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:

Dear Brother Burhan,

Jazakallahu Khair for all your work. May Allah help you spread the good and save the Ummah from getting any false information about Islam.

I have a question about authenticity of following Hadith. I would certainly appreciate if you can help with this.

Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: 'When a man dies and his relatives are busy in funeral, there stands an extremely handsome man by his head. When the dead body is shrouded, that man gets in between the shroud and the chest of the deceased.

When after the burial, the people return home, 2 angels, Munkar and Nakeer(names of two special Angels), come in the grave and try to separate this handsome man so that they may be able to interrogate the dead man in privacy about his faith. But the handsome man says, 'He is my companion, he is my friend. I will not  leave him alone in any case. If you are appointed for interrogation, do your job. I cannot leave him until I get him admitted into Paradise '.

Thereafter he turns to his dead companion and says, 'I am the Qur'an, which you used to read, sometimes in a loud voice and sometimes in a low voice. Do not worry. After the interrogation of Munkar and Naker, you will have no grief.'

When the interrogation is over, the handsome man arranges for him from Al-Mala'ul A'laa (the angels in Heaven) silk bedding filled with musk.

Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: 'On the Day of Judgement, before Allah, no other Intercessor will have a greater status than the Qur'an, neither a Prophet nor an angel.'

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Quran intercessor hadith

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.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1757 Narrated by Abu Umamah

Abu Umamah said that he heard Allah's Messenger (saws) say: ‘Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1963 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Fasting and the Qur'an will intercede for man (on the Day of Judgment). Fasting says, 'O my Lord, I have kept him away from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.' The Qur'an says, 'I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my intercession for him.' Then their intercession is accepted."

In another famous narration the Messenger of Allah (saws) has declared ‘(On the Day of Judgment) the Quran will be a ‘hujja’ (argument) either for you or against you!’

In light of the above quoted absolutely clear guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws), there is absolutely no doubt that the Glorious Quran will be presented as an intercessor for those who accepted, submitted, and followed its wise counsel….and an argument against those who denied and rejected it.

Respected brother, as much as there is mention in the authentic and established Sunnah regarding the Quran being the intercessor, and the inevitable questioning which will take place in the grave of every deceased by the appointed Angels of Allah, Munkar and Nakir….to the best of our knowledge we have not come across a narration in the authentic and established Sunnah quite like the one you have quoted where the Glorious Quran supposedly comes as a handsome man in the grave of the deceased, and the subsequent interference he does with the duty of the Noble Angels of Allah, Munkar and Nakir….and Allah Alone Knows Best.

Respected brother, we remind you as we remind ourselves, that one should fear Allah and be extremely careful when quoting or attributing something to the Messenger of Allah (saws); for the chastisement of intentionally attributing a falsehood to Prophet Mohamed (saws) is very severe indeed.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 232 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘Be mindful when transmitting a Hadith from me. (Transmit) only that which you know (to be the Truth); for he who intentionally attributes a falsehood to me will find his abode in Hell-Fire.’

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