Al-Kāfi - Volume 3 > Dead People Visit Their Families
Hadith #1

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ فَيَرَى مَا يُحِبُّ وَيُسْتَرُ عَنْهُ مَا يَكْرَهُ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ لَيَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ فَيَرَى مَا يَكْرَهُ وَيُسْتَرُ عَنْهُ مَا يُحِبُّ قَالَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ كُلَّ جُمْعَةٍ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ عَلَى قَدْرِ عَمَلِهِ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hafs ibn af-Bakhtariy who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that a believing deceased person visits his family. He observes such matters that he loves and what he dislikes is kept hidden from him. A deceased unbeliever person also visits his family but observes what he dislikes and things that he loves are kept hidden from him. Certain ones of these people visit his family every Friday and others visit proportionate to their deeds.”



Hadith #2

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ كَافِرٍ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يَأْتِي أَهْلَهُ عِنْدَ زَوَالِ الشَّمْسِ فَإِذَا رَأَى أَهْلَهُ يَعْمَلُونَ بِالصَّالِحَاتِ حَمِدَ الله عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَإِذَا رَأَى الْكَافِرُ أَهْلَهُ يَعْمَلُونَ بِالصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَسْرَةً.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Ali ibn abu Hamzah from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that every believing and unbeliever person visits his family everyday just after midday. If he finds his family performing good deeds, he praises and thanks Allah for this. When an unbeliever finds his family in good deeds, he laments and regrets (for his lost opportunities).”



Hadith #3

3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الأوَّلِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمَيِّتِ يَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقُلْتُ فِي كَمْ يَزُورُ قَالَ فِي الْجُمْعَةِ وَفِي الشَّهْرِ وَفِي السَّنَةِ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَنْزِلَتِهِ فَقُلْتُ فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ يَأْتِيهِمْ قَالَ فِي صُورَةِ طَائِرٍ لَطِيفٍ يَسْقُطُ عَلَى جُدُرِهِمْ وَيُشْرِفُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَإِنْ رَآهُمْ بِخَيْرٍ فَرِحَ وَإِنْ رَآهُمْ بِشَرٍّ وَحَاجَةٍ حَزِنَ وَاغْتَمَّ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I (the narrator) asked abu al-Hassan al-Awwal, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about a deceased person’s visiting his family. He replied, ‘Yes, (this is a fact).’ I then asked, ‘How often do such visits take place?’ He replied, ‘In a Friday (week), in a month and in a year, depending upon his status.’ I then asked, ‘In what form does he visit his family?’ He replied, ‘He visits them in the form of a fine bird. He drops on their walls and oversees them. If he finds them in good deeds, he becomes happy, and if he finds them in evil deeds or in need, he becomes depressed and sorrowful.’”



Hadith #4

4ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ دُرُسْتَ الْوَاسِطِيِّ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الْقَصِيرِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُ يَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ يَسْتَأْذِنُ رَبَّهُ فَيَأْذَنُ لَهُ فَيَبْعَثُ مَعَهُ مَلَكَيْنِ فَيَأْتِيهِمْ فِي بَعْضِ صُوَرِ الطَّيْرِ يَقَعُ فِي دَارِهِ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَيَسْمَعُ كَلاَمَهُمْ.

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of above Hadith) from Isma’il ibn Mehran from Durust ibn abu Mansur al-Wasitiy from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from ‘Abd al- Rahim al-Qasir who has said the following: “I asked the Imam, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘Does a deceased believing person visit his family?’ He replied, ‘Yes, he asks his Lord for permission; then by His permission with two angels he comes to his family in the form of some kind of a bird. He turns arround his house and observes his family and hears whatever they say.’”



Hadith #5

5ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الأوَّلِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) يَزُورُ الْمُؤْمِنُ أَهْلَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَقُلْتُ فِي كَمْ قَالَ عَلَى قَدْرِ فَضَائِلِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمَيْنِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ فِي كُلِّ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ فِي مَجْرَى كَلاَمِهِ أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ أَدْنَاهُمْ مَنْزِلَةً يَزُورُ كُلَّ جُمْعَةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ فِي أَيِّ سَاعَةٍ قَالَ عِنْدَ زَوَالِ الشَّمْسِ وَمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ قَالَ فِي صُورَةِ الْعُصْفُورِ أَوْ أَصْغَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَيَبْعَثُ الله تَعَالَى مَعَهُ مَلَكاً فَيُرِيهِ مَا يَسُرُّهُ وَيَسْتُرُ عَنْهُ مَا يَكْرَهُ فَيَرَى مَا يَسُرُّهُ وَيَرْجِعُ إِلَى قُرَّةِ عَيْنٍ.

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of above Hadith) from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I asked abu al-Hassan al-Awwal, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘Does a believing deceased person visit his family?’ He replied, ‘Yes, he does.’ I then asked, ‘How often does he visit them?’ He replied, ‘It depends upon their merits. Certain ones among them visit every day, others visit every other day, and still others among them visit after every three days.’ I then found in the course of his conversation indications that said, ‘The least among them in merits visit their family once every Friday.’ I then asked, ‘What time of the day do such visits take place?’ He replied, ‘It takes place very soon after midday or so.’ I then asked, ‘In what form does he come?’ He replied, ‘He comes in the form of a sparrow or smaller than a sparrow. Allah sends with him an angel who shows what he likes and hides from him what he dislikes. He then observes what makes him happy and returns very much delighted.’”