13 Quranic verses affirming the punishment of the grave and responses to the objections of the deniers

This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Muhammad Arshad Kamal’s book Punishment of the Grave in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah.

punishes them and fire is presented to them morning and evening). Then, when the Resurrection occurs, their souls will return to their bodies and they will be cast into Hell forever.

Below are some ahadith in this regard which indicate that a person is informed of his good or bad end from the time of death.

Hadith Number ①

عن أبى هريرة عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: الميت تحضره الملائكة فإذا كان الرجل صالحا قالوا: أخرجي أيتها النفس الطيبة كانت فى الجسد الطيب أخرجي حميدة وأبشري بروح وريحان ورب غير غضبان فلا يزال يقال لها حتى تخرج ثم يعرج بها إلى السماء فيفتح لها فيقال من هذا فيقولون فلان فيقال مرحبا بالنفس الطيبة كانت فى الجسد الطيب ادخلي حميدة وأبشري بروح وريحان ورب غير غضبان فلا يزال يقال لها ذلك حتى ينتهى بها إلى السماء التى فيها الله عز وجل وإذا كان الرجل السوء قال أخرجي أيتها النفس الخبيثة كانت فى الجسد الخبيث أخرجي ذميمة وأبشري بحميم وغساق وآخر من شكله أزواج فلا يزال يقال لها ذلك حتى تخرج ثم يعرج إلى السماء فلا يفتح لها فيقال من هذا فيقال فلان فيقال لا مرحبا بالنفس الخبيثة كانت فى الجسد الخبيث ارجعي ذميمة فإنها لا تفتح لك أبواب السماء فيرسل بها من السماء ثم تصير إلى القبر

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: When the angels come to take the soul of a dying person, if the person is righteous and virtuous, the angels say: “O pure soul! You were in a pure body, now come out of the body. You are praiseworthy, be pleased with Allah’s mercy, there are the blessings of Paradise for you, your Lord is pleased with you.” The angels keep saying this to the dying person continuously until the soul comes out of the body. Then, when the soul comes out, the angels take it and ascend towards the heavens. The gates of heaven are opened for it and it is asked, “Who is this?” The angels reply, “This is so-and-so person.” The response is, “Welcome to this pure soul (in this world) who was in a pure body. O pure soul, enter the gates of heaven happily, there is glad tidings of Allah’s mercy for you, rejoice in the blessings of Paradise, and congratulations on meeting the pleased Lord.” At every gate of heaven, it is given these glad tidings continuously until the soul reaches the Throne.

If the dying person is evil, the angels say: “O impure soul! Come out of this body, you were in an impure body, come out of this body humiliated, and be given glad tidings of boiling water, pus, and some other punishments.” The angels keep saying this until the soul comes out, then they take it and ascend towards the heavens. The gate of heaven is not opened for it. The angels of heaven ask, “Who is this?” The reply is, “This is so-and-so person.” The angels of heaven say, “There is no welcome for this impure soul who was in an impure body, humiliate it and send it back.” The gates of heaven are not opened for such an impure soul, so the angels throw it down from the heavens and it returns to the grave.

Hadith Number ②

عن أبى هريرة عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إن المؤمن إذا احتضر أتته ملائكة الرحمة بحريرة بيضاء فيقولون أخرجي راضية مرضية عنك إلى روح الله وريحان ورب غير غضبان فتخرج كأطيب ريح المسك حتى أنهم ليناوله بعضهم بعضا يشمونه حتى يأتوا به باب السماء فيقولون ما أطيب هٰذه الريح التى جاءتكم من الأرض فكلما آتوا سماء قالوا ذلك حتى يأتوا به أرواح المؤمنين قال فلهم أفرح به من أحدكم بغائبه إذا قدم عليه قال فيسألون ما فعل فلان قال فيقولون دعوه حتى يستريح فإنه كان فى غم الدنيا فإذا قال لهم أما آتاكم فإنه قد مات قال فيقولون ذهب به إلى أمه الهاوية قال وأما الكافر فإن ملائكة العذاب تأتيه فيقول أخرجي ساخطة مسخوطا عليك إلى عذاب الله وسخطه فيخرج كأنتن ريح جيفة فينطلقون به إلى باب الأرض فيقولون ما أنتن هٰذه الريح كلما أتوا على الأرض قالوا ذلك حتى يأتوا به أرواح الكفار

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) said: When the time of a believer’s death approaches, the angels of mercy come carrying white silk (shroud) and say (to the soul), “O soul! Depart from this body with the mercy of Allah, the fragrance of Paradise, and towards your pleased Lord. You are pleased with your Lord, and your Lord is pleased with you.” When the soul of a believer leaves the body, it emits the best musk-like fragrance, so much so that the angels smell it from one another. When they reach the gates of the heavens, the angels of the heavens say among themselves, “What is this excellent fragrance coming to you from the earth?” When the angels reach the next heaven, the angels of that heaven say the same, until the angels bring that soul to the place of the souls of the believers (Al-A’laa). When that soul arrives, the souls already present feel as much joy as any one of you would feel upon meeting a brother. Some souls ask the newly arrived soul about the condition of so-and-so person. Then they say, “Leave him be, let him rest; he was afflicted with the hardships and pains of this world.” After a while, that soul replies, “Did that soul not come to you?” They say with sorrow, “He has been taken to his mother Hawiyah (i.e., Hell).” The angels of punishment come to the disbeliever and say, “O distressed and angry soul! Depart towards the punishment of Allah and His displeasure.” When the soul of a disbeliever leaves the body, it emits such a foul odor as that of a corpse. The angels take it towards the gate of the earth, and the angels guarding the gate say, “What a filthy smell this is!” When the angels reach the gate of the next earth, the angels guarding that gate say the same, until the angels of punishment bring it to the designated place of the souls of the disbelievers (i.e., Sijjin).

Hadith Number ③

عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال إذا خرجت روح المؤمن تلقاها ملكان يصعدانها قال حماد فذكر من طيب ريحها وذكر المسك قال ويقول أهل السماء روح طيبة جاءت من قبل الأرض صلى الله عليك وعلى جسد كنت تعمرينه فينطلق به إلى ربه عزوجل ثم يقول انطلقوا به إلى آخر الأجل قال وإن الكافر إذا خرجت روحه قال حماد وذكر من نتنها وذكر لعنا ويقول أهل السماء روح خبيثة جاءت من قبل الأرض قال فيقال انطلقوا به إلى آخر الأجل قال أبو هريرة رضى الله عنه فرد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ريطة كانت عليه على أنفه هكذا

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the soul of a believer departs, two angels take it towards the sky. (The narrator) Hammad says Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned the fragrance of the soul and musk and said that the angels of the heavens (upon smelling this fragrance of the soul) say: “This is a pure soul that has come from the earth. May Allah have mercy on you and on the body which you inhabited.” Then the angels take this soul to their Lord. Allah Almighty commands: “Deliver it to its appointed place (i.e., ‘Illiyyin) until the Day of Resurrection.” The narrator, while mentioning the departure of the soul of a disbeliever, said that Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned the foul smell of the soul and the curse of the angels upon it. The angels of the heavens say: “This is an impure soul coming from the earth.” Then (by the command of Allah Almighty) it is ordered to be taken to its appointed place (i.e., Sijjin) until the Day of Resurrection. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) states that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned the foul smell of the soul of the disbeliever, he (out of dislike) covered his nose with the edge of his cloak in this manner (and then showed how he covered his nose with the cloak).

Seventh Verse:

➐ ﴿فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا ۖ وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ. النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا ۖ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ .﴾

So Allah protected him from all the evils they had planned, and a severe punishment befell the people of Pharaoh. It is the fire before which they are brought every morning and evening, and on the Day when the Hour will be established, it will be commanded to cast the people of Pharaoh into the severest punishment.

These verses are clear and strong evidence for the affirmation of the punishment of the grave, a fact even acknowledged by the deniers of the punishment of the grave. Accordingly, Fazil Sahib writes in his 36-page booklet that: These verses are considered the most important and strongest proof of the punishment of Barzakh.

There are two very clear evidences in these verses, which are explicit texts affirming the punishment of the grave.
● Before the establishment of the Day of Judgment, the people of Pharaoh are presented before the fire every morning and evening, and the punishment they are shown before the Day of Judgment is the punishment of the grave. It should be noted that being presented before the fire is not exclusive to the people of Pharaoh but includes all criminals. Accordingly, there is a hadith: إن أحدكم إذا مات عرض عليه مقعده بالغداة والعشي إن كان من أهل الجنة فمن أهل الجنة وإن كان من أهل النار فمن أهل النار فيقال هذا مقعدك حتى يبعثك الله يوم القيامة
Indeed, when any one of you dies, his place is shown to him every morning and evening; if he is among the people of Paradise, he is shown among the people of Paradise, and if he is among the people of Hell, he is shown among the people of Hell. Then it is said, “This is your place,” until the Day of Resurrection when Allah will resurrect you.

with the addition that you will be raised towards Paradise or Hell.
It is understood that the presentation before the fire every morning and evening is not exclusive to the people of Pharaoh but includes all those whose deeds are like those of Pharaoh and his people.
● The second evidence in this verse is that on the Day of Judgment, the angels will be commanded to cast the people of Pharaoh into a more severe punishment. This indicates that the lesser punishment given to them before was the punishment of Barzakh. Because on the Day of Resurrection, they will ﴿أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾. The previous punishment was not as severe; therefore, it is called ﴿سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ ‎ ‏ النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا﴾ and then later ﴿أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾ indicating that the punishment given before the Day of Judgment was indeed a punishment but nothing compared to the severe punishment of the Day of Judgment.
Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi writes about this verse:
احتج اصحابنا بهذه الآية على اثبات عذاب القبر. قالوا: الاية تقضي عرض النار عليهم غدوا وعشيا، وليس المراد منه يوم القيمة؛ لأنه قال: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾ And it is not meant by it the worldly life; because the presentation of the fire to them morning and evening was not occurring in the worldly life, so it is established that this presentation happened after death and before the Day of Resurrection, which indicates the affirmation of the punishment of the grave for these people, and if it is established for them, it is established for others; because no one argues for a difference.
Our companions (respected teachers) have taken this verse as proof of the punishment of the grave. They have stated that this verse requires that the people of Pharaoh be presented before the fire morning and evening, and this presentation does not mean the Day of Resurrection, because for that it is said ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾ (and when the Day of Resurrection is established, it will be commanded to cast the people of Pharaoh into severe punishment). Nor does it mean the worldly life, because the presentation of fire morning and evening did not occur in the worldly life. Therefore, it is established that this presentation occurs only after death and before the Day of Resurrection. And this verse indicates the truth of the punishment of the grave for these Pharaohans. When it is established for these Pharaohans, it is established for others as well, because Allah’s command is the same for all.

Imam Hasan bin Muhammad Nisapuri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

وفي الآية دلالة ظاهرة على اثبات عذاب القبر، لان تعذيب يوم القيمة يجيء فى قوله: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ﴾

This verse is a clear proof of the punishment of the grave, because the mention of punishment on the Day of Resurrection is in this command: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ﴾

Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Every morning and evening their souls are brought before Hell. They will continue to suffer this punishment until the Day of Resurrection, and on the Day of Resurrection their souls along with their bodies will be cast into Hell, and on that day they will be told: O people of Pharaoh! Enter the severe, painful, and very distressing punishment. This verse is a great proof for the Ahl al-Sunnah belief that there is punishment in the Barzakh, i.e., in the graves.

Allama Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
ذهب الجمهور ان هذا العرض هو فى البرزخ: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾ clearly indicates that this presentation is in Barzakh.
The majority’s belief is that indeed this presentation before the fire is in Barzakh. ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾ clearly indicates that this presentation before the fire occurs in Barzakh.

Imam Suddi and Hudhail bin Sharhabil (may Allah have mercy on them) say:

هو انكم لما هلكوا جعلت ارواحهم فى اجواف طير سود، فهي تعرض على النار كل يوم مرتين، تغدوا وتروح الى حتى تقوم الساعة.

Indeed, when they were destroyed, their souls were placed in the bellies of black birds, then they were presented twice daily before the fire, morning and evening, until the Day of Resurrection.

Hazrat Ikrimah and Muhammad bin Ka’b (may Allah have mercy on them) say:

هذه الآية تدل على عذاب القبر، لان الله تعالى ميز عذاب الاخرة، فقال: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾

This verse indicates the punishment of the grave, because Allah Almighty separately mentions the punishment of the Hereafter: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾

Sayyid Qutb Shahid (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

والنص يلهم أن عرضهم على النار غدوا وعشيا وهو فى الفترة من بعد الموت إلى قيام الساعة وقد يكون هذا هو عذاب القبر

And this text indicates that their being presented before the fire morning and evening is the time between death and resurrection, and this is the punishment of the grave.

Dr. Muhammad Luqman al-Salafi states:
They were drowned in the sea with great humiliation and disgrace, and in the grave and Barzakh, their souls are punished by fire every morning and evening, i.e., at all times, and when the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah will command the angels to cast Pharaoh and his people into the severest punishment.
Suyuti, referring to Karmani’s book Al-Ajaib, wrote that this verse is the greatest proof of the punishment of the grave, because the verse mentions the souls being punished before the punishment of the Day of Resurrection.
The punishment of the grave is also proven by authentic hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Sayyida Aisha says: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Beware! You will be tested in the graves.

And Bukhari narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The punishment of the grave is true.” Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to seek refuge from the punishment of the grave after every prayer.

Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf states:
Those who are presented before the fire in Barzakh, i.e., in the graves, every morning and evening, this proves the punishment of the grave which some people deny. The hadiths clearly illuminate the punishment of the grave, for example, in the question and answer of Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: نعم عذاب القبر حق “Yes, the punishment of the grave is true.”

Similarly, in another hadith it is said: “When any one of you dies, his place is presented to him morning and evening in the grave, meaning if he is among the people of Paradise, Paradise is shown to him, and if he is among the people of Hell, Hell is shown to him, and it is said, ‘This is your real place where Allah will send you on the Day of Resurrection.'”

This means that the deniers of the punishment of the grave do not accept the explicitness of both the Qur’an and Hadith.

Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Among those drowned, only the body of Pharaoh was preserved by Allah; the bodies of all others became food for sea creatures or sank to the bottom of the sea. The waves of the sea, by Allah’s command, cast Pharaoh’s body ashore so that the common people might learn a lesson by seeing the fate of the king who claimed divinity. It remained on the seashore for a long time without decaying, remaining intact. It is said that a thick layer of sea salt covered his dead body, preserving it from decay. Now, whether the drowned bodies are at the bottom of the sea or inside sea creatures or Pharaoh’s body is in the Cairo museum, all their souls, upon drowning, went into Allah’s possession. From the day of drowning until the Day of Resurrection, their souls are presented every morning and evening before the Hellfire in which they will enter with their bodies on the Day of Resurrection. The period from their death until the Day of Resurrection, called the Barzakh, involves only presentation before the fire and only the souls are presented. (This is the personal opinion of Maulana Sahib; agreement is not necessary.)

But on the Day of Resurrection, they will enter the fire with their bodies. In this respect, the punishment of Barzakh is much lighter compared to the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, and the punishment of the Day of Resurrection is much more severe than the punishment of Barzakh. This verse explicitly mentions the punishment of Barzakh or the punishment of the grave.

In Tafsir Ashraf al-Hawashi it is stated:
Scholars have deduced from this verse that the disbelievers are being punished in Barzakh (the grave). Other verses of the Qur’an also contain indications about this, and there is a hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “After death, every person is shown his place in Paradise or Hell every morning and evening,” and this verse was recited as evidence.
Further in the same tafsir it is written:
According to the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, the punishment of the grave is true, and denying it is an innovation.

Pir Karam Ali Shah writes:
From this verse, Ahl al-Sunnah have affirmed the punishment of the grave. The grave does not mean only the pit in which someone is buried, because some people get a grave and some do not. Rather, it means the realm of Barzakh. The time after death and before the Day of Resurrection is called Barzakh. The two punishments given to the people of Pharaoh are mentioned here: one which they suffer before the Day of Resurrection, and the other which will be given to them after the Day of Resurrection.

Syed Abul A’la Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
This verse is clear proof of the punishment of Barzakh, which is mentioned extensively in hadiths under the title of the punishment of the grave. Allah Almighty here clearly mentions two stages of punishment: a lesser degree of punishment which is being given to Pharaoh and his people before the coming of the Day of Resurrection, which is that they are presented before the fire of Hell every morning and evening, and they are terrified by seeing this fire, knowing that this is the Hell they will ultimately enter. Then when the Day of Resurrection comes, they will be given the real and severe punishment destined for them, i.e., they will be thrown into that Hell which they have been shown since the time of drowning and will continue to be shown until the Hour of Resurrection. This matter is not exclusive to Pharaoh and his people; all criminals see their fate from the moment of death until the Day of Resurrection, and all righteous people are shown the beautiful picture of their good end which Allah has prepared for them.

