Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam-u-Allaekum
I just wanted to know that is there any punishment in grave.

Please reply me in the light of Quran and Sunnah

Allahafiz

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Answer:

Punishment of grave Quran and sunnah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The punishment of the grave is amongst the knowledge of the ‘unseen’, and the exact and precise knowledge of everything of the ‘unseen’ is with none except Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds. And for every matter of the ‘unseen’ the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day must turn only to what the Lord has Willed to make known about it in His Glorious Quran, or what He Willed to make known through Prophet Mohamed (saws) who in turn made it known to the believers.

There are several and explicit references to the punishment of the Hereafter all over the Quran. Although most of the references of the punishment of the graves are declared by the Messenger of Allah (saws) in the authentic narrations, there are a few references in the Quran regarding the severe punishment of the evil-doers in the period between their death and the Day of Resurrection.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah Mumin verses 45-46:

45 At last, Allah saved the believer from all those evil plots that the people devised against him, and the companions of Pharaoh themselves were encompassed by the horrible scourge.

46 It is the Fire of Hell before which they are presented morning and evening. And when the Hour of Resurrection comes, it will be commanded: “Admit the People of Pharaoh to the severest torment.”

In the above Aayah of Surah Mumin it is absolutely clear that the Fire of Hell that is presented to the People of Pharaoh morning and evening is from amongst the punishment between their death and the Day of Resurrection.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verses 49-51:

49 Lo! the hypocrites say and those in whose hearts is a disease: "these people--their religion has misled them." But if any trust in Allah, behold! Allah is Exalted in Might, Wise.

50 If thou couldst (only) see when the Angels take the souls of the unbelievers (at death) (how) they smite their faces and their backs (saying): "Taste the penalty of the blazing fire.

51 because of (the deeds) which your (own) hands sent forth: for Allah is never unjust to His servants:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verses 25-28:

25 Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly shown to them, the Shaytaan has instigated them and buoyed them up with false hopes.

26 This because they said to those who hate what Allah has Revealed "We will obey you in part of (this) matter"; but Allah knows their (inner) secrets.

27 But how (will it be) when the Angels take their souls at death, and smite their faces and their backs?

28 This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of Allah, and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no effect.

In the above Aayahs of Surah Anfaal and Surah Muhammad, it is clearly declared that the Angels of Allah punish the disbelievers immediately after taking their souls at their times of death. This is again proof that the punishment between one’s death and the Day of Resurrection warned by the Messenger of Allah (saws) is absolutely in accordance with the guidance of the Glorious Quran.

Regarding when the body reaches the grave:

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.521 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

Allah's Apostle said, "When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him: his relative, his property, and his deeds follow him; relatives and his property go back while his deeds remain with him."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1627 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said, "The angels are present with one who dies, and if a believer dies, they say, 'Come out, good soul, which was in the good body; come out praiseworthy and be happy with rest and provision and a Lord Who is not angry.' That continues to be said to it till it comes out. It is then taken up to Heaven and the door is opened for it. The angels are asked who this is and reply that he is so and so, whereupon these words are spoken: 'Welcome, good soul, which was in the good body; enter praiseworthy and be happy with rest and provision and a Lord Who is not angry.' That continues to be said to it till it comes to the Heaven where Allah is. But when it is a disbeliever it is said, 'Come out, wicked soul, which was in the wicked body; come out blameworthy and be grieved by a boiling liquid, one dark and intensely cold, and other kinds of its type.' That continues to be said to it till it comes out. It is then taken up to Heaven, and the door is asked to be opened for it. The question will be asked who this is and the reply given that it is so and so, whereupon these words are spoken: 'There is no welcome for the wicked soul which was in the wicked body; go back blameworthy, for the gates of Heaven will not be opened for you.' It will then be sent away from Heaven and come to the grave."

Regarding the invocation of the Prophet.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.387 Narrated by Aisha

The Prophet (saws) said, "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the affliction of the Fire, and the punishment in the Fire, and affliction of the grave, and the affliction of wealth, and the affliction of poverty, and the affliction of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal."

Regarding the grave:

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 132 Narrated by Uthman ibn Affan

The Prophet (saws) said: “Verily the grave is the first step in the stages of the Hereafter. If one finds salvation at this stage, the succeeding stages become easy for him. And if he does not find salvation at this stage, what follows this stage is very hard upon him. I have never seen a site more horrible than that of the grave.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5352 (part) Narrated by Abu Sa'id

The Prophet (saws) said: "The grave is one of the gardens of Paradise, or one of the pits of Hell."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5352 Narrated by Abu Sa'id

The Prophet (saws) said: “A day does not come to the grave without its saying, 'I am the house of exile, I am the house of solitude, I am the house of dust, I am the house of worms.' When a believer dies the grave says to him, ‘Welcome and greeting; you are indeed the dearest to me of those who walk upon me. I have been given charge of you today. You have come to me, and you will see how I shall treat you (with dignity and honor).’ It will then expand for him as far as the eye can see and a door to Paradise will be opened for him. But when the disbeliever is buried the grave says to him, `No welcome and no greeting to you. You are the most hateful to me of those who walk upon me. I have been given charge of you today. You have come to me, and you will see how I shall treat you.' Seventy dragons will be put in charge of him, of such a nature, that if one of them were to breathe on the earth, it would produce no crops as long as the world lasted, and they will bite and scratch him till he is brought to the Day of Reckoning."

Regarding the punishment of the grave.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6859 (part) Narrated by Zayd ibn Thabit

The Prophet (saws) said: “The people who invoke others with Allah, are passing through the ordeal in the graves. If it were not for the fact that you would stop burying your dead in the graves, I would have certainly made you hear the sound of the torment in the graves, which I hear.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4735 Narrated by Al-Bara' ibn Azib

The Prophet (saws) said: “When a believer is buried in the grave two angels will come to him (Munkar and Nakir, both have dark faces and blue eyes), make him sit up, and ask : ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘My religion is Islam.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘He is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).’ They will ask: ‘ Who made you aware of this?’ He will reply: ‘I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘My servant has spoken the truth. So spread a bed for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him into Paradise.’ Then some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him as far as the eye can see. At the death of the unbeliever his soul will be restored to his body in the grave. Then two angels will come to him. They will make him sit up and ask him: ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask: ‘Who was the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘He has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell. Then some of its heat and burning hot wind will come to him, and his grave will be compressed, such that his ribs will be crushed together. An angel who is blind and dumb will then be placed in charge of him, having a sledge-hammer, such that, if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. He will give him a blow with it, which will be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and jinn, and he will become dust. Then his soul will be restored to him (again).

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.19b

Bukhari and Muslim report from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (saws) passed by two graves and said, "Both of them are being tortured in their graves, and they are not being tortured for a major sin. This one used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other used to slander (among the people to rouse hostilities, e.g., one goes to a person and tells him that so-and-so says about him such-and-such evil things).”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan