The state of the deceased in their grave
Question:
“What do you know about the state of a deceased (person) in his grave after his family members and bystanders have left?”
Answer:
“With regards to the believer, when he is placed into his grave and his family members and bystanders have left; Allah will return his soul back to him and awake him in an actual living condition in a state of barzakhiyyah[1].
Subsequently, two Angels come; one of which is called Munkar and the other Nakeer, and they will have him sit up straight, and then say to him: “Who is your Rabb (Lord)?”
He (i.e. the person in his grave) will say: “My Rabb (Lord) is Allah.”
Then they say to him: “What is your religion?”
He will say: “My religion is al-Islam.”
Then they will say: “Who is this person who was sent to you?”
He will say: “He is the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم).”
Then they will say: “And what are your actions?”
He will say: “I read Allah’s Book and I believed in it.”
Subsequently, a caller will call from the 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.”
Subsequently, some of her (i.e. Paradise) smell will reach him, and his grave will be widened to as far as he can see. Then a man will come to him with a handsome face, beautiful clothes and a pleasant smell, and say: “Rejoice with that which will make you happy, this is your day which has been promised to you.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Who are you? You have the face of someone who brings the good.”
He (the man) will say: “I am your righteous deeds.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Yaa Rabb (oh Lord), let the Hour commence so that I can return back to my family and wealth.”
His grave will be like a garden from amongst the Gardens of Paradise. And this is the meaning of the Speech of Allah (جل و عز):
{Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allah Alone and none else), and in the Hereafter.} [Surah Ibrahim 14:27]
With regards to the disbeliever or hypocrite, when he is placed in his grave and the bystanders have left; two Angels will come and sit him up straight in his grave. They will say to him: “Who is your Rabb (Lord)?”
He (i.e. the person in his grave) will say: “Ehh, ehh, I don’t know.”
Then they say to him: “What is your religion?”
He shall say: “Ehh, ehh, I don’t know.”
Then they will say: “Who is this person who was sent to you?”
He will say: “Ehh, ehh, I don’t know.”
Subsequently, a caller will call from the heaven: "My `abd (servant/slave) has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell."
Subsequently something of its heat and hot wind reaches him and his grave is made narrow until his ribs are crushed together. Then a man comes to him with an ugly face, ugly clothes and awful stench, and says: “Rejoice with that which will make you sad, this is your day which has been promised to you.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Who are you? You have the face of someone who brings the bad.”
He (the man) will say: “I am your bad deeds.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Yaa Rabb (oh Lord), do not let the Hour commence.”
Subsequently, a blind-deaf-mute person will be sent to him with a hammer in his hand, and if a mountain would have been hit by it, it would have turned it to sand. He will be hit once, after which he turns into sand. Subsequently, Allah (جل و عز) will return him back to his old state, to be hit again. He will scream so loud that everyone will be able to hear him except for the people and jinn[2].
We seek refuge with Allah from his punishment and from a bad ending.
[1] Al-Barzakh (البَرْزَخُ), what is between this world and the Hereafter, from the moment that one dies up until his resurrection on the Day of Judgement.
[2] Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (part 4, page 287-288) on the authority of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, and by Abu Dawud in the book about the funeral prayer under the chapter ‘sitting by the grave’ (part 4, page 337).
Shaykh Zayd bin Muhammad bin Haadee al-Madkhalee, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: Al-Adjweeba as-sadeeda `ala al-asilla ar-rasheeda, part 1-3, pag. 91-92, print: Dar al-Minhaj. Click here and here for scans of the pages.
“What do you know about the state of a deceased (person) in his grave after his family members and bystanders have left?”
Answer:
“With regards to the believer, when he is placed into his grave and his family members and bystanders have left; Allah will return his soul back to him and awake him in an actual living condition in a state of barzakhiyyah[1].
Subsequently, two Angels come; one of which is called Munkar and the other Nakeer, and they will have him sit up straight, and then say to him: “Who is your Rabb (Lord)?”
He (i.e. the person in his grave) will say: “My Rabb (Lord) is Allah.”
Then they say to him: “What is your religion?”
He will say: “My religion is al-Islam.”
Then they will say: “Who is this person who was sent to you?”
He will say: “He is the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم).”
Then they will say: “And what are your actions?”
He will say: “I read Allah’s Book and I believed in it.”
Subsequently, a caller will call from the 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.”
Subsequently, some of her (i.e. Paradise) smell will reach him, and his grave will be widened to as far as he can see. Then a man will come to him with a handsome face, beautiful clothes and a pleasant smell, and say: “Rejoice with that which will make you happy, this is your day which has been promised to you.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Who are you? You have the face of someone who brings the good.”
He (the man) will say: “I am your righteous deeds.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Yaa Rabb (oh Lord), let the Hour commence so that I can return back to my family and wealth.”
His grave will be like a garden from amongst the Gardens of Paradise. And this is the meaning of the Speech of Allah (جل و عز):
{Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allah Alone and none else), and in the Hereafter.} [Surah Ibrahim 14:27]
With regards to the disbeliever or hypocrite, when he is placed in his grave and the bystanders have left; two Angels will come and sit him up straight in his grave. They will say to him: “Who is your Rabb (Lord)?”
He (i.e. the person in his grave) will say: “Ehh, ehh, I don’t know.”
Then they say to him: “What is your religion?”
He shall say: “Ehh, ehh, I don’t know.”
Then they will say: “Who is this person who was sent to you?”
He will say: “Ehh, ehh, I don’t know.”
Subsequently, a caller will call from the heaven: "My `abd (servant/slave) has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell."
Subsequently something of its heat and hot wind reaches him and his grave is made narrow until his ribs are crushed together. Then a man comes to him with an ugly face, ugly clothes and awful stench, and says: “Rejoice with that which will make you sad, this is your day which has been promised to you.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Who are you? You have the face of someone who brings the bad.”
He (the man) will say: “I am your bad deeds.”
He (the person in the grave) will say: “Yaa Rabb (oh Lord), do not let the Hour commence.”
Subsequently, a blind-deaf-mute person will be sent to him with a hammer in his hand, and if a mountain would have been hit by it, it would have turned it to sand. He will be hit once, after which he turns into sand. Subsequently, Allah (جل و عز) will return him back to his old state, to be hit again. He will scream so loud that everyone will be able to hear him except for the people and jinn[2].
We seek refuge with Allah from his punishment and from a bad ending.
[1] Al-Barzakh (البَرْزَخُ), what is between this world and the Hereafter, from the moment that one dies up until his resurrection on the Day of Judgement.
[2] Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (part 4, page 287-288) on the authority of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, and by Abu Dawud in the book about the funeral prayer under the chapter ‘sitting by the grave’ (part 4, page 337).
Shaykh Zayd bin Muhammad bin Haadee al-Madkhalee, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: Al-Adjweeba as-sadeeda `ala al-asilla ar-rasheeda, part 1-3, pag. 91-92, print: Dar al-Minhaj. Click here and here for scans of the pages.