Sheikh Abu Muhammad Abdul Haq al-Haqqani al-Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
النار يعرضون They are presented before the fire of Hell morning and evening.
Morning and evening do not mean only these two specific times but imply continuity. It is an idiomatic expression. Being brought before the fire means being shown it or receiving a lesser punishment compared to the Hereafter. Some say it means entering the fire. They say عرضهم على السيف اذا قتلهم (They were presented on the sword when they were killed).
He further writes:
This verse is clear evidence that after death there will be punishment and reward in the grave, as believed by Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, contrary to the Mu’tazila who say that punishment and reward occur only on the Day of Resurrection and consider the intermediate period empty, based on the saying of Allah ﴿مَن بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا﴾, which they call the time of sleep. The meaning of مرقدنا has been explained in the tafsir of Surah Yasin. Besides this verse, numerous authentic hadiths also confirm the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah.

The commentator of Sahih Bukhari, Maulana Dawood Raz (may Allah have mercy on him), writes:
This verse explicitly mentions the punishment of the two worlds; there is no other possibility. The two worlds mean the punishment of the grave and then the punishment on the Day of Resurrection.

Maulana Abul Hasan Sialkoti (may Allah have mercy on him), referring to Imam Qurtubi, writes:
The majority of scholars hold that being brought before the fire occurs in Barzakh, meaning the grave. This is because it is contrasted with the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, so it must occur before the punishment of the Day of Resurrection. There is no place other than Barzakh and the grave. Therefore, this verse proves the punishment of the grave.

Mufti Muhammad Shafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
This verse is proof of the punishment of the grave, and the narrations of hadith are mutawatir (mass-transmitted), and the consensus of the Ummah bears witness to it.

The Holy Qur’an mentions the punishments of Pharaoh and his people from Allah Almighty in all three worlds.

◈The Punishment of the World

Referring to the punishments that befell Pharaoh and the people of Pharaoh in this world, Allah Almighty said:

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ بِالسِّنِينَ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ﴾

And indeed, We afflicted the people of Pharaoh with drought and a reduction in fruits so that they might take heed.

﴿أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ وَالْجَرَادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ آيَاتٍ مُّفَصَّلَاتٍ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ . وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّجْزُ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ ۖ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا الرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ.﴾

Then We sent upon them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people. And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, “O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by the covenant He has made with you. If you remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel.”

These verses mention various punishments that came upon the people of Pharaoh at different times, such as drought, reduction in fruit production, flood meaning excessive rain or inundation that drowned everything, the punishment of locusts, which is famous for destroying crops. These locusts would devour their grain and fruit crops completely, قمل lice that infest the human body, clothes, and hair. The word قمل is also used for fleas, mosquitoes, and bedbugs. The punishment of frogs, everywhere there were frogs, even when they tried to eat, frogs would fall into their cooking pots.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Due to the flood, they began to die of hunger, then the punishment of locusts came, which ate not only trees but even door frames and doors, causing houses to collapse. Then Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), by Allah’s command, struck a stone with his staff from which countless lice emerged and spread. Eating, drinking, sleeping, and sitting all stopped. Then the punishment of frogs came; wherever you looked, there were frogs. Then the punishment of blood came; rivers, ponds, wells, pots, everything turned into blood instead of water.

Finally, when the oppression and tyranny of the people of Pharaoh reached its limit, Allah Almighty commanded His Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) to take the Children of Israel and leave that place overnight. Moses (peace be upon him) did so. When Pharaoh learned of this situation, he set out with his army in pursuit of Moses (peace be upon him). Eventually, Pharaoh’s army caught up with the Children of Israel at the edge of the sea.
Now the situation was such that only a short distance remained between the two armies, enough for them to see each other. The Children of Israel stood at the edge of the sea, and behind them, Pharaoh’s army was rapidly approaching on horseback. Seeing this, the Children of Israel became very frightened; in front was the sea, behind was Pharaoh’s army, so it seemed death awaited them from both sides. Allah Almighty commanded Moses (peace be upon him) to strike the sea with his staff. Moses (peace be upon him) did so, and Allah made a path in the sea for the Children of Israel to cross. Seeing this, Pharaoh also set out with his army along the paths. When the Children of Israel had crossed the sea and Pharaoh’s army was in the middle of the sea, Allah commanded the water to return. Pharaoh and his army drowned in the water. These were some of the punishments that befell Pharaoh and his people in this world as mentioned in the Holy Quran. Upon drowning, the torment of the Barzakh (intermediate world) began.

◈ The Punishment of Barzakh

Pointing towards the torment of the Barzakh world, Allah Almighty said:

﴿وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ . النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا﴾

And the family of Pharaoh will be seized by a terrible punishment. It is the fire upon which they are exposed morning and evening.

Imam Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

يعرضون عليها صباحا ومساء، يقال لهم: يا آل فرعون هذه منازلكم توبيخا ونقمة وصغارا لهم

They are presented to the fire morning and evening, and as a punishment to rebuke them, it is said in disgrace: O family of Pharaoh! These are your resting places.

Hazrat Maymoon bin Maysarah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:

كان أبو هريرة إذا أصبح ينادي: أصبحنا والحمد لله وعرض آل فرعون على النار، فلا يسمعه أحد إلا يتعوذ بالله من النار

When Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) would wake up in the morning, he would call out: We have woken up and all praise is for Allah Almighty, and the family of Pharaoh are presented to the fire. So whoever heard his voice would seek refuge with Allah from the fire.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with both of them) says:

أرواح آل فرعون فى أجواف طير سود فيعرضون على النار كل يوم مرتين فيقال لهم: هذه منازلكم فذلك قوله تعالى ﴿النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا﴾

The souls of the family of Pharaoh are in the bellies of black birds. So they are presented to the fire twice daily. Then it is said to them: These are your abodes, thus is the statement of Allah Almighty ﴿النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا﴾﴾.

Objection ①: The first objection of the deniers of the torment of the grave to this verse is that the family of Pharaoh will only be presented before the fire morning and evening until the resurrection; they will not be thrown into the fire. Can being presented before the fire and being thrown into the fire be considered the same in any way?

Answer: In this statement, the learned author has accepted that the family of Pharaoh is presented to the fire in Barzakh, فلله الحمد.. Now the question is only whether being presented to the fire is a torment or not?
The Quran itself states that the family of Pharaoh is presented before the fire morning and evening until the resurrection. But the question is, is this presentation to the fire merely to say أهلا وسهلا to them? Perhaps the deniers of the torment of the grave think that Allah commands the angels to take the family of Pharaoh to the fire because they were immersed in the cold water of the sea, which caused them to feel cold, so they are brought near the fire to warm up and remove their coldness. فيا للعجب!
Pharaoh and his family disobeyed Allah and His Messenger Moses (peace be upon him) in this world and oppressed the Children of Israel, yet Allah would let them enjoy warming themselves by the fire in their graves? This question does not arise.
Moreover, the deniers of the torment of the grave have great sympathy for the disbelievers and sinners; that is why sometimes they say that being presented before the fire is not torment, and sometimes they say that if the torment of Barzakh is accepted, then injustice will occur because one nation has been punished since the time of Noah and another since the time of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Is being presented before the fire not torment? When we sit near the fire of this world (which is seventy-nine (69) times less hot than the fire of Hell), do we not feel its heat? And if it is a hot season, we do not even look towards the fire, let alone be presented before it.
Meat is roasted by being presented to the fire, then see what happens to the meat. So if this is the condition of the fire of our world, what will be the condition of those presented to the fire of the Hereafter, which is seventy-nine (69) times hotter?
Allama Badi’uddin Rashdi (may Allah have mercy on him), while answering a similar objection, says: Being presented to the fire is itself torment, because even the water of Hell is such that ﴿وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ﴾

. If they cry out, their cries will be met with water like molten oil that will scald their faces.
So when the heat and intensity of the water of Hell is such that the face will burn near it, then what to say about the fire? Being presented to it is itself torment.

Objection ②: Based on أشد العذاب, to assume that before اشد العذاب there is light or less torment in Barzakh is not only fabricated but also against the Quran.

