The questioning in the grave

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When a man is placed in his grave, if he is one of the fortunate, Allah Almighty makes his heart firm for the questioning, and he is asked: "Who are you?" He says: "I am the servant of Allah, in life and in death, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah." It is said to him: "So you were." Then his grave is widened for him as much as Allah Almighty wills, a door to Paradise is opened for him, and the fragrance and breeze of Paradise enter upon him until he is resurrected. As for the other man, he is brought into his grave and asked: "Who are you?" This question is put three times, and he says: "I do not know." It is said to him: "You did not know," and this is said three times. Then his grave is made so narrow for him that his body and ribs press into one another, and many snakes are sent upon him from the sides of the grave, which bite him and eat him. Whenever he cries out and screams, he is struck with a mace of iron or of fire, and a door to Hell is opened for him.

Sayyiduna al-Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said concerning the verse of the Qur'an: "Allah keeps firm those who believe with the firm word in the life of this world" [Ibrahim: 27]: Firmness in the life of this world means that when the two angels come to a man in the grave, they say to him: "Who is your Lord?" He says: "My Lord is Allah." They ask: "What is your religion?" He says: "My religion is Islam." They ask: "Who is your Prophet?" He says: "My Prophet is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)." This is the firmness in the life of this world.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), attributing it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that when the people turn back after burying the deceased, he hears the sound (footsteps) of their sandals.

Nubayh said: I heard Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) say: There is no bier but it calls out to its bearers (making a demand): if it is a believer and Allah is pleased with it, it says: "Hurry with me!" And if it is a disbeliever and Allah is displeased with it, it says: "Take me back!" Everything hears its voice except the jinn and mankind; if a human heard it, he would panic and be terrified.

Tamim bin Ghaylan bin Salamah said: A man came to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was ill and said: "O Abu al-Darda', you are on the verge of parting from this world (the parting is near). Command me with something by which Allah will benefit me and by which I will remember you." He said: "You are from a nation that has been granted well-being. Establish the prayer, pay the zakah on your wealth if any is due, fast Ramadan and avoid indecencies, then receive glad tidings." The man repeated the same question, and he answered him in the same way. Shu'bah said: I think the man repeated the question three times and he gave the same answer three times. The man stood up shaking his cloak and recited: "Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the Book" up to "and those who curse will curse them" [Al-Baqarah: 159]. Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' said: "Bring this man back to me!" Then he said to him: "What did you say?" He said: "You are a teacher; you have knowledge that I do not have. I came to you intending that you would tell me something by which Allah would benefit me, but you kept repeating only this one thing to me." Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' said to him: "Sit with me and take to heart what I tell you. Where will you be (what will become of you) on the day when nothing of the earth will be yours except two cubits in width and four cubits in length? Your family, who did not want to be parted from you, your companions and your brothers will bring you there and close the structure over you. Then they will heap much dust upon you and leave you in that state. Then two black, blue-eyed angels with curly hair will come to you, whose names are Munkar and Nakir. They will sit you up and ask you: 'What are you? Or upon what were you? Or what do you say about this man?' If you say: 'By Allah, I do not know; I heard people saying something about him, so I said it too,' then by Allah, you are ruined, disgraced and fallen. But if you say: 'This is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Messenger of Allah; Allah sent down a Book upon him, and I believed in that Book and in what he brought,' then by Allah, you have attained salvation and guidance. And you will never be able to answer these questions, because of the severity and fear (you will face), unless Allah Almighty makes your heart firm."