It is related from Imam Ja’far-as-Sadiq (a.s.) that there was a virtuous man in Bani Israel, regarding whom it was revealed to Prophet Dawood (a.s.) that he was a hypocrite (riyakar). When he died, Hazrat Dawood refrained from attending his funeral. But forty other people attended his funeral and said:
اَللّهُمَّ اِنَّا لاَ نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ اِلاَّ خَيْرًا وَ اَنْتَ اَعْلَمُ بِه مِنَّا فَاغْفِرْلَه.
Then another forty came and repeated the same, for they were not aware of the hidden reality.
Allah then revealed to Dawood (a.s.) and asked him as to why did he not attend his funeral?
Hazrat Dawood answered, “O Lord! You said that the man was a hypocrite, and so I avoided his funeral.”
Allah said, “Verily it was true, but because forty persons bore witness to his goodness, I forgave his sins.”
It is Allah’s mercy and beneficence Who thus forgave His servant with any trial or tribulation.
It is for this reason that the believers (mo’meneen) in the olden days kept their shrouds (kafan) with them, and would request other believers to write down their testimonies on it. The sight of the shroud made them remember death and increase the fear of the hereafter. We too should follow this example and request other mo’meneen to write down their testimonies on our shrouds, and preserve it with us, so that we are always reminded of the hereafter.