Taken from: Fatawa Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
Is there punishment in the grave?
The Ahadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ provide detailed explanations regarding the trial (fitnah) and punishment (ʿadhāb) of the grave. Initially, the Prophet ﷺ was not aware of the punishment in the grave, but later, through revelation, he was informed that such punishment does indeed occur. He also mentioned it in his tafsir (exegesis) of certain Qur’anic verses and taught supplications to seek refuge from it.
❖ Hafiz Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (رحمه الله, d. 463 AH) said:
The narrations concerning the punishment of the grave from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are too numerous to be counted. They are mutawatir (mass-transmitted), well-known, and authentic. Similar abundant narrations have been reported from the noble Companions and the Tābiʿīn (رحمهم الله), which must be taken as proof.
(Al-Ajwibah ʿan al-Masā'il al-Mustaghrabah min Kitāb al-Bukhāri, p. 190)
A Jewish woman once spoke to her about the punishment of the grave, saying:
"May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave."
So Sayyidah A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) asked the Prophet ﷺ about it. He replied:
"Yes, the punishment of the grave is real."
She then said:
After that, I saw the Prophet ﷺ seeking refuge from the punishment of the grave in every salah.
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 1372, Sahih Muslim: 584)
A Jewish woman used to serve me. Whenever I did something good to her, she would say: "May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave."
I mentioned this to the Prophet ﷺ and asked:
"Is there punishment in the grave before the Day of Judgement?"
He replied:
"No."
Then I added:
"But this Jewish woman says it every time I do something good to her."
He said:
"The Jews lie. They have told the greatest lies about Allah."
But later, the Prophet ﷺ came out during the day wearing his clothes, his eyes were red, and he was raising his voice:
"O people! Trials will surround you like the darkness of the night. O people! If you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little. O people! Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. Verily, the punishment of the grave is real!"
(Musnad Ahmad: 6/81 – Chain is authentic)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Were it not for the fear that you would stop burying your dead, I would have prayed to Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave."
(Sahih Muslim: 2868)
He further narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ once entered a garden of Banu Najjar, and heard a sound from a grave.
He asked:
"When was this person buried?"
They replied:
"In the days of Jahiliyyah."
He was pleased by this and said:
"Had I not feared that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to make you hear the punishment of the grave."
(Musnad Ahmad: 3/103, Sunan al-Nasa’i: 2058 – Chain is authentic)
✔ This narration was also authenticated by Imam Ibn Hibban (رحمه الله) in his Sahih (Hadith: 3126).
This statement is general. The apparent meaning is that if people heard the punishment of the grave, they would abandon burying the dead to avoid such torment. However, this interpretation is questionable, as one does not expect this behavior from believers.
A believer must have the belief that if Allah wishes to punish someone, He will do so regardless of where the body is – whether in the belly of a fish or under the wings of birds.
In the power of Allah, the inside and outside of the earth are the same.
Believers are commanded to bury the dead, and neglecting it without excuse is not permissible.
Our understanding is that if people heard the punishment, it would cause widespread panic, tear their hearts with fear, and they would abandon burials out of extreme dread, even if the deceased's body began to rot.
(Al-Muyassar fi Sharh Misbah al-Sunnah: 1/72–73)
❖ The punishment in the grave is a proven reality through numerous authentic and mass-transmitted narrations.
❖ The Prophet ﷺ taught his Ummah to seek refuge from it regularly, particularly in their daily prayers.
❖ Question:
Is there punishment in the grave?
❖ Answer:
The Ahadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ provide detailed explanations regarding the trial (fitnah) and punishment (ʿadhāb) of the grave. Initially, the Prophet ﷺ was not aware of the punishment in the grave, but later, through revelation, he was informed that such punishment does indeed occur. He also mentioned it in his tafsir (exegesis) of certain Qur’anic verses and taught supplications to seek refuge from it.
✿ Statements of Scholars:
❖ Hafiz Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (رحمه الله, d. 463 AH) said:
The narrations concerning the punishment of the grave from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are too numerous to be counted. They are mutawatir (mass-transmitted), well-known, and authentic. Similar abundant narrations have been reported from the noble Companions and the Tābiʿīn (رحمهم الله), which must be taken as proof.
(Al-Ajwibah ʿan al-Masā'il al-Mustaghrabah min Kitāb al-Bukhāri, p. 190)
✿ Sayyidah A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) Narrates:
A Jewish woman once spoke to her about the punishment of the grave, saying:
"May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave."
So Sayyidah A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) asked the Prophet ﷺ about it. He replied:
"Yes, the punishment of the grave is real."
She then said:
After that, I saw the Prophet ﷺ seeking refuge from the punishment of the grave in every salah.
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 1372, Sahih Muslim: 584)
✿ Further Details from Sayyidah A’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
A Jewish woman used to serve me. Whenever I did something good to her, she would say: "May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave."
I mentioned this to the Prophet ﷺ and asked:
"Is there punishment in the grave before the Day of Judgement?"
He replied:
"No."
Then I added:
"But this Jewish woman says it every time I do something good to her."
He said:
"The Jews lie. They have told the greatest lies about Allah."
But later, the Prophet ﷺ came out during the day wearing his clothes, his eyes were red, and he was raising his voice:
"O people! Trials will surround you like the darkness of the night. O people! If you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little. O people! Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. Verily, the punishment of the grave is real!"
(Musnad Ahmad: 6/81 – Chain is authentic)
✿ Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) Narrates:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Were it not for the fear that you would stop burying your dead, I would have prayed to Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave."
(Sahih Muslim: 2868)
He further narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ once entered a garden of Banu Najjar, and heard a sound from a grave.
He asked:
"When was this person buried?"
They replied:
"In the days of Jahiliyyah."
He was pleased by this and said:
"Had I not feared that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to make you hear the punishment of the grave."
(Musnad Ahmad: 3/103, Sunan al-Nasa’i: 2058 – Chain is authentic)
✔ This narration was also authenticated by Imam Ibn Hibban (رحمه الله) in his Sahih (Hadith: 3126).
✿ Commentary by ʿAllamah al-Turbashti (رحمه الله, d. 661 AH):
This statement is general. The apparent meaning is that if people heard the punishment of the grave, they would abandon burying the dead to avoid such torment. However, this interpretation is questionable, as one does not expect this behavior from believers.
A believer must have the belief that if Allah wishes to punish someone, He will do so regardless of where the body is – whether in the belly of a fish or under the wings of birds.
In the power of Allah, the inside and outside of the earth are the same.
Believers are commanded to bury the dead, and neglecting it without excuse is not permissible.
Our understanding is that if people heard the punishment, it would cause widespread panic, tear their hearts with fear, and they would abandon burials out of extreme dread, even if the deceased's body began to rot.
(Al-Muyassar fi Sharh Misbah al-Sunnah: 1/72–73)
Conclusion:
❖ The punishment in the grave is a proven reality through numerous authentic and mass-transmitted narrations.
❖ The Prophet ﷺ taught his Ummah to seek refuge from it regularly, particularly in their daily prayers.
