Punishment of the Grave in the Light of Hadith
Many hadiths related to the torment of the grave have been narrated from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which were transmitted by the noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and the followers, may Allah have mercy on them, such as Lady Aisha, Abu Huraira, Abdullah bin Masood, Abdullah bin Abbas, Abdullah bin Umar, Anas bin Malik, Abu Saeed Khudri, Bara bin Azib, Zaid bin Thabit, Asma bint Abi Bakr Siddiq, and Hani Mawla Usman, may Allah be pleased with them all, and others.
The number of these hadiths has reached the level of mutawatir (mass transmission), as Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, writes in his fatwas: فأما أحاديث عذاب القبر ومسألة منكر ونكير فكثيرة متواترة عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم meaning that the hadiths about the torment of the grave and the questioning by Munkar and Nakir have been narrated from the Prophet ﷺ in abundance and with mutawatir transmission.
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
وقد تواترت الأخبار عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى ثبوت عذاب القبر ونعيمه and indeed, there are mutawatir hadiths narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ confirming the torment of the grave and the blessings of the grave.
Here, we will only quote those hadiths on which the denier of the torment of the grave, Fadil Sahib, has raised objections in his 36-page booklet. However, if anyone wishes to be informed of all these hadiths, they may consult the following books, all books of hadith and tafsir, in addition to
,
.”
Hadith Number ①
عن ابن عباس قال: مر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بقبرين فقال: إنهما ليعذبان وما يعذبان فى كبير، أما أحدهما فكان لا يستتر من البول، وأما الآخر فكان يمشي بالنميمة ثم أخذ جريدة رطبة فشقها نصفين، فغرز فى كل قبر واحدة. قالوا: يا رسول الله لم فعلت هذا؟ قال: لعله يخفف عنهما ما لم ييبسا .
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrates that (once) the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم passed by two graves and said: “The occupants of these two graves are being punished, and not for any major sin. One of them did not guard against urination, and the other used to backbite.” Then he took a green twig and broke it into two pieces and placed one piece on each grave. People asked: O Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم! Why did you do this? He said: “Perhaps as long as these twigs remain green, the punishment on them will be lessened.”
Objection ➊ :
Muhammad Fazil Sahib objects to this hadith, writing that it is in many respects explicitly contrary to the Qur’an.
There is no indication of the punishment of the grave anywhere in the Qur’an.
Answer:
It is reported that this Hadith is not in any way contrary to the Holy Quran, the Holy Quran has indeed indicated the reality of the punishment of the grave, as has already been explained.
We want to ask you with utmost sympathy that according to you, there is no indication of the punishment of the grave anywhere in the Quran; what is the reason that we have found indications of the punishment of the grave in the Holy Quran but you have not seen them? Remember that if both negation and affirmation occur together regarding a report, then affirmation takes precedence. For example, if Amr says that Zaid did a certain thing, while Bakr denies it, then in such a case Amr’s statement will be preferred because Bakr denied it according to his knowledge.
Here also, our affirmation takes precedence over your negation. InshaAllah.
If you do not mind, may we ask you to please tell us this:
Have you read the entire Holy Quran?
If you have read it, have you read it from a reliable religious scholar?
Have you understood the meaning of the Quran that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)? Can you prove with any authentic evidence that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Companions, and the pious predecessors (may Allah have mercy on them) also said that there is no mention of the punishment of the grave in the Holy Quran?
I admit that you and your followers may not have found any indication of the punishment of the grave in the Holy Quran, but that does not mean that due to your lack of knowledge you keep shouting slogans that there is no mention of the punishment of the grave in the Quran.
Objection ➋:
It cannot be said that revelation is non-recited, because it is through the non-recited revelation that the methods of implementing the rulings of the recited revelation (Quran) have been explained and taught.
Answer:
الحمد لله، ثم الحمد لله Praise be to Allah that you have accepted Hadith as non-recited revelation. Now that you have accepted the Hadith of the Prophet as non-recited revelation, also accept the punishment of the grave, because the punishment of the grave is proven by both recited and non-recited revelation.
Can you show any one verse or Hadith of your claim in which it is stated that through non-recited revelation only the methods of implementing the commands of recited revelation are taught and explained, and nothing else?
Is it not possible to interpret the concise (mujmal) parts of recited revelation through non-recited revelation? If not, then why? Also, if recited revelation is silent about a complete issue or any part of it and it is explained through non-recited revelation, will you also deny that? Think carefully whether all your contradictory objections are not directly against the Creator of the universe.
