It appears from the narrations that Almighty Allah may punish the sinner because of his sins in this life by subjecting him to several hardships, including poverty, illness and the like, in order to reduce the punishment after death. The sinner might also undergo suffering as a form of punishment after his death, in the stage of Barzakh. At the same time, he might be given the chance of obtaining the intercession of the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them). In some narrations, the Prophet and the Imams (peace be upon them) visit the believer when he is dying to ease the hardship of death and to give him the good tiding of Heaven. Mohammed bin Handhala asked Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that some of the Shia companions stated that the best time for the believer to see the benefit of his belief in the Imamate of the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them) is when he is about to die. Is this true? The Imam (peace be upon him) replied: Yes.