Chapter on Touching the Deceased
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 25
وَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَ رَأَيْتَ اَلْمَيِّتَ إِذَا مَاتَ لِمَ تُجْعَلُ مَعَهُ اَلْجَرِيدَةُ فَقَالَ «يَتَجَافَى عَنْهُ اَلْعَذَابُ وَ اَلْحِسَابُ مَا دَامَ اَلْعُودُ رَطْباً إِنَّمَا اَلْحِسَابُ وَ اَلْعَذَابُ كُلُّهُ فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ فِي سَاعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ قَدْرَ مَا يُدْخَلُ اَلْقَبْرَ وَ يَرْجِعُ اَلْقَوْمُ وَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَتِ اَلسَّعَفَتَانِ لِذَلِكَ فَلاَ يُصِيبُهُ عَذَابٌ وَ لاَ حِسَابٌ بَعْدَ جُفُوفِهِمَا إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى.
Zurarah said: I asked Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام: "Why is a palm branch placed with the deceased?" Imam عليه السلام said: "The punishment and accounting (in the grave) are averted from them as long as the branch remains fresh. The entire accounting and punishment occur in a single day and a single moment—during the time it takes for the deceased to be placed in the grave and for the people to return. The two palm branches were placed for this reason, so no punishment or accounting will afflict the deceased after they have dried up, if Allah سبحانه وتعالى wills."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh