Can Such Things be Denied Absolutely

Reason says that if we come across a thing, which is difficult to comprehend it should not be instantly and outrightly rejected or denied. Logic says that it can be possible. For example, if an astronomer says that there are some stars around Mars and that they too revolve around Mars just as the moon revolves round the earth. Should this claim be rejected at once? No. It may be true. The great scientist Ibne Sina says, "If you hear news or event you should imagine it as possible until its impossibility is not established [1] Unit of Currency

logically."[1] Suppose you hear that a baby is born with two heads. As this is not logically impossible, say that it may be so. Three Kinds of News First: News for the inadmissibility of which there is no logical proof should not be rejected or denied. Second: News, which has some proofs thinking over which intellect may decide that it should be accepted. Third: If the one who brought news has, with him, some testimony from the Lord of the universe which is called a miracle. In this case intellect decides that it should not be rejected in comparison to the second stage it should be definitely accepted and one must remain satisfied. There is no Logical Argument against Resurrection Just think over. Is there any argument of any of the kinds mentioned above to reject the news of life after death? Can anyone argue and give any logical proof to show that there cannot be any questioning after death and that the grave cannot squeeze or there is no realm of Barzakh or the other world called Qiyamat or Resurrection or Maad? O you owners of intelligence! Just decide whether there is any difference in the news given by an astronomer that Mars and Jupiter have four thousand stars or planets and the news given by the Prophet of God (s.a.w.s.) that there are ninety-nine pythons in the grave to punish the unbeliever of God? Is there any difference so far as the giving of news is concerned? Perhaps somebody may say that the claim of the astronomer is based on perception or that it is after seeing. Then we will say that, doubtlessly, the messenger has also said everything after observing and feeling. During the night of Me'raj (ascension) he had seen and felt all things with his physical organs. Rather, his holy soul covers the knowledge of all worlds and [1] Burhan.

realms. The sight or faculty of seeing can make a mistake but the sight of the soul of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) can never err. There can be a defect in the eyesight of an astrologer or an astronomer but there is no question of any error in the feeling, observation and intelligence of the Messenger of God. Before Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) declared his Prophethood, the people of Mecca used to call him, 'As Sadiq - Al Amin' meaning: The most truthful and trustworthy person. There was not even a single person who had ever found any untruth in what he had said or done nor had anyone found any dishonesty in his dealing, behaviour or attitude towards all. So, apart from his witness and testimony, the permanent proof of Muhammad's Messengership and the everlasting miracle, Quran also tells us about Resurrection, punishment in grave and rising bare-bodied on the Day of Judgement, is it reasonable not to believe it? Burial of Fatima Binte Asad, Mother of Amirul Mo-mineen (A.S.) When Fatima Binte Asad, mother of Ali (a.s.) breathed her last, Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) went weeping to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and said, "My respected mother has expired." The Holy Prophet said, "It is my mother who has expired." There was a wonderful affection in the relation between the Holy Prophet and Fatima Binte Asad. The latter had looked after the former just like a caring and loving mother for quite a long time. At the time of her burial, the Holy Prophet took off his shirt and told people to dress the late Fatima in it. People did so. Then first the Holy Prophet himself lay in that grave for a few moments and prayed for her forgiveness. After the grave was filled up, he stood near it and, after a while, said loudly, "Your son, your son, but not Ja'far and Aqeel." People asked about the reason of doing so. The Holy Prophet replied, "Once I was talking about the rising of the bare-bodied dead on the Day of Resurrection. Fatima Binte Asad came to me weeping and said, 'I wish that you might cloth me in your shirt after I die.' She was very fearful also about the squeeze of the grave. So, before she was buried, I myself slept in her grave for some time and prayed,

'O God! Protect her from the squeeze of the grave.' But the reason of my uttering the words 'Your son..' was that, when the angels asked her about God, she replied, 'Allah', when they asked about the Prophet, she replied, 'Muhammad' but as for Imam she could not give any reply (because this event was much prior to Ghadir-e-Khum when Ali (a.s.) was announced as the Chief of the believers). So I advised Fatima to say, 'Your son (Ali) not Ja'far or Aqeel.'" Fatima Binte Asad was much Fearful about the Events after Death Despite the fact that Fatima binte Asad was very great pious and graceful lady who had the honour of being the mother of Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) and who had been the guest of God for three days in the House of God (Ka'ba) (on the occasion of Ali's birth) and who was the second woman to put faith in the Messengership of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and who was a very great and humble worshipper of only one God was so much afraid of the events to take place after her death and the Holy Prophet did to her as mentioned above. Then who and what are we in comparison? Let us all seriously think and worry about our own future. Well, let us go back to the main issue. The truthful announcer of everything, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says that there will be questioning and squeeze of the grave and rising bare-bodied on the Day of Judgement. Effectiveness of Soul in Physical Body Though it will be the soul, which will be rewarded or punished, it is also possible that the body may also feel it. Sometimes it does so happen that, owing to the soundness of the soul, the body also does not disintegrate in the grave. It remains fresh even for a thousand years. There are many testimonies to this fact. For instance, the body of Ibne Babawahy (r.a.), around one hundred fifty years after his death in the time of Fateh Ali Shah, was found fresh. Not only this but, more astonishingly, even his shroud was not worn out nor the colour of henna on his nail faded after such a long time!

