Belief in the Punishment of the Grave and Its Importance
One of the Islamic beliefs is the belief in the punishment of the grave. This belief is established with certainty not only from the Holy Quran but also from authentic and mutawatir hadiths. Moreover, there is a consensus among the general Ahl al-Sunnah that after death, every person is questioned in the realm of Barzakh, whether they are buried in a grave or not, whether they are eaten by wild animals, burned to ashes and scattered in the air, or drowned in water and eaten by fish. They are held accountable regarding their faith. Then, if they are believers, they are granted steadfastness in the grave (Barzakh), and if they are hypocrites, they are not granted steadfastness at all in the grave. Allah Almighty says:
﴿يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِينَ ۚ وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ﴾
Allah keeps the believers firm with the firm word in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers, and Allah does what He wills.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: This verse was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave. He also said: عذاب القبر حق The punishment of the grave is true.
The commentator of Sahih Muslim, Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), says:
اعلم أن مذهب أهل السنة إثبات عذاب القبر، وقد تظاهرت عليه دلائل الكتاب والسنة، قال الله تعالى: ﴿اَلنَّارُ يُعْرَضُوْنَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَّ عَشِيًّاۚ﴾ The verse and the authentic hadiths from the Prophet of Allah, narrated by a group of companions in many places, have confirmed it. It is not irrational that Allah revives a part of the body and punishes it. If reason does not prevent it and the Shariah has reported it, it must be accepted and believed.
John Lough! The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah is that the punishment of the grave is true and there are clear evidences from the Book and Sunnah on it. Allah Almighty has said: ﴿اَلنَّارُ يُعْرَضُوْنَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَّ عَشِيًّاۚ﴾ It is the fire to which they are exposed morning and evening. And there are many authentic hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding the punishment of the grave, which a group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated on many occasions. Reason does not find it impossible that Allah revives a part of the body and punishes it, and there is proof of this in the Shariah. Therefore, it is obligatory to accept and believe in it.
Imam Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ومما ينبغي أن يعلم أن عذاب القبر هو عذاب البرزخ، فكل من مات وهو مستحق للعذاب ناله نصيبه منه قبر أو لم يقبر، فلو أكلته السباع أو أحرق حتى صار رمادا أو نسف فى الهواء أو صلب أو غرق فى البحر وصل إلى روحه وبدنه من العذاب ما يصل إلى المقبور.
It is extremely necessary to know that the punishment of the grave is actually the punishment of Barzakh. Every deceased person who deserves punishment receives his share, whether he is buried in the grave or not, whether he has been eaten by wild animals, burned in fire, his ashes scattered in the air, hanged, or drowned in the sea. In all these conditions, his soul and body will be punished as those in the grave are punished.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes under the chapter “What has been mentioned about the punishment of the grave” in Sahih Bukhari:
واكتفى بإثبات وجوده خلافا لمن نفاه مطلقا من الخوارج وبعض المعتزلة كضرار بن عمرو وبشر المريسي ومن وافقهما وخالفهم فى ذلك أكثر المعتزلة وجميع أهل السنة وغيرهم.
Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) only affirmed the punishment of the grave to refute the extremists and some Mu’tazilites who completely denied the punishment of the grave, such as Durrar bin Amr, Bishr al-Marisi, and those who share their views. However, most Mu’tazilites and Ahl al-Sunnah and others have opposed them on this issue.
Allama Aini (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
إثبات عذاب القبر وهو مذهب أهل السنة والجماعة، وأنكر ذلك ضرار بن عمرو وبشر المريسي وأكثر المتأخرين من المعتزلة.
Affirming the punishment of the grave is the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, while Durrar bin Amr, Bishr al-Marisi, and most of the later Mu’tazilites denied it.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ومن الإيمان باليوم الآخر الإيمان بكل ما أخبر به النبى صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يكون بعد الموت فيؤمنون بفتنة القبر وبعذاب القبر ونعيمه.
And believing in the Hereafter includes believing in all the news that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave about the after-death, including believing in the trial of the grave, the punishment of the grave, and the blessings of the grave.
The great contemporary researcher Dr. Abu Jaber Abdullah Damanawi (may Allah preserve him) says:
After sincerely believing in the hadiths of the Messenger, whoever studies these hadiths will find the reality that the punishment of the grave is a fact. Since the punishment of the grave is not related to observation but is related to belief in the unseen, the senses cannot perceive it. Just understand it like how we accept angels, jinn, Paradise, and Hellfire by the word of Allah and His Messenger, similarly, we should accept the punishment of the grave because there are numerous authentic hadiths about it that have reached the level of mutawatir. Denying these hadiths is equivalent to denying the Holy Quran.
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhianvi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
The full reward and punishment will be in the Hereafter when every person will be judged according to his deeds, but some rewards and punishments are also received in this world as mentioned in many verses and hadiths, and experience and observation also confirm this. Similarly, some deeds are rewarded or punished in the grave, and this is also mentioned in mutawatir hadiths.
Finally, he says:
In any case, the punishment and reward of the grave are true, believing in it is obligatory, and every believer should seek refuge from it. Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to seek refuge from the punishment of the grave after every prayer.
Summary of the Discourse
From the above statements of the esteemed scholars, it is clear that
➊ It is part of the belief of all Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, in the light of the Quran and Sunnah, that the punishment of the grave is true and believing in it is obligatory.
➋ After death, wherever a person is and in whatever state, they experience either punishment or comfort.
➌ The denial of the punishment of the grave has been made by the Kharijites, some Mu’tazilites, and their followers, while these people are outside the fold of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah and are unanimously considered misguided.
➍ The punishment of the grave is not related to observation but is a matter of belief in the unseen, therefore our intellect cannot comprehend it.
➎ It is necessary for every believer to seek refuge from the punishment of the grave, as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to seek refuge from it.
It should be remembered that if the deceased is righteous, then the grave becomes the first step of the rewards of the Hereafter, and if he is disobedient, then the grave becomes the starting point of the punishment of the Hereafter. Further details will follow.
◈ The punishment of the grave affects both the soul and the body
It should also be kept in mind that the punishment and reward in the Barzakh (intermediate state) pertain to both the soul and the body of the deceased. Justice demands that the punishment and reward be related to both. Because in worldly life, the commission of good and evil occurs through the mutual connection of the soul and the body. The soul cannot perform any action without the body, and similarly, an empty body cannot perform any action without the soul; rather, both together bring about good or evil. Therefore, when good and evil arise from the mutual cooperation of the soul and the body, justice requires that both receive reward and punishment. It is not that only the soul is rewarded or punished while the body is left as it is.
Hafiz Imaduddin Abu al-Fida Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
وهم يدخلون جهنم من يوم مماتهم بأرواحهم، وينال أجسادهم فى قبورها من حرها وسمومها، فإذا كان يوم القيامة سلكت أرواحهم فى أجسادهم وخلدت فى نار جهنم.
These disbelievers are admitted into Hell along with their souls from the day of death, and their bodies in the graves continue to be affected by the fire and hot wind of Hell. Then, when the Resurrection occurs, their souls will be joined with their bodies and they will be cast into the fire of Hell forever.
Imam Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
بل العذاب والنعيم على النفس والبدن جميعا باتفاق أهل السنة والجماعة.
The consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah is that the punishment and blessing in Barzakh affect both the soul and the body.
Allama Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
قال العلماء: عذاب القبر هو عذاب البرزخ، أضيف إلى القبر لأنه الغالب.
The scholars have said that the punishment of the grave is the punishment of Barzakh. It is attributed to the grave because burial in graves is the most common and frequent.
He further writes:
ومحله الروح والبدن جميعا باتفاق أهل السنة، وكذا القول فى النعيم.
And the place of this punishment, according to the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah, is both the soul and the body, and the same is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding blessing and pleasure.
Dr. Abu Jaber Abdullah Damanawi (may Allah preserve him) states:
According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, both the body and the soul share in the punishment. The body suffers punishment in its grave, while the soul experiences punishment in Hell.
◈ The State of the Barzakh World
The complete state of the Barzakh (the intermediate realm between death and resurrection) is known only to Allah Almighty. We will know its condition only when we ourselves reach that world. (May Allah Almighty have mercy and make all the stages after death easy, Ameen.) Here in this world, it is necessary for us as Muslims to believe in what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have informed us, without any distortion, neglect, anthropomorphism, or allegory.
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
There are mutawatir (mass-transmitted) ahadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ proving the punishment and comfort of the grave, as well as the questioning by the angels. Belief in these is necessary and faith in them is obligatory. However, we will say nothing about their exact nature because reason is incapable of knowing their reality, and it is impossible to know it in this world. Moreover, the Shariah does not mention things that reason finds impossible, but it does mention things that astonish reason.
