The Grave (2-9)
Dr. `Umar S. al-Ashqar
3 - The Trial (Fitnah) of the Grave
(1) How will this trial be?
When a person is placed in his grave, two angels come to him in a frightening form. In Sunan at-Tirmidhi it says: "When the deceased - or when one of you - is buried, two black and blue angels come to him, one of whom is called Al-Munkar and the other An-Nakeer.
They say, 'What did you say about this man?' and he tells them what he used to say, 'He is the slave of Allah and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger...' But if he was a hypocrite, he says, 'I heard the people saying something and I said likewise; I don't know ...." [1]
According to the hadith narrated by Al-Baraa' ibn 'Aazib, the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"Two (very harsh) angels come to him (and treat him roughly) and make him sit up. They say to him, 'Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?' This is the last trial to which the believer is subjected. This is what Allah refers to in the aayah:
“Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world ...” (Qur'an Surah Ibrahim, 14: 27)
So he says, 'My Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam and my Prophet is Muhammad.’ Then a voice cries out from heaven, 'My slave has spoken the truth.'"
And he said concerning the kaafir or evildoer: "Two (very harsh) angels come to him (and treat him roughly) and make him sit. They say to him, 'Who is your Lord?' He says, 'Oh, oh, I don'tknow.' They say to him, 'What is your religion?' He says, 'Oh, oh, I don'tknow.' They say, 'What do you say about this man who was sent among you?' He cannot remember his name, so they tell him, 'Muhammad.' He says,
'Oh, oh, I don't know. (I heard people saying such and such.' They say to him, 'May you never know and may you never say what the people said!') Then a voice calls out, 'My slave is lying ...’[2]
It is narrated from Anas the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"When a person is placed in his grave, and his companions leave him, he can hear their footsteps. When they have left, two angels come to him, get him sit and say, 'What did you say about this man, Muhammad?' The believer says, 'I bear witness that he is the slave of Allah and His Messenger ... ' But the kaafir or hypocrite (in one report: the kaafir and the hypocrite) says, 'I don't know. I used to say what the people were saying about him.' It is said to him, 'May you never know and may you never say what the people said!'" This is narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nasaa'i. [3]
At first, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) did not know that this ummah would be tried in the grave. Then Allah revealed this knowledge to him. 'Urwah ibn az-Zubayr narrated that his maternal aunt 'Aa'ishah said:
"The Messenger of Allah came to me, and there was a Jewish woman with me. She was saying, 'Do you think that you will be tested in the grave?' The Messenger of Allah was alarmed, and said, 'The Jews will be tested.'" 'Aa'ishah said, "Several nights passed, then the Messenger of Allah said,
'Do you know that it has been revealed to me that you will be tested in the grave?'
'Aa'ishah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah after that seeking refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave.'" [4]
(2) Will the kaafir be tested in his grave?
The that we have quoted indicate that the kuffaar will be tested in their graves. But Al-HIakeem at-Tirmidhi, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and Suyooti [5] held a different view. Al-Hakeem at-Tirmidhi quoted as evidence, that they will not be questioned, the fact that when previous nations refused to respond to their Messengers, the punishment was hastened upon them, unlike this ummah from whom the punishment is withheld. The Messenger has been sent with the sword, so whoever enters Islam for fear of being killed, then becomes a hypocrite, will be punished in his grave. But what he says is subject to further discussion, because Allah did not destroy the disbelievers of other nations after He had sent down the Tawraat.[6]
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr quoted as evidence the hadith in which the Prophet said: "This ummah will be tested in their graves"; some versions say, "will be questioned." [7]The refute this understanding, and indicate that this is not limited to the believers or to this ummah.
'Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbeeli, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ququbi, As-Safaareeni and others were of the view that the questioning (in the grave) includes all people.[8]
(3) Will anybody other than those who are accountable be tested?
The trial of the grave is something which will happen to all of those who are accountable, apart from the Prophets[9] - there is some scholarly dispute as to whether they are subject to it - and the shuhadaa' (martyrs), muraabitoon (those who guard the borders of Islam) and others who, it is stated in the texts, will be spared this trial, as we shall see in more detail below.
There is also some dispute concerning young children and the insane. Some of the scholars, including Al-Qaadhi Abu Ya'laa and Ibn 'Aqeel, said that they will not be tested, on the grounds that the test is for those who are accountable; those from whom the pen has been lifted (i.e., their deeds are not being recorded because they are not accountable) are not included in this test, because there is no point in questioning them about something for which they are not accountable.
Others said that they will be tested. This is the view of Abul-Hakeem al-Hamadaani and Abul-Hasan ibn 'Abdoos, who narrated it from the companions of Ash-Shaafa'i. Maalik and others narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah offered the funeral prayer for a child, then he said,
"O' Allah, protect him from the torment of the grave and the trial of the grave."
This view is in accordance with the views of those who say that they will be tested in the Hereafter and that they will be accountable on the Day of Resurrection. This is the view of most of the scholars and of Ahl as-Sunnah among the scholars of hadith and kalaam. This is what is mentioned by Abul-Hasan al-Asha'ri from Ahl as-Sunnah, and he favoured this view; this is also what is implied by the statements of Imam Ahmad.[10]
(Continued)
[1] Tirmidhi, Kitaab al-Janaa'iz, Baab Maa jaa'a fi 'adhaab al-qabr, 3/383. Tirmidhi said, (it is) a ghareeb hasan hadith. The editor, Shaykh Ahmad Shaakir, said: It is not narrated by any of the authors of the six books, apart from Tirmidhi. Shaykh Naasiruddin al-Albaani indicated that it is Hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 11259, and he narrated it in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah, hadith no. 139.
[2] A saheeh hadith.
[3] Jaami' al-Usool, 11/173.
[4] Muslim, Kitaab al-Masaajid wa Mawaadi' as-Salah, Baab lstihbaab al-Ta'awwudh min 'Adhaab al-Qabr, hadith nos. 584, 1/410
[5] Lawaami' al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah, 2/10
[6] See Lawaami' al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah by As-Safaareeni, 2/10
[7] Lawaami' al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah by As-Safaareeni, 2/10; Tadhkirat al-Qurtubi, 147.
[8] Lawaami' al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah by As-Safaareeni, 2/l 0; Tadhkirat al-Qurtubi,.
[9] Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 4/257 72 The Grave.
[10] See Majmoo' al-Fataawa, by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 4/257, 277.