2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il ibn Bazi‘ from Hanan ibn Sadir from Yahya ibn ‘Ubadah al-Makkiy who has said the following: “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.’”

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah, from a man from Yahya ibn ‘Ubadah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, 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, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, afterwards and asked him (the Imam) about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes I spoke about it to Yahya ibn ‘Ubadah.’”

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, 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.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “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.’”

6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Muhammad ibn Sanaa ‘ah from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, 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.’”

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from Hariz and Fudayl and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu ’Abd Allah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, 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.”’

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “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.’”

9. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad al-Kindiy from more than one person from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn abu ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the twig which is placed in the grave. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

10. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from more than one person of our people who have said the following: “We said to him (the Imam), ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘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).”’

11. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Ali ibn m h al-Qasaniy from Muhammad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Bilal who has said the following: “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.’”