The Grave

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Grave (1-9)

Dr. `Umar S. al-Ashqar



1 - The Terrors of the Grave Haani', the freed slave of 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan, narrated that whenever 'Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) stood over a grave he would weep until his beard would be wet. It was said to him, "You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but when you remember the grave you weep?" He said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
'The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. Whoever passes through it safely, whatever comes after that will be easier for him, but if he does not pass through it safely, whatever comes after that will be harder for him.'"

He said, "And I heard the Messenger of Allah say,
'I have never seen any (disturbing) scene, more terrifying than the grave. '"

This is narrated by Tirmidhi. [1]Because what comes after the grave will be easier for the one who passes through it safely, when the believer is shown in his grave the delights that Allah has prepared for him, he will say, "O' Lord, hasten the coming of the Hour, so that I may go back to my family and my wealth. " [2] But when the disbeliever or evildoer sees the intense torment that Allah has prepared for him, he will say, despite the torment that he is suffering, "O' Lord, do not let the Hour come" [3] - because what is yet to come is even worse and more terrifying.

The darkness of the grave
At the time of the Messenger a woman died who used to clean the mosque. The Messenger noticed that she was not there. They told him that she died during the night and buried her. They did not like to wake him up. He asked his Companions to show him her grave, then he went to her grave and prayed for her. Then he said,
"These graves are full of darkness, but Allah illuminates them for their occupants by virtue of my praying for them." This is narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, Al-Bayhaqi and Ahtmad. [4]

2 - The Squeezing of the Grave
When the deceased is placed in his grave, he is squeezed in a manner from which no one, great or small, righteous or immoral, can escape. It is narrated in the ahaadeeth that Sa'd ibn Mu'aadh was squeezed, and he was the one at whose death the Throne shook and for whom the gates of heaven were opened, and whose funeral was attended by seventy thousand angels. In Sunan an-Nasaa'i it is narrated that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) related: "The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
'This one at whose death the Throne shook, for whom the gates of heaven were opened, and whose funeral was attended by seventy thousand angels, has been squeezed once, then relieved him."[5]

In Musnad at-Imam it is also reported from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said:
"There is squeezing in the grave; if anyone were to have been saved from it, it would have been Sa'd ibn Mu'aadh."[6]

In Musnad at-Tabaraani al-Kabeer and Musnad at-Tabaraani alAwsat it is narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas that the Messenger of Allah said:
"If anyone were to have been saved from the squeezing of the grave, it would have been Sa'd ibn Mu'aadh. He was squeezed once, then released." [7]

All these texts indicate that the squeezing of the grave is inevitable for every person, even children are not spared of this. In Musnad atTabaraani al-Kabeer it is narrated from Abu Ayyoob with a isnad, and in Musnad at-Tabaraani al-Awsat and Al-Kaamil from Ibn 'Adiy from Anas, that the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"If anyone were to have been saved from the squeezing of the grave, it would have been this child." [8]
(Continued)


[1] Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah. Tirmidhi said, this is a ghareeb hadith. See Mishkaat Al-Masabeeh, 1/48; Jaami' al-Usool 11/164. Shaykh Naasir said in his commentary on Al-Mishkaat, its isnad is hasan. See Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 2/85

[2] From the hadith of Al-Baraa'.

[3] From the hadith of Al-Baraa'.

[4] Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz, p. 87

[5] Nasaa'i: Kitaab al-Janaa 'iz, Baab l)ummat al-Qabr wa l)agh(atuhu, 4/100. Shaykh al-Albaani said in Mishkaat (1149): its isnad is according to the conditions of Muslim.

[6] Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Jaami' (2/236), its isnad is

[7] al-Jaami' (5/71), its isnad is

[8] Ibid