It is established from the Book and Sunnah that at the time of the questioning by the Nakir and Nakeer angels in the grave, the soul is returned to the body for a short while, as in the famous hadith of Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: وتعاد روحه فى جسده and his soul is returned to his body.
Regarding this hadith, Imam Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هذا حديث ثابت مشهور مستفيض، صححه جماعة من الحفاظ، ولا نعلم أحدا من أئمة الحديث طعن فيه، بل رووه فى كتبهم وتلقوه بالقبول، وجعلوه أصلا من أصول الدين فى عذاب القبر ونعيمه ومسألة منكر ونكير وقبض الأرواح وصعودها إلى بين يدي الله ثم رجوعها إلى القبر.
This hadith is established, famous, and widely transmitted. A group of hadith scholars have declared it authentic. We do not know of any hadith scholar who has criticized it; rather, the imams of hadith have narrated it in their respective books and accepted it as one of the fundamental principles of the religion concerning the punishment and reward of the grave, the questioning by Munkar and Nakir, the taking of souls, their being brought to Allah Almighty, and then returned to the grave.
After the questioning, the body remains in the underground grave, but the soul goes to Paradise or Hell. There are numerous evidences for this, one of which is the hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إنما نسمة المؤمن طير يعلق فى شجر الجنة حتى يرجعه الله إلى جسده يوم يبعثه
The soul of the believer flies in Paradise like a bird until Allah Almighty returns it to its body on the Day of Resurrection.
It has been declared authentic by Sheikh Albani.
From this hadith, it is understood that the soul of the believer resides in Paradise and will be returned to its body only on the Day of Resurrection.
Regarding the body which remains in the grave, there are also clarifications in the ahadith where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
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
When any one of you dies, his place is shown to him 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 Allah raises you on the Day of Resurrection.
Similarly, in another hadith, after succeeding in the questioning, the believer is told in the grave:
نم كنومة العروس لا يوقظه إلا احب أهله إليه، حتى يبعثه الله من مضجعه ذلك
Sleep! Like a newlywed bride who is not awakened by anyone except the most beloved person among her family (her husband), until Allah Almighty awakens her (on the Day of Resurrection).
Sheikh Albani declared it Hasan (good).
Likewise, ahadith mention that a window from Paradise is opened in the grave, the deceased is dressed in the garments of Paradise, and a mattress of Paradise is spread beneath him.
From all these evidences, it is clearly established that the soul of the believer enjoys comfort and luxury in Paradise while his body remains in the earthly grave.
◈ What is the World of Barzakh?
The literal meaning of Barzakh is a barrier, veil, or a partition between two things.
Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: Barzakh is actually a third thing between two things that acts as a barrier, but this third thing, i.e., Barzakh, also contains the properties of both things, whether the properties of one thing are more than or equal to the other.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا﴾
And it is He who has merged the two seas, one sweet and palatable and the other salty and bitter; and He placed between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.
From this verse, it is understood that Barzakh is a third thing between two seas that prevents the sweet sea from mixing with the bitter and the bitter from mixing with the sweet. That is, two seas flow, and between them is a third thing which is a kind of wall that does not allow the two seas to mix.
In terminology, Barzakh is the name of the period and time between this world and the Hereafter, that is, the intermediate interval from the time of death until the Day of Resurrection.
Allama Al-Jawhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
البرزخ الحاجز بين الشيئين، والبرزخ ما بين الدنيا والآخرة من وقت الموت إلى البعث؛ فمن مات فقد دخل فى البرزخ.
Barzakh (in language) is the barrier that exists between two things, and (in terminology) Barzakh is the period between this world and the Hereafter, from the moment of death until the Day of Resurrection. So, whoever dies enters into Barzakh.
Imam Ibn Zaid, may Allah have mercy on him, says: البرزخ ما بين الموت إلى البعث Barzakh refers to the intermediate period between death and the Day of Resurrection.
Imam Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, and others hold the same view.
The life of the grave is called Barzakh because it is also a veil and partition between worldly life and the life of the Hereafter. As Allah Almighty says:
﴿حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ . لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ.﴾
Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.
