636. It is recommended to form the grave in the shape of a square or a rectangle, and its height be equivalent to four fingers. A sign should also be placed over it so that it is not mistaken for another person’s grave. Water should also be sprinkled over the grave, and after doing so, those who are present should place their hands over the grave, with their fingers parted, and thrust them into the earth. They should recited the blessed sÙrah of al-Qadr seven times, and seek forgiveness for the deceased. They should also recite the supplications that have been recommended, such as the following supplication:
اللَّهُمَّ جَافِ الْأَرْضَ عَنْ جَنْبَيْهِ وَ أَصْعِدْ) صَعِّد( رُوحَهُ إِلَى أَرْوَاحِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي عِلِّيِّينَ وَ أَلْحِقْهُ بِالصَّالِحِين
Allahumma jaafil ardha 'an jam bayhi was'ad (saa'id) roohahu ila arwaahil momineena fi illiyeena wa alhiqhu bissaliheen.
637. After the departure of those who have taken part in the burial ceremonies, it is recommended for the guardian of the deceased, or a person who has been granted permission by the guardian, to instruct the prescribed supplications to the deceased.
638. It is recommended to console the bereaved family after the burial. However, if a significant period has elapsed, and consoling them would bring back memories of the loss, it is better to refrain from doing so. It is also recommended to send food to the household of the deceased for three days, and it is makrÙh to join them for meals.
639. It is recommended for a person to be patient at the death of a close one, especially the death of one’s own children. Whenever he remembers the deceased, he should say:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُون
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihir raji'oon.
He should also recite Qur’an for the (sake of the) deceased, and construct the grave in a firm manner, so that it is not ruined within a short period. He should also seek his needs from Allah by the grave of his parents.
640. It is not permissible to scratch one’s face or body, or to hit oneself while grieving for the loss of a beloved, if it entails significant harm. If it does not, obligatory precaution dictates that one should still refrain from doing so.
641. It is not permissible to tear apart one’s collar while grieving for the death of a beloved, other than one’s father or brother. However, while grieving for the loss of one’s father or brother, it is permissible.
642. If a woman scratches her face while grieving for a beloved, causing it to bleed, or pulls out her hair, the recommended precaution is that she should free a slave, or give food to ten needy people, or provide them with clothing. The same will apply if a man tears apart his collar while grieving for the loss of his wife or children.
643. The recommended precaution is that one should not raise his voice too much while weeping for a deceased.
818. If a person only has one set of clothing, and both his body and clothes become najis, and the water in his possession is solely sufficient to make one of them ÔÁhir, based on precaution, he must make his body ÔÁhir and pray with najis clothing except in the following two cases:
a. If the najÁsah of the body is less than that of the clothing.
b. If one washing is required to make the body ÔÁhir, whilst two washings are required to make the clothing ÔÁhir.
In the above cases, rendering the clothes ÔÁhir takes precedence.
644. It is recommended to recite two rak‘ah of ÒalÁt al-waÎshah on the first night after the burial of the deceased. The manner of offering this prayer is that a person should recite Áyat al-kursÐ once after sÙrat al-fÁtiÎah in the first rak‘ah, and in the second rak‘ah he should recite surat al-qadr ten times after al-fÁtiÎah. After the salÁm of the prayer, he should recite:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ ابْعَثْ ثَوَابَهَا إِلَى قَبْرِ فُلَان
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa Aali Muhammadin, wab'ath thawaabaha ila qabri fulan.
Instead of the expression فُلَان (fulan) he should mention the name of the deceased.
645. ÑalÁt al-waÎshah may be offered during any part of the first night after the burial. However, it is better that it be offered during the early part of the night, after the ‘ishÁ prayer.
646. If it is decided to transfer the body to a town faraway, or delay its burial for any other reason, then ÒalÁt al-waÎshah should be delayed until the first night after his burial.
647. It is forbidden to dig open the grave of a Muslim, even if he be a child or insane. However, if his body has disintegrated, and his bones have turned into dust, there is no problem in doing so.
648. It is forbidden to dig open the grave of the descendants of an Imam, the martyrs, the scholars, and other people, digging whose graves would be disrespectful, even though many years may have passed (after their burial).
649. It is not forbidden to dig open a grave in the following cases:
1. The body is buried on usurped land, and the owner is not pleased to let it remain there.
2. The shroud or any other thing that is buried with the body, is usurped, and the owner is not pleased to let it remain in the grave.
The same will also apply if something from the deceased’s wealth which is passed on to his inheritor, is buried with him, and the inheritor is not pleased to let the thing remain in the grave, unless the thing is of insignificant value. In this case, digging open the grave is problematic.
3. The deceased is buried without performing ghusl on his body, or shrouding his body, as long as digging open the grave is not a sign of disrespect to him. The same will also apply if it is later realized that the ghusl was invalid, or if the body was shrouded in a manner not prescribed by the sharia, or if the body was laid in the grave without making it face the qiblah.
4. The body needs to be examined to establish a right which is more important than the honor of the deceased.
5. The body is buried in an area which amounts to disrespecting the deceased, such as the cemetery of the kÁfirs, or a landfill.
6. The grave needs to be dug open for a canonical issue which is of more importance than exhumation. For example, delivering a baby that is alive from the womb of its mother, after the mother has been buried.
7. If there is a fear that scavengers may tear apart the deceased’s body, or the grave may get flooded, or an enemy may exhume the body.
8. A part of the deceased’s body needs to be buried along with the rest of his body. The obligatory precaution is that the part should be buried in a manner that the rest of the body is not exposed.
819. A person who only has one set of clothing and it is najis, must pray with the najis clothing and his prayer is valid.
820. If a person has two articles of clothing and knows that one of the two is najis, but does not know which of the two, he must pray with both of them, if there is ample time at his disposal. For example, if a person wishes to perform Ûuhr and ‘aÒr prayers, he must perform Ûuhr with each article and likewise ‘aÒr. However, if the time left is nominal, he must pray with either one of the two, and after completing his prayer, he must either pray with the other article or with clothing that is ÔÁhir.
651. The scholars of jurisprudence have mentioned many recommended ghusls. The following are some of them:
1. The ghusl on all the odd nights of Ramadan, and the ghusl on every night during the last ten nights of Ramadan, and an additional ghusl towards the end of the twenty third night.
2. The ghusl on the twenty fourth day of Dhul Íijjah.
3. The ghusl of ‘Ïd Nowruz, the fifteenth of Sha‘bÁn, the ninth and seventeenth of RabБ al-Awwal, and the twenty fifth of Dhul QaÞdah.
4. The ghusl performed by a woman who has perfumed herself for someone other than her husband.
5. The ghusl performed by a person who fell asleep in the state of intoxication.
6. The ghusl performed by a person who went to see a hanged person, and actually saw him. However, if he sees him by chance or out of helplessness, or for example, he had gone for the purpose of giving testimony, the ghusl will not be mustaÎab (recommended) in his case.
7. The ghusl for entering Masjid al-NabÐ (Peace be upon him and his progeny).
8. The ghusl for performing the ziyÁrah of the Ma‘sÙmÐn (Peace be upon them all), be it from near or from a distance.
9. The ghusl on the day of ‘Ïd al-GhadÐr.
However, the more precautionary measure is that these ghusls be performed with the intention of rajÁÞ.
652. Having performed the recommended ghusls mentioned in article 650, a person may proceed to perform acts which require wuÃÙ, like offering prayers. However, the ghusls which are performed with the intention of rajÁÞ do not suffice in lieu of wuÃÙ.
653. If a number of ghusls are recommended for a person to perform, and he performs one ghusl with the intention of performing all of them, it will suffice.