Al-Kāfi - The Book on Dying People

Al-Kāfi - The Book on Dying People Chapter: Dead People Visit Their Families ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ ٠َحْبُوبٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَ٠َّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الأوَّلِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْ٠َيِّتِ يَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ قَالَ نَعَ٠ْ فَقُلْتُ فِي كَ٠ْ يَزُورُ قَالَ فِي الْجُ٠ْعَةِ وَفِي الشَّهْرِ وَفِي السَّنَةِ عَلَى قَدْرِ ٠َنْزِلَتِهِ فَقُلْتُ فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ يَأْتِيهِ٠ْ قَالَ فِي صُورَةِ طَائِرٍ لَطِيفٍ يَسْقُطُ عَلَى جُدُرِهِ٠ْ وَيُشْرِفُ عَلَيْهِ٠ْ بِخَيْرٍ فَرِحَ وَإِنْ رَآهُ٠ْ بِشَرٍّ وَحَاجَةٍ حَزِنَ وَاغْتَ٠3.

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 (a.s.), 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.’” ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (14/196))