Two Punishments:
❀ Allah says:
سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ
“We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment.”
One of these is the punishment of the grave, because they will be sent into Hell only at the end, and before Hell there will be punishment twice.
❀ Qatadah bin Di’amah (may Allah have mercy on him) (after 100 AH) said:
فِي قَوْلِهِ:سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ
قَالَ: عَذَابُ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابُ النَّارِ.
“Allah’s statement, ‘We will punish them twice,’ means the punishment of the grave and the punishment of Hell.”
❀ Imam Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) (310 AH) said:
دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ فِي الْمَرَّتَيْنِ كِلْتَيْهِمَا قَبْلَ دُخُولِهِمُ النَّارَ، وَالْأَغْلَبُ مِنْ إِحْدَى الْمَرَّتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا فِي الْقَبْرِ.
“This verse is evidence that the punishment, both times, will be before they enter Hell; the most likely view is that one of the two punishments will be in the grave.”
❀ The Noble Qur’an has explained this in more detail elsewhere:
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
“We will make them taste the lesser punishment before the greater punishment, so that perhaps they may return.”
Punishment Before Hell:
❀ Allah the Exalted says:
فَذَرْهُمْ حَتَّى يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ يَوْمَ لَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا عَذَابًا دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“Leave them until they meet their day in which they will be made unconscious, the day when none of their scheming will avail them at all, nor will they be helped. And indeed, for those who do wrong there is a punishment before that, but most of them do not know.”
The Meaning of a Constricted Livelihood:
❀ Allah the Exalted says:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا
“Whoever turns away from My remembrance, his grave will be narrow.”
The Noble Qur’an says that those who turn away from the remembrance of Allah will have their livelihood constricted, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explained the meaning of a constricted livelihood as the grave.
❀ While mentioning the questioning of the disbelievers in the grave, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then a door of Hell will be opened and he will be told that this fire is your abode, which was prepared for you. He will be overcome with regret. Then Paradise will be shown to him, and he will fall into even greater regret. Then the grave will be constricted, and his ribs will be made to interlock. This is the meaning of a constricted livelihood. The Noble Qur’an says:
فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى
“His grave will be narrow, and on the Day of Resurrection We will raise him blind.””
❀ Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
إِنَّ الْمَعِيشَةَ الضَّنْكَ الَّتِي قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى هِيَ عَذَابُ الْقَبْرِ.
“This constricted livelihood that Allah has mentioned means the punishment of the grave.”
❀ Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا
قَالَ: عَذَابُ الْقَبْرِ.
“Allah’s statement ‘a constricted livelihood’ means the punishment of the grave.”
