Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tirmidhi:1071Abū Salamah Yaḥyá b. Khalaf > Bishr b. al-Mufaḍḍal > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Isḥāq > Saʿīd b. Abū Saʿīd al-Maqburī > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah said: "When the deceased - or he said when one of you - is buried, two angels, black and blue (eyed_ come to him. One of them is called Al-Munkar, and the other An-Nakir. They say: 'What did you used to say about this man?' So he says what he was saying (before death) 'He is Allah's slave and His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.' So they say: 'We knew that you would say this.' Then his grave is expanded to seventy by seventy cubits, then it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him: 'Sleep.' So he said: 'Can I return to my family to inform them?' They say: 'Sleep as a newlywed, whom none awakens but the dearest of his family.' Until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.""If he was a hypocrite he would say: 'I heard people saying something, so I said the same; I do not know.' So they said: 'We knew you would say that.' So the earth is told: 'Constrict him.' So it constricts around him, squeezing his ribs together. He continues being punished like that until Allah resurrects him from his resting place."  

الترمذي:١٠٧١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ يَحْيَى بْنُ خَلَفٍ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قُبِرَ الْمَيِّتُ أَوْ قَالَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ أَسْوَدَانِ أَزْرَقَانِ يُقَالُ لأَحَدِهِمَا الْمُنْكَرُ وَالآخَرُ النَّكِيرُ فَيَقُولاَنِ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ مَا كَانَ يَقُولُ هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ فَيَقُولاَنِ قَدْ كُنَّا نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ هَذَا ثُمَّ يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فِي سَبْعِينَ ثُمَّ يُنَوَّرُ لَهُ فِيهِ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَمْ فَيَقُولُ أَرْجِعُ إِلَى أَهْلِي فَأُخْبِرُهُمْ فَيَقُولاَنِ نَمْ كَنَوْمَةِ الْعَرُوسِ الَّذِي لاَ يُوقِظُهُ إِلاَّ أَحَبُّ أَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْعَثَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ مَضْجَعِهِ ذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ فَقُلْتُ مِثْلَهُ لاَ أَدْرِي فَيَقُولاَنِ قَدْ كُنَّا نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ فَيُقَالُ لِلأَرْضِ الْتَئِمِي عَلَيْهِ فَتَلْتَئِمُ عَلَيْهِ فَتَخْتَلِفُ فِيهَا أَضْلاَعُهُ فَلاَ يَزَالُ فِيهَا مُعَذَّبًا حَتَّى يَبْعَثَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ مَضْجَعِهِ ذَلِكَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَزَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَالْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ وَأَبِي أَيُّوبَ وَأَنَسٍ وَجَابِرٍ وَعَائِشَةَ وَأَبِي سَعِيدٍ كُلُّهُمْ رَوَوْا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Suyūṭī
ahmad:12271Rawḥ b. ʿUbādah > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik And Yūnus > Shaybān > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik > Nabī Allāh ﷺ

"When a person is put in his grave and his companions leave him, he hears the sound of their sandals. Two angels come to him, making him sit up, and say to him: 'What did you say about this man (Muhammad)?' As for the believer, he says: 'I bear witness that he says: 'I bear witness that he is the slave of Allah and His Messenger.' It is said to him: 'Look at your place in hell; Allah has replaced it for you with a place better than it.''' The Messenger of Allah said: "Then he sees them both." As for the disbeliever or the hypocrite, it is said to him: 'What did you say about this man?' He says: 'I do not know; I used to say what the people said.' It is said to him: 'You did not understand and you did not follow those who had understanding.' Then he is dealt a blow between his ears and the man utters a scream which everything near him hears, except for the two races.''' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2051)   

أحمد:١٢٢٧١حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَيُونُسُ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُهُ حَتَّى إِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ قَرْعَ نِعَالِهِمْ أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ فَيُقْعِدَانِهِ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ لِمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ فَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِنُ فَيَقُولُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ عَبْدُ اللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ فَيُقَالُ انْظُرْ إِلَى مَقْعَدِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ فَقَدْ أَبْدَلَكَ اللهُ بِهِ مَقْعَدًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَيَرَاهُمَا جَمِيعًا قَالَ رَوْحٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَذَكَرَ لَنَا أَنَّهُ يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِيقَبْرِهِ سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا وَيُمْلَأُ عَلَيْهِ خُضْرًا إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى حَدِيثِ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ وَالْمُنَافِقُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ؟ فَيَقُولُ لَا أَدْرِي كُنْتُ أَقُولُ مَا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ لَا دَرَيْتَ وَلَا تَلَيْتَ ثُمَّ يُضْرَبُ بِمِطْرَاقٍ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ضَرْبَةً بَيْنَ أُذُنَيْهِ فَيَصِيحُ صَيْحَةً فَيَسْمَعُهَا مَنْ يَلِيهِ غَيْرُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَضِيقُ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرُهُ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِفَ أَضْلَاعُهُ  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَنِ اسْمِ الْمَلَكَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ يَسْأَلَانِ النَّاسَ فِي قُبُورِهِمْ، ثَبَّتَنَا اللَّهُ بِتَفَضُّلِهِ لِسُؤَالِهِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ

