10/03/2026
*Imam Ali’s final will to his sons, Hasan and Husayn (as), specifically regarding how his funeral procession would take place.*
According to sources—such as Kitab al-Irshad by Sheikh al-Mufid and Bihar al-Anwar by Allama Majlisi—the story of his burial is as follows:
The Secret Will
Before his martyrdom, Imam Ali (AS) gave specific instructions to his sons to keep his burial place a secret. This was primarily to protect his body from being desecrated by his enemies, particularly the Umayyads and the Kharijites, who held deep-seated animosity toward him.
*The Miraculous Procession*
The “interesting story” depicted in your image refers to the miraculous nature of the coffin’s movement. Imam Ali (AS) told Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn:
_”When I die... carry the back of the coffin, for the front of it will be carried for you [by others]. Follow wherever the front goes, and when it stops, that is my burial place.”_
As they began the journey from Kufa in the middle of the night, the front of the bier (the janaza) was lifted by unseen forces—traditionally understood to be Archangel *Gabriel (Jibra’il)* and *Michael (Mika’il),* or other heavenly beings. The sons of the Imam merely supported the rear.
The procession moved toward the outskirts of Kufa until the front of the coffin came to a halt at a place called *Al-Ghari* (modern-day Najaf).
*The Discovery of the Grave*
When the coffin stopped, the brothers found a grave already dug and prepared. Inside, there was a wooden plank inscribed in Syriac, stating:
_”This is a grave prepared by the Prophet Noah for Ali, the successor of Muhammad.”_
They buried him there in total secrecy, and for many decades, the exact location of the grave remained known only to the Family of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt) and their closest companions. It was not until the time of the sixth Imam, Ja’far al-Sadiq (AS), during the Abbasid era, that the location was publicly revealed and the shrine in Najaf was established.