Remember that it is Allah’s will, and we are content with His decisions. Whether He informs His Prophet of any issue through recited revelation or through non-recited revelation, we do not have the right to object to His decisions. Who told you that through non-recited revelation only the methods of implementing the commands of recited revelation are taught? Has recited revelation stated this? Yes, it repeatedly demands that in all matters, whether related to beliefs or acts of worship and transactions, obey non-recited revelation:
﴿وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾
“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and what he forbids you, abstain from it, and fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”
Objection 3:
The statement that these branches will continue to glorify as long as they remain green is explicitly against the Quran, because the Quran states that every particle of the universe is constantly engaged in glorifying, praising, and declaring the purity of Allah.
It is definitively established that every particle of the soil of the grave is continuously engaged in glorification, praise, and declaration of purity, therefore the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), upon whom the Quran was revealed, could never say anything that is explicitly against the Quran.
Answer:
Allah Almighty informed His Prophet through revelation that as long as these branches remain green, there will be a reduction in the punishment, meaning the duration of the lightening of the punishment is the greenness of the branches; this is the correct meaning of the hadith. But what does the learned scholar write? “As long as these branches remain green, they will continue to glorify (tasbih), due to which the punishment of the people in the graves will be reduced.”
The first point about this statement is that these words are fabricated by the learned scholar himself; the words of the hadith are not like this, and especially the mention of tasbih is the opinion of the commentators of hadith, not the hadith itself. If the hadith’s words are exactly like this, then the learned scholar should provide a reference. However, you have not taken the trouble to provide any reference anywhere in your entire book, and all this is because your fabricated meaning would not emerge otherwise. You kept writing words invented by yourself.
The second point is to reconsider the learned scholar’s statement, where he writes: “As long as these branches remain green, they will continue to glorify (tasbih).” In this statement, there is no mention anywhere that dry branches do not glorify. Nor is it proven from any authentic hadith that you have negated the glorification of dry branches.
The third point is that even if we assume this statement to be the words of the hadith, still its meaning is not what the learned scholar has explained. It only informs that the glorification of these green branches will reduce the punishment; the glorification of other green or dry branches will not reduce the punishment.
Objection 4:
The matter of the punishment of the grave is part of the unseen, and knowledge of the unseen cannot be attained by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, personally without revelation. Therefore, the absolute denial and refutation of his being the Knower of the Unseen is present in the Quran itself through his own words.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, you have accepted the punishment of the grave. We also say that the punishment of the grave is related to the unseen; there is no need to run the horses of your intellect in this matter. No one personally knows the matters of the unseen except Allah Almighty. However, if Allah Almighty informs someone about it through revelation, that is a different matter.
The world of Barzakh (the intermediate state) is also related to the matters of the unseen. The events that occur in it have been conveyed by Allah Almighty to His Prophet through revelation, and the Prophet has delivered them to the Ummah exactly as they were, without adding or subtracting even an iota. Therefore, it is obligatory upon the Ummah to believe in all the news that Allah Almighty has informed His Prophet about through revelation.
The news of Paradise and Hell is also related to the unseen; all of this Allah Almighty informed His Messenger through revelation, and the same applies to the matters of the grave. If we consider your objection, then even the Quran would not remain safe. Will you also become a denier of the Quran on the basis of this objection?
Objection ➎ :
Not only is the Quran silent on the matter of carelessness with urine, but the hadiths are also silent, therefore this matter is not only not a subject of consideration but also not in focus.
Answer:
Will you deny something merely because the Quran is silent about it? Consider that Allah Almighty has said:
﴿قُل لَّا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّا أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ ۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
Say, “I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine – for indeed, it is impure – or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.”
In this verse, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare that in the revelation sent to him in the Quran, he finds only these things forbidden: carrion, flowing blood, pork, and that which is dedicated to other than Allah.
Now consider yourself! Apart from these four things, there are many other things which are certainly considered forbidden even by Fadil Sahib, such as dogs, cats, wolves, lions, snakes, scorpions, urine, feces. According to your law, these would also be permissible because their prohibition is not mentioned in the Quran. In other words, the Quran is as silent about them as it is about carelessness regarding urine. ففهم وتدبر
Your claim that the hadiths are silent about carelessness regarding urine is also based on ignorance. Because in the hadiths, there is glad tidings of punishment in the grave for those who are careless with urine. Below are some hadiths presented for your consideration.
