl ibn Yunus, who said: "I asked Abu Ibrahim (as) about the method of carrying a bier (funeral procession). He said: 'If you are in a situation of taqiyya, start with the right hand, then the right foot, then return from your place to the right side of the deceased. Do not pass behind his feet at all until you face the bier again and take his left hand, then his left foot, then return from your place and do not pass behind the bier at all until you face it again, doing as you did before. If you are not in a situation where you need to practice taqiyya, the proper way according to the Sunnah for carrying the bier is to start with the right hand, then the right foot, then the left foot, then the left hand, making a complete circle around it.'"

Hadith 4

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ أُكَيْلٍ عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ سَيَابَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ تَبْدَأُ فِي حَمْلِ السَّرِيرِ مِنْ جَانِبِهِ الأيْمَنِ ثُمَّ تَمُرُّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الآخَرِ ثُمَّ تَمُرُّ حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ إِلَى الْمُقَدَّمِ كَذَلِكَ دَوَرَانُ الرَّحَى عَلَيْهِ.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn ‘Uqbah from Musa ibn ’Ukayl from al-‘Ala’ ibn Sayabah who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Begin to lift up the coffin from the right side, then go around by the backside of the coffin to the other side then turn to the front like grinding stone (counterclockwise) . ’ ”