Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
What reply should be given to a person who denies the punishment of the grave and presents this reasoning:
“If the grave is opened, we do not see it becoming constricted or expanded, nor do we observe any change.”
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
A person who denies the punishment of the grave on the basis of its apparent physical state can be answered from multiple angles:
From the Qur’an:
Allah says regarding the people of Pharaoh:
﴿النّارُ يُعرَضونَ عَلَيها غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَومَ تَقومُ السّاعَةُ أَدخِلوا ءالَ فِرعَونَ أَشَدَّ العَذابِ﴾ (Sūrat Ghāfir, 46)
Translation:
“The Fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour will be established, it will be said: ‘Admit the people of Pharaoh into the most severe punishment.’”
This verse is a clear proof of the punishment of Barzakh, which occurs before the Day of Judgment.
From the Ḥadīth:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«فَلَوْلَا اَنْ لَا تَدَافَنُوا لَدَعَوْتُ اللّٰهَ اَنْ يُسْمِعَکُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ الَّذِیْ اَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ اَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا بِوَجْههِِ، فَقَالَ: تَعَوَّذُوا بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، قَالُوا نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، فَقَالَ: تَعَوَّذُوْا بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، فَقَالُوا: نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ»
(Sahih Muslim, Kitāb al-Jannah, Bāb ʿArḍ Maqʿad al-Mayit min al-Jannah wa-l-Nār, ḥadīth no. 2867)
Meaning:
“If it were not that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave that I hear.”
Then he ﷺ said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.” They said: “We seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.”
He said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.” They said: “We seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِی قَبْرِهِ مد بصره»
(Sahih al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jana’iz, ḥadīth no. 1374; Sahih Muslim, Kitāb al-Jannah, ḥadīth no. 2870)
Meaning:
“His (the believer’s) grave will be expanded for him as far as his sight reaches.”
Belief in the punishment of the grave and other matters of Barzakh is required based on Qur’an and Ḥadīth.
Merely not seeing physical changes upon opening a grave does not justify denying these proofs.
The nature of this punishment is spiritual, belonging to the unseen realm, not something necessarily visible physically.
If it were purely physical, it would not fall under īmān bil-ghayb (belief in the unseen).
Events in the grave are connected to the Barzakhī world, not our material world; worldly measurement tools cannot be applied there.
A person may dream during sleep that he is travelling, being beaten, in a narrow place, or in a vast open space.
Yet the one sitting beside him cannot see or feel what he is experiencing.
Likewise, what happens in the grave is known only to the deceased.
A believer’s approach to all unseen matters should be:
“We have heard, and we have believed. We affirm them and accept them as true.”
ھٰذا ما عندي واللّٰه أعلم بالصواب
Question:
What reply should be given to a person who denies the punishment of the grave and presents this reasoning:
“If the grave is opened, we do not see it becoming constricted or expanded, nor do we observe any change.”
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
A person who denies the punishment of the grave on the basis of its apparent physical state can be answered from multiple angles:
① The Punishment of the Grave is Established through Shar‘i Proofs
From the Qur’an:
Allah says regarding the people of Pharaoh:
﴿النّارُ يُعرَضونَ عَلَيها غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَومَ تَقومُ السّاعَةُ أَدخِلوا ءالَ فِرعَونَ أَشَدَّ العَذابِ﴾ (Sūrat Ghāfir, 46)
Translation:
“The Fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour will be established, it will be said: ‘Admit the people of Pharaoh into the most severe punishment.’”
This verse is a clear proof of the punishment of Barzakh, which occurs before the Day of Judgment.
From the Ḥadīth:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«فَلَوْلَا اَنْ لَا تَدَافَنُوا لَدَعَوْتُ اللّٰهَ اَنْ يُسْمِعَکُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ الَّذِیْ اَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ اَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا بِوَجْههِِ، فَقَالَ: تَعَوَّذُوا بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، قَالُوا نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، فَقَالَ: تَعَوَّذُوْا بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، فَقَالُوا: نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ»
(Sahih Muslim, Kitāb al-Jannah, Bāb ʿArḍ Maqʿad al-Mayit min al-Jannah wa-l-Nār, ḥadīth no. 2867)
Meaning:
“If it were not that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave that I hear.”
Then he ﷺ said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.” They said: “We seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.”
He said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.” They said: “We seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.”
② For the Believer – Expansion of the Grave
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِی قَبْرِهِ مد بصره»
(Sahih al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jana’iz, ḥadīth no. 1374; Sahih Muslim, Kitāb al-Jannah, ḥadīth no. 2870)
Meaning:
“His (the believer’s) grave will be expanded for him as far as his sight reaches.”
③ Rejection of Shar‘i Texts Based Solely on Outward Observation is Invalid
Belief in the punishment of the grave and other matters of Barzakh is required based on Qur’an and Ḥadīth.
Merely not seeing physical changes upon opening a grave does not justify denying these proofs.
④ The Punishment of the Grave Relates to the Soul, Not the Body
The nature of this punishment is spiritual, belonging to the unseen realm, not something necessarily visible physically.
If it were purely physical, it would not fall under īmān bil-ghayb (belief in the unseen).
⑤ The State of Barzakh Cannot Be Measured by Worldly Standards
Events in the grave are connected to the Barzakhī world, not our material world; worldly measurement tools cannot be applied there.
⑥ The Example of Dreams – Real Yet Unseen by Others
A person may dream during sleep that he is travelling, being beaten, in a narrow place, or in a vast open space.
Yet the one sitting beside him cannot see or feel what he is experiencing.
Likewise, what happens in the grave is known only to the deceased.
⑦ The Requirement of Faith – “We Hear and We Obey”
A believer’s approach to all unseen matters should be:
“We have heard, and we have believed. We affirm them and accept them as true.”
ھٰذا ما عندي واللّٰه أعلم بالصواب