عن عبد الرحمن بن حسنة قال: انطلقت أنا وعمرو بن العاص إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فخرج ومعه درع ثم استتر بها، ثم بال، فقلنا: انظروا إليه يبول كما تبول المرأة: فسمع ذلك فقال: ألم تعلموا ما لقي صاحب بني إسرائيل؟ كانوا إذا أصابهم البول قطعوا ما أصابه البول منهم، فنهاهم، فعذب فى قبره .
Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Hasanah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Amr bin Al-As and I went to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He came out and, using a shield that was with him as cover, began to urinate. We said, “Look, you urinate like a woman.” Upon hearing this, he said: “Do you not know what happened to a man among the Children of Israel? When any of them urinated, they would cut that place. That man forbade them from doing so and was punished in the grave.”
Sheikh Albani classifies this as Mauquf (stopped at companion).
عن أبى هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أكثر عذاب القبر من البول .
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Most of the punishment in the grave is due to urine.”
Sheikh Albani has declared this authentic.
Objection ➏ :
The punishment for backbiting mentioned in the Quran will be given on the Day of Judgment after the decision, in the Hereafter, not in the grave or Barzakh (intermediate state)?
Answer:
Present your evidence from the Book and Sunnah to prove your false claim that the backbiter will not be punished in Barzakh.
In the previous lines, we have already explained that the severest punishment will indeed be on the Day of Judgment after the decision, but the lesser punishment in this world and Barzakh for the criminals is Allah’s law.
﴿وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ﴾
And We will surely let them taste the lesser punishment before the greater punishment, perhaps they will repent.
Objection ➐ :
The claim that Allah’s decreed punishment can be reduced or mitigated in worldly affairs is actually evidence of Allah’s sovereignty, power, and authority being defective and weak; therefore, this hadith is fabricated.
Answer:
Before answering, I want to ask Fazil Sahib that whenever you say at the end of every objection that this hadith is fabricated, false, please at least provide some information about the narrator who fabricated this hadith. If you prove that a certain narrator fabricated this hadith, it would be a favor to the Ummah.
Do you expect from Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Darimi, and other scholars of hadith, may Allah have mercy on them, that they fabricated this hadith? If some devil has planted this thought in your mind, first get your mind treated, then read about the conditions of the great scholars of hadith, you will realize how much effort they put into hadith.
Now coming to your objection. So I ask, if Allah Himself reduces or mitigates punishment for some external reason, what would be your ruling on that?
If Allah can cause punishment to be inflicted on His servants, He can also cause a reduction in punishment. He ﴿فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ﴾ “does whatever He wills.” Allah is the Owner of the Kingdom; He can do whatever He wills with His servants, and the servants are bound by His command. Our belief is that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, did this not on his own but by His command. ﴿وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ . إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ.﴾
Hadith Number 2
عن أبى سعيد الخدري، عن زيد بن ثابت قال قال وسعيد: ولم أشهده من النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ولكن حدثنيه زيد بن ثابت قال: بينما النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى حائط لبني النجار، على بغلة له، ونحن معه، إذ حادت به، فكادت تلقيه، وإذا أقبر ستة أو خمسة أو أربعة. قال: كذا كان يقول الجريري. فقال: من يعرف أصحاب هذه الأقبر؟ فقال رجل: أنا. قال: فمتى مات هؤلاء؟ قال: ماتوا فى الإشراك. فقال: إن هذه الأمة تبتلى فى قبورها، فلولا أن لا تدافنوا، لدعوت الله أن يسمعكم من عذاب القبر الذى أسمع منه، ثم أقبل علينا بوجهه فقال: تعوذوا بالله من عذاب النار فقالوا: نعوذ بالله من عذاب النار. فقال: تعوذوا بالله من عذاب القبر فقالوا: نعوذ بالله من عذاب القبر. فقال: تعوذوا بالله من الفتن، ما ظهر منها وما بطن قالوا: نعوذ بالله من الفتن، ما ظهر منها وما بطن. قال: تعوذوا بالله من فتنة الدجال قالوا: نعوذ بالله من فتنة الدجال.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I did not hear this Hadith directly from the Prophet (peace be upon him), but I heard it from Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). He said that once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was riding a mule in the garden of Bani Najjar, and we were with him. Suddenly, the mule became agitated and almost threw him off. There were six, five, or four graves there. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Does anyone know whose graves these are?” A man said: I know. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “When did they die?” The man said: In the time of ignorance (before Islam). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The graves will be a test for this Ummah. If I were not afraid that you would stop burying the dead, I would pray to Allah to make you hear the punishment of the grave that I am hearing now.” Then he turned to us and said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.” The Companions said: We seek refuge from the punishment of the Fire. Then he said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.” They said: We seek refuge from the punishment of the grave. Then he said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the hidden and apparent trials.” The Companions said: We seek refuge from the hidden and apparent trials. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the trial of the Dajjal.” The Companions said: We seek refuge with Allah from the trial of the Dajjal as well.
