Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, passed by two graves and said: “These two people will be punished, and the punishment of these two is not for committing a great sin.” One of them used to gossip, and the other did not keep himself away from urine.
It is narrated from Umm al-Mu’minin Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us while a Jewish woman was with me. The Jewish woman said, “Have you ever felt that you are being tested in your graves?” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, felt fear and said: “The Jews are being tested.” Hazrat Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, says: “We lingered for a few nights; then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me: ‘Do you know that it was revealed to me that you will be tested in your graves?'” Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “Later, I heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, that he sought refuge in Allah Almighty from the torment of the grave.”
There are many narrations that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sought refuge from the torment of the grave while praying.
Ijma (Consensus)
The Companions of the Holy Prophet and the Tabe’een have a consensus regarding the proof of the punishment of the grave and that the disbelievers are punished in their graves. Imam Ash’ari, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “The Salaf Salih agree that the punishment of the grave is true and that people are tested in their graves after they die; they will be asked, and Allah will keep the one who loves His Prophet steadfast.”
The Sayings of the Scholars
Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “The opinion of Ahl al-Sunnah is that they confirm the punishment of the grave based on proof from the Book and the Sunnah.” Allama Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “Belief in the punishment of the grave and in the trials therein is obligatory. It is essential to confirm and believe in this issue, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us. Almighty Allah returns the soul of a servant who is obligated to the grave and grants him intellect so that he can answer the questions that are asked of him and comprehend what dignity, or humiliation awaits him in the grave. The hadiths that have reached us from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, affirm this matter, and this is the opinion of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al- Jama’ah. The Companions, in whose words the Qur’an and Sunnah were revealed, as well as the Tabe’een and those who followed them, received nothing from their prophets except this.”
Allama Abi al-Ezz Hanafi, the commentator of Al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah, after presenting the verses and hadiths, states: “The hadiths from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, confirming the punishment of the grave and the benefit of its blessings for those who deserve it, as well as the questioning by the two angels (Nakir and Munkar), are so numerous and well-established that belief in them is obligatory. We do not discuss how it is, as the intellect is not capable of fully understanding it. The reason for this is that the intellect in this world lacks the ability to comprehend it, and on the other hand, Sharia does not present anything that the intellect considers impossible; however, there are times when issues can leave people’s minds stunned. This is because the return of the soul to the body is not a normal issue and is unknown in this world; rather, this return is different from the recognized and normal returns in our lives.”
One of the reasons that led the Mu’tazila of the past and contemporary Mu’tazila to deny many occult matters such as the torment of the grave and the questioning by Nakir and Monkar is their excessive reliance on reason. Just as the Mu’tazila in the past denied occult truths confirmed by the Qur’an and the Sunnah, such as the existence of angels, jinn, devils, and the punishment of the grave and its blessings, by incorrect interpretations, some modernists have done the same in the present age.
Reminder: By studying hadith books, authentic interpretations, and other sources, we conclude that the punishment of the grave, its blessings, and the questioning by Nakir and Munkar in the grave are true, and there is no doubt about them. Many verses and hadiths, as well as numerous sayings of scholars, confirm this issue.
