Imam Zainul Abideen (a.s.) has narrated from his ancestors that when the Holy Prophet (S) was invited for the funeral prayer of Baraa, he asked: Where is Ali? The companions replied: He has gone to Quba for some errand for a Muslim. The Holy Prophet (S) sat down and did not offer Prayer. The companions asked about the reason of doing so.
The Holy Prophet (S) replied: My Lord has asked me to delay the prayer till Ali arrives and forgives Baraa for uttering some words, which he had uttered addressing him in the presence of His Prophet, and thereby Allah may make Baraa’s death an expiation of his misdeed. A person present at the time of Baraa’s talk with Ali (a.s.) said: Baraa was merely joking and not talking seriously and truly from his heart.
The Holy Prophet (S) said: Had his words been seriously true, Allah would have nullified his deeds even if it were equal to donating in the path of Allah, gold and silver enough to fill the space between earth and sky. But it was mere witticism and Ali (a.s.) has forgiven him. Yet I want that none of you should imagine that Ali (a.s.) is angry with him. Therefore he may again appear and forgive him front of you, so that the latter’s nearness to Allah may enhance.
In the meantime, Ali (a.s.) came up there, stood in front of the body (of Baraa) and said: O Baraa! May Allah have mercy on you. You were fasting numerously and offering Prayer frequently and you died in the path of Allah. Thereafter the Holy Prophet (S) said: Had there ever been any dead person who had become needless of the burial prayer led by the Holy Prophet (S), he would have been Baraa, because Ali (a.s.) has prayed in his favor.
Then the Holy Prophet (S) stood in front of Baraa’s body and offered the funeral prayer and the burial was finalized. When the group returned from the graveyard and sat for condolence the Holy Prophet (S) remarked: O heirs and friends of the late Baraa, you are deserving congratulation more than condolence because your master went, for the sake of Baraa, from the first to the seventh sky and from the Kursi to the Arsh and took the soul of Baraa covered in curtains and made it enter Paradise.
All treasurers of Paradise came out to welcome him and the Houries looked at him from their apartments and all of them talked with him that which is known only to Allah (what they said). O soul of Baraa, glad tidings to you for the Prophet of Allah remained in wait for your sake, so that Ali may arrive and pray in your favor.
Know that upholders of Arsh have on behalf of Almighty Allah, informed us that He says: My servant and O one who died in My faith, had your sins been as many as pebbles on the earth, particles of dust, drops of rain, leaves of trees, hair of animals and their looks and breaths and movements and stops, I would have pardoned them all because of Ali’s prayer in your favor.
Thereafter, addressing the audience, the Holy Prophet (S) said: O servants of Allah! Be worthy of Ali’s pleasure and refrain from His displeasure and curse, because one whom he curses will be destroyed even if his good deeds are equal to the number of entire creation. Similarly, if Ali prays in favor of one, one will be made successful by Almighty Allah even if his sins equal the number of creations.