The Two Fresh Al-Jaridah (Twigs of Palm Tree)

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Two pieces of twig are placed with a deceased, one on the right and the other on the left.’ He (the narrator) has said, that he (the Imam) said, ‘Al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree) benefits both, believers and non-believers.’”

“I heard Sufyan al-Thawriy asking him (the Imam) about greening. He (the Imam) said that once a man from al-Ansar died and the Messenger of Allah was asked to attend his funeral. He (the Messenger of Allah) asked one of the relatives of the deceased to green up their fellow man; greening people are very few.’ They asked, ‘What is greening?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) replied, ‘It is a fresh twig which is placed near the hands up to the collar bones.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Two pieces of fresh twigs one yard in length are placed with a deceased’ - pointing with his hand - ‘one end from collar bones to the hands wrapped with cloth.’ He (the narrator) has said that the man then said, ‘I met abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), afterwards and asked him (the Imam) about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes I spoke about it to Yahya ibn ‘Ubadah.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), what happens if two fresh al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree) are not placed with a deceased? He (the Imam) said, ‘Torture and accounting is kept away from him as long as the al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree) are fresh. All tortures take place in one day in one hour for a duration within which people return and leave the gravesite. The two al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree) (branches) are placed for this reason, and after they dry there will be no torture and accounting by the will of Allah.’”

“He (the Imam) has said, ‘Al-Jaridah (twigs of palm tree) are of the size of one Shibr (ten inches) of which one is placed with one end near the collarbones downward as far as it reaches next to the skin, and the other on the left side near the collarbones downward as far as it reaches over the shirt.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that two pieces of al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree) are placed with a deceased: one on the right and the other on the left side.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked, ‘Why a twig is placed with a deceased? He (the Imam) replied, ‘Torture is kept away from him as long as it (twig) is fresh.”’

“It was said to him (the Imam), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, because of the presence of fear I may not be able to place al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree) as you have told us.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Place them just as it is possible for you to do.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the twig which is placed in the grave. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“We said to him (the Imam) (a.s.), ‘We pray to Allah to keep our souls in service for your cause. What should we do if we cannot find al-Jaridah (twig of palm tree)? He (the Imam) said, ‘Twig of berry tree is also good.’ It then was asked, ‘What should be done if twig of berry tree is also not found? He (the Imam) said, ‘Then it is twig of al-Khilaf (certain tree).”’

“I wrote to him (the Imam) asking about al-Jaridah (palm tree twig) if it is not available, can any other branch be used if palm tree is not available? He (the Imam) wrote, ‘It is permissible if al-Jaridah (palm tree twig) is not available, but al-Jaridah (palm tree twig) is better; there is Hadith about it.’”

branch of pomegranate is placed in place of al- Jaridah (palm tree twig). H 4365, Ch. 24, 13