Objection ➊ :
Fazil Sahib did not spare this hadith from Sahih Muslim from objections either, he says: From this hadith, it is proven that the knowledge of the punishment of the grave reached the Prophet’s donkey before the Prophet ﷺ. Can there be any greater insult to the Messenger of Allah than this?
Answer:
➊
Fazil Sahib! I have presented the complete hadith along with the Arabic text, you show us where in it the donkey gained knowledge of the punishment of the grave before the Prophet ﷺ and the Prophet ﷺ learned it later. ﴿فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَلَن تَفْعَلُوا فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ ۖ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ﴾
➋
It is human nature that if a problem is told to someone without their request, they do not give it as much importance as they do to a problem they seek out. Seeing the mule bray, it is obvious that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, must have felt an urge to find out why the mule behaved that way with you. Therefore, when you saw the Companions’ eagerness, you explained it.
➌
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty said regarding Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him):
﴿ وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ . لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ .فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ. إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ . وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ . أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ.﴾
(Then at one occasion) Solomon (peace be upon him) examined the birds and said: What is the matter? I do not see the hoopoe; has it gone missing somewhere? (If that is the case) I will surely punish it severely, or I will slaughter it, unless it brings me a clear excuse. Not long after, the hoopoe came and said: I have come to you with certain information that you did not know before. I have brought you a sure news about Sheba; I saw a woman ruling over them, to whom everything has been given, and her throne is magnificent. I also saw that she and her people worship the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem fair to them and has prevented them from the right path, so they do not cross the path (to truth), nor do they worship Allah, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal.”
These verses clearly state that the knowledge of a woman ruling over the people of Sheba and their worship of the sun was not known to the great Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) himself, but rather this information was brought to him by a small bird, the hoopoe. Then this bird came into a full assembly and openly told Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) that it had knowledge of things that he did not know.
Now the question arises: Did the hoopoe insult Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) by saying this in front of him? And did the Holy Quran, by narrating this incident, insult Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) (God forbid)? Whatever your answer to this will be, ours will be the same.
All of Fadil Sahib’s objections are directed at the Holy Quran. Is it not possible that by objecting to the Book and Sunnah, you are opening a backdoor for others?
Objection ➋ :
Usually, animals graze and roam in graveyards, but it has never been observed that any animal fled from the graveyard in fear. Therefore, this hadith is also fabricated.
Answer:
➊
In our villages, some people used to do this: if an animal such as a horse, donkey, or bull troubled them, they would tie it in the graveyard, which would cause the animal to sweat. When asked, those people would answer according to their knowledge that airy things (jinn, ghosts) live in the graveyard and scare the animals. But when Allah granted us knowledge and we read the hadiths, it became clear that animals in the graveyard were not afraid of jinn or ghosts but were afraid of the torment occurring in the grave to the dead, which caused them to sweat.
➋
You must have noticed that people whose homes are near airports, railway lines, or any GT road have become accustomed to the continuous noise; it is as if they have befriended the noise. However, if a stranger visits them as a guest, that poor person cannot sleep all night and becomes distressed. But if they stay there for a few days, they also become accustomed to it.
The same thing happened to me. I used to live in a village, and when I went to Lahore for education, the place where I stayed was right next to a market through which a major road passed, with continuous traffic. In the initial months, I faced great difficulty; I could not sleep, and if I did, the slightest honking would wake me up. But gradually, living in the city, I became accustomed to the noise. Now the situation is such that my residence is very close to a GT road, where there is a crowd of traffic 24 hours a day, with continuous honking. Sometimes vehicles come from one direction, sometimes from another, but now we do not feel any discomfort or unease. When guests come, they say it is very brave of me to live amidst so much noise. We say that now we have befriended the noise.
The same is true for animals; they also become accustomed to hearing sounds by living around graveyards, so they do not flee from graveyards in fear. But animals that are strangers, when they sometimes pass near a graveyard, get scared.
Dr. Abu Jabir, may Allah protect him, says:
There are two types of animals in the world: one is the urban animals who do not react even to the loud siren sounds on the street. The other are the animals from across the desert region who, upon hearing the sound of a car from afar, become so panicked and frightened that humans are amazed. Therefore, stubborn animals do not flee from the sound of graves; rather, these sounds become their daily routine and second nature, while sensitive animals do flee from them.
