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Is the punishment of the grave a reality? PDF Print E-mail
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Q: 321 ? Title: Is the punishment of the grave a reality?

Question

One of my friends said that there is no such thing as azaabe qabr, and that such things go against the Quran and there is no authentic Hadith related to azaabe qabr. Could you kindly narrate a few if any?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-sal?mu ?alaykum wa-rahmatull?hi wa-barak?tuh.

It is the belief (aq?dah) of the Ahle-Sunnah-wal-Jam??h that the punishment in the grave is a reality which is proven from the Quran and Ah?dith. Hereunder are some references.

Verses from the Qur?n:

???????? ??????????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? . ???????? ??????? ?????????? ?????????? ??? ?????????? ??????? ??????????

1. ?And they will be exposed to the fire day and night. Then, on the day the hour will rise (day of judgement), it shall be said to the Angels: Cast the people of the Pharaoh into the severest punishment!?

(40:46)

Commentary:

? ?Our scholars have substantiated the punishment in the grave with this verse of the Holy Qur?an. They say: ?The verse indicates that fire will be brought to them morning and evening and this does not refer to the day of judgment as Allah says: ?And on the day judgment will be established, cast you the people of Pharaoh in the severest penalty? (i.e. it is referring to a time that is before the day of judgment, m). It also does not refer to this world, as bringing them to the fire did not occur in this world. Therefore, it becomes evident that this happened after their death and will happen before the Day of Judgment, thus it proves the establishment of the punishment in the grave. When it is established and proved for Pharaoh?s people it will also be established for others, as there is no reason of distinction?[1]

? ?This verse is a fundamental evidence for the Ahle-Sunnah-wal-Jam??h in establishing the punishment of the grave?.[2]

?????????????? ???????????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???????

2. ?We shall punish them twice and then they will be returned to a great punishment?

(9:101)

Commentary:

? Tabarani narrates from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that he said: ?Once on Friday the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) gave a sermon. And then he said: ?Allah has disgraced the hypocrites in the world and that is the first punishment and the second punishment will be in the grave? [3]

?????? ?????? ???? ????????????? ??? ????????? ????????? ???????????????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ??????????? . ????????? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ????????? ???? ???????? ???????????????

3. ?If only you could see when the wrongdoers are in the throes of death and the Angels are stretching out their hands saying ?Bring forth your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of disgrace because of what you used to say about Allah other than the truth. And you grew arrogant against his signs!?

(6:93)

Commentary:

? This is an address to the wrong doers while they are dying, informing them that they will be severely tormented on the very day of their death. If the punishment were to be postponed to the Day of Judgment, they would not have been told: ?This day you shall be recompensed?. This proves that there is a torment in the grave.

References from the Ah?d?th:

???? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ?????: ????? ?????????? ????????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???????[4]

1. Hazrat Aisha radhiallahu anha narrates that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: ?Verily there is a constriction in the grave and if anyone was to pass it or be safe from it, it would be Sa?d bin Mu?dh.?

????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????????: ????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ??????? ????????? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ????????[5]

2. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: ?The grave is a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell?

???? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ?????: ????? ????????? ???? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ??????? ????: ???????? ?????????? ??????????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ?????? ?????: ????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???????? ?????????? ?????: ????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ??????????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ???????? ??????? ??????

?????: ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???????? ?????????: ???? ???????? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????????? ???????? ??????[6]

3. H?ni? the freed slave of Hadhrat Utm?n radhiallahu anhu narrates that when Hadhrat Uthm?n ibn Aff?n would stand in front of a grave, he would cry until his beard would become moist. It was once said to him. You mention Heaven and Hell and you don?t cry yet you cry from this? He replied ?Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said ?Verily the grave is the first hurdle from the hurdles of the Hereafter. If one succeeds in it, then what is to come after it will be easier for him. However, if does not succeed in it, then what is to come after it will be harder for him.?

He also said that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: ?I have not seen a sight except that the grave is more horrific than it.?

