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:

As-Salaam alaikum,

I have heard that it is mentioned in Sahih Hadith that Muhammad pbuh used to seek refuge from the punishment in grave. But, Allah will account for our deeds and punish us for our sins or forgive us our sins or grant us Heaven IN THE HEREAFTER. What is the purpose of preponed double punishment in grave? Though the tremendous hard work of Muhadditheen are worth appreciation, I strongly believe that some concocted Hadith may have slipped into Sahih ones. The intention to put such a question is that such belief has made us believe life in grave. If sinful person will be punished in grave, then a pious wali will also be alive and not punished and the idea that he can intercede for us gets way.

Jazakallah.

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Answer:

Punishment in the grave

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Whatever happens to the soul after death in the grave, on the Day of Judgment, etc. is what is known as the knowledge of the ‘unseen’; and none possesses the Knowledge of the unseen except Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds, Alone. Thus to know what exactly transpires after death or in the grave, we must rely on only and only what is Declared by the All-Knowing Lord in His Glorious Quran, or what Allah Subhanah made known to Prophet Mohamed (saws) through inspiration, and he (saws) narrated it to the believers in his authentic traditions.

One cannot of himself say ‘I think…’, ‘I suppose…’, ‘I assume….’, or ‘it is said….’ etc. when it comes to knowledge of the unseen! The Only One Who has the Absolute Knowledge of the Seen and the Unseen is none other than the One Who Created everything in existence; and He Alone has the Right to declare in Truth what exactly transpires in the events of the ‘unseen’. Thus for any information of the ‘unseen’ the believers must rely only on what is declared by the All-Knowing Lord in His Glorious Quran, or what He Willed to make known to the Last Messenger (saws) through inspiration, and he (saws) narrated it to the believers.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5352 Narrated by Abu Sa'id

The Prophet (saws) said: "The grave (or the life of the soul between one’s death and one’s resurrection on the Day of Judgment) is one of the Gardens of Paradise, or one of the pits of Hell!"

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.”

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).

In light of the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) there is indeed questioning and punishment of the souls in the graves.

Respected brother, there is just so much evidence from so many varied sources and chains of narrators in the authentic and established Sunnah regarding the punishment in the grave that its reality simply cannot be denied!!!

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.

Your Statement: ….Though the tremendous hard work of Muhadditheen are worth appreciation, I strongly believe that some concocted Hadith may have slipped into Sahih ones.

We are in agreement with your opinion!

But because the punishment of the grave (the period between one’s death and one’s Resurrection on the Day of Judgment) finds mention in the Glorious Quran, its reality is beyond any doubt!

Your Statement: ….If sinful person will be punished in grave, then a pious wali will also be alive and not punished and the idea that he can intercede for us gets way.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imran Verses 169-170:

169 Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay! They are living, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.

170 They rejoice in the Bounty provided by Allah: and with regard to those left behind who have not yet joined them (in their bliss) the (martyrs) rejoice in the fact that on them is no fear nor have they (cause to) grieve.

171 They rejoice in the Grace and the Bounty from Allah and in the fact that Allah suffers not the reward of the faithful to be lost (in the least).

Just as the sinful are constantly punished in the life of the grave (the period between their death and their Resurrection), without an iota of a doubt the righteous rejoice in the bliss provided unto them by their Lord Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

But to assume that either the sinful or the righteous amongst the dead can from themselves see, hear, or respond to anything that is happening on the earth they have left behind would be an absolutely baseless and false belief!!! So the question of the pious ‘interceding’ for any on earth after their death is absolutely out of the question in light of the Guidance of the Quran and the authentic Sunnah!

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