Chapter on Instructing the Dying (Talqin al-Muhtadarin)
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 23
عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنِ اَلْحَسَنِ عَنِ اَلْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ ظَبْيَانَ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ جَالِساً فَقَالَ« مَا يَقُولُ اَلنَّاسُ فِي أَرْوَاحِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ» قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ تَكُونُ فِي حَوَاصِلِ طُيُورٍ خُضْرٍ فِي قَنَادِيلَ تَحْتَ اَلْعَرْشِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ« سُبْحَانَ اَللَّهِ اَلْمُؤْمِنُ أَكْرَمُ عَلَى اَللَّهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ رُوحَهُ فِي حَوْصَلَةِ طَائِرٍ أَخْضَرَ يَا يُونُسُ اَلْمُؤْمِنُ إِذَا قَبَضَهُ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى صَيَّرَ رُوحَهُ فِي قَالَبٍ كَقَالَبِهِ فِي اَلدُّنْيَا فَيَأْكُلُونَ وَ يَشْرَبُونَ فَإِذَا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِمُ اَلْقَادِمُ عَرَفُوهُ بِتِلْكَ اَلصُّورَةِ اَلَّتِي كَانَتْ فِي اَلدُّنْيَا».
Ali ibn Mahziyar, from Al-Hasan, from Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad, from Yunus ibn Zubyan, said:
I was sitting with Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, and Imam عليه السلام said: "What do people say about the souls of the believers?" I said: "They say that they are in the bellies of green birds, in lamps under the Throne (of Allah سبحانه وتعالى)." Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, said: "Glory be to Allah سبحانه وتعالى! The believer is more honored by Allah سبحانه وتعالى than to place his soul in the belly of a green bird. O Yunus, when Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, takes the believer (soul), He سبحانه وتعالى places his soul in a form (qalab) similar to his worldly form, and they eat and drink. When a newcomer arrives among them (in Valley of Peace), they recognize him by that very image which he had in the world."
- Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām fī Sharḥ al-Muqniʿah, vol. 1, p. 494
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tahdhīb