????? ?????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ??????????? ????? ????????? ??????????? ??????????? ??????????? ?????????: ????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????? ??????????? ????????? ?????? ??????????: ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ????????? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????????? ???? ???? ???????? ??????????? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ????????[7]

4. ?Sa?d radhiallahu anhu used to teach his children the following words like how a teacher teaches children to write. He used to say ?Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam used to seek Allah?s refuge from these things after every Sal?h.? ?Oh Allah, I seek your protection from cowardice and I seek your protection from that I am sent forth to a feeble age and I seek refuge in you from the trials of the world and I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the grave.?

???? ????????? ?????? ??????? ???????: ????? ???????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ????????? ?????: ????????? ??????? ???? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ??????? ????????? ???????: ??????? ??????? ????????.??????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ???????: ????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ????????[8]

5. Aisha radhiallahu anha narrates that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the punishment of the grave and said ?May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave.? So Hadhrat Aisha radhiallahu anha asked Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam about the punishment of the grave and Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said ?There is a punishment of the grave?. Aisha radhiallahu anha says that I never saw Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam pray a Sal?h after that instance except that he seeked refuge from the punishment of the grave.

???? ????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????? ?????????? ???????: ??????????? ?????????????? ????? ???????????? ???? ??????? .????? ?????: ????? ?????? ??????????? ??????? ??????? ??????????????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ???? ????????...[9]

6. Ibn Abb?s radhiallahu anhu narrates that once Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam passed by two graves and said ?Verily both of them are getting punished albeit not from a major sin.? Then he said ?This one used to be a tale bearer and this one did not safeguard himself from his urine.?

Above are only a few Ah?dith. There are numerous other narrations in the other books.[10]

Consensus of the Asl?f (pious predecessors)

Our illustrious, wise sincere predecessors also accepted, believed in and preached the reality of the punishment of the grave. Below are just a few quotes:

? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???. ??? ??? ?????: ?? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ???????.[11]

1. ?And we believe in the punishment of the Grave for the people who deserve it. Imam Abu Han?fa said: Whosoever denies the punishment of the grave, then he is from the perishing Jahmiyyah group.?

? ???? ????? ???????? ? ???? ???? ????????[12]

2. ?And the punishment of the grave is for the disbelievers and for some of the disobedient believers.?

? ???? ????? ? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????[13]

3. ?And the constriction of the grave and the punishment of the grave for all of the disbelievers. And for some of the disobedient believers it is a true possibility.?

??????? ????? ????? ?????? ????. ???????? ?? ????[14]

4. Imam Qurtubi states: ?Belief in the punishment of the grave and its trials is obligatory and affirming it is incumbent.?

??? ??????? ?????: ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???[15]

5. Murwadhi says: Abu Abdillah (Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal) told us: ?The punishment of the grave is Haq and none deny it except a person who is deviated and one who deviates.?

The Ah?dith in support of the punishment of the grave are mutaw?tir. [16] Contrary to the belief of some who contend that there is no shar?? basis for the punishment of the grave.

Imam al-Taftazani states in his commentary of al-Aq??id al-Nasafiyya:

? ???????: ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ???????

?In general the narrations on this subject (punishment of the grave) and on many of the states of the next world are mutawatir in meaning, although the individual narrations taken separately do not attain the rank of tawatur?

(Sa?d al-Din al-Taftazani on the creed of Najm al-Din al-Nasafi, P.127- D?ral Bayr?ti)

Imam al-Suyuti (Allah have mercy on him) compiled seventy such narrations in his excellent book Sharh al-sud?r fi ahw?l al-mawt? wa al-qub?r. He says:

?? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?? ???????? ??? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???????? ???????? ?? ????????? ??????????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?????????? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?? ???????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ??????????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??????????? ????? ???????? ????? ????????? ????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ????? ???? ??????? ???????????

?The narrations with regards to the punishment of the grave have reached the level of certainty (taw?tur). They have been reported by a group of Companions (Allah be pleased with them all)?,

(Pg.119. D?rul Madani)

The punishment of the grave has been so clearly proven that the the four main Fuqah? (Imam Abu-Hanifa, Sh?fi, Ahmad, M?lik rahmatullahi alaihim), all the Muhaddith?n and Asl?f are all unanimous on the fact that the punishment of the grave is a reality and they all believe in it. These are the people who were given the true understanding of the Qur?n and Ah?dith.

And Allah Ta??la Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net


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[13] Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, White Thread Press

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[15] ????? ????????. ??? ???????

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