➌
It is possible that sometimes animals do not fear the graveyard, which can have several reasons:
✿ Allah Almighty allows animals to hear the cries and screams of the people of the graves when He wills, otherwise they do not hear them.
✿ It is not necessary that the people of the graves are always in cries and screams due to punishment; sometimes Allah Almighty may reduce their punishment.
✿ We observe that many times when a person is being punished, their mouth, etc., is tightly closed so that no sound comes out. Now the punishment is given, they are beaten, but despite the effort, their cries and screams are not heard, meaning cries and screams are not necessary for punishment.
Hadith Number ③
عن أنس بن مالك أنه حدثهم، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إن العبد إذا وضع فى قبره، وتولى عنه أصحابه، إنه ليسمع قرع نعالهم وفي رواية مسلم إذا انصرفوا .
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه narrates that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Indeed, when a servant is buried in his grave and his companions return, he hears the sound of their shoes.”
Objection ➊ :
This hadith is in absolute contradiction to the Quran because the Quran states that the dead cannot hear the calls of the living.
Answer:
In the hadith, only the sound of shoes is mentioned, not anyone’s calling out. Before objecting, at least read the hadith carefully along with the Arabic text.
Under normal circumstances, the dead cannot hear the voices or calls of the living, nor does any living person have the courage to make the dead hear their calls. However, if Allah Almighty wishes to let the dead hear someone’s voice at a particular time, He can do so; it is not difficult for Him. But this does not mean that Allah Almighty makes the dead hear the voices and calls of the living all the time. That is, Allah can do it, but He does not, because His law is that when a person leaves this world, their connection with the people of this world is severed.
Hafiz Muhammad Abdullah Muhaddith Rupadi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
It is a fundamental principle that something contrary to analogy remains confined to its own context, meaning that what applies in one situation does not extend to another. For example, if a miracle appears in the hands of the Prophet, it does not mean that the Prophet now has absolute authority to speak whenever he wishes. Rather, whatever Allah showed through the Prophet’s hands should be understood only in that specific context.
He further states:
Once it is understood that something contrary to analogy remains confined to its context, we should now see whether the dead hearing is consistent with analogy or contrary to it. Obviously, it is contrary to analogy because we observe that a person in deep sleep does not hear, even though the soul is present inside. So how can the dead hear? Even if it is accepted that the soul remains somewhat connected to the body, the dead hearing is contrary to analogy and beyond the understanding of reason.
He further says:
The hadiths mentioning hearing should be confined to their respective contexts. For example, if a sahih hadith states that the dead hear greetings or respond, then indeed hearing or responding to greetings is established, not hearing all kinds of speech, whether they respond after hearing greetings or angels convey it to them.
From the words of Hafiz Muhammad Abdullah Muhaddith Rupadi, may Allah have mercy on him, it is clear that fundamentally the dead do not hear, but if a sahih hadith mentions hearing, it should be confined to its context. Because something contrary to analogy remains confined to its own case.
Secondly, hearing the sound of shoes will not be considered contrary to the Quran; rather, it will be considered an exception to the general principle. For example, the general principle is that humans are created from the mixed sperm of a man and a woman, but the births of Jesus, Adam, and Eve are exceptions to this general principle. Further explanation will come later, Insha’Allah.
Now consider the words of the mentioned hadith:
إذا وضع فى قبره When the dead is placed in his grave. The opposite meaning is that before burial in the grave, he does not hear anything; the wife, children, relatives are crying loudly, but not even a flea crawls on the ear of the dead; he does not know what the people of the world are doing to him.
وتولى عنه أصحابه After burial, when his companions turn back. It is understood that as long as the companions were standing at the grave, he could not hear any sound, but when they started walking, then he heard their sound, and what sound was it? It was said: قرع نعالهم the sound of his companions’ shoes. Consider that when those people were near him, standing at the grave, he did not have enough hearing power to hear their voices, but now that they started walking, Allah Almighty gave him a little hearing power for a few moments so that he might realize that those friends with whom he used to enjoy the world, whose gatherings distracted him from the remembrance of Allah, see, today they are leaving you locked in this dark chamber; neither can they hear your calls, nor can you hear theirs. They are leaving. If you do not believe it, then I let you hear the footsteps of their shoes. Then Allah Almighty lets him hear the sound of the shoes of the companions who are returning for a few moments, so that his regret and remorse may increase.
Hearing the sound of shoes for a few moments is by no means contrary to the Quran, because the Quran’s address is general, whereas this is hearing a particular sound of particular companions at a particular time, which is an exception to the general rule. There are many evidences in the Quran where a particular thing is exempted from a general principle.
