Why 5 Takbir On The Dead Body

[muhibb-ali]

حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الحَسَن بْنِ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ الوَلِيد رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الحَسَن الصَفَّار، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، عَنِ الحَسَن النَّضر قالَ: قُلْتُ لِلرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: مَا الْعِلَّةُ فِي التَّكْبِيرِ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ خَمْسُ تَكْبِيرَاتٍ قُلْتُ رَوَوْا أَنَّهَا قَدِ اشْتُقَّتْ مِنْ خَمْسِ صَلَوَاتٍ فَقَالَ هَذَا ظَاهِرُ الْحَدِيثِ فَأَمَّا بَاطِنُهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَرَضَ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ خَمْسَ فَرَائِضَ الصَّـلاةَ وَالزَّكَـاةَ وَالصِّيَـامَ وَالْحَجَّ وَالْوَلايَةَ فَجَعَلَ لِلْمَيِّتِ مِنْ كُلِّ فَرِيضَـةٍ تَكْبِيرَةً وَاحِدَةً فَمَنْ قَبِلَ الْوَلايَةَ كَبَّرَ خَمْساً وَمَنْ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ الْوَلايَةَ كَبَّرَ أَرْبَعاً فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ تُكَبِّرُونَ خَمْساً وَمَنْ خَالَفَكُمْ يُكَبِّرُ أَرْبَعاً

Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isa that Al-Hassan al-Nadhr asked Al-Reza (as),

"What is the reason they say the phrase God is the Greatest five times over a person’s corpse?"

He (as) said, “On the surface it seems that this is because it has been taken from the five daily prayers. However, there is another reason for that. Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God has made it incumbent upon His servants to perform five obligatory deeds: praying, paying the alms-tax, fasting, going on the Hajj pilgrimage, and accepting the Mastery (Wilayah). Therefore, He has established saying God is the Greatest once for each of the obligatory deeds.

If he has accepted the Wilayah, then it should be said five times. However, if he has not accepted it, the phrase God is the Greatest should be said only four times. That is why when one of you (the Shiites) die, the phrase is said five times. However, when one who disagrees with you (i.e. is not one of the Shiites) dies, the phrase is said only four times.

[source: Uyun Al Akhbar Al Reza Vol. 2 Ch. 32 Hadees. 20]

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Edited May 30, 2012 by muhibb-ali

[Islamic Salvation]

Yes, this is supported by this Hadith which is Mu'tabar, since it contains all Rijal Thiqat or Mamduh, except for Umm Salama mother of Muhammad bin Muhajir who is Majhul but probably Thiqah, being from the few female narrators and this Hadith being the basis of Fatawa for most of our Ulama in the method of praying Salat al-Mayyit.

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن محمد بن مهاجر، عن أمه ام سلمة، قالت: سمعت أبا عبدالله (عليه السلام) يقول: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله إذا صلى على ميت كبر وتشهد، ثم كبر ثم صلى على الانبياء ودعا ثم كبر ودعا للمؤمنين ثم كبر الرابعة ودعا للميت، ثم كبر وانصرف فلما نهاه الله عزوجل عن الصلاة على المنافقين كبر وتشهد ثم كبر وصلى على النبيين صلى الله عليهم ثم كبر ودعا للمؤمنين ثم كبر الرابعة وانصرف ولم يدع للميت

Ali bin Ibrahim from his father (Ibrahim bin Hashim) from Ibn Abi Umayr from Muhammad bin Muhajir from his mother Umm Salama who said: I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: when the messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله used to pray over the dead body - he made the first Takbir then recited the Tashahud, then he made the second Takbir and sent salutations upon the prophets, then he made the third Takbir and prayed for the beleivers, then he made the Takbir for the fourth time and prayed for the deceased, then he made the last (fifth) Takbir and departed, so when Allah عزوجل forbade praying upon the hypocrites, he used to make the first Takbir and recite the Tashahud, and make the second Takbir and send salutations upon the prophets صلى الله عليهم, then make the third Takbir and pray for the believers, then make the fourth Takbir and depart and he did not pray for the (hypocrite) deceased.