مشكوة المصابيح

Mishkat al-Masabih

 كتاب الإيمان

The Book of Faith

 (مَنَاظِرُ دَاخِلِ الْقَبْرِ)

(Scenes inside the grave)

Hadith 139

‏‏‏‏وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ الْمَيِّتَ يَصِيرُ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ فَيَجْلِسُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالح فِي قَبره غير فزع وَلَا مشعوف ثمَّ يُقَال لَهُ فِيمَ كُنْتَ فَيَقُولُ كُنْتُ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَاءَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ فَصَدَّقْنَاهُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ اللَّهَ فَيَقُولُ مَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَرَى اللَّهَ فَيُفْرَجُ لَهُ فُرْجَةً قِبَلَ النَّارِ فَيَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا يُحَطِّمُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا فَيُقَالُ لَهُ انْظُرْ إِلَى مَا وَقَاكَ اللَّهُ ثمَّ يفرج لَهُ قِبَلَ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَنْظُرُ إِلَى زَهْرَتِهَا وَمَا فِيهَا فَيُقَال لَهُ هَذَا مَقْعَدك وَيُقَال لَهُ عَلَى الْيَقِينِ كُنْتَ وَعَلَيْهِ مِتَّ وَعَلَيْهِ تُبْعَثُ إِن شَاءَ الله وَيجْلس الرجل السوء فِي قَبره فَزعًا مشعوفا فَيُقَال لَهُ فِيمَ كُنْتَ فَيَقُولُ لَا أَدْرِي فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ قولا فقلته فيفرج لَهُ قِبَلَ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَنْظُرُ إِلَى زَهْرَتِهَا وَمَا فِيهَا فَيُقَالُ لَهُ انْظُرْ إِلَى مَا صَرَفَ اللَّهُ عَنْك ثمَّ يفرج لَهُ فُرْجَةً قِبَلَ النَّارِ فَيَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا يُحَطِّمُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا فَيُقَالُ لَهُ هَذَا مَقْعَدُكَ عَلَى الشَّك كنت وَعَلِيهِ مت وَعَلِيهِ تبْعَث إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى» . رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ
Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “When a dead man comes into his grave he will sit up in his grave neither dismayed nor refractory and will be asked what religion he followed, to which he will reply that he followed Islam. He will then be asked his opinion of this man, and will reply that he is Muhammad, God’s messenger, who brought men the clear proofs from God, and they believed him. He will then be asked if he has seen God, and will reply that it is not fitting that anyone should see God. Then an opening will be made for him in the direction of hell, he will look at it being crushed together, and will be told to look at what God has guarded him from. Then an opening will be made for him in the direction of paradise, he will look at its beauty and what is therein, and will be told that this will be his resting-place, for he followed what was sure, died in that belief, and will be resurrected in this belief, if God will. But the evil man will sit up in his grave dismayed and refractory and will be asked what religion he followed, to which he will reply that he does not know. He will then be asked his opinion of this man, and will reply that he heard people express an opinion which he followed. An opening will then be made for him in the direction of paradise, he will look at its beauty and what is therein, and will be told to look at what God has turned away from him. Then an opening will be made for him towards hell, he will look at it being crushed together, and will be told that this will be his resting-place on account of the doubt he harboured, in which he died, and in which he will be resurrected, if God will." Ibn Majah transmitted it.
Hadith Reference مشكوة المصابيح / كتاب الإيمان / 139
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح  |  زبیر علی زئی: إسناده صحيح
Hadith Takhrij ´تحقيق و تخريج: محدث العصر حافظ زبير على زئي رحمه الله` «إسناده صحيح، رواه ابن ماجه (4268) [وصححه البوصيري]»
Related hadith on this topic
Nasai: 1834 Muslim: 7221 Ibn Majah: 4262 Ibn Majah: 4268
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Authentication of the Hadith:
The chain of narration of this hadith is authentic.
The hadith scholar Busiri has also declared it authentic.

