Visitation of the Dead to Their Families

Here are two authentic ḥadīth about the deceased visiting their families. According to these aḥādīth, the deceased visits his family at least every Jumu`ah, during the beginning of dhuhr or shortly before that. Also, based on deceased’s merits and actions he can visit his family every day, every two days or every three days.

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ فَيَرَى مَا يُحِبُّ وَ يُسْتَرُ عَنْهُ مَا يَكْرَهُ وَ إِنَّ الْكَافِرَ لَيَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ فَيَرَى مَا يَكْرَهُ وَ يُسْتَرُ عَنْهُ مَا يُحِبُّ قَالَ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ كُلَّ جُمْعَةٍ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ عَلَى قَدْرِ عَمَلِهِ

From Hafṣ bin al-Bakhtarī from Abī `Abd Allāh (عليه السلام) said: “Verily, the (dead) mu’min (believer) visits his family, and he see what he loves and he is veiled from what he dislikes. And verily, the (dead) kāfir (disbeliever) visits his family and sees what he dislikes and is veiled from what he likes.” He (عليه السلام) said: “And from them are those who visit every Jumu`ah, and from them are those who visit in proportion to his actions (a`māl)”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 3, pg. 230, hadeeth # 1

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Hasan (Good)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 14, pg. 195

وَ سَأَلَ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ- أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلَ ع- عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَزُورُ أَهْلَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فِي كَمْ فَقَالَ عَلَى قَدْرِ فَضَائِلِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمَيْنِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزُورُ فِي كُلِّ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ فِي مَجْرَى كَلَامِهِ أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ أَدْنَاهُمْ جُمْعَةً فَقَالَ لَهُ فِي أَيِّ سَاعَةٍ قَالَ عِنْدَ زَوَالِ الشَّمْسِ أَوْ قُبَيْلَ ذَلِكَ فَيَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَعَهُ مَلَكاً يُرِيهِ مَا يَسُرُّ بِهِ وَ يَسْتُرُ عَنْهُ مَا يَكْرَهُهُ فَيَرَى سُرُوراً وَ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى قُرَّةِ عَيْنٍ

And Isḥāq bin `Ammār asked Abā al-Hasan al-Awwal (عليه السلام) about a (dead) believer visiting his family? So he (عليه السلام) said: “Yes”. He (Isḥāq) said: “How often?” So he (عليه السلام) said: “It is in proportion to their merits, from them are those who visit every day, and from them are those who visit every two days, and from them are those who visit every three days”. He (Isḥāq) said: “I saw during the course of his speech, that he (عليه السلام) said: “They at least (come) on Jumu`ah.” So he (Isḥāq) said: “At what time?” He (عليه السلام) said: “During dhuhr (noon), or shortly before that. Allāh sends with him (the deceased) an angel, who makes him see what gladdens him, and conceals from him what he dislikes, so he perceives happiness and returns  qurrah al-`ayn (i.e. delighted)”

Source:

1.     Al-Sadūq, Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh, 4 vols., (Qum: Mu’assasah al-Nashr al-Islāmiyyah, 2^nd Edition, 1413 AH), vol. 1, pg. 181, hadeeth # 542

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī I (al-Majlisī’s father) said this hadeeth is Muwaththaq Kal-Ṣaḥīḥ (Reliable like a Ṣaḥīḥ)
à Lawām` Sāḥibqarānī, Farsi Edition, 8 vols., (Qum: Mu’assasah Ismā`iliyyaan lil-Taba`, 2^nd ed., 1414), vol. 12, pg. 548