The Body of Shaykh Sadooq Found Fresh It is written in Rawzaatul Jannaat that a hole had developed in the grave of Shaykh Sadooq (r.a.) due to heavy rain around the year 1238 H.E. People thought of filling it up. So they entered the tomb and found that his body was safe and sound though his physique was rather bulky. The colour of henna was also traceable on his nails. This news spread in Tehran. When Fateh Ali Shah heard it, he, along with some government officials as well as religious scholars, went to the tomb to enquire. They all saw what they had heard. The king ordered to close the hole and to rebuild the tomb over the grave with decorations. The Fresh Body of Hurr and the Handkerchief on his Head Similar is the event of Hurr Ibne Yazid Riyahi. Muhaddith Jazaeri has mentioned it in Anwarun Nomaniya like this: Shah Ismail Safavi went to visit Kerbala and when he came to know that some people have no good opinion about Hurr, he ordered the excavation of his grave. So when the grave was opened people saw that the martyr's body was exactly in the same condition as it was on the day of his martyrdom in Kerbala. There had been no change at all in it. So much so that even his handkerchief also was intact on his head. Since it was historically known to all that the chief of all martyrs, Imam Husain (a.s.) himself had tied his own handkerchief on the wounded head of Hurr Shah Ismail ordered that the kerchief may be untied so that he may take it to put it in his own shroud as a good luck sign. As soon as the kerchief was removed people saw blood gushing out of his wound. So it was replaced immediately and the blood stopped flowing. Thus people knew that Hurr's condition was good (that God was pleased with him and had given him a good reward due to his assistance to Imam Husain (a.s.) in Kerbala). The king built a grand tomb over his grave and appointed a caretaker over it.

A Suckling Babe in the Grave of Abu Ja'far Kulaini (r.a.) The tomb of Shaykh Kulaini (r.a.), author of Kafi, is situated near the bridge in Baghdad. A fellow from the oppressor rulers thought of destroying the Holy shrine of Imam Moosa Kazim (a.s.) so that people may stop visiting Kazmain. His minister was a Shia (in heart). He became restless to find out a way to stop that fellow from his evil intention was unable to say anything openly because any doubt of his being a Shia was enough to put his life in danger. Anyway, they proceeded to Kazmain with the aforesaid evil intention. As soon as they approached the Baghdad bridge, the minister said, "Here is the grave of a big Shia scholar who was one of the delegates of Imam Kazim (a.s.), and people say that his body is still fresh and that it will always remain fresh and safe. If the king agrees this may be checked. If it is found that what people say is correct then it would not be wise to touch the tomb of Imam Kazim (a.s.)." The ruler agreed and, as per the king's command, the grave of Kulaini (r.a.) was opened. They saw that his body was quite fresh and not only that, more surprising was the existence of the fresh and safe body of a little child by Kulaini's side. It could not be known whether the child was related to Kulaini (r.a.) or not. What is worth noting is what can a soul do. If any other person also comes close to a pious soul it is also affected thereby. No doubt the Holy Progeny of the Messenger are the fountainhead of good and so their corpses are also alive and people can see occasional miracles from their graves. Contrary to it, if somebody is a person of hell, the chastisement to his or her soul also affects the body. Accordingly, when Bani Abbas overpowered Bani Umayyah and destroyed them totally and even dug out their graves it was observed that nothing except some body traces could be seen in the grave of the cursed Yazid. Fire of Barzakh leaps out of a Grave Quoting narrations of some reliable and trustworthy people, the late Shaykh Mahmood Iraqi has mentioned in Darus Salam that once we went to the graveyard of Imamzada Hasan (Tehran). Sun had not yet set.