Jurisprudential Explanation of the Hadith:
➊ The return of the soul (i‘adah al-ruh) in the grave during the Barzakh is true.
➋ No person in this world can see Allah, the Exalted, while awake.
➌ Blind following (taqlid) is not permissible.
➍ The gates of the heavens are not opened for the wicked soul.
➎ The punishment of the grave is true for those who are deserving of punishment, and for the people of faith, by the grace and mercy of Allah, the reward of the grave (the blessings of the grave) is true.
➏ Allah, the Exalted, is established (mustawi) above His Throne (‘Arsh) above the seventh heaven. «كما يليق بجلاله و شانه»
➐ From Allah, our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), came with clear signs.
Source: Adwa al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, Page: 139
Nasai — Hadith 1834
´It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said:` "When the believer is dying, the angels of mercy come to him with white silk and sya: 'Come out content and with the pleasure of Allah upon you to the mercy of Allah, fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry; So it comes out like the best fragrance of musk. They pass him from one to another until they bring him to the gate of heaven, where they say: '; How good is this fragrance that has come to you from the Earth! Then the souls of the believers come to him and they rejoice more over him than any one of you rejoices when his absent loved one comes to him. They ask him: 'What happened to so-and-so, what happened to so-and-so?' They say: 'Let him be, for he was in the hardship of the world. When he says, 'Did he not come here?' They say: 'He was taken to the pit (of Hell).' Come out discontent, subject of Divine wrath, to the punishment of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime; So it comes out like the foulest stench of a corpse. They bring him to the gates of the Earth, where they say: 'How foul is this stench!' Then they bring him to the souls of the disbelievers."
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1834. Commentary:

➊ "They hand him over to one another"—just as relatives, with great joy, pass around a newborn child to look at him. It is understood from this that the soul is a reality and is something distinct from the body. It has its own existence. It is another matter that it is not visible, because it is very subtle. If air, despite being something of this world, is not visible yet is a reality, then what wonder is there if the soul is not seen?

➋ "Leave him"—this may refer to the new soul, meaning: do not trouble him with too many questions and answers. He is still in the sorrow of the world.

➌ At the time of the death of a believing person, the angels of mercy are present and give him glad tidings.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 1834
Muslim — Hadith 7221
Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: When the soul of a believer would go out (of his body) it would be received bv two angels who would take it to the sky. Hammad (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) mentioned the swetness of its odour, (and further said) that the dwellers of the sky say: Here comes the pious soul from the side of the earth Let there be blessings of Allah upon the body in which it resides. And it is carried (by the angels) to its Lord, the Exalted and Glorious. He would say: Take it to its destined end. And if he is a nonbeliever and as it (the soul) leaves the body-Hammad made a mention of its foul smell and of its being cursed-the dwellers of the sky say: There comes a dirty soul from the side of the earth, and it would be said: Take it to its destined end. Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put a thin cloth which was with him upon his nose while making a mention (of the foul smell) of the soul of a non-believer.
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Every human being has two appointed terms (ajal):
One in this world—the appointed term of death,
and the other after death—the Barzakh (intermediate state) appointed term,
after which he will be raised for reckoning.
As a result of this reckoning, a person will enter either Paradise or Hell.
In this hadith, the state of the soul of a believer and a disbeliever is described, and their respective abodes are also alluded to.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 7221
Ibn Majah — Hadith 4262
´It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:` “Angels come to the dying person, and if the man was righteous, they say: ‘Come out, O good soul that was in a good body, come out praiseworthy and receive glad tidings of mercy and fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry.’ And this is repeated until it comes out, then it is taken up to heaven, and it is opened for it, and it is asked: ‘Who is this?’ They say: ‘So-and-so.’ It is said: ‘Welcome to the good soul that was in a good body. Enter praiseworthy and receive the glad tidings of mercy and fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry.’ And this is repeated until it is brought to the heaven above which is Allah. But if the man was evil, they say: ‘Come out O evil soul that was in an evil body. Come out blameworthy, and receive the tidings of boiling water and the discharge of dirty wounds,’ and other torments of similar kind, all together. And this is repeated until it comes out, then it is taken up to heaven and it is not opened for it. And it is asked: ‘Who is this?’ It is said: ‘So-and-so.’ And it is said: ‘No welcome to the evil soul that was in an evil body. Go back blameworthy, for the gates of heaven will not be opened to you.’ So it is sent back down from heaven, then it goes to the grave.”
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:

