The Opinion of Ahl-Sunnah About the Punishment of the Grave
Ahl-Sunnah believes that the punishment of the grave, the blessings of Heaven, and the questioning of Nakir and Munkar are true and established. Imam Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “Whoever says, ‘I do not believe in the torment of the grave,’ is one of the ruined Jahmiyyah group, as he has denied the promise of Almighty Allah, who says: «سنعذبهم مرتین» (‘We will punish them twice’).” This indicates denial of the punishment of the grave.
Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, asserts: “We believe in the punishment of the grave, and we affirm that the servant will be questioned in his grave.”
In the Manaqeb of Imam Shafe’i, may Allah have mercy on him, Al-Bayhaqi mentions that Imam Shafe’i, may Allah have mercy on him, affirmed: “…and the punishment of the grave, as well as the questioning of the inhabitants of the grave, is true.”
Allamah Nasafi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes regarding the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al-Jama’ah: “The blessings for the obedient in the grave and the questioning by Nakir and Munkar are established with sound proofs.”
Imam Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, states about the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al- Jama’ah: “We believe in the punishment of the grave for those who deserve it, and in the questioning of Nakir and Munkar in the grave about Allah, His religion, and His Prophet, based on narrations from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and from his Companions. The grave is either a garden from the gardens of Heaven or a pit from the pits of Hell.”
Hafez Abu Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “Sunnis believe that the punishment of the grave is true. If Allah wills, He will punish the one who deserves it; if He wills, He will forgive him.”
Reasons of Ahl-Sunnah
Verses of the Holy Qur’an
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: «النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ» (“Every morning and evening they will be offered to the fire, and on the Day of Resurrection [a cry will be heard that] you will punish the Pharaohs in the most severe [types of] punishment.”)
According to commentators and hadith scholars, this verse refers to the world of purgatory and the punishment of the grave. They interpret that first, the condemned are offered to the fire morning and evening, and then the painful punishment of the Day of Resurrection is mentioned, indicating two separate punishments. Here are the words of some commentators regarding this verse:
Allama Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “The public believes that this offering is in purgatory, and this itself serves as proof of the confirmation of the torment of the grave.”
Allamah Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “This verse is a very important principle in the argument of Sunnis regarding the punishment of purgatory in the graves.”
Almighty Allah states: «وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا عَذَابًا دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ» (“And in truth, apart from these [punishments], there will be [another] punishment for those who have done injustice, but most of them do not know.”)
Commentators consider this verse to refer to the punishment of the grave. This is also the opinion of the commentators of the Qur’an, Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Bara bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him.
Almighty Allah says: «مِمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْصَارًا» (“[Until] they drowned because of their sins and [after death] they were cast into the fire and found no help for themselves before Allah.”)
Ibn al-Khatib, may Allah have mercy on him, explains: “This saying of Almighty Allah indicates proof of the torment of the grave because this connected state occurred after they drowned, and it is not plausible to interpret the verse as referring to the punishment of the Hereafter. The meaning of ‘fa’ in the verse is negated.”
Allama Alousi also writes in the interpretation of this verse: “This fire is the fire of purgatory, meaning the punishment of the grave. The one who drowns in water, is burned by fire, or is torn to pieces by predators and scavengers will suffer a similar punishment as the owner of the grave.”
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