Answer: What is fabricated here? If you do not consider being presented to the fire as torment, can your denial change the reality? Being presented to the fire is itself torment. Those who work standing near a furnace, especially in intense heat, ask them if standing near the fire causes discomfort or not? And remember, this is the condition of the fire of this world; the fire of Hell is much more severe. If one person is presented before the fire and another is thrown into the fire, tell me who will have the severe torment and who will have the light one? No sane person will say that only those who are burned are tormented and not the one who is near the fire. No one will say that because he is very close to the fire and if he is also told that your turn will come next, he will also burn and be scorched in the fire.
Similarly, based on ﴿أشد العذاب﴾, if someone says here that ﴿أشد العذاب﴾ will happen on the Day of Resurrection while before that there is light or less torment in Barzakh, how is that against the Quran?
Has the Quran denied ﴿النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا﴾, i.e., the torment of being presented to the fire?
Our advice to you is to first read the definition of contradiction so that you understand what contradiction is and how it occurs. It is strange that whatever does not please your mind is declared fabricated and against the Quran, and whatever pleases your mind, even if fabricated and against the Quran, is considered true Islam by you. An example of this is the denial of the torment of the grave.
Objection ③: If being presented before the fire was truly torment, then the verse itself would have explicitly mentioned it as lesser torment or minor torment or light torment. Since Allah Almighty has not called being presented before the fire torment, it is wrong in every respect to call it the torment of the grave or the torment of Barzakh.

Answer: Suppose for a moment that being presented to the fire is not torment; now the deniers of the torment of the grave should tell what they will call it? Allah Almighty has called being presented to the fire سوء العذاب because the following phrase ﴿لنَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا﴾ سوء العذاب is a badal (substitute) from the original.

And anyone with even a little knowledge of grammar understands that badal and mubdal min (substitute and replaced) are the same, and badal is the intended meaning.
Objection ④: Consider that after being presented in court, the accused is kept in jail until the verdict, which the criminal does not consider as punishment for his crime, and the court does not reduce the punishment considering this period of imprisonment, which proves that the period of imprisonment before the verdict is of an interim nature. But our commentators and scholars try to prove the duration of the grave as punishment for the crime. Thus, they call the presentation of the family of Pharaoh before the fire morning and evening until the resurrection the torment of the grave or the torment of Barzakh.

Answer: First of all, this example is wrong because our world cannot be compared to the world of the Hereafter. The laws here cannot be like the laws of the Hereafter. For example, take this example that our courts do not consider the punishment given before the verdict as punishment, but with Allah, the punishment given before the verdict is called punishment, which will be explained later. And it is also completely wrong to say that the criminal does not consider the punishment given before the verdict as punishment. The criminal is in a kind of punishment even before the court’s verdict. Being confined in the lockup is also a kind of punishment, and sometimes the criminal is even tortured in the lockup. Who does not call that punishment?
The criminal worries about the punishment he will receive for his crime, which is greater than the lockup punishment and has not yet been given to him. Worrying about the punishment to come is also a kind of punishment.
Punishment is of two types: mental punishment and physical punishment. Even if the police do not give physical punishment to the criminal in the lockup, he will certainly suffer mental punishment. Thinking about his crime and the punishment to come will definitely cause mental suffering.
When the police arrest the criminal, it means he is on the way to his end. The real punishment will start after the court’s verdict, but before that, he receives various punishments. The criminal’s separation from his family and staying isolated in a small cell away from the whole world is also punishment. If you do not understand, stay there yourself or ask those who are undergoing such punishments.
Objection ⑤: Accusing Allah Almighty of giving punishment before the verdict is an accusation from which all the courts of the world are free.

Answer: It is requested that giving punishment to criminals before the Day of Judgment is not an accusation against Allah Almighty but His law. He Himself has stated this in His last book. He said:

﴿ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ﴾

Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of people have earned, so He may make them taste some of what they have done, perhaps they will return [to righteousness].

In another place He said:

﴿‏ لَّهُمْ عَذَابٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَشَقُّ ۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ﴾

For those disbelievers, there is a punishment in this world, and the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe; and they will not be helped.

In Surah Al-An’am He said:

﴿قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ۗ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ﴾

Say, “He is the one able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you [so you become] sects and make you taste the violence of one another.” Look how We present the signs that perhaps they will understand.

In Surah Al-Ankabut, mentioning the various punishments that befell previous nations such as those of Noah, Hud, Salih, and Shu’ayb (peace be upon them), He said:

﴿فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنبِهِ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ الصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾

Then each one We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast, and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And it was not Allah who wronged them but they wronged themselves.

There are countless such examples in the Quran. Now the question is, if there is no torment before the Day of Resurrection, then can all these nations say to Allah Almighty: O Allah! When You had appointed a Day for reckoning, then why did You torment us before that?
Consider that if today someone is punished in this world, what will you say?
Will you say that Allah Almighty (may we seek refuge) has wronged him?
Did Allah Almighty wrong those nations who were destroyed before us and were seized by Allah’s punishment? The Day of Reckoning is the Day of Resurrection, but torment is also happening in this world; why?
The answer that the deniers of the torment of the grave will give us will be the same answer we give.
It is clear that torment before the Day of Resurrection is not an accusation against Allah Almighty but His law that He punishes the criminal whenever He wills.

Eighth Verse:

➑ ﴿وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ ۖ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ ۖ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ ۖ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾

And there are some hypocrites among your neighbors and some among the people of Medina, whose hypocrisy has reached its extreme. You do not know them, but We know them. Soon We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a great punishment.

This verse explains that among Medina and its surrounding villages, there are some hypocrites who are so cunning and clever, and their hypocrisy is so deep and secretive that they do not reveal their hypocrisy. However, they are firmly entrenched in their hypocrisy. Not even the common Muslims, nor even you, O Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), despite your prophetic insight, can recognize them. Only Allah knows their hypocrisy, as He is aware of the intentions and secrets of hearts. These hypocrites will be punished twice, and after the second punishment, they will be returned to a punishment greater than all previous punishments.

﴿سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾

Soon We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a great punishment.
Here, ﴿عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾ unanimously refers to the punishment of the Hereafter, while the two punishments refer to the punishments of this world and the grave.
Imam Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) states that ﴿مَّرَّتَيْنِ﴾ refers to the punishment of this world and the grave; this is also narrated from Imam Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) and Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him).

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that once during the Friday sermon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: O so-and-so! Leave, you are a hypocrite, and O so-and-so! You also leave, you are a hypocrite. The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered many people to leave the mosque. Their hypocrisy was exposed to the Muslims. They were completely disgraced. They were leaving the mosque just as Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was coming. They hesitated a little, thinking that perhaps the prayer had ended and these people were leaving after finishing, and I was absent. Those people were also embarrassed, thinking that their condition had also been exposed to you. Then they came back to the mosque and saw that the prayer had not yet started. Then someone said to you: Rejoice! Today Allah has greatly disgraced and exposed the hypocrites. This was the first punishment when the Prophet (peace be upon him) expelled them from the mosque, and the second punishment is the punishment of the grave.

The commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him), writes:
روى الطبرى وابن ابى حاتم والطبراني فى الاوسط ايضا من طريق السدي عن ابي مالك عن ابن عباس قال: خطب رسول الله يوم الجمعة، فقال: اخرج يا فلان فانك ،منافق، فذكر الحديث، وفيه ففضح الله المنافقين، فهذا العذاب الأول. والعذاب الثاني عذاب القبر … رويا ايضا من طريق سعيد بن ابي عروبة عن قتاده نحوه. ومن طريق محمد بن ثور عن معمر عن الحسن ﴿سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ﴾ The punishment of the world and the punishment of the grave. And from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, it was reported to me similarly. And al-Tabari said, after mentioning differences from others, that the majority opinion is that one of the two punishments is the punishment of the grave, and the other may be one of the previously mentioned punishments such as hunger, captivity, killing, humiliation, or others.
Imam Tabari, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Tabarani narrated with the chain from Imam Sadi from Abu Malik, from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said in the Friday sermon: O so-and-so! Leave, indeed you are a hypocrite. Then (Ibn Abbas) narrated the complete hadith, which also mentioned that Allah disgraced the hypocrites. So this was the first punishment, and the second punishment is the punishment of the grave. Similarly, both Ibn Abi Hatim and al-Tabarani narrated from Saeed ibn Abi Aroobah from Qatadah in the same way. And from Muhammad ibn Thawr from Muammar from Hasan Basri, the interpretation of ﴿سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ﴾ was explained as the punishment of the world and the punishment of the grave. It is also narrated similarly from Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Imam Tabari, after mentioning the differences among these (Imams of Tafsir), said that the most dominant view is that one punishment is the punishment of the grave, and the other punishment is in this world, such as hunger, captivity, humiliation, or some other form of punishment.

