42. The Sunnah
٤٢۔ كتاب السنة
When a Muslim is questioned in the grave he testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle. That is verified by Allah’s words: “Allah establishes those who believe with the word that stands firm.”
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمَ إِذَا سُئِلَ فِي الْقَبْرِ فَشَهِدَ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ ﷻ { يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ }
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the garden of the palm trees of Banu al-Najjar. He heard a voice and was terrified. He asked: Who are the people buried in these graves? The people replied: Messenger of Allah! These are some people who died in the pre-Islamic times. He said: Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the fire, and the trail of Antichrist. They asked: Why is it that, Messenger of Allah? He said: When a man is placed in his grave, an angel comes to him and says to him: Whom did you worship? Allah then guides him and he says: I worshiped Allah. He is then asked: What was your opinion of this man? He replies: He is Allah’s servant and His Apostle. He will not then be asked about anything else. He will then be taken to his abode in Hell and will be told: This was your abode in Hell, but Allah protected you and had mercy on you substituted for you an abode in Paradise for it. He will say: Leave me so that I may go and give glad tidings to my family. He will be told: Dwell. When an infidel is placed in his grave, an angel comes to him, reprimands him and asks him: Whom did you worship? He replies: I do not know. He will be told: You neither knew nor did you follow(the believers). He is then asked: What was your opinion on this man? He replies: I held the opinion that the other people held. He will then give him a blow between his ears with an iron hammer and will utter a shout which will be heard by all the creatures(near him) with the exception of men and jinn.
إِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ دَخَلَ نَخْلاً لِبَنِي النَّجَّارِ فَسَمِعَ صَوْتًا فَفَزِعَ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ هَذِهِ الْقُبُورِ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَاسٌ مَاتُوا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ تَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدَّجَّالِ قَالُوا وَمِمَّ ذَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِي قَبْرِهِ أَتَاهُ مَلَكٌ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْبُدُ فَإِنِ اللَّهُ هَدَاهُ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ فَمَا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ غَيْرَهَا فَيُنْطَلَقُ بِهِ إِلَى بَيْتٍ كَانَ لَهُ فِي النَّارِ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ هَذَا بَيْتُكَ كَانَ لَكَ فِي النَّارِ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ عَصَمَكَ وَرَحِمَكَ فَأَبْدَلَكَ بِهِ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ دَعُونِي حَتَّى أَذْهَبَ فَأُبَشِّرَ أَهْلِي فَيُقَالُ لَهُ اسْكُنْ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِي قَبْرِهِ أَتَاهُ مَلَكٌ فَيَنْتَهِرُهُ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْبُدُ فَيَقُولُ لاَ أَدْرِي فَيُقَالُ لَهُ لاَ دَرَيْتَ وَلاَ تَلَيْتَ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ فَمَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ كُنْتُ أَقُولُ مَا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ فَيَضْرِبُهُ بِمِطْرَاقٍ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ بَيْنَ أُذُنَيْهِ فَيَصِيحُ صَيْحَةً يَسْمَعُهَا الْخَلْقُ غَيْرَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ
When a man is placed in his grave and his friends leave him, he hears the beat of their sandals. Then two angles come and speak to him. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition nearly similar to the previous one. It goes : As for the infidel and hypocrite they say to them. This version adds the word “hypocrite”. And he said : those who are near him will hear (his shout) with the exception of men and jinn.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ قَرْعَ نِعَالِهِمْ فَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ فَذَكَرَ قَرِيبًا مِنْ حَدِيثِ الأَوَّلِ قَالَ فِيهِ وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ وَالْمُنَافِقُ فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ زَادَ الْمُنَافِقُ وَقَالَ يَسْمَعُهَا مَنْ يَلِيهِ غَيْرَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ
We went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ accompanying the bier of a man of the Ansar. When we reached his grave, it was not yet dug. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down and we also sat down around him as if birds were over our heads. He had in his hand a stick with which he was scratching the ground. He then raised his head and said: Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave. He said it twice or thrice. The version of Jabir adds here: He hears the beat of their sandals when they go back, and at that moment he is asked: O so and so! Who is your Lord, what is your religion, and who is your Prophet? Hannad's version says: Two angels will come to him, make him sit up and ask him: Who is your Lord? He will reply: My Lord is Allah. They will ask him: What is your religion? He will reply: My religion is Islam. They will ask him: What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you? He will reply: He is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They will ask: Who made you aware of this? He will reply: I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true; which is verified by Allah's words: "Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true, which is verified by Allah's words: "Allah establishes those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and the next." The agreed version reads: Then a crier will call from Heaven: My servant has spoken the truth, so spread a bed for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him into Paradise. So some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him as far as the eye can see. He also mentioned the death of the infidel, saying: His spirit will be restored to his body, two angels will come to him, make him sit up and ask him: Who is your Lord? He will reply: Alas, alas! I do not know. They will ask him: What is your religion? He will reply: Alas, alas! I do not know. They will ask: Who was the man who was sent on a mission among you? He will reply: Alas, alas! I do not know. Then a crier will call from Heaven: He has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell. Then some of its heat and pestilential wind will come to him, and his grave will be compressed, so that his ribs will be crushed together. Jabir's version adds: One who is blind and dumb will then be placed in charge of him, having a sledge-hammer such that if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. He will give him a blow with it which will be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and jinn, and he will become dust. Then his spirit will be restored to him.
خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي جَنَازَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْقَبْرِ وَلَمَّا يُلْحَدْ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسْنَا حَوْلَهُ كَأَنَّمَا عَلَى رُءُوسِنَا الطَّيْرُ وَفِي يَدِهِ عُودٌ يَنْكُتُ بِهِ فِي الأَرْضِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ اسْتَعِيذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا زَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ هَا هُنَا وَقَالَ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ خَفْقَ نِعَالِهِمْ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ حِينَ يُقَالُ لَهُ يَا هَذَا مَنْ رَبُّكَ وَمَا دِينُكَ وَمَنْ نَبِيُّكَ قَالَ هَنَّادٌ قَالَ وَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ مَنْ رَبُّكَ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ مَا دِينُكَ فَيَقُولُ دِينِي الإِسْلاَمُ فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَيَقُولاَنِ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ فَيَقُولُ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَآمَنْتُ بِهِ وَصَدَّقْتُ زَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ ﷻ { يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا } الآيَةَ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا قَالَ فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَنْ قَدْ صَدَقَ عَبْدِي فَأَفْرِشُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَأَلْبِسُوهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ رَوْحِهَا وَطِيبِهَا قَالَ وَيُفْتَحُ لَهُ فِيهَا مَدَّ بَصَرِهِ قَالَ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ فَذَكَرَ مَوْتَهُ قَالَ وَتُعَادُ رُوحُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ وَيَأْتِيهِ مَلَكَانِ فَيُجْلِسَانِهِ فَيَقُولاَنِ مَنْ رَبُّكَ فَيَقُولُ هَاهْ هَاهْ هَاهْ لاَ أَدْرِي فَيَقُولاَنِ لَهُ مَا دِينُكَ فَيَقُولُ هَاهْ هَاهْ لاَ أَدْرِي فَيَقُولاَنِ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ فَيَقُولُ هَاهْ هَاهْ لاَ أَدْرِي فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَنْ كَذَبَ فَأَفْرِشُوهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَأَلْبِسُوهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَافْتَحُوا لَهُ بَابًا إِلَى النَّارِ قَالَ فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ حَرِّهَا وَسَمُومِهَا قَالَ وَيُضَيَّقُ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرُهُ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِفَ فِيهِ أَضْلاَعُهُ زَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ يُقَيَّضُ لَهُ أَعْمَى أَبْكَمُ مَعَهُ مِرْزَبَّةٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ لَوْ ضُرِبَ بِهَا جَبَلٌ لَصَارَ تُرَابًا قَالَ فَيَضْرِبُهُ بِهَا ضَرْبَةً يَسْمَعُهَا مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ إِلاَّ الثَّقَلَيْنِ فَيَصِيرُ تُرَابًا قَالَ ثُمَّ تُعَادُ فِيهِ الرُّوحُ
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Al-Bara’ (b. ‘Azib) from the prophet (May peace be upon him) through a different chain of narrators is a similar way.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