One of our companions sat down on the stone of a grave. Suddenly he shouted, "Please lift me up." When we lifted him we saw that the stone was almost red hot. Just think. How great is the chastisement meted out to the soul that even the gravestone becomes so hot. He says, "I recognized the owner of that grave but I would not disclose his name so that he may not be defamed among people." Also it is said about another man who was buried in Qum that flames of fire leaping out of his grave had burnt down carpets over there. Fire Hotter than the fire of this World Shaykh Shustari (r.a.) mentioned in his admonitions that the Lord of the worlds has said: 'Hot fire'. Is there, then, any cold fire also? Yes. If it is possible to make comparison, the fire in our world is cold compared to the fire of Barzakh. Nature speaks of two types of fires in this world itself, which if compared can tell us which one is really hot. Lightning is the Biggest Fire in the World Shaykh Shustari (r.a.) says that if a comparison is made between the fire of wood and charcoal and lightning in the sky it will be known that lightning is a thin (fine) fire, which is created by the bouncing and hissing of clouds. It is so hot that it burns out everything it touches and then slips away instantly. It neither returns nor stays anywhere. Nothing can cool it. If it falls on a tree it turns it into coal at once. If it falls on an ocean it burns it upto its bottom and fries even the fish in the bottom of the sea. Only lightning is the real fire. The embers in a hearth also is fire but that fire can be put off by pouring a little water or some dust on it. Its heat and burn has some limitations. Now you will have understood that the fire of Barzakh cannot be compared with the fire of this world, not even with lightning. If someone's facsimile body and soul are under torture in Barzakh, it is possible (though not always necessarily) that his or her material body may also get affected. What is contrary to it is also observed.

Pleasing and sweet fragrance spread in the absence of any scent, or flowers or burning of aloes wood from the graves of some dear servants of God have also been witnessed. Those who do not Experience Fear In the news and traditions of Holy Imams there are tidings showing that some good servants of God are protected by God from the fear and punishment in the grave during the period of Barzakh. Some of them are those to whom reminder (Talqeen) was recited. Here we mean the third Talqeen, which is recited after the burial. Yahya Bin Abdullah says, "I have heard from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that: What prevents you from reciting the words which protects your dead from seeing Munkar and Nakeer in their graves? I asked: Master! What should we do? He said: When the dead has been buried, its legal heir should sit near the grave and taking his mouth nearer to the head of the dead, recite loudly: O so and so son of so and so. Are you on the same covenant on which you were when you parted from us? That covenant is the testimony of the fact that there is no God but Allah, Who is only One and Who has no partner. And the testimony of the fact that undoubtedly Muhammad, may the Peace of Allah be on him and his progeny, is the slave and prophet of Allah and is the lord of all the prophets and is the last of them. And that 'Ali is the chief of the believers and the leader of all the successors. And indeed whatever is brought by Muhammad is truth and the death is truth and the rising is truth and Allah would raise those who are in the graves. Then he said: Munkar and Nakeer tell one another to return as the proof has been taught to this dead."[1] The first Talqeen should be recited at the last moments and the second at the time of lowering the body in the grave. It is likely that someone may say: What can a dead person understand? But, as we have described earlier, the soul (spirit) of the [1] Wasaelush Shia, Book of Cleanliness, chapter 35.

dead remains near its body and hears better than we can. Some may also ask: How can an admonition (Talqeen) recited in the Arabic language be understood by a non-Arab body? The reply is that, when one goes away from this material world of water and earth all languages are equally comprehensible for him or her. Linguistic limitations belong only to the material world. Death at a Time of the Descent of Mercy Another group of people who are protected from the squeeze of the grave, fear and Barzakh torture are those who die between time of Zuhr on Thursday and Friday, as these are the hours when divine mercy rains allowing such persons its full benefit. God covers them in His kindness. This is also a kind of divine kindness that God showers on His servants. Two Green Branches and Testimony of Forty Persons The burying of two green branches of date tree or palm or pomegranate (Jareedatain) along with the dead body is one of the things about which it is promised that these things come in the way of the chastisement in grave. Of course date branches are the best and they must be green. There are many narrations on this matter in Wasaelush Shia, Book of Purification, Chapter 13. One by Imam Baqir (a.s.) is as follows: The Imam (a.s.) says: The body is not punished until the said branches remain green and God wiling, it will not be punished even after the branches dry. Another protecting thing is the testimony of fourteen or more persons about the true belief of the dead and their prayer for the forgiveness of the dead. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) is quoted in Anwarun Nomaniya that he said, "If forty persons gather near a dead person and say: O God! We know nothing except the good deeds done by this person. God responds: I have accepted your testimony and have forgiven all of his sins not known to you."

Prophet Dawood did not offer Burial Prayer for a Worshipper Imam Sadiq (a.s.) is also reported to have said that there was a worshipper among Bani Israel about whom God revealed to Dawood (a.s.) that he (said worshipper) was a hypocrite. When he died, Dawood (a.s.) did not offer prayer on his body. Others went and forty persons prayed for the salvation of the dead, saying: O Lord! We know nothing about this man except that he was doing good deeds and You know better. So kindly forgive him. When that body was given a wash another group of forty persons arrived and also uttered the same words, as they did not know about the hidden matters of that deceased. Then it was asked through revelation to Dawood (a.s.), "Why did you not pray for him?" Dawood (a.s.) replied, "O Lord! I did not pray, as You had informed me that he was a hypocrite." A voice came from heaven, "Though it is true, a group of people has testified that he was a good man so I also confirmed it, accepted their testimony and forgave him." It also is a very great kindness of the Almighty that He pardons His servants and does not punish them even though they were not eligible for such salvation.