For example, in the Holy Quran:
➊﴿قُتِلَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ﴾ “Destroyed is the ungrateful man.”
Now the question here is whether the Prophets were human or not? If they were human, then were they also ungrateful? It is understood that here the discussion is about ordinary humans, but special humans are exempt from this. The patience and gratitude of the noble Prophets is by no means contrary to this verse of the Quran.
➋ ﴿مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ . مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ .﴾
From what did He (Allah) create him (man)? He created him from a sperm-drop, then He appointed for him a destiny.
Here again you see that it is said: man was created from a sperm-drop, but Adam, Eve, and Jesus (peace be upon them) are exempt from this general rule.
➌ ﴿ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ﴾ “Then He made the way easy for him.”
The commentators have explained two meanings of this:
● The paths of good and evil were made easy, but see that despite this, good is obtained with great difficulty. The Companions, such as Sulaiman al-Farsi, Suhaib al-Rumi (may Allah be pleased with them), undertook many difficult journeys to attain good, and even today the situation is the same that good is hard to find compared to evil, yet Allah’s command is that We have made it easy.
● The second meaning is that all the paths for coming out of the mother’s womb at birth were made easy. Yet, countless children are born through very dangerous operations in hospitals, and sometimes death occurs due to the pain at birth.
➍ ﴿لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ﴾ “Indeed, We created man in the best stature.”
In Surah Al-Mu’minun it is said: ﴿فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ﴾ “Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent.”
But many people are not beautiful; there is always some defect, for example: blindness, disability, insanity, and other handicapped and paralyzed people.
What is the answer of the learned scholar here? Will you also deny the reality here?
I have just presented a few examples; otherwise, there are countless such examples which the Quran itself has mentioned, where the address is general but the special are exempt from it. There is an Arabic saying القليل كلمعدوم “It is like not being few.”
The interesting thing is that not only the deniers of the punishment of the grave but also their elders who object to the Prophetic Hadith have exactly the same objections that fit the Quran as well, yet their wrong mindset does not get corrected.
Today, these deniers of Hadith are busy making futile attempts to cast doubt on the Prophetic Hadith by raising weak objections, and tomorrow you will see these same people objecting to the Quran as well. These people, by objecting to the Prophetic Hadith, are directly engaged in unsuccessful attempts to tarnish the prophethood and messengership of the Master of the Prophets, peace be upon him, and are opening backdoors for non-Muslims. May Allah protect us from their evil, Ameen.
Hadith Number ④
عن أنس بن مالك عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: العبد إذا وضع فى قبره وتولي وذهب أصحابه حتى إنه ليسمع قرع نعالهم أتاه ملكان فأقعداه فيقولان له: ما كنت تقول فى هذا الرجل محمد؟ فيقول: أشهد أنه عبد الله ورسوله فيقال: انظر إلى مقعدك من النار أبدلك الله به مقعدا من الجنة قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: فيراهما جميعا وأما الكافر أو المنافق فيقول: لا أدري كنت أقول ما يقول الناس فيقال: لا دريت ولا تليت ثم يضرب بمطرقة من حديد ضربة بين أذنيه فيصيح صيحة يسمعها من يليه إلا الثقلين .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “When a person is placed in the grave and buried, and his companions turn their backs and depart, he hears the sound of their shoes. Then two angels come, make him sit, and ask him: ‘What is your belief regarding this person (i.e., Muhammad, peace be upon him)?’ He replies: ‘I testify that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger.’ Upon this answer, he is told: ‘Look, Allah has prepared for you a house in Paradise in exchange for your place in Hell.’ ” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Then this believing servant is shown both Paradise and Hell. As for the disbeliever or hypocrite, his answer is: ‘I do not know; I heard people say something, and I used to say the same.’ Then he is told: ‘You neither understood nor read anything.’ After that, he is struck with a heavy iron hammer with great force, and he screams so horrifically that all creatures around, except humans and jinn, hear it.”
Objection:
Fazil Sahib has rejected this hadith of Sahih Bukhari by deviating from the words ثم يضرب بمطرقة من حديد and declared it contrary to the Quran. He writes:
“The dead are struck with a mace by angels in the grave. Whereas the striking with a mace is only specific to Hell.”
Answer:
The Hadith states: ثم يضرب بمطرقة من حديد “Then he is struck with an iron hammer.”
The Quran says: ﴿وَلَهُم مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ﴾ “And for them are iron hammers.”
