Punishment of the grave.

Punishment of the grave.

Bismillahirahmanirraheem,

All Praise be to Allah, 

When the son of Adam dies and his soul departs and he is placed in his grave, then he is in the first stage of the Hereafter, because the grave is the first of the stages of the Hereafter. 

It was narrated that Haani’ the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Afan said: when ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan stood by a grave he would weep until his beard became wet. It was said to him, “You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but you weep because of this?” He said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The grave is the first of the stages of the Hereafter; whoever is saved from it, whatever comes afterwards will be easier  for him, but if he is not saved from it, what comes afterwards will be worse for him.’” And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I have never seen any scene but the grave is more frightening than it.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2308; Ibn Majah, 4567; classed as hasan.

The two angels, Munkar and Nakir who are charged with questioning come to him and ask him 3 questions about what he used to believe in in this world, 1. who was his Lord? 2. what was his religion? and 3. who was his Prophet? If he gives a the right answers, that is good, but if he does not answer them they inflict a severe and painful beating on him. 

Al-Bara' b. ‘Azib said :

We went out with the Prophet to the funeral of a man of the Ansar and came to the grave. It had not yet been dug, so Allah’s messenger sat down and we sat down around him quietly. He had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave saying it twice or thrice. He then said, “When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the next world, angels with faces white as the sun come down to him from heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, 'Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from Allah.' It then comes out as a drop flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and when he does so, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it there comes forth a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, “Who is this good soul?' to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the best of his names by which people called him on the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and ask that the gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its archangels escort him to the next heaven till he is brought to the seventh heaven, and Allah who is great and glorious says, ‘Record the book of my servant in ‘Illiyun (Cf. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 18) and take him back to earth, for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring them forth another time.' His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ and he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, ‘He is Allah’s messenger.’ They ask, ‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he replies, ‘I have read Allah’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be true.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets from paradise for him, clothe him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’ Then some of its joy and fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odour comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.' He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings good?” He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, bring the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my people and my property.’ But when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the next world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with hair-cloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come out to displeasure from Allah.’ Then it becomes dissipated in his body, and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but put it in that hair-cloth and from it there comes forth a stench like the most offensive stench of a corpse found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the worst names he was called in the world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven request is made that the gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him. (Allah’s messenger then recited, ‘The gates of heaven will not be opened for them and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.)(Qur'an, vii, 40) Allah who is great and glorious then says, ‘Record his book in Sijjin (Cf. Qur’an, Ixxxiii, 7 ff) in the lowest earth,’ and his soul is thrown down. (He then recited, ‘He who assigns partners to Allah is as if he had fallen down from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or made to fall by the wind in a place far distant.')(Qur’an, xxii, 31). His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’. He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘He has lied, so spread out carpets from hell for him, and open a gate for him into hell.’ Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together in it, and a man with an ugly, face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says, ‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?' He replies, ‘I am your wicked deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, do not bring the last hour.’ ” In a version there is something similar containing an addition: “When his soul comes out every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven invoke blessings on him, and the gates of heaven are opened for him, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate Allah that his soul may be taken up beyond them. But his soul, i.e., the infidel’s, is pulled out along with the veins and every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven curse him, and the gates of heaven are locked, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate Allah that his soul may not be taken up beyond them. 

Ahmad transmitted it.

