English
THE INSCRIPTION THAT SHOULD BE WRITTEN AND KEPT WITH THE DEAD
Shaykh al-Tusi adds: The inscription that should be written down on the document-paper that is put with the palm-leaf stalk with the dead should be as follows. However, before writing down this inscription, the writer is advised to say the following words:
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
In the Name of Allah; the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
I bear witness that there is no god save Allah,
وَحْدَهُ لَاشَرِيْكَ لَهُ
One and Only Lord and having no associate with Him.
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ
I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger,
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ
may Allah bless him and his Household.
وَ اَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ
[I also bear witness that] Paradise is true,
وَ اَنَّ النَّارَ حَقٌّ
Hellfire is true,
وَ اَنَّ السَّاعَةَ حَقٌّ اٰتِيَةٌ لَارَيْبَ فِيْهَا
the Hour [of Resurrection] is true and is coming; there is no doubt about it,
وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِى الْقُبُوْرِ
and Allah shall resurrect those who are in graves.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Only then, this inscription may be written down:
شَهِدَ الشُّهُوْدُ الْمُسَمُّوْنَ فِىْ هٰذَا الْكِتَابِ
The witnesses whose names are mentioned in this document-paper witness
اَنَّ اَخَاهُمْ فِىْ اللّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ (فلان بن فلان )
that their brother-in-Allah {so-and-so and the son of so-and-so]
اَشْهَدَهُمْ وَاسْتَوْدَعَهُمْ وَاَقَرَّ عِنْدَهُمْ
has asked them to witness for him, entrusted with them this statement, and confessed in their presence
اَنَّهُ يَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
that he bears witness that there is no god save Allah,
وَحْدَهُ لَاشَرِيْكَ لَهُ
One and Only and having no associate with Him,
وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ
that Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his Household, is His servant and messenger,
وَ اَنَّهُ مُقِرُّ بِجَمِيْعِ الْاَنْبِيَاۤءِ وَالرُّسُلِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ
that he acknowledges all of the prophets and the messengers [of God], peace be upon them,
وَ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِىُّ اللّٰهِ وَ اِمَامُهُ
that 'Ali is the representative of Allah and the leader appointed by Him,
وَ اَنَّ الْاَئِمَّةَ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ اَئِمَّتُهُ
that the Imams from 'Ali’s progeny are his leaders,
وَ اَنَّ اَوَّلَهُمُ الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ
that they are in sequence are al-Hasan, al-Husayn,
وَ عَلِىُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ
'Ali the son of al-Husayn,
وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ
Muhammad the son of 'Ali,
وَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Ja'far the son of Muhammad,
وَ مُوْسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ
Musa the son of Ja'far,
وَ عَلِىُّ بْنُ مُوْسٰى
'Ali the son of Musa,
وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ
Muhammad the son of 'Ali,
وَ عَلِىُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ
'Ali the son of Muhammad,
وَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ
al-Hasan the son of 'Ali,
وَالْقَاۤئِمُ الْحُجَّةُ
and the Rising Argument-person,
عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ
peace be upon them all;
وَ اَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ
and that Paradise is true,
وَالنَّارَ حَقٌّ
Hellfire is true,
وَالسَّاعَةَ اٰتِيَةٌ لَارَيْبَ فِيْهَا،
the Hour [of Resurrection] shall be coming; there is no doubt about it,
وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِى الْقُبُوْرِ
and Allah shall resurrect those who are in graves;
وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ
and that Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his Household, is Allah’s servant and messenger;
جَاۤءَ بِالْحَقِّ
he has come with the truth,
وَ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِىُّ اللّٰهِ
that 'Ali is the representative of Allah,
وَالْخَلِيْفَةُ مِنْ بَعْدِ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ
the vicegerent after Allah’s Messenger,
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ
may Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Household,
وَ مُسْتَخْلَفُهُ فِىْۤ اُمَّتِهِ
and the one appointed by Allah’s Messenger to succeed him in his nation,
مُؤَدِّيًا لِاَمْرِ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالٰى
carrying out the command of his Lord the All-blessed and All-exalted,
وَ اَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتُ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ
that Fatimah is the daughter of Allah’s Messenger,
وَ ابْنَيْهَا الْحَسَنَ وَالْحُسَيْنَ
her two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn
اِبْنَا رَسُوْلِاللّٰهِ وَسِبْطَاهُ
are the sons and grandsons of Allah’s Messenger,
وَ اِمَامَا الْهُدٰى
the two leaders to the true guidance,
وَ قَاۤئِدَا الرَّحْمَةِ
and the two principals of mercy,
وَ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَ مُحَمَّدًا
and that 'Ali, Muhammad,
وَ جَعْفَرًا وَ مُوْسٰى
Ja'far, Musa,
وَ عَلِيًّا وَ مُحَمَّدًا
'Ali, Muhammad,
وَ عَلِيًّا وَ حَسَنًا
'Ali, al-Hasan,
وَالْحُجَّةَ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ
and the Argument-person, peace be upon them all,
اَئِمَّةٌ وَقَادَةٌ
are Imams, leaders,
وَ دُعَاةٌ اِلَى اللّٰهِ جَلَّ وَ عَلَا
inviters to Allah the All-majestic and All-high,
وَ حُجَّةٌ عَلٰى عِبَادِهِ
and arguments [of Him] against His servants.
The writer of this document-paper should then address the witnesses with these words:
يَا... وَ يَا... اَلْمُسَمَّيْنِ فِيْ هٰذَا الْكِتَابِ
O [so-and-so] and [so-and-so] whose names are mentioned in this document-paper,
اثْبِتُوْا لِيْ هٰذِهِ الشَّهَادَةَ عِنْدَكُمْ
certify for me this testimony of you
حَتّٰي تَلْقَوْنِيْ بِهَا عَلَي الْحَوْضِ
so that you will meet me carrying it at the Divine Pond.
As a reply, the witnesses should say:
يَا... نَسْتَوْدِعُكَ اللّٰهَ
O [so-and-so], we entrust you with Allah.
وَالشَّهَادَةُ وَالْاِقْرَارُ وَ الْاِخَاۤءُ
Our testimony, admission, and brotherhood
مَوْدُوْعَةٌ عِنْدَ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ
are entrusted with Allah’s Messenger,
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ
may Allah bless him and his Household.
وَنَقْرَءُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلَامُ
We invoke upon you peace,
وَ رَحْمَةُاللّٰهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ
Allah’s mercy, and His blessings.
Then, the document-paper should be folded, enveloped, and sealed with the seals of both of the witnesses and the person for which the witness has been made. It must then be put to the right side of the dead with the palm-leaf stalk. This paper, which must be written down with camphor (i.e. water with which camphor is mixed) and non-aromatic aloe-wood, must be put on the dead person’s forehead.