ibnhibban:3117ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > Bishr b. Muʿādh al-ʿAqadī > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Isḥāq > Saʿīd al-Maqburī > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah said: "When the deceased - or he said when one of you - is buried, two angels, black and blue (eyed_ come to him. One of them is called Al-Munkar, and the other An-Nakir. They say: 'What did you used to say about this man?' So he says what he was saying (before death) 'He is Allah's slave and His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.' So they say: 'We knew that you would say this.' Then his grave is expanded to seventy by seventy cubits, then it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him: 'Sleep.' So he said: 'Can I return to my family to inform them?' They say: 'Sleep as a newlywed, whom none awakens but the dearest of his family.' Until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.""If he was a hypocrite he would say: 'I heard people saying something, so I said the same; I do not know.' So they said: 'We knew you would say that.' So the earth is told: 'Constrict him.' So it constricts around him, squeezing his ribs together. He continues being punished like that until Allah resurrects him from his resting place." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 1071)   

ابن حبّان:٣١١٧أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَقَدِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا قُبِرَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَوِ الْإِنْسَانُ أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ أَسْوَدَانِ أَزْرَقَانِ يُقَالُ لِأَحَدِهِمَا الْمُنْكَرُ وَالْآخَرُ النَّكِيرُ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ مُحَمَّدٍ؟ فَهُوَ قَائِلٌ مَا كَانَ يَقُولُ فَإِنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا قَالَ هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ إِنْ كُنَّا لِنَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَتَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَفْسَحُ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فِي سَبْعِينَ ذِرَاعًا وَيُنَوَّرُ لَهُ فِيهِ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ نَمْ فَيَنَامُ كَنَوْمَةِ الْعَرُوسِ الَّذِي لَا يُوقِظُهُ إِلَّا أَحَبُّ أَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْعَثَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ مَضْجَعِهِ ذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا قَالَ لَا أَدْرِي كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ شَيْئًا فَكُنْتُ أَقُولُهُ فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ إِنْ كُنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لِلْأَرْضِ الْتَئِمِي عَلَيْهِ فَتَلْتَئِمُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِفَ فِيهَا أَضْلَاعُهُ فَلَا يَزَالُ مُعَذَّبًا حَتَّى يَبْعَثَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ مَضْجَعِهِ ذَلِكَ»  

suyuti:2322a

The Messenger of Allah said: "When the deceased - or he said when one of you - is buried, two angels, black and blue (eyed_ come to him. One of them is called Al-Munkar, and the other An-Nakir. They say: 'What did you used to say about this man?' So he says what he was saying (before death) 'He is Allah's slave and His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.' So they say: 'We knew that you would say this.' Then his grave is expanded to seventy by seventy cubits, then it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him: 'Sleep.' So he said: 'Can I return to my family to inform them?' They say: 'Sleep as a newlywed, whom none awakens but the dearest of his family.' Until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.""If he was a hypocrite he would say: 'I heard people saying something, so I said the same; I do not know.' So they said: 'We knew you would say that.' So the earth is told: 'Constrict him.' So it constricts around him, squeezing his ribs together. He continues being punished like that until Allah resurrects him from his resting place." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 1071)   

السيوطي:٢٣٢٢a

"إذا قُبِرَ الميِّتُ أتاهُ ملكانِ أسْودَانِ أزْرقانِ يقالُ لأحَدِهما: المنكَرُ ولِلآخر: النكيرُ فيقولانِ: ما كُنتَ تقولُ في هذا الرّجل؟ فيقول -ما كان يقول-: هو عبد الله ورسولُهُ أشهدُ أن لا إله إلا الله وإنَّ محمدًا عبْدُه ورسولُه فيقُولان: قد كُنَّا نْعلَمُ أنَّكَ تَقُول، ثُمَّ يُفسَحُ له في قبره سبعونَ ذرَاعًا في سبعينَ، ثُمَّ يُنَوَّرُ له فِيه، ثمَّ يقالُ: نَمْ كَنَوْمَة العروس الَّذِي لا يوقظه إلَّا أحبُّ أهله إليهِ حتَّى يبْعَثَه الله من مضجعه ذلك، وإن كان منافقًا قال: قد سمعت النَّاسَ يقولون فقلتُ مِثْلَهُ، لا أدْرِي فيقولان: قد كنَّا نَعْلَم أنَّكَ تقُول ذَلِك، فيقالُ للأَرْضِ: التِئمِي عليه فتلتَئَمُ عليه فتختَلِفُ أضلاعُه، فلا يزَالُ فيها معذبًا حتَّى يبْعثَه الله من مضجعهِ ذلك".  

[ت] الترمذي حسن غريب عن أبي هريرة، والعلقمى، وابن أبي الدنيا، والآجري في الشريعة والبيهقي في كتاب عذاب القبر. المصنف في الحبائك)