Acquiring lesson from the Dead

Text and Translation

In conclusion, visiting the graves of faithful believers brings about an abundant reward, in addition to great advantages and outcomes. It gives lessons in religiousness, draws attention to the reality of our worldly lives, encourages asceticism and abstinence from worldly pleasures, and arouses the desire for the Hereafter.

Visiting the graves becomes highly recommended for those who are highly delighted or extremely distressed.

A true reasonable person is one who learns lessons from graves, stripping himself of the sweetness of this worldly life and turning its sweet taste into bitterness — one who ponders over the inevitable extinction of this worldly life and the ceaseless changeability of its manners, and who always remembers that very soon he will be just like these inhabitants of graves, unable to do any further charitable deed, and will himself be a lesson for others.

It is reported that Almighty Allah revealed to Prophet Jesus (a), saying:

يَا عِيْسٰى هَبْ لِيْ مِنْ عَيْنِكَ الدُّمُوْعَ وَ مِنْ قَلْبِكَ الْخُشُوْعَ وَ اكْحُلْ عَيْنَيْكَ بِمِيْلِ الْحُزْنِ اِذَا ضَحِكَ الْبَطَّالُوْنَ وَ قُمْ عَلٰى قُبُوْرِ الْاَمْوَاتِ فَنَادِهِمْ بِالصَّوْتِ الرَّفِيْعِ لَعَلَّكَ تَاْخُذُ مَوْعِظَتَكَ مِنْهُمْ وَ قُلْ اِنِّيْ لَاحِقٌ بِهِمْ فِي اللَّاحِقِيْنَ

YAA I'ESAA HAB LEE MIN A'YNIKAD DUMOO-A' WA MIN QALBIKAL KHUSHOO-A' WAKHUL A'YNAYKA BI-MEELIL HUZNI IZAA DAHIKAL BATTAALOON, WA QUM A'LAA QUBOORIL AMWAATI FA-NAADIHIM BIS SAWTIR RAFEE-I' LA-A'LLAKA TA-KHUZU MAW-I'ZATAKA MINHUM WA QUL INNEE LAAHIQUM BIHIM FIL LAAHIQEEN

O Jesus, grant Me from your eye its tears and from your heart its humility; darken your eyes with the kohl of sorrow when the vain ones laugh; stand at the graves of the dead and call out to them in a raised voice, that you may take your admonition from them, and say: verily I shall join them among those who join them.