Maulana Abdul Rahman Aajiz Malir Kotla (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
One of these is the humiliation and disgrace of this transient world which the hypocrites had to endure, and the other is the punishment of the grave after death. Because many hypocrites were given only one punishment in this world, not two. On the contrary, some hypocrites had to endure humiliation and disgrace many times. Now if each humiliation is considered one punishment, then they would have been punished many times in this world instead of twice. Therefore, the statement of punishing them twice becomes meaningless. However, if all the humiliations of this world are considered one punishment and the hardships and afflictions of the grave are considered the second punishment, then this is exactly in accordance with historical evidence and events.

The great contemporary scholar Maulana Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
The great punishment mentioned in this verse is the punishment of the Day of Judgment, and before that, the two punishments that will be given include the first punishment which is the punishment of this world, which was in the form of exposing their hypocrisy or some other similar punishment. But if the second punishment is not the punishment of the grave, then what other punishment is it? Please clarify this because it is not established that any of the hypocrites were punished twice in this world.

Ninth Verse:

➒ ﴿مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنصَارًا﴾

And those people were drowned because of their sins, then thrown into the fire; so they found no helper for themselves against Allah.

Allah Almighty sent Prophet Nuh (Noah) to a nation that had reached the extreme of disbelief and polytheism, so inviting them to monotheism was like disturbing a hornet’s nest. But Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him), by Allah’s command, invited his people to monotheism and said that he was sent only to warn them of Allah’s punishment. Therefore, do not worship anyone besides Allah, otherwise, he feared that Allah’s painful punishment would seize them. His preaching had no effect on the people; rather, they not only rejected his invitation but also made it a habit to trouble him at every turn of life and mock him. It is also Allah’s law that when a nation reaches the extreme of oppression, rebellion, and disobedience, it cannot escape His grasp. Similarly, when the time for the destruction of Nuh’s nation came, by Allah’s command, water began to boil out of an oven. Rain started falling from the sky, and water was coming out of the earth. Soon, everywhere was filled with water. Allah saved His Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) and those who believed in him from this flood, and drowned the rest of the nation. Referring to this, Allah said:
﴿مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ The people of Nuh were drowned because of their sins, then thrown into the fire. Being drowned because of sins was certainly Allah’s punishment. It is regrettable for the deniers of the punishment of the grave that Allah says:
﴿مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ while these people still insist that punishment will only occur after the reckoning on the Day of Judgment, and before that, there is no punishment.
Allah said that those people were drowned and then thrown into the fire, meaning that immediately after drowning, they were cast into the torment of the Barzakh (intermediate realm). This verse also indicates the occurrence of the punishment of the grave and the existence of the Barzakh.
Allama Alusi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

فأدخلوا نارا هي نار البرزخ والمراد عذاب القبر ومن مات فى ماء أو نار أو أكلته السباع أو الطير مثلا أصابه ما يصيب المقبور من العذاب

Then they were thrown into the fire; this is the fire of Barzakh, meaning the punishment of the grave. Whoever dies by drowning or burning or is eaten by beasts or birds, he undergoes the same punishment as those buried in graves.

Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
تمسك أصحابنا فى إثبات عذاب القبر بقوله ﴿أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ And this is from two aspects: first, the “fa” (then) in the phrase ﴿فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ indicates that this state occurred immediately after drowning, so it cannot be interpreted as the punishment of the Hereafter, otherwise the indication of this “fa” would be nullified. Second, he said ﴿فَأُدْخِلُوا﴾ as a report about the past, and this is only true if it actually happened.
Our scholars have derived the proof of the punishment of the grave from Allah’s statement ﴿أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾, and it has two aspects. First, the “fa” in فأدخلوا indicates that this state occurred immediately after drowning, so it is impossible to interpret this verse as referring to the punishment of the Hereafter (i.e., Resurrection), because that would invalidate the meaning of the “fa”. Second, أدخلوا is a report about the past, and this can only be true if it actually occurred.

Qazi Sanaullah Panipati says:
The fire means the realm of Barzakh, i.e., the fire of the grave, because the grave is either one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the pits of Hell. This verse proves that the people of Nuh were subjected to the punishment of the grave in the realm of Barzakh because the “fa” implies immediate occurrence after an action.

Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani says:
Apparently, they were drowned in water, but in reality, they reached the fire of Barzakh.

In Ashraf al-Hawashi it is stated: The punishment of fire began upon them immediately after death. Obviously, this refers to the punishment described in the hadiths as the punishment of the grave.

Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
When this flood came, the idols of that nation were of no use; they were drowned along with them, and immediately after drowning, they were admitted to Hell. This verse is among those that provide proof from the Qur’an for the existence of Barzakh or the punishment of the grave.

Ustadh al-Ulama Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhattvi (may Allah preserve him) writes:
﴿فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ “Then they were thrown into the fire.” The “fa” indicates that immediately after drowning, they were thrown into the fire, meaning that before the Day of Judgment, they were admitted to the fire in Barzakh and the grave, as Allah said about the people of Pharaoh:

﴿وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ النَّارُ﴾

And the people of Pharaoh were seized by a terrible punishment, the fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day when the Hour will be established, seize the people of Pharaoh with a dreadful punishment.

In summary, the people of Nuh and the people of Pharaoh were first drowned in water. After the punishment of water, the opposite, i.e., the punishment of fire, began, and then on the Day of Resurrection, they will be admitted to the ﴿أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾ of Hell.
This verse and the verse of Surah Al-Mu’min are strong proofs of the punishment of the grave.

Allama Ghulam Rasool Saeedi writes:
In the Holy Qur’an, it is stated ﴿أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ that the people of Nuh were admitted to the fire immediately after drowning. The punishment that will occur after the Resurrection will not be immediately after drowning but after long periods. Therefore, the punishment mentioned here can only be in the grave.

Mufti Muhammad Shafi writes:
From this verse, it is understood that there will be punishment for the dead during the time they reside in the realm of Barzakh, i.e., the grave. It also indicates that when the wrongdoer is punished in the grave, the righteous will receive reward and blessings. The authentic and mutawatir hadiths about punishment and reward in the grave are so numerous and clear that denial is impossible. Therefore, there is consensus among the Ummah and acknowledgment by Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah on this matter.

Sheikh Abu Muhammad Abdul Haq al-Haqqani says:
The “fa” and past tense in فأدخلوا have been used by Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah to prove that before the Resurrection, both the believer and disbeliever receive reward and punishment according to their deeds and faith.

Objection ①: Fazil Sahib’s baseless objections did not spare this verse either. He writes: فأدخلوا (then they were thrown) is taken as past tense meaning they were thrown into the fire, whereas the past tense is used in the Qur’an in many places to indicate certainty about future events. Therefore, the past tense cannot be proof of the punishment of the grave because it would cause contradiction in the Qur’an.

Answer: First of all, all these explanations are figurative. When the original text has a literal meaning, it is not permissible to abandon the literal meaning and resort to figurative interpretation unnecessarily because the punishment of the grave is proven not only from the Qur’an but also from numerous hadiths and the consensus of the pious predecessors.
The “fa” in فأدخلوا is a conjunction indicating sequence and immediacy, meaning this action happened immediately after the previous one. This means that after drowning, ﴿فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا﴾ they were thrown into the fire. If the intention was only to indicate that on the Day of Judgment they will be admitted to Hell, then instead of فأدخلوا, it would have been ثم فأدخلوا.
Objection ②: Fazil Sahib believes that the past tense فأدخلوا cannot be proof of the punishment of the grave because it causes contradiction in the Qur’an, i.e., punishment is given only after the judgment on the Day of Resurrection. Taking the meaning as future (they will be thrown) instead of past (they were thrown) causes no problem in the Qur’an.