Dr. Abu Jaber, may Allah preserve him, says:
In this verse, Barzakh is described as a barrier between this world and the Hereafter, meaning the conditions that the deceased will undergo until the Day of Resurrection are beyond our ability to see or know. Allah Almighty has placed a veil between us and them. This is why we cannot observe the conditions that the deceased experience in the grave. However, we believe in the details of the punishment of the grave as explained by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
◈ Some Essential Points About Barzakh
✿ Barzakh is the realm of time for the dead human being. After death, a person enters the realm of Barzakh; the one lying on the bier is also in the realm of Barzakh, the one being carried on the shoulders is also in the realm of Barzakh, and the one buried in the grave is also in Barzakh. In short, wherever the dead is and in whatever state, he is in the realm of Barzakh, because from the moment of death his world (time) has changed. Earlier he was in the world of this life, and now he has entered the realm of Barzakh, even if he is still lying on the bier.
✿ For the change of time and era, a change of place is not necessary. For example, if you performed the Asr prayer in the mosque and then sat in the same mosque and on the same prayer mat. When the sun sets and it becomes Maghrib, you have entered the night while sitting there, even though you are sitting in the same place. Your house has not changed, but the time has changed. At Asr time you were in the day, and at Maghrib time you entered the night. Similarly, before death a person is in the world of this life, and after death he enters the realm of Barzakh, no matter if he is lying on the bier or wherever he is, because now his time has changed.
✿ The process that happens to the deceased in the realm of Barzakh after death is called the torment of the grave because the burial of the dead in graves is common and frequent, as has been mentioned on previous pages in the words of Imam Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him.
✿ The realm of Barzakh is completely different from the world of this life. Neither the comfort and pleasure there are like the comfort and pleasure of this world, nor will the pain and suffering be like those of this perishable world.
◈ What is a grave?
For the deceased, Barzakh is the dimension of time, while the grave is the dimension of space. According to all Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, the grave refers to that part of the earth in which the deceased is buried. In other words, the grave is the burial place of the dead person.
◈ Evidences from the lexicon
In the lexicon, the burial place of a human is called a grave. For example, see
The Commander of the Faithful, in the hadith, Hazrat Imam Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, explains the grave in his Sahih as follows:
وقول الله عز وجل:” فأقبره“ أقبرت الرجل: إذا جعلت له قبرا، وقبرته: دفنته كِفَاتًا ، يكونون فيها احيا ويدفنون فيها امواتا
And in Surah Abasa, where Allah Almighty says ”فأقبره“ (the explanation is that this is an Arabic idiom) when someone makes a grave for someone else, at that time he says: أقبرت الرجل meaning I have made the grave for the person, and قبرته means I have buried him.
And in Surah Al-Mursalat, the word كفاتا means that life will also be spent on the earth, and after death, one will also be buried in it.
◈ Evidences from the Holy Quran
The Holy Quran explicitly mentions the grave in about eight places, and from their study, it is understood that the grave refers to the well-known grave that is made in the earth.
﴿وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِ﴾ And do not stand on any of their graves (the hypocrites).
﴿وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ And you cannot hear those who are in the graves.
﴿كَمَا يَئِسَ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقُبُورِ﴾ Just as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves.
﴿ ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ﴾ Then He caused him to die, then He buried him in the grave.
﴿وَإِذَا الْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ﴾ “And when the graves are overturned.”
﴿حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ﴾ Until you see the graves.
﴿وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ And indeed, Allah will resurrect those in the graves.
﴿أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ Does He not know that what is in the graves will be taken out?
According to all commentators unanimously, the grave, graves, and burial places refer to the place of burial of the dead person.
◈ Evidence from Hadith
Just as the word “grave” in the Holy Quran refers to the well-known earthly grave, similarly, there are numerous hadiths in which the word “grave” is used, and everywhere the grave means the burial place of a dead person.
Below are only a few hadiths in this regard.
➊عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: قاتل الله اليهود اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجد
Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that indeed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: May Allah destroy the Jews, for they have made the graves of their prophets into mosques (places of prostration).
➋ عن جابر رضى الله عنه قال: نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم عن تجصيص القبور.
Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering graves with lime.
Sheikh Albani declared it authentic.
➌ عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: زار النبى صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قبر أمه فبكى وأبكى من حوله فقال:استأذنت ربي فى أن أستغفر لها فلم يؤذن لي، واستأذنته فى أن أزور قبرها فأذن لي، فزوروا القبور فإنها تذكر الموت
Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the grave of his mother, wept himself and caused those around him to weep. Then he said: I asked my Lord for permission to seek forgiveness for my mother but it was not granted. Then I asked for permission to visit the grave and it was granted. So visit graves, for they remind you of death.
