The Punishment of the Grave and the Noble Qur’an
The Noble Qur’an has explained this subject in an extremely clear manner. When the disbelievers demanded the punishment, Allah the Exalted said:
قُلْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
“(O Prophet! Say to these disbelievers:) Say, ‘It may be that a part of that which you seek to hasten has soon come close upon you.'”
❀ He also said:
فَلَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ وَأَنْتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنْظُرُونَ
“Then why, when it (the soul) reaches the throat, and you at that moment are looking on.”
This describes the scene of death; the conditions after death are described briefly in the Qur’an and in detail in the hadiths.
What is meant by the firm word?
❀ Allah the Exalted says:
يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ
“Allah will keep the believers firm with the firm word in this world and in the Hereafter.”
The Prophet ﷺ himself explained the meaning of this verse.
❀ Sayyiduna al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِذَا أُقْعِدَ الْمُؤْمِنُ فِي قَبْرِهٖ أُتِيَ، ثُمَّ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَّسُولُ اللّٰهِ، فَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهٗ: يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ
…… نَزَلَتْ فِي عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ.
“When the believer is made to sit in his grave, the angels come to him, then he testifies (in answer to the angels) that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Messenger of Allah. This is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ…… (Some narrators have also related these words, that the Prophet ﷺ said:) This verse was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave.”
❀ Hafiz al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هٰذَا حَدِيثٌ مُّتَّفَقٌ عَلٰى صِحَّتِهٖ.
“There is agreement on the authenticity of this hadith.”
❀ Imam Abu ‘Amr al-Dani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْأَسَانِيدِ الصَّحِيحَةِ أَنَّهٗ قَالَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ.
“Narrations have come from the Prophet ﷺ with sahih (authentic) chains that he ﷺ said: This verse was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave.”
❀ Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ was once describing the conditions of the grave and Munkar and Nakir, when:
فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ: يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ، مَا أَحَدٌ يَقُومُ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فِي يَدِهٖ مِطْرَاقٌ إِلَّا هِيلَ عِنْدَ ذٰلِكَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ
“Some of the Companions said: O Messenger of Allah! Everyone will surely be frightened on seeing the hammer in the angel’s hand. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Allah the Exalted will keep the believers firm with the firm word.'”
❀ This same explanation from him ﷺ has also been transmitted in these books.
Remember that only that explanation and interpretation of the Noble Qur’an is acceptable which the Messenger of Allah and his Companions have given.
❀ Hafiz Abu Zur’ah al-‘Iraqi (may Allah have mercy on him) (826 AH) says:
نَزَلَتْ فِي عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَاسْتَعَاذَ مِنْهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَتَوَاتَرَتْ بِهِ الْأَحَادِيثُ.
“This verse was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave; the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge from the punishment of the grave, and there are mutawatir (mass-transmitted) hadiths on this subject.”