Answer: Fazil Sahib, if everyone is to be punished only after the judgment on the Day of Resurrection, as you say, then tell us: is drowning a punishment or not? And has this punishment already been given? If the answer is no, then this contradicts reality because the people of Nuh drowned long ago in this world. And if the answer is yes, then it must be accepted that the major punishment begins on the Day of Resurrection, but other types of punishments before Resurrection are not contradictions in the Qur’an but clear and truthful statements. Also, will you interpret أغرقوا as future (they will be drowned) when they have already drowned in this world?
Example: If a person commits a crime, the police arrest him. Even before the court’s verdict, the criminal receives various punishments, but he knows that his main punishment begins only after the court’s decision. All these punishments are temporary. No sensible person denies the punishments given in detention centers.
Objection ③: The word نارا in the verse can only mean the fire of Hell because the mention of fire is specifically associated with Hell.
Answer: When do we say that this fire is other than the fire of Hell? We say that the fire of Barzakh is also part of the fire of Hell, and not only the fire of Barzakh but even the fire of this world is part of the fire of Hell, as in the hadith where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

ناركم هٰذه التى يوقد ابن آدم جزء من سبعين جزءا من حر جهنم قالوا والله إن كانت لكافية يا رسول الله قال فإنها فضلت عليها بتسعة وستين جزءا كلها مثل حرها

Your fire (of this world) which the son of Adam lights is one-seventieth of the fire of Hell. The Companions said: By Allah! O Messenger of Allah, that would have been sufficient. He said: But it is seventy times hotter than the fire of this world, and every part of it is equal to the fire of this world.

Objection ④: The hadiths about the punishment of the grave do not mention the punishment of fire.
Answer: A long hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) states that when a disbeliever fails to answer the questions in the grave, one of the doors of fire is opened for him, and he is told that this is your abode and other punishments prepared by Allah for you.

A hadith narrated from Bara’ ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

فنادى مناد من السماء أن كذب فافرشوا له من النار، وافتحوا له بابا إلى النار، فيأتيه من حرها وسمومها ويضيق عليه قبره حتى تختلف أضلاعه، وياتيه رجل قبيح الوجه، قبيح القياب، منتن الريح، فيقول ابشر بالذى يسوءك هذا يومك الذى كنت توعد، فيقول من انت؟ فوجهك الوجه يجيء بالشر، فيقول أنا عملك الخبيث فيقول رب لا تقم الساعة .

A caller from the sky announces that he has lied; prepare a bed of fire for him and open a door of Hellfire for him. Then the hot and poisonous wind of Hellfire begins to blow upon him, and his grave is constricted until his ribs are joined together. Then a foul, ugly, and worst-smelling person comes to him and says: “Give you glad tidings of a bad end. This is the day you were promised.” The disbeliever says: “Who are you? Your face itself has brought evil to me.” He replies: “I am your evil deeds.” The disbeliever says: “My Lord! Do not let the Resurrection occur.”

These few hadiths are mentioned as indications; otherwise, many hadiths mention the punishment of fire. However, if the deniers of the punishment of the grave have blinders on their eyes, we have no cure for them.
ؔ؎ If the eyes are closed, then the day is also night,
What fault does the sun have in this?
And remember, it is not necessary that punishment be only by fire; just as there are various types of punishments in this world, similarly, there will be various types of punishments in the Hereafter, as in Sahih Muslim وآخر من شكله أزواج (and many other such punishments) are mentioned. If the deniers of the punishment of the grave have read any hadith that does not mention the punishment of fire, does that negate other punishments? It is clear that the claim of the deniers of the punishment of the grave that no hadith mentions the punishment of fire is completely wrong and based on ignorance.

Tenth Verse:

➓ ﴿وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ. قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا. قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ.﴾

And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” He will say, “My Lord, why have You raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” He will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.”

In these verses, Allah Almighty informs that whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a depressed life, and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be raised blind. Regarding his condition, he will ask Allah Almighty, “O my Lord! Why has this happened to me, while I was healthy and my eyes were fine in the world, but today I see nothing? Why have You made me blind?” Allah Almighty will say that this happened because Our signs reached you, but you turned away from them. Since you treated Our signs like this in the world, the same is done to you today.

Remembrance (Dhikr) here means firstly the well-known remembrance about which Allah Almighty said:

﴿فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ﴾

So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.

Performing prayer سبحان الله، الحمد لله، الله أكبر، لا إلٰه إلا الله etc., all these are types of remembrance.

And the Holy Quran is also the remembrance of Allah Almighty ﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾ Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder (Quran), and indeed, We will be its guardian.

Here Allah Almighty has called the Quran “remembrance.” Similarly, at another place, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is also referred to as “remembrance” ﴿قَدْ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكُمْ ذِكْرًا ‎۔‏ رَّسُولًا يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ﴾
Indeed, Allah has sent down to you the Reminder (i.e., the Messenger who recites to you Allah’s verses).

Here the word “remembrance” is used for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Some have said that “remembrance” here means the Messenger, and accordingly it is said رسولا which is a metonymy because the one who conveys the Quran is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so in this context, he is called “remembrance.” Imam Ibn Jarir also confirms this meaning.

When the Messenger is called “remembrance,” then his speech (Hadith) is also included in remembrance. The conclusion is that whoever turns away from the Quran or the Prophetic Hadith (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty will give him a depressed life.

Now the question arises: In which world will this depressed life be? The world, Barzakh (intermediate state), or the Hereafter? Obviously, it cannot mean the life of the Hereafter because for that, a separate ﴿وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ﴾ has been mentioned.

The remaining two worlds are the world and Barzakh. The mentioned verse does not specify whether the depressed life will be in this world or the Hereafter.

If we take it as absolute, then this verse indicates the punishment of the grave, meaning that the one who turns away from Allah’s remembrance will have a life of hardship in this world and also a life of hardship in Barzakh, a life full of pain, suffering, and various punishments.

If we take it to mean only the worldly life, then this is a statement that is a clear proof. But if, on the contrary, we take it to mean only the life of Barzakh, it would not be wrong because one evidence is that in this world, many disobedient and rebellious people against Allah have lived a luxurious life, while many pious and God-fearing people have lived a life of hardship. The more pious and Wali (friend of Allah) a person was, the more trials and difficulties he faced. For example:

Pharaoh was disobedient to Allah but lived a life of luxury in this world; similarly, Haman, Qarun, Nimrod, and many other disobedient people of Allah. On the other hand, the Prophets (peace be upon them) and their companions often did not even have two meals a day properly; sometimes their stoves would not have fire for days. Even today, the enemies of Allah live in luxury, while the lives of Muslims are becoming increasingly difficult.

Another evidence is that the owner of the Quran, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), himself described معيشة ضنكا as the punishment of the grave.

In a long Hadith narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described the journey of the believer in the Hereafter and said about the disbeliever:
وإن الكافر إذا أتي من قبل رأسه لم يوجد شيء ثم أتىٰ عن يمينه فلا يوجد شيء ثم أتىٰ عن شماله فلا يوجد شيء ثم أتي من قبل رجليه فلا يوجد شيء فيقال له اجلس فيجلس خائفا مرعوبا فيقال له أرأيتك هذا الرجل الذى كان فيكم ماذا تقول فيه وماذا تشهد به عليه فيقول أى رجل فيقال الذى كان فيكم فلا يهتدي لاسمه حتىٰ يقال له محمد فيقول ما أدري سمعت الناس قالوا قولا فقلت كما قال الناس فيقال له علىٰ ذلك حييت وعلىٰ ذلك مت وعلىٰ ذلك تبعث إن شاء الله ثم يفتح له باب من أبواب النار فيقال له هذا مقعدك من النار وما أعد الله لك فيها فيزداد حسرة وثبورا ثم يفتح له باب من أبواب الجنة فيقال له ذلك مقعدك من الجنة وما أعد الله لك فيه لو أطعته فيزداد حسرة وثبورا ثم يقيض عليه قبره تختلف فيه أضلاعه فتلك المعيشة الضنك التى قال اللہ ﴿فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ﴾‎
Indeed, the angels come to him (to punish) from above his head; he does not find any obstruction. Then from his right side; he does not find any obstruction. Then from his left side; he does not find any obstruction. Then from his feet; he does not find any obstruction. Then he is told, “Sit!” So he sits down, terrified and frightened. The angels ask him: What do you say about the person who was sent among you? And what do you testify about him? He replies, “Which person?” They say, “The one who was sent among you.” He does not know about the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him) until it is told to him that he is being asked about Muhammad (peace be upon him). Then he replies, “I do not know. I heard people say something about him, so I said as they said.” They say, “It was on this doubt that you lived and died, and if Allah wills, you will be resurrected on this doubt.” Then one of the gates of Hell is opened for him, and he is told, “This is your abode of fire and the punishment which Allah has prepared for you.” His regret and destruction increase. Then one of the gates of Paradise is opened for him, and he is told, “If you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger, this Paradise would have been your abode and the blessings Allah had prepared for you in it.” His regret and destruction increase further. Then his grave is constricted upon him until his ribs overlap each other. This is معيشة ضنكا (the explanation) about which Allah Almighty said:

﴿فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ﴾

Sheikh Albani graded it Hasan.

عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى قوله ﴿فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا﴾ The punishment of the grave
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates regarding Allah’s statement ﴿فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا﴾ that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said (its explanation) is the punishment of the grave.

عن ابن مسعود قال إذا مات الكافر أجلس فى قبره، فيقال له: من ربك، وما دينك، فيقول: لا أدري، فيضيق عليه قبره، ثم قرأ ابن مسعود: ﴿فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا﴾ The constricted life is the punishment of the grave
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them) said that when a disbeliever dies, he is seated in his grave and asked, “Who is your Lord and what was your religion?” He says, “I do not know.” Then his grave is constricted upon him. Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them) recited the Quranic verse ﴿فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا﴾ and said that معيشة ضنكا is the punishment of the grave.

عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: يطبق على الكافر قبره حتى تختلف فيه أضلاعه، وهى المعيشة الصنك التى قال الله: ﴿مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ﴾

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the grave constricts upon the disbeliever until his ribs overlap, and this is معيشة ضنكا about which Allah Almighty said ﴿مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ﴾.

Imam Abu Salih and Imam Sudi have also narrated its explanation as the punishment of the grave.

Imam Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

وقول رابع وهو الصحيح أنه عذاب القبر قاله أبو سعيد الخدري وعبد الله بن مسعود وروى أبو هريرة مرفوعا عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد ذكرناه فى كتاب التذكرة قال أبو هريرة يضيق على الكافر قبره حتى تختلف فيه أضلاعه وهو المعيشة الضنك

And the fourth opinion, which is the correct one, is that indeed it is معيشة ضنكا the punishment of the grave. This is the opinion of Abu Sa’id Khudri and Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them), and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated it from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a Marfu’ (direct) narration which we have mentioned in our book “At-Tadhkirah.” Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the grave constricts upon the disbeliever until his ribs overlap, and this is معيشة ضنك.

Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

وقد قيل إن المراد بالمعيشة الضنكى عذاب القبر سيأتي ما يرجح هذا ويقويه

And indeed it has been said that معيشة ضنك means the punishment of the grave. Soon a detailed explanation will come which will prove this interpretation as preferable and strong.

After narrating several hadiths and reports, Imam Shawkani concludes:

ومجموع ما ذكرنا هنا يرجح تفسير المعيشة الضنكى بعذاب القبر

And the collection of all the narrations mentioned here supports the interpretation of ه معيشة ضنك as the punishment of the grave.

Allama Qazi Sanaullah Panipati says:
Imam Bagawi narrated the opinion of Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Hurairah, and Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with them) that معيشة ضنك means the punishment of the grave. Bazzar narrated with an excellent chain from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that معيشة ضنك is the punishment of the grave. Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the earth will press him so that his ribs come out on both sides. Some Musnad hadiths have Marfu’ narrations that the grave will constrict upon him so that his ribs come out on both sides, and the punishment will continue until he is raised from the grave.

Sayyid Ahmad Hasan Muhaddith Dehlavi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
The conclusion of these verses is that whoever does not accept the heavenly book and the Messenger of Allah will be caught in the punishment of the grave immediately after death. Although there are many opinions of the Salaf regarding the definition of معيشة ضنك, Hafiz Abu Ja’far bin Jarir preferred the interpretation of the punishment of the grave in his Tafsir. In the authentic Musnad Bazzar, it is narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself defined معيشة ضنك as the punishment of the grave.

Mufti Muhammad Shafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Their livelihood in the grave will be constricted; it will be their dwelling place, and it will press them so that their ribs begin to break, as clarified in some hadiths.

Eleventh Verse:

⓫ ﴿أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ .‏ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ . كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ‎.‏ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ‎. كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ.﴾

The desire for excess has made you heedless until you have visited the graves. Never! Soon you will know. Then never! Soon you will know. Never! If you had known with certain knowledge (the consequence), you would never have done so.

In these verses, Allah Almighty warns people about the worst outcome of materialism, due to which they remain busy until their dying breath in acquiring as much wealth, worldly benefits, pleasures, and power as possible, competing with one another and boasting about these acquisitions. This very thing has made them heedless of the Hereafter. Allah Almighty informs such people of their bad end by saying ﴿حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ﴾ “until you visit the graves.”

Allama Abdul Rahman Mubarakpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

أى حتىٰ متم ودفنتم فى المقابر يقال لمن مات زار قبره

Meaning, until you die and are buried in graves. A person who dies is said (in Arabic) زار قبره (he has seen his grave).

﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ. ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ.﴾

Never! Soon you will know. Then never! Soon you will know.

This repetition is for emphasis, where one warning is followed by another. The first warning concerns the torment of the Barzakh (intermediate state), and the second warning concerns the torment of the Hereafter.

Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi explains the reasons for this repetition in Tafsir Kabir, writing:

أحدها أنه للتأكيد وأنه وعيد بعد وعيد

The first reason is that indeed it is for emphasis, and indeed it is one warning after another.
He explains the second reason, writing:

أن الأول عند الموت حين يقال لا بشرى والثاني فى سؤال القبر من ربك والثالث عند النشور حين ينادي المنادي فلان شقي شقاوة لا سعادة بعدها أبدا وحين يقال وامتازوا اليوم

Indeed, the first كلا سوف is about death, at which time it will be said that there is no glad tidings for you. The second is about the questioning in the grave من ربك. The third is about the Day of Resurrection, when the announcer will declare, “So-and-so is unfortunate,” after which there will be no congratulations, and when it will be said, “Today the criminals shall be separated.”

Imam Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

هو وعيد بعد وعيد وكذا قال الحسن

It is one warning after another. Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) also says the same.

Imam Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his tafsir:
قال ابن عباس ﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ The torment that descends upon you in the grave ﴿ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ and in the Hereafter when the torment comes upon you; the first is in the grave and the second in the Hereafter, so the repetition is for both states.

Our master Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that ﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ refers to the torment that will befall in the grave, and ﴿ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ refers to the torment of the Hereafter. So the first (verse) is about the grave and the second about the Hereafter. Thus, the repetition is for the two states.

Allama Alusi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

قال على بن أبى طالب الأول فى القبور والثاني فى النشور

Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the first كلا سوف is the torment of the grave and the second is the torment of the resurrection.

Imam Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

وفي هذا دليل على صحة القول بعذاب القبر لأن الله تعالى ذكره أخبر عن هؤلاء القوم الذين ألهاهم التكاثر أنهم سيعلمون ما يلقون إذا هم زاروا القبور وعيدا منه لهم وتهديدا

This (Surah) is evidence for the reality of the torment of the grave because Allah Almighty mentioned it and informed about those people whom the abundance of wealth made heedless, that indeed soon they will know what they will encounter when they visit the graves. This is a warning and a threat from Him (Allah Almighty).

Imam Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
‏ ﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ Meaning in the graves. It is said ﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ when death descends upon you and the angels come to take your souls ﴿ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ when you enter your graves and Munkar and Nakir come to you, and the horror of questioning surrounds you and your answers cease.

Never! Soon you will know means in the graves, and it is said that the first ﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ means when death comes to you and the angels come to seize your souls, and the second ﴿كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ means when you reach the graves and Munkar and Nakir come and the questioning surrounds you and your answers are cut off.

Allama Abdul Rahman Mubarakpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

اعلم أن فى القرآن المجيد آيات تدل على ثبوت عذاب القبر أحدها هذه الآية أعني قوله تعالىٰ ﴿أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ ‎ ۔ ‏ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ۔﴾

Know well that indeed there are many verses in the Holy Quran that indicate the affirmation of the torment of the grave, among which is this verse. My meaning is the command of Allah Almighty ﴿أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ ‎ . ‏ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ.﴾.

Dr. Muhammad Luqman al-Salafi (may Allah preserve him) says:
Allah Almighty said that people will remain completely heedless of the remembrance of Allah and the thought of the Hereafter until you reach the grave, at which time the veil from your eyes will be lifted and the reality will appear before you, but at that time faith and certainty will be of no benefit.