From the Arabic lexicon, the verses of the Holy Quran, and numerous hadiths, it is clear as the sun that the grave means this earthly pit. The angels Nakir and Munkar come to it, questioning takes place there, and afterwards, according to deeds, this same grave is turned into a garden of Paradise or a pit of Hell. Claiming any other kind of grave, such as some people claiming an intermediate grave, is completely against the Book and Sunnah and is as fragile and weak as a spider’s web.
◈ Description of the Punishment of the Grave in the Holy Quran
The description of the punishment of the grave in the Holy Quran is of two types:
● Briefly ● In detail
● Briefly
Remember that Allah Almighty has revealed two types of revelation to His Messenger, peace be upon him: recited revelation and non-recited revelation.
Recited Revelation:
This means such revelation which is regularly recited, and for each letter of which ten good deeds are rewarded. This revelation was sent down to the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, in the form of the Holy Quran. Both its words and meanings are from Allah Almighty. It is a miracle, the like of which all opponents in their respective eras have failed to produce, and none has succeeded in it.
Non-Recited Revelation:
That is, a revelation which is neither regularly recited, nor does one receive ten rewards for each letter. This revelation came down to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the form of blessed hadiths. Their meaning is from Allah Almighty, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ expressed in his own words. Hazrat Hassan bin Atiyah, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
كان جبريل عليه السلام ينزل على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بالسنة كما ينزل عليه بالقرآن ويعلمه إياها كما يعلمه القرآن.
Just as Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) used to come down to you ﷺ with the Holy Quran, similarly he also came down with the Sunnah (Hadith). And just as he taught the Holy Quran, in the same way he taught the Sunnah.
Allama Abu al-Baqa, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
While discussing the Sunnah, one reaches the conclusion that both the Quran and Hadith, in terms of being revelation, rebuke the deniers, as Allah Almighty says ﴿اِنْ هُوَ اِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُّوْحٰى﴾ but that is the revelation which is sent down to you. However, the difference is that the Quran is a miracle in every respect, and its words are exactly as they were in the Preserved Tablet. Neither Angel Jibreel nor you ﷺ altered it. Whereas this is not the case with Hadith, because its meaning is from Allah, but the words are those of you ﷺ.
◈ Some Evidences of the Hadith Being Revelation
➊ ﴿وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ﴾
And the direction (qiblah) which you used to face before, We have appointed it only that We might know who follows the Messenger sincerely and who turns on his heels.
To understand this verse, it is necessary to know its background and the reason for its revelation. After the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the early days of the Madinan life, Muslims were commanded to pray facing Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), meaning that Bait al-Maqdis was the qiblah for Muslims. For about sixteen (16) months, Muslims prayed facing that direction. Afterwards, the Quran abrogated the previous command and made Masjid al-Haram the qiblah for Muslims, saying:
﴿فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ﴾
So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque.
Upon this command, the hypocrites objected, asking what wisdom was there in first appointing Bait al-Maqdis as the qiblah? In response to this objection, these verses were revealed.
Here, Allah attributes the appointment of Bait al-Maqdis as the qiblah to Himself, which makes it clear that Bait al-Maqdis was appointed as the qiblah by Allah’s command. However, if you examine the Quran, you will not find any verse commanding prayer facing Bait al-Maqdis. This command was given by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), which the Quran has described as the command of Allah. The words in this verse are not وما جعلت القبلة meaning “the qiblah you used to face, We appointed it only for this reason,” rather it says ” وما جعلنا القبلة“ “and the qiblah which you used to face, We appointed it only for this reason.”
This statement of the Quran is evidence that the command to appoint Bait al-Maqdis as the qiblah, which was given by the Prophet (peace be upon him), was based on a revelation other than the Quran, and that revelation was only the blessed Hadith.
➋ ﴿وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَىٰ بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتْ بِهِ وَأَظْهَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَرَّفَ بَعْضَهُ وَأَعْرَضَ عَن بَعْضٍ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنبَأَكَ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِيَ الْعَلِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ﴾
“And when the Prophet (peace be upon him) confided a matter to one of his wives, then when she informed about it and Allah made the Prophet aware of it, he made a part of it known and kept a part concealed. Then when he told her about it, she said, ‘Who told you this?’ He said, ‘The All-Knowing, the All-Aware (Allah) has informed me.'”