‎وَعَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ: خَرَجْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي جَنَازَة رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْقَبْرِ وَلَمَّا يُلْحَدْ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَجَلَسْنَا حوله كَأَن على رؤوسنا الطَّيْرَ وَفِي يَدِهِ عُودٌ يَنْكُتُ بِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ: «اسْتَعِيذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ» مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ قَالَ: " إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَإِقْبَالٍ مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ من السَّمَاء مَلَائِكَة بِيضُ الْوُجُوهِ كَأَنَّ وُجُوهَهُمُ الشَّمْسُ مَعَهُمْ كَفَنٌ مِنْ أَكْفَانِ الْجَنَّةِ وَحَنُوطٌ مِنْ حَنُوطِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسُوا مِنْهُ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَيَقُولُ: أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الطَّيِّبَةُ اخْرُجِي إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنَ الله ورضوان " قَالَ: «فَتَخْرُجُ تَسِيلُ كَمَا تَسِيلُ الْقَطْرَةُ مِنَ فِي السِّقَاءِ فَيَأْخُذُهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَهَا لَمْ يَدَعُوهَا فِي يَدِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ حَتَّى يَأْخُذُوهَا فَيَجْعَلُوهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْكَفَنِ وَفِي ذَلِكَ الْحَنُوطِ وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا كَأَطْيَبِ نَفْحَةِ مِسْكٍ وُجِدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ» قَالَ: " فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا فَلَا يَمُرُّونَ - يَعْنِي بِهَا - عَلَى مَلَأٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِلَّا قَالُوا: مَا هَذِه الرّوح الطّيب فَيَقُولُونَ: فلَان بن فُلَانٍ بِأَحْسَنِ أَسْمَائِهِ الَّتِي كَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى ينْتَهوا بهَا إِلَى سَمَاء الدُّنْيَا فيستفتحون لَهُ فَيفتح لَهُ فَيُشَيِّعُهُ مِنْ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ مُقَرَّبُوهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا حَتَّى ينتهى بهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ - فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَ عَبْدِي فِي عِلِّيِّينَ وَأَعِيدُوهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ فَإِنِّي مِنْهَا خَلَقْتُهُمْ وَفِيهَا أُعِيدُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا أخرجهم تَارَة أُخْرَى قَالَ: " فتعاد روحه فيأتيه ملكان فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولُونَ لَهُ: مَنْ رَبُّكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّيَ الله فَيَقُولُونَ لَهُ: مَا دِينُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: دِينِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ: مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ؟ فَيَقُول: هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ: وَمَا عِلْمُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَآمَنْتُ بِهِ وَصَدَّقْتُ فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاء أَن قد صدق فَأَفْرِشُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَلْبِسُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ " قَالَ: «فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ رَوْحِهَا وَطِيبِهَا وَيُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ مَدَّ بَصَرِهِ» قَالَ: " وَيَأْتِيهِ رجل حسن الْوَجْه حسن الثِّيَاب طيب الرّيح فَيَقُولُ: أَبْشِرْ بِالَّذِي يَسُرُّكَ هَذَا يَوْمُكَ الَّذِي كُنْتَ تُوعَدُ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَوَجْهُكَ الْوَجْه يَجِيء بِالْخَيْرِ فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الصَّالِحُ فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ أَقِمِ السَّاعَةَ رَبِّ أَقِمِ السَّاعَةَ حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِي وَمَالِي ". قَالَ: " وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَإِقْبَالٍ مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَلَائِكَةٌ سُودُ الْوُجُوهِ مَعَهُمُ الْمُسُوحُ فَيَجْلِسُونَ مِنْهُ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَيَقُولُ: أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْخَبِيثَةُ اخْرُجِي إِلَى سَخَطٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ " قَالَ: " فَتُفَرَّقُ فِي جسده فينتزعها كَمَا ينتزع السفود من الصُّوف المبلول فَيَأْخُذُهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَهَا لَمْ يَدَعُوهَا فِي يَدِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ حَتَّى يَجْعَلُوهَا فِي تِلْكَ الْمُسُوحِ وَيخرج مِنْهَا كَأَنْتَنِ رِيحِ جِيفَةٍ وُجِدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا فَلَا يَمُرُّونَ بِهَا عَلَى مَلَأٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِلَّا قَالُوا: مَا هَذَا الرّوح الْخَبيث؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: فلَان بن فُلَانٍ - بِأَقْبَحِ أَسْمَائِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ يُسَمَّى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا - حَتَّى يَنْتَهِي بهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيُسْتَفْتَحُ لَهُ فَلَا يُفْتَحُ لَهُ " ثُمَّ قَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سم الْخياط) فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَهُ فِي سِجِّين فِي الأَرْض السُّفْلى فتطرح روحه طرحا ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: (وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرّيح فِي مَكَان سحيق) فَتُعَادُ رُوحُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ وَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ: مَنْ رَبُّكَ: فَيَقُولُ: هَاهْ هَاهْ لَا أَدْرِي فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ: مَا دِينُكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: هَاهْ هَاهْ لَا أَدْرِي فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ: مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُ: هَاهْ هَاهْ لَا أَدْرِي فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَن كذب عَبدِي فأفرشوا لَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى النَّارِ فَيَأْتِيهِ حَرُّهَا وَسَمُومُهَا وَيُضَيَّقُ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرُهُ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِفَ فِيهِ أَضْلَاعُهُ وَيَأْتِيهِ رَجُلٌ قَبِيحُ الْوَجْهِ قَبِيحُ الثِّيَابِ مُنْتِنُ الرِّيحِ فَيَقُولُ أَبْشِرْ بِالَّذِي يسوؤك هَذَا يَوْمُكَ الَّذِي كُنْتَ تُوعَدُ فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَوَجْهُكَ الْوَجْهُ يَجِيءُ بِالشَّرِّ فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الْخَبِيثُ فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ لَا تُقِمِ السَّاعَةَ وَفِي رِوَايَة نَحوه وَزَاد فِيهِ: إِذَا خَرَجَ رُوحُهُ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ كُلُّ مَلَكٍ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَكُلُّ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَفُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَابٍ إِلَّا وَهُمْ يَدْعُونَ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُعْرَجَ بِرُوحِهِ مِنْ قِبَلِهِمْ. وَتُنْزَعُ نَفْسُهُ يَعْنِي الْكَافِرَ مَعَ الْعُرُوقِ فَيَلْعَنُهُ كُلُّ مَلَكٍ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَكُلُّ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَتُغْلَقُ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَابٍ إِلَّا وَهُمْ يَدْعُونَ اللَّهَ أَنْ لَا يُعْرِجَ رُوحَهُ مِنْ قبلهم ". رَوَاهُ أَحْمد

‎ صَحِيح   (الألباني) حكم   :

Reference : Mishkat al-Masabih 1630

In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 10

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah RA that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say, ‘Allahumma inni a’oodhu bika min al-kasali wa’l-haram wa’l-maghram wa’l-ma’tham. Allahumma inni a’oodhu bika min ‘adhaab al-naar wa fitnat il-naar, wa fitnat il-qabri, wa ‘adhaab il-qabri, wa sharri fitnat il-ghina wa sharri fitnat il-faqair wa min sharri fitnat il-maseeh il-Dajjaal. Allahumma ighsil khataayaaya bi ma’ al-thalji wa’l-baradi wa naqqi qalbi min al-khataaya kama yunaqqa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas, wa baa’id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kama baa’adta bayna al-mashriqi wa’l-maghrib (O Allah! I seek refuge with You from laziness and old age, and from debts and sins; from the torment of the Fire and from the tribulation of the Fire, and from the tribulation of the grave and the torment of the grave, and from the evil of the tribulation of wealth, and from the evil of the tribulation of poverty, and from the evil of the tribulation of the Dajjal (Antichrist). O Allah! Wash away my sins with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart from sin as a white garment is cleansed from filth, and put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West).” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6014). 

According to Abdullah Ibn Masood the Prophet Muhammad SAW said " Whoever reads Sura Mulk every night will be protected from the torment of the grave " Sahih At Targhib wat Tarhib #1475

Allauakbar.