Deeds Are the Companions in Grave

By: Ayatullah Shaheed Dastghaib Shiraazi
It is agreed that, in the grave, everyone's companions will be his deed as has been specifically stated in the Quran and hadith. Sadooq (a.r.) has in Khisaal and Amaali and Ma Aaniyul Akhbar, narrated from Qais bin Aasim that once he went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) along with a group of people from the tribe of Tameem. He submitted: O Messenger of God! Give us some admonition by which we may be benefitted, because, most of the time, we remain roaming in forests and deserts (and have few chances of visiting your honour). The Holy Prophet gave them a number of admonitions. One of them is: O Qais! It is necessary for you to have a companion to be buried in the grave. That companion will be alive whereas you will be dead. So if that companion (you will necessarily have) is a nice and kind person, he will keep you in a respectable condition. If he is a bad fellow he will leave you there in your grave in total solitude without any help or assistance. (Also remember that) that companion will be necessarily with you in the grand gathering (Hashir) on the Day of Qiyamat (Resurrection or the Day of Judgement). You will also be asked only about him. So it is very essential for you to select a good companion. If he is a good person he will make you happy. But if he is a corrupt fellow he will terribly frighten you and that companion is your aamal (deeds).
Qais instantly turned this admonition into a poem of advice, in Arabic language: Takhaiyar… Yaf Al (Select a companion from your deeds because, in the grave, the only companion of a man will be his Aamal or deed). Wa Laa…Yaqbal (It is essential for you to reserve a companion for life after death, for the Day when man will be called and he will attend at once in the Grand Gathering). Fa in…Tashgal (So if you are busy in any deed then beware and never engage yourself in any deed which is disliked by God). Fa Lan…Ya'mal (Be it before death or after death, man will have nothing with him except his deeds). Alaa…Yarhal (Beware! Man is only a guest among his family members in this world. He stays with them only for a few days and then marches off).

The Lord Of The World Warns
There are many Quranic verses showing that after a man dies his companion will be his deeds, that is, the result of the deeds done by him in the world.
Here we suffice with only one ayat: Almighty Allah says: O Messenger! Remember the Day when every person will see his good deeds before him. Similarly he will also face his bad and evil deeds and will wish that he may be distanced from them. But those evil deeds will not go away from him and O People! Your Lord warns you of His anger and frowning. And God is always kind to His servants. (Yawma…bil ibaad, Surah Aale Imran: 3)
It is God's Mercy that He has conveyed innumerable admonitions and warnings to mankind through His Messengers.

The Disbeliever Will Be Accompanied By A Fearsome Face
His honour, Qazi Saeed Qumi, in his book Arabaeen, quotes Shaykh Bahai (a.r.): A friend of mine was living in the graveyard of Isfahaan. He used to remain busy praying near a tomb. I was going to see him off and on. Once I asked him: Have you ever, during your so many days in a graveyard, observed any astonishing thing? He said: Yes. Only the other day people brought here a body, buried it in this corner and went away. After sunset, a very foul smell spread the like of which I had never known. Then all of a sudden I saw a terribly horrifying form of a black dog. The foul smell was emanating from its body. That fearsome form then came nearer and disappeared after approaching the aforesaid new grave. After a little while, a very sweet and pleasing fragrance began to spread around the like of which also I had never felt in my life. In the mean time, I observed a very handsome form which also approached the aforesaid grave and disappeared. (All these are the wonders of the world of spirits which appear in such forms). Anyway, after a few moments, that beautiful shape (form) emerged out of that grave but in a wounded and blood stained condition. I exclaimed: My Lord! Explain to me what is this all that I am observing? Who are these two kinds of forms? (In the state of dreaming) I was informed that the good looking form was that of the good deeds done by the dead person. So also, the ugly form also was of his evil deeds. As the number of bad deeds done by the buried person was bigger than that of his good deeds, the latter (bad deeds) remained with him as his companion in the grave. Only God knows when this fellow will become clean of his sins! Who knows when he will have a good companion in the form of that handsome being?