Question:
What is the traditional formula of talqeen al-mayt ?
Answer:
From the answer of Imam An-Nawawi (d. 676 H.) said in his book Al-Adhkar:
It has been reported to us through Sunan Al-Bayhaqi with a chain of narration classified as hasan, that Ibn `Umar regarded the recitation of the beginning of Surat al-Baqarah and its ending upon the grave of a newly buried Muslim as a mustahab (desirable) matter.
…Ash-Shafi` and his companions in his madhhab said that it is a mustahabb (desirable) matter to recite some of the Qur’an upon the grave of a Muslim, and they added that if the Qur’an was recited in its entirety then that would also be a rewardable matter.
Imam Ahmad and other scholars also relayed the same ruling. Imam Qadi `Iyad said something to that effect in his commentary book to Sahih Muslim.
Imam Nawawi states:
Many of our companions [scholars] said that it is desirable (mustahabb) to make talqeen to the dead Muslim after his or her burial. From those companions [an-Nawawi’s] is al-Qadi Husayn in his Ta`leeq, his friend Abu Sa`id Al-Mutawalli in his book At-Tatimmah, ash-Shaykh Imam Abul-Fath Nasr bin Ibrahim bin Nasr al-Maqdisi, Imam Abul-Qasim Ar-Rafi`i and others. Qadi Husayn also conveyed that matter from the way of his companions. As to the exact phrase ash-Shaykh Nasr said the following: “Once one finishes from burying him, they stand at his head and they say “Ya fulaan ibn fulaan” [calling him]! Remember the covenant by which you exited this world; the testification that there is no God but Allah Who has no partners and the testification that Muhammad is the messenger and slave of Allah, also remember that Judgment Day is coming no doubt and that Allah resurrects those in the graves, say: ‘I have accepted that my Lord is Allah, that Islam is my religion, that Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam is a true Prophet, that the Ka`bah is the true direction for prayer, that the Qur’an is my guide and that the believers are brethren’.
The exhortation in Arabic, as detailed on the Arabic website “تلقين الميت“is:
ويستحب تلقين الميت عقب دفنه، فيجلس عند رأسه إنسان ويقول: يا فلان ابن فلان، ويا عبد الله ابن أمة الله، اذكر العهد الذي خرجت عليه من الدنيا، شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأنّ محمدًا عبده ورسوله، وأن الجنة حق، وأن النار حق، وأن البعث حق، وأن الساعة آتية لا ريب فيها، وأن الله يبعث من في القبور، وأنك رضيت بالله ربا، وبالإسلام دينا، وبمحمدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم نبيًا، وبالقرءان إماما، وبالكعبة قبلة، وبالمؤمنين إخوانا
ya fulaan ibn/ibnata fulaan (name of deceased son/daughter of <father’s name>), ya `abdullah ibn amatillah (name of deceased son/daughter of <mother’s name>) idhkur al-`ahad alladhee kharajta `alayh min ad-dunya, shahadatan an laa ilaha ill ‘Llah wahdahu laa shareek lahu wa anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasooluh, wa anna ‘l-jannatu haqq wa anna ‘n-naaru haqq wa anna as-sa`atu ateeatun laa rayba feeha wa anna Allah yab`athu man fi ‘l-quboor wa annaka radeetu billahi rabban wa bi ‘l-islami deenan wa bi Sayyidina Muhammad (s) nabiyyan wa bi ‘l-quraani imaaman wa bi ‘l-ka`abatu qiblatan wa bil-mumineen ikhwaana.
Taher Siddiqui