Now, what is contradictory to the Quran here? Also, where is it mentioned that iron hammers will only be used for striking in Hell and not in the grave? Is it not possible that the deniers of truth are beaten with iron hammers in the grave as well, and then also in Hell, being struck with iron hammers in both places? Because the evidence for this is present in the Book and Sunnah, whereas there is no evidence that they will not be struck with iron hammers in the grave.
Among many reasons for the baseless objections of Fazil Sahib, one reason is also his ignorance, that he rejects everything without thinking by saying it is against the Quran. We will explain later what is meant by being against the Quran.
Hadith Number ⑤
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا قبر الميت أو قال أحدكم آتاه ملكان أسودان أزرقان يقال لأحدهما المنكر وللآخر النكير فيقولان ما كنت تقول فى هذا الرجل فيقول ما كان يقول هو عبد الله ورسوله أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله فيقان قد كنا نعلم أنك تقول هذا ثم يفسح له فى قبره سبعون ذراعا فى سبعين ثم ينور له فيه ثم يقال له نم فيقول أرجع إلى أهلي فأخبرهم فيقولان نم كنومة العروس الذى لا يوقظه إلا أحب أهله إليه حتى يبعثه الله من مضجعه ذلك وإن كان منافقا قال سمعت الناس يقولون فقلت مثله لا أدري فيقولان قد كنا نعلم أنك تقول ذلك فيقال للأرض التئمي عليه فتلتئم عليه فتختلف فيها أضلاعه فلا يزال فيها معذبا حتى يبعثه الله من مضجعه ذلك .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “When a deceased person is buried, or as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, when one of you is buried, two black-winged angels with blue eyes come to him. One of them is called ‘Munkar’ and the other is called ‘Nakir.’ They both ask the person (i.e., the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)) what you used to say about this man (who was sent to you). A believer answers exactly what he used to say in the world (about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)), that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. (Thus, the believer says) I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. Both angels say, ‘We knew that you would say this.’ Then his grave is expanded to seventy cubits by seventy cubits (35×35 meters). The grave is illuminated. Then he is told (to sleep). The person says, ‘I want to return to my family to inform them (of my good end).’ The angels reply, ‘(That is not possible now.) Sleep like a bride who is not awakened by anyone except the one most beloved to her family (i.e., her husband).’ (The believer sleeps) until Allah Almighty awakens him from his resting place on the Day of Resurrection. If the deceased is a hypocrite, then (in response to the angels’ question) he says, ‘I heard people say (about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)) such and such, so I said the same; I do not know more than that.’ The angels say, ‘We knew that you would say this.’ Then the earth is commanded (by Allah Almighty) to seize him. The grave seizes him. One side of the hypocrite’s ribs is joined to the other side, and he remains in that torment until Allah Almighty raises him from his grave.”
(
Sheikh Al-Albani graded it as Hasan)
Objection:
The dead person is pressed in the grave to such an extent that both of his ribs come together. But in the Quran, it is mentioned that he will be bound with a seventy-cubit long chain and thrown into a very narrow place in Hell.
Answer:
﴿ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ﴾ Then bind him with a chain of seventy cubits.
Now, the scholar himself should tell whether the torment of the disobedient servant of Allah will be in the Barzakh (intermediate state) or on the Day of Resurrection?
If it is in Barzakh, then the matter is settled. Because being bound in chains is also a punishment, therefore it proves the punishment of the grave, which you deny.
And if it is on the Day of Resurrection, then still it is not contrary to the punishment of the grave. The ribs being pressed together happens in the grave, while being bound in chains will be on the Day of Resurrection, and it is also possible that being bound in chains happens in both places, so in this case, there remains no contradiction between the Quran and Hadith. However, the stronger view is that being bound in chains is on the Day of Resurrection and the ribs being pressed together is in the grave.
Hadith Number ⑥
وعن البراء بن عازب رضي الله عنه، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: يأتيه ملكان فيجلسانه فيقولان له من ربك فيقول ربي الله فيقولان له ما دينك فيقول ديني الإسلام فيقولان ما هذا الرجل الذى بعث فيكم فيقول هو رسول الله فيقولان له وما يدريك فيقول قرأت كتاب الله فآمنت به وصدقت فذلك قوله ﴿يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ﴾ The verse says: Then a caller from the sky calls out, “My servant has spoken the truth, so spread his bed in Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise.” And it is said: Then comes to him from its spirit and fragrance, and his grave is expanded for him as far as the eye can see. As for the disbeliever, his death is mentioned: His soul is returned to his body, and two angels come to him and make him sit. They ask him, “Who is your Lord?” He says, “Ha ha, I do not know.” They ask, “What is your religion?” He says, “Ha ha, I do not know.” They ask, “Who is this man who was sent among you?” He says, “Ha ha, I do not know.” Then a caller from the sky calls out, “He lied, so spread his bed in the Fire and clothe him from the Fire, and open for him a door to the Fire.” It is said: Then comes to him from its heat and poison. It is said: His grave tightens on him until his ribs are crushed. It is added in the narration of Jarir: Then an angel who is blind and deaf is appointed over him, carrying a hammer of iron; if he strikes a mountain with it, it turns to dust. He strikes him with it a blow that is heard by all between the East and the West except the two heavy creatures, and he turns to dust. Then the soul is returned to him.
