Imam Al-Sadiq

neck. Then he ordered the men to uncover his face and he did as he did at the first time. When
Isma'il was washed and shrouded, al- Sadiq ordered the men to uncover his face and kissed in
those places for the third time. Then al-Sadiq recited some verses of the Koran and ordered
the men to cover his face.
In other report, al- Sadiq ordered al- Mufaddal b. 'Amr to collect a group of his companions.
Al- Mufaddal collected thirty of them. Among them were Abu Basir, Hamran b. A'yun, and
Dawud al- Raqy. Al- Sadiq said to Dawud: "Dawud, consider him (Isma'il) carefully, look at
him. Is he living or dead?" Dawud said: "He is dead." Then al- Sadiq asked his companions
the same question. So, he said: "Allah, bear witness." Then he ordered his companions to
wash and shroud Isma'il. Then he said: "Mufaddal, uncover his face." Al- Mufaddal did. Then
he said: "Is he living or dead? All of you look at him." They said: "Our master, he is dead."
He said: "Have you borne witness? Are you sure of that?" They said: "Yes." They were
astonished at his continuous question. He said: "Allah, bear witness on them." Then the
companions carried Isma'il to his grave. When they put him into the grave, al- Sadiq said:
"Mufaddal, uncover his face." Al- Mufaddal did. Then he said to his companions: "Look at
him, is he living or dead?" They said: "Friend of Allah, he is dead." He said: "Allah, bear
witness." After the companions had buried Isma'il, al- Sadiq said to them: "Who is this dead
(person) in this grave?" They said: "Isma'il, your son." He said: "Allah, bear witness."(532)
The person may become astonished at the insistence of the Imam on asking his companions
the same question about the death of Isma'il. He did that to make people know that Isma'il had
really died. Then, there would be no suspicion or doubt about his death. But, there was no
wonder! That is because the Imam knew that there would be a group of people who would
believe in his Imamate because he was the eldest of his brothers and, as they claimed, that he
would not die.
In other words, the Imam asked his companions the same question about the death of Isma'il
to make them sure of his death so that they would be able to tell people about that. In the
meantime the Imam himself, peace be on him, disclosed the secret after Isma'il had been
buried and made the companions bear witness about his death. In this connection, he said:
"The people of falsehood will have doubt. They want to put out the light of Allah." Then he
made a sign to Musa, peace be on him. When the companions had buried Isma'il, al- Sadiq
made them bear witness about his death. Then he took Musa by the hand and said: "He is the
truth and the truth will be with him till Allah inherits the earth and whatever on it."(533)
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, was full of sadness when death came to Isma'il. Thus, he knelt
with his forehead touching the ground for a long time. Then he raised his head and looked at
Isma'il for a short time and looked at his face. Again, he knelt with his forehead touching the
ground for a longer time. Then he stood and came into his house and stayed there for an hour.
Then he came out of the house with other clothes. His sadness disappeared. After he had
washed Isma'il, he ordered one of his companions to bring him the shroud on whose hem they
wrote: "Isma'il bears witness that there is no god but Allah."(534)