The punishment of the wrongdoer at the time of death:
❀ In the Noble Qur’an:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَاسِطُو أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنْتُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ.
“If you could see the time when the wrongdoers will be in the agonies of death, and the angels will stretch out their hands toward them (saying): Bring out your souls! Today you will be given a humiliating punishment, because you used to speak untruth about Allah and used to be arrogant toward His verses. (That will be a terrifying scene.)”
❀ Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) (751 AH) says:
هٰذَا خِطَابٌ لَهُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَقَدْ أَخْبَرَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ الصَّادِقُونَ أَنَّهُمْ حِينَئِذٍ يُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ وَلَوْ تَأَخَّرَ عَنْهُمْ ذٰلِكَ إِلَى انْقِضَاءِ الدُّنْيَا لَمَا صَحَّ أَنْ يُقَالَ لَهُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ.
“This is the address made to them at the time of death. The angels, who are truthful creatures, inform them that right now they are about to receive the humiliating punishment. Had this punishment been after the end of the world (on the Day of Resurrection), it would not have been said to them: Today you will be recompensed.”
❀ Similarly, in another place it is stated:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
“If you could see the time when the angels take the souls of the disbelievers, striking their faces and their backs (and saying): Taste the punishment of the burning fire. (Then you would see a terrifying scene.)”
❀ Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) (458 AH) says:
دَلَّتِ الْآيَتَانِ عَلَى أَنَّ الْكُفَّارَ يُعَنَّفُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي نَزْعِ أَرْوَاحِهِمْ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يُخْبَرُونَ بِمَا هُمْ قَادِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ خِلَافَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَيُبَشَّرُونَ بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ.
“The two (aforementioned) verses indicate that the disbelievers are treated harshly when their souls are taken, and that they are informed of the humiliating punishment that awaits them. The matter of the believers is the opposite: they are given the glad tidings (at the time of death) of Paradise, which they were promised.”
❀ Regarding the family of Pharaoh, Allah the Almighty said:
وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ
“The worst punishment encompassed the family of Pharaoh: the Fire, to which they are exposed morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour is established, it will be said: Enter the family of Pharaoh into the severest punishment.”
❀ Imam Abu Bakr al-Isma’ili (may Allah have mercy on him) (371 AH) says:
أَثْبَتَ لَهُمْ مَا بَقِيَتِ الدُّنْيَا عَذَابًا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْعَشِيِّ دُونَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا، حَتّٰى إِذَا قَامَتِ الْقِيَامَةُ عُذِّبُوا أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ، بِلَا تَخْفِيفٍ عَنْهُمْ كَمَا كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا.
“Allah the Almighty has established for the family of Pharaoh that, as long as the world remains, they will be punished morning and evening. The time in between is not mentioned. Then, when the Resurrection is established, they will receive the severest punishment, with no relief for them, as there was in the world.”
❀ Allamah Taj al-Qurra al-Kirmani (may Allah have mercy on him) (505 AH) says:
فِيهِ أَدَلُّ دَلِيلٍ عَلَى عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ.
“This verse is a clear proof of the punishment of the grave.”
❀ Allamah Abu Abdullah al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) (671 AH) says:
اَلْجُمْهُورُ عَلَى أَنَّ هٰذَا الْعَرْضَ فِي الْبَرْزَخِ، احْتَجَّ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي تَثْبِيتِ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ.
“According to the majority, this exposure takes place in the Barzakh. Some scholars have used it to establish the punishment of the grave.”
❀ Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) (751 AH) says:
ذَكَرَ عَذَابَ الدَّارَيْنِ ذِكْرًا صَرِيحًا لَا يَحْتَمِلُ غَيْرَهُ.
“Allah the Almighty has mentioned the punishment of the two abodes. This mention is explicit and admits no other possibility.”
❀ The exegete of the Qur’an, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) (774 AH) says:
هٰذِهِ الْآيَةُ أَصْلٌ كَبِيرٌ فِي اسْتِدْلَالِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ عَلَى عَذَابِ الْبَرْزَخِ فِي الْقُبُورِ، وَهِيَ قَوْلُهُ:النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا.
“This verse is a great proof of Ahl al-Sunnah for establishing the Barzakh punishment in the grave: النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا ‘They are exposed to the Fire morning and evening.'”
❀ Allamah al-Zamakhshari (538 AH) writes:
عَرْضُهُمْ عَلَيْهَا: إِحْرَاقُهُمْ بِهَا، يُقَالُ: عَرَضَ الْإِمَامُ الْأُسَارٰى عَلَى السَّيْفِ إِذَا قَتَلَهُمْ بِهِ.
“Their being exposed to the Fire means that they are burned by the Fire, as it is said: ‘The ruler of the time exposed the prisoners to the sword,’ meaning he killed them with the sword.”
❀ The wife of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates:
لَمَّا كَانَ لَيْلَةَ تُوُفِّيَ حُذَيْفَةُ جَعَلَ يَسْأَلُنَا: أَيُّ اللَّيْلِ هٰذَا؟ فَنُخْبِرُهُ، حَتّٰى كَانَ السَّحَرُ، قَالَتْ: فَقَالَ: أَجْلِسُونِي، فَأَجْلَسْنَاهُ، قَالَ : وَجِّهُونِي، فَوَجَّهْنَاهُ، قَالَ: اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ صَبَاحِ النَّارِ وَمِنْ مَسَائِهَا.
“On the night Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, he kept asking: What part of the night is it? We would tell him, until the time before dawn came. Then he said: Sit me up. We sat him up. Then he said: Turn my face toward the qiblah. We turned his face toward the qiblah. Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) made this supplication: ‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from being exposed to the Fire morning and evening.'”
❀ Also read this verse:
مِمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْصَارًا
“Because of their sins they were drowned, then they were made to enter the Fire, and they found no helpers for themselves besides Allah.”
All these verses state very clearly that when the wrongdoers or disbelievers die, the angels will say at the very moment of taking out the soul: Today you will be made to taste a humiliating punishment. Likewise, the punishment given to the family of Pharaoh morning and evening is that very punishment of the grave, because the Resurrection has not yet come.
