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

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

We went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the funeral of a man from the Ansar. We reached the grave, and it had not yet been dug with a lahd. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down, and we sat around him as though birds were upon our heads. In his hand was a stick with which he was scratching the ground. He raised his head and said: "Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave" two or three times.

Jarir added at this point in his hadith and said: "He can hear the sound of their sandals when they turn away, departing, at the time it is said to him: "O this one, who is your Lord? What is your religion? And who is your Prophet?"" Hannad said: He said: "Two angels come to him and sit him up. They say to him: "Who is your Lord?" He says: "My Lord is Allah." They say to him: "What is your religion?" He says: "My religion is Islam." They say to him: "Who is this man who was sent among you?" He says: "He is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." They say: "How did you know?" He says: "I read the Book of Allah, believed in it, and affirmed it."" Jarir added in his hadith: "That is the saying of Allah ﷻ: "Allah makes firm those who believe," the verse." Then the two agreed. He said: "A caller from the heaven calls out: "My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out for him from Paradise, open for him a door to Paradise, and clothe him from Paradise."" He said: "Then some of its breeze and fragrance come to him." He said: "And it is opened for him therein as far as his eye can see."

He said: "As for the disbeliever"—then he mentioned his death—and said: "His soul is returned to his body, and two angels come to him and sit him up. They say: "Who is your Lord?" He says: "Hah, hah, hah, I do not know." They say to him: "What is your religion?" He says: "Hah, hah, I do not know." They say: "Who is this man who was sent among you?" He says: "Hah, hah, I do not know." Then a caller from the heaven calls out: "He has lied, so spread out for him from the Fire, clothe him from the Fire, and open for him a door to the Fire."" He said: "Then some of its heat and scorching wind come to him." He said: "His grave is constricted upon him until his ribs interlock within it." Jarir added in his hadith: He said: "Then one who is blind and mute is appointed over him, carrying an iron sledgehammer; if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust." He said: "He strikes him with it a blow that everything between the east and the west hears except humans and jinn, and he becomes dust." He said: "Then the soul is returned 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».