Twelfth Verse:

⓬ ﴿قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ هَادُوا إِن زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ لِلَّهِ مِن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ‎.وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ ‎.﴾

Say, O Jews! If you think that you alone are the friends of Allah besides all people, then wish for death if you are truthful in your claim. But they will never wish for death because of what their hands have sent before them, and Allah knows well the wrongdoers.

The Jews used to say that we are the sons of Allah.

We will never enter Hell, and if by chance we do enter Hell, it will only be for a few days.

They also used to say that only Jews will enter Paradise.

In these verses, Allah addressed the Jews and said that if you are truthful in these claims, then wish for death, because death is the only means to attain the rewards and honors of Paradise. Then it was also informed that the Jews will never wish for death because they know that immediately after death, the punishment for their misdeeds will begin.
Here ﴿فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ﴾ (So wish for death) is stated. If there were no reward or punishment in the grave after death, then what was the need to say ﴿فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ﴾? Could it have been said فتمنوا الحشر or فتمنوا القيامة? Those who deny the punishment of the grave should consider that in this world there is both comfort and hardship; similarly, in the Hereafter, some people will receive ease and pleasure, and some will suffer grief and pain. Now, if there is no reward or punishment in the Barzakh (intermediate state), as the deniers of the punishment of the grave claim, then it means that the Barzakh is better and higher than both this world and the Hereafter because in this world and the Hereafter there is reward and punishment, but not in Barzakh? ففهم وتدبر
The deniers of the punishment of the grave themselves eagerly present the verse ﴿يَاوَيْلَنَا مَن بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا﴾

“Alas for us! Who has raised us from our sleeping place?” to negate the punishment of the grave and say that the grave is a resting place where no punishment is inflicted.
Now the question arises, if there is no reward or punishment after death, then why was ﴿فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ﴾ said? Does Allah (may He be protected) want to relieve the Jews from the sufferings of this world and send them to the grave for rest?
In the next verse ﴿وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ﴾, Allah informs that they can never wish for their death because they know that the sins they have committed are sins that lead to the Fire, and Allah is more aware of their crimes. Therefore, wishing for death is equivalent to cutting off one’s own feet. The Jews understood well that the deeds they had done would immediately subject them to punishment as soon as they left this world.
It is understood that the process of reward and punishment begins immediately after death, and this reward and punishment is called the punishment of the grave.
Allama Alusi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

فعلموا أنهم لو تمنوا لماتوا من ساعتهم ولحقهم الوعيد

So they knew that if they wished for death, they would die immediately and the threat would befall them.

Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
After the revelation of this verse, merely to prove their claim true, they did not even verbally or falsely wish for death because they were fully aware of their misdeeds and firmly believed that upon death they would go straight to Hell instead of Paradise. Therefore, not only did they not wish for death, but they became extremely eager to live as long as possible.

Thirteenth Verse:

⓭ ﴿يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ . ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً. فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي ‎. وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي.﴾

O tranquil soul! Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. So enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.

In these verses, Allah Almighty describes the end of His righteous servants, stating that the angels give them this glad tidings while addressing their souls to return to their Lord. Your Lord is pleased with you, and He will also please you. Then Allah announces: O soul! Go to My special servants and enter My Paradise.
This address to the believer’s soul will occur at the time of death, as mentioned in authentic hadiths, and it is also possible that it happens at the time of death and when rising from the grave.
The hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), which has been mentioned on previous pages, states that when the time of a believer’s death comes, the angels of mercy come carrying white silk (shroud) and say:

أخرجي راضية مرضية عنك إلىٰ روح الله وريحان ورب غير غضبان

(O pure soul!) Depart towards the mercy of Allah, the fragrance of Paradise, and your pleased Lord, while you are pleased with Him and He is pleased with you.

Imam Hakim, in his scholarly manner, says: هذه الاسانيد كلها صحيحة
In the narration of Ibn Majah, the words are:

أخرجي أيتها النفس الطيبة كانت فى الجسد الطيب أخرجي حميدة وأبشري بروح وريحان ورب غير غضبان

O pure soul! Come out from the pure body in which you were, while you are worthy of praise and be pleased with the mercy (of Allah), the fragrance (of Paradise), and your Lord is not displeased with you.

Sheikh Albani has declared it authentic.
The words of the narration of Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) are:

أيتها النفس الطيبة أخرجي إلىٰ مغفرة من الله ورضوان

O pure soul! Depart towards Allah’s forgiveness and pleasure.

Sheikh Abdul Haq Al-Haqqani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
This also happens at the time of death for the righteous because it is a minor resurrection. The angels of mercy kindly say: O tranquil soul! Go to your Lord, leaving this desolate world; you are pleased with Him and He is pleased with you. Great preparations await you there. This is extensively confirmed in authentic hadiths.

Imam Abu Salih (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
﴿ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً﴾ This is said at the time of death ‏ ﴿فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي﴾ This is said on the Day of Resurrection
﴿ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً﴾ This will be said at the time of death while ﴿فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي﴾ will be said on the Day of Resurrection.

Usama bin Zaid (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father about ﴿يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ﴾ and says : بشرت بالجنة عند الموت ويوم الجمع وعند البعث. This glad tidings of Paradise will be given at the time of death, on the Day of Gathering, and at the time of rising.

Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Those who are peaceful and tranquil there, pure and steadfast, companions of the truth, will be told at the time of death and when rising from the grave: Return to your Lord and His neighborhood, to His reward and recompense, to His Paradise and pleasure. They are pleased with Allah and Allah is pleased with them, and He will give so much that they will also be pleased. Enter among My special servants and enter My Paradise.

Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
This will be said to him at the time of death and also on the Day of Resurrection when he rises again and proceeds towards the gathering place. It will also be said when he is presented before Allah’s judgment. At every stage, he will be reassured that he is going towards Allah’s mercy.

Sayyid Ahmad Hasan Muhaddith Dehlavi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
The angels will give glad tidings of salvation to the good people at the time of soul-taking, burial, rising from the grave, and on the Day of Resurrection.

Now a question arises: Do Allah’s servants enter Paradise immediately after death, or will they be admitted after resurrection? The simple and straightforward answer is that when a person’s connection with this world is severed, the glad tidings of Paradise will be given to him. When a person’s connection with this world ends, he immediately goes to the Hereafter, where there are only two places for humans: one called Paradise and the other called Hell. Therefore, it is accepted that upon departure from here, the people of Hell become connected with the people of Hell, and the people of Paradise become connected with the people of Paradise, although the complete entry, which will be after resurrection and reunion with the body, will be called complete entry. It should be remembered that full understanding of the Hereafter will only be possible when the matter actually occurs because this is not something observable in this world but purely a matter of faith in the unseen, on which no debate is possible.
Allama Zamakhshari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

فإن قلت متى يقال لها ذلك قلت أما عند الموت وأما عند البعث وأما عند دخول الجنة

If you ask when this is said to him, I will answer: at the time of death, when rising from the graves, and when entering Paradise.

In Tafseer Durre Manthur and Jami’ Al-Bayan it is mentioned that:
In the presence of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), someone recited the verse ﴿يٰۤاَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَىٕنَّةُ﴾ to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and Abu Bakr Siddiq said, “How good is this statement, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “O Abu Bakr! Soon an angel will say this (statement) to you at the time of death.”

Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
This will be said to him at the time of death, when rising from the graves on the Day of Gathering, and when proceeding towards the gathering place, and after the divine judgment. It is as if at every stage he is reassured that he is among Allah’s obedient servants and deserving of Paradise.

Dr. Muhammad Luqman Al-Salafi (may Allah have mercy on him) also writes similarly that this will be said to the soul at the time of death and on the Day of Resurrection.

It should be noted that this address is for the believers, while for the disbelievers, what will be said at the time of death is the opposite. For example, in the narration of Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), the angels say to the disbeliever at the time of death:

أيتها النفس الخبيثة أخرجي إلىٰ سخط من الله وغضب

O impure soul! Depart towards the anger and wrath of Allah.
In the narration of Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), it is said:

أخرجي أيتها النفس الخبيثة كانت فى الجسد الخبيث أخرجي ذميمة وأبشري بحميم وغساق وآخر من شكله أزواج

O impure soul! Depart (from this body) — you were in an impure body — depart (from this body) humiliated, and be given the glad tidings of boiling water and some other punishments. (These hadiths have been mentioned earlier.)