Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 46

(Ayah 46) ➊ {اَلنَّارُ يُعْرَضُوْنَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَّ عَشِيًّا:} After being drowned in the sea, Allah has mentioned two of the worst punishments that surround them. One is the punishment that will last until the Day of Resurrection, the punishment of the grave or the punishment of Barzakh, which is inflicted upon them in the form of fire during the interval between death and the Hereafter, to which they are presented morning and evening. Whether their bodies have become food for sea creatures, are preserved in a museum, or have mingled with the dust, every particle of theirs, wherever it is, is their grave, and until the Day of Resurrection, they will receive this punishment. "Morning and evening" means all the time, and this is an idiom used not only in Arabic but in every language. See Surah Maryam (62).

➋ { وَ يَوْمَ تَقُوْمُ السَّاعَةُ اَدْخِلُوْۤا اٰلَ فِرْعَوْنَ اَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ:} This is the second punishment that will begin on the Day of Resurrection. This verse is a clear proof of the punishment of the grave. Some people, despite clear verses and hadiths, have denied the punishment of the grave. May Allah guide them. Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, has mentioned three verses and several hadiths to prove the punishment of the grave under {’’كِتَابُ الْجَنَائِزِ‘‘} in Sahih Bukhari, in {’’ بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِيْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ‘‘}. The first verse: « اِذِ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ فِيْ غَمَرٰتِ الْمَوْتِ وَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُ بَاسِطُوْۤا اَيْدِيْهِمْ اَخْرِجُوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ اَلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُوْنِ» [ الأنعام : ۹۳ ] "When the wrongdoers are in the throes of death and the angels have their hands outstretched, [saying], 'Bring out your souls! Today you will be awarded a humiliating punishment.'" The second verse: « سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّوْنَ اِلٰى عَذَابٍ عَظِيْمٍ » [ التوبۃ : ۱۰۱ ] "Soon We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment." The third is this verse which is under exegesis here.

Among the hadiths mentioned in Sahih Bukhari regarding the punishment of the grave, a few are presented here. Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: [ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ ، وَتَوَلّٰی عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُهُ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ قَرْعَ نِعَالِهِمْ، أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ فَيُقْعِدَانِهِ فَيَقُوْلَانِ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُوْلُ فِيْ هٰذَا الرَّجُلِ لِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ؟ فَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِنُ فَيَقُوْلُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ انْظُرْ إِلٰی مَقْعَدِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ، قَدْ أَبْدَلَكَ اللّٰهُ بِهِ مَقْعَدًا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ، فَيَرَاهُمَا جَمِيْعًا، قَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّهُ يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلٰی حَدِيْثِ أَنَسٍ قَالَ وَ أَمَّا الْمُنَافِقُ وَالْكَافِرُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُوْلُ فِيْ هٰذَا الرَّجُلِ؟ فَيَقُوْلُ لَا أَدْرِيْ، كُنْتُ أَقُوْلُ مَا يَقُوْلُ النَّاسُ، فَيُقَالُ لَا دَرَيْتَ وَ لَا تَلَيْتَ وَ يُضْرَبُ بِمَطَارِقَ مِنْ حَدِيْدٍ ضَرْبَةً، فَيَصِيْحُ صَيْحَةً يَسْمَعُهَا مَنْ يَلِيْهِ، غَيْرَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ] [بخاري، الجنائز، باب ما جاء في عذاب القبر : ۱۳۷۴ ] "When a person is placed in his grave and his companions turn away from him and he hears the sound of their sandals, then two angels come to him and make him sit up and say: 'What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him?' So the believer says: 'I testify that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger.' Then it is said to him: 'Look at your place in the Fire; Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' So both places are shown to him together. Qatadah said: 'We have been informed that then his grave is made spacious for him.' Then Qatadah narrated further from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him: 'And as for the hypocrite or disbeliever, it is said to him: 'What did you use to say about this man?' He says: 'I do not know; I used to say what the people said.' Then it is said to him: 'You neither knew nor did you follow.' Then he is struck with iron hammers with such a blow that he screams a scream which everything near him hears except humans and jinn.'"

Abu Ayyub, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came out after sunset, and he heard a sound, so he said: [ يَهُوْدُ تُعَذَّبُ فِيْ قُبُوْرِهَا ] [ بخاري، الجنائز، باب التعوذ من عذاب القبر : ۱۳۷۵ ] "The Jews are being punished in their graves." Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrates that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by two graves and said: [ إِنَّهُمَا لَيُعَذَّبَانِ، وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِيْ كَبِيْرٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ بَلٰی، أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَكَانَ يَسْعٰی بِالنَّمِيْمَةِ، وَأَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَكَانَ لاَ يَسْتَتِرُ مِنْ بَوْلِهِ ] [ بخاري، الجنائز، باب عذاب القبر من الغیبۃ والبول : ۱۳۷۸ ] "Indeed, they are being punished, and they are not being punished for something major." Then he said: "Yes, (it is indeed major); one of them used to engage in tale-bearing, and the other did not protect himself from his urine." Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to supplicate: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيْحِ الدَّجَّالِ ] [ بخاري، الجنائز، باب التعوذ من عذاب القبر : ۱۳۷۷ ] "O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, from the punishment of the Fire, from the trials of life and death, and from the trial of the one-eyed false messiah (Dajjal)."