In this verse, اظهره الله عليه “and Allah made the Prophet aware of it” and قال نبانى العليم الخبير “The All-Knowing, the All-Aware (Allah) has informed me” prove that revelation came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) besides the Quran, because what Allah informed His Prophet about this secret is not found anywhere in the Quran.
➌ ﴿مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِّينَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا قَائِمَةً عَلَىٰ أُصُولِهَا فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلِيُخْزِيَ الْفَاسِقِينَ﴾
“You cut down date-palm trees or left them standing on their roots by Allah’s permission, and so that He might disgrace the transgressors.”
This verse clearly states that the Muslims cut down these trees by Allah’s permission. But no one can present any verse from the Quran that grants permission to cut trees during this battle. So the question arises: how did the Muslims know about this permission? The answer is that this permission was given to the Muslims by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from Allah, and the Prophet himself received this permission through non-Quranic revelation.
Due to length, we limit ourselves to these verses, otherwise, there are many examples in the Quran indicating that Hadith is also revelation.
Now that it is established that Hadith is also divine revelation, it is obligatory upon all of us as Muslims to believe in both types of revelation because this is the sign of perfect faith.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُن تَعْلَمُ ۚ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا﴾
And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great.
In this and similar verses, the Book refers to the Quran and wisdom refers to the Hadith. Therefore, it is necessary and obligatory to believe in and confirm all that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has informed us about, just as it is obligatory to believe in and confirm the Quran.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: ”ألا إني أوتيت الكتاب ومثله معه“ “Be aware! I have been given the Book (Quran) and something like it (Hadith) along with it.”
Sheikh Albani has declared it authentic.
It is understood that Hadith is like the Quran; indeed, you may say that Hadith is the explanation of the Quran. Therefore, if an issue is not found in the Quran but only in Hadith, understand that it is as if it is in the Quran itself.
● In detail
The Quran mentions the punishment and reward of the grave in several places, which will be explained in the following lines, God willing. However, one objection is raised:
Objection ➊: The verses cited in support of the punishment of the grave are Makkan. If the punishment of the grave is established from these Makkan verses, then why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) reportedly deny the punishment of the grave after migration to Madinah according to some narrations?
Answer: There are several answers to this objection.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not completely deny the punishment of the grave; rather, his denial was only regarding sinful Muslims because the Makkan verses referred to the punishment of the grave for disbelievers, not sinful Muslims. As narrated in Sahih Muslim from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) once came to her while a Jewish woman was sitting with her. The woman said, “Do you know that you (Muslims) will be tested in the graves?” Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) shuddered and said: ”إنما تفتن اليهود“ “Only the Jews will be tested (in the graves).” Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that after a few nights, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Do you know? Revelation has been sent down to me that your (Muslims’) graves will also be a place of trial.” Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that from that day, she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) seeking refuge from the punishment of the grave.
From the above narration, it is clear that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not completely deny the punishment of the grave. If he had, he would not have said that only the Jews would be tested in the graves. His denial was only regarding sinful Muslims, which Allah later informed him about through revelation. Similarly, the details of the conditions in the grave were also revealed to him in Madinah.
Likewise, the objection by the deniers of the punishment of the grave that the Prophet (peace be upon him) learned about the punishment of the grave from a Jewish woman is incorrect because the Prophet (peace be upon him) denied the Jewish woman’s statement, not affirmed it. Later, he taught and said that he was informed through revelation. That is, neither did his personal opinion play any role in this matter, nor did he learn it from the Jewish woman; he only knew it through revelation that you people will also be tested in the graves.
Conclusion
● From the Makki verses, it was only proven that the disbelievers would be punished in the grave. The punishment of the grave for sinful people of Tawheed was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Madinah through unwritten revelation. His negation was regarding sinful Muslims, not all people.
● Such objections are often raised only by those who deny Hadith, even though they have no right to reject the punishment of the grave based on such narrations because:
First: They deny the Hadith of the Prophet; according to them, Hadith (may Allah protect us) are fabricated and false.
Second: If they accept the Hadith of the Prophet, then the very narrations from which they derive this objection also mention the affirmation of the punishment of the grave. Therefore, by accepting the complete Hadith, they must accept the punishment of the grave.