Our master Bara’ ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he said: Two angels come to the believer, make him sit, and ask him, “Who is your Lord?” He replies, “My Lord is Allah.” Then they ask, “What is your religion?” He replies, “My religion is Islam.” Then they ask, “Who was the man sent among you?” He replies, “He is the Messenger of Allah.” They ask, “How do you know?” He replies, “I read the Book of Allah, believed in it, and confirmed it.” He confirms Allah’s statement: “Indeed, those who have believed – Allah will guide their hearts.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Then a caller from the sky calls out, “My servant has spoken the truth, so spread his bed in Paradise and clothe him with the garment of Paradise, and open for him the door to Paradise.” So the door is opened for him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He receives the breeze and fragrance of Paradise, and his grave is expanded for him as far as the eye can see. After mentioning the death of the disbeliever, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: His soul is returned to his body, and two angels come to him, make him sit, and ask him, “Who is your Lord?” He replies, “I do not know.” They ask, “Who was the man sent among you?” He replies, “I do not know.” Then a caller from the sky calls out, “He lied, so spread his bed in the Fire, clothe him with the garment of Fire, and open for him the door to Hell.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He receives the heat and poison of the Fire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: His grave tightens on him until his ribs are crushed. (In Jarir’s narration, this is added:) Then an angel who is blind and deaf is appointed over him, carrying a hammer of iron; if he strikes a mountain with it, it turns to dust. He strikes him with it so severely that its sound is heard by all humans and jinn except the two heavy creatures, and he turns to dust. Then the soul is returned to him.
Objection:
The questioning by Munkar and Nakir in the grave or Barzakh كا من ربك (Who is your Lord?) من نبيك (Who is your Prophet?) ما دينک (What is your religion?) and showing the final abode as Paradise or Hell based on the correctness or incorrectness of the answers is a common belief among people, which is incorrect in every respect because the world is a place of trial and the duration of life is the time of testing, as it is stated: ﴿وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ﴾ “And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).”
It is unanimously agreed that questioning and answering take place during the trial itself, and according to them, a date is set for the outcome.
Answer:
It should be remembered that the real examination place is the grave and the Barzakh (intermediate state), while the rest of the world, which is called the examination place, is just like the tests conducted before the annual exams in schools and colleges.
Example: When a child enrolls in school, he prepares for the exam throughout the year. For preparation, he also takes small tests. Then a time comes when he takes the annual exam. In that exam, he writes what he has prepared for the whole year. After that, a third stage comes where the result is announced; the one who passes is happy and the one who fails is worried. These are the three stages: the first stage is the whole year of preparation including tests, the second stage is taking the exam, and the third stage is announcing the result. Similarly, the world is like this, which is called Dar al-Amal (the place of deeds). Every person prepares for his next life; some prepare well and some prepare badly.
Barzakh is the place of examination where a person is tested. The first question there is: من ربك, the second question من نبيك, and the third question ما دينک. Now, only the person who prepared well in Dar al-Amal can give the correct answers to these questions.
After the exam in this world, a person gets an idea of his performance whether he will pass or fail. If he has done well in the papers, he remains happy; sometimes he is even shown the rewards he will receive for passing, which increases his happiness, and this happiness becomes comfort and pleasure for him. But the one who has not done well in the papers realizes that he will fail, so he remains worried, and this worry becomes a torment for him. Similarly, after the questioning in the grave, the one who succeeds is given the glad tidings of passing beforehand, and the one who fails is informed of his failure. Because that is the law there. And just as in this world, before the results come, the one who has done well in the papers experiences a kind of comfort and the one who has done badly experiences a kind of punishment, the same happens in the grave. On the Day of Judgment, when the real result will be announced, the one who passes will be given the result card in his right hand and admitted to Paradise, and the one who fails will be given the result card in his left hand and admitted to Hell.
﴿وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