➊
Angels are the sacred creation of Allah.
They perform various duties by Allah’s command.

➋
Angels are also appointed to seize the souls of human beings.
Their chief is the one referred to in the hadith as Malik al-Mawt (the Angel of Death).
And among the common people, his name is popularly known as Azra’il.

➌
Angels come to the person near death and address him.
At that time, he sees them and hears their words.
But other humans cannot see them,
nor can they hear their speech.

➌
The soul (ruh) is a non-material entity.
With its presence, the body is called alive.
But the angels extract it, seize it, speak to it, and also punish the soul of the evil person.

➍
The sky (heaven) is a solid entity.
It has gates that are opened and closed.
And angels come and go through them.

➎
The righteous soul is taken up to the sky (heaven).
And it is welcomed there.
Whereas the evil soul is also taken up to the sky,
but it is not granted permission to ascend further.

➏
The punishment of the grave is also among those unseen matters
in which it is necessary to have faith.
Even though, due to the structure of our present physical senses, its perception is not possible.
Relief for the believer is also of this same category.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 4262
Ibn Majah — Hadith 4268
´It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:` “The dead person ends up in his grave, then the righteous man is made to sit up in his grave with no fear or panic. Then it is said to him: ‘What religion did you follow?’ He said: ‘I was in Islam.’ It is said to him: ‘Who is this man?’ He says: ‘Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He brought us clear signs from Allah and we believed him.’ It is said to him: ‘Have you seen Allah?’ He says: ‘No one is able to see Allah.’ Then a window to Hell is opened for him, and he sees it, parts of it destroying others. Then it is said to him: ‘Look at what Allah has saved you from.’ Then a window to Paradise is opened to him, and he looks at its beauty and what is in it. It is said to him: ‘This is your place.’ And it is said to him: ‘You had certain faith and you died in that state, and in that state you will be resurrected if Allah wills.’ And the evil man is made to sit up in his grave with fear and panic. It is said to him: ‘What religion did you follow?’ He says: ‘I do not know.’ It is said to him: ‘Who is this man?’ He says: ‘I heard the people saying something and I said it too.’ Then a window to Paradise is opened to him, and he looks at its beauty and what is in it. It is said to him: ‘Look at what Allah has diverted away from you.’ Then a window to Hell is opened for him, and he sees it, parts of it destroying others, and it is said to him: ‘This is your place. You were doubtful; in this state you died and in this state you will be resurrected, if Allah wills.’”
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
The stage of questioning and answering in the grave is certain.
However, it pertains to the unseen realm (ʿālam al-ghayb), which living humans cannot perceive.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would become aware of it,
because such matters of the unseen are shown to the noble Prophets.

➋
The person who remained steadfast upon faith (iman) and righteous deeds (ʿamal salih) in the world is granted the ability to answer correctly.
One whose heart was devoid of faith cannot give an answer.

➌
In the grave, every person is shown the scenes of Paradise (Jannah) and Hellfire (Jahannam),
and he perceives the effects of Paradise or Hellfire according to his deeds.
However, permanent entry into Paradise or Hellfire will occur on the Day of Resurrection (Qiyamah).

➍
Standing by the grave after burial, addressing the deceased, and informing him of the answers given by the inhabitants of the grave is not established from the hadith; therefore, there is no benefit in it. After death, the deceased’s connection with this world is severed.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 4268
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