The Grave (6-9)
Dr. `Umar S. al-Ashqar
The debtor is detained in his grave by his debt
One of the things that adversely affect the deceased in his grave is his debt. It is narrated from Sa'd ibn al-Atwal (may Allah be pleased with him) that his brother died and left behind three hundred dirhams, and he left children. He said, "I wanted to spend it on his children, but the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said to me, 'Your brother is being detained by his debt, (so go and) pay off his debts.' (So I went and paid off his debts, then I came back). I said, 'O' Messenger of Allah, I have paid them off, except for two dinars which a woman claimed, but she had no proof.' He said, 'Give them to her, for she is right.' (According to another report, 'for she is telling the truth')."[1]
The Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said that this Sahaabi was being detained because of his debt. This detention may be explained by another hadith in which the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said: "He is being kept from Paradise because of his debt."
According to the hadith narrated by Samurah ibn Jundub, "The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) performed the funeral prayer (according to another report, he prayed Fajr), and when he finished, he said,
'Is there anybody here from the family of So and so?' [The people kept quiet, for if he asked them something they would keep quiet (out of respect)]. He said that a few times (three times, and no one answered). (Then a man said, 'Here he is.') A man stood up at the back of the people, dragging his lower garment. [The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'What kept you from answering me the first two times?] I did not hint at your name except for a good reason. So and so - and he mentioned a man from among them - is being kept away because of his debt (from Paradise. If you wish, you can ransom him, or if you wish you can leave him to the punishment of Allah).' If only you could have seen his family and those who had anything to do with him getting up and paying off his debts (until there was no one left to make any demands of him)."[2]
The torment of the dead because of the weeping of the living
When 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) was stabbed, Suhayb called upon him weeping and saying, "O' my brother, O' my friend!" 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O' Suhayb, are you weeping for me when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'The deceased is tormented because of some of the weeping of his family for him? '"[3]
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) denied that the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said this hadith. In Bukhari it is narrated that after 'Umar died, 'Ibn 'Abbaas mentioned to 'Aa'ishah what 'Umar had said. She said, "May Allah have mercy on 'Umar. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah did not say that Allah would punish the believer for his family's weeping over him. But the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'Allah will increase the torment of the kaafir because of his family's weeping over him.'
The Qur'an is sufficient for you:
“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 18)."[4]
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) interpreted this hadith in more than one way; this is narrated from her in the books of Saheeh and Sunan.[5]
There are two issues here: the first is, did the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) say this hadith? Qurtubi said,"Aa'ishah denied that, and she said that the narrator made a mistake or was forgetful, or that he heard part of it and not the other part, because the narrators among the Sahaabah who transmitted this meaning were many and they were certain, so there is no reason to deny the hadith when it is possible to interpret it in an acceptable manner."[6]
The second is: how can he be tormented because of his family's weeping for him when that is not his action and Allah, the Exalted, says: “And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 18)?
The scholars answered this question in several ways, the best of which is what Bukhari said in his commentary on the chapter in which he included this hadith. He (may Allah have mercy on him) said under the "Chapter: the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), 'The deceased is tormented because of some of the wailing over him, if that wailing was the custom of that dead person,' because Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says,
“... Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire …” (Qur'an, Surah At-Tahreem, 66: 6)
And the Prophet (Blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.' But if that (wailing) was not his custom, then it is as 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, (quoting the Qur'an), “And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 18)."[7]
Among those who held this view was Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him). He narrated the hadith of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) with the wording "The deceased is tormented because of his family's weeping for him." Then he said: Abu 'Eesa (Tirmidhi) said: the hadith of 'Umar is a Saheeh Hasan hadith. Some of the scholars regarded it as makrooh to weep for the dead; they said that the deceased is tormented because of the weeping of his family for him, and they referred to this hadith. lbn al-Mubaarak said: I hope that if he used to forbid it (wailing) during his lifetime, that he will not be held to blame for it.[8]
This understanding of the hadith was the view of Qurtubi, who said:
"Some or most of the scholars said that the dead are tormented because of the weeping of the living if such weeping was the custom and preference of the deceased... The same is true if he left instructions that this should be done."[9]
Wailing, slapping one's cheeks and rending one's garments were all habits of the people of the Jaahiliyyah. "They used to request their families to weep and wail over them, and to announce the news of their passing to the different tribes. This was a well-known custom among them, and is commonly referred to in their poems. The deceased deserves to be punished for that because of what he told them during his lifetime." This is the view of Ibn al-Atheer.[10]
We must take note here of the version narrated by Bukhari, in which it says: "The deceased is tormented because of some of the weeping of his family over him" - he will not be tormented because of all of the weeping. The weeping which means that tears flow from the eyes, which does not involve rending the garments or slapping the cheeks, is not something for which a person will be blamed. This is stated in many reports.
The great scholar Ibn Taymiyah also discussed this matter. He regarded as weak (da'eef) the view of Bukhari, Ququbi, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and those who followed their lead in interpreting the ahaadeeth which say that the deceased is tormented because of the weeping of the living. After mentioning the texts which have been narrated concerning that, he (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This has been denied by many among the earlier and later generations; they regarded that as punishing a man for the sins of another, which is contrary to the aayah: “And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden ...” (Qur'an, Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 18)
They had different ways of dealing with those Saheeh ahaadeeth.
Some of them suggested that the narrators, such as 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab and others, were mistaken. This is the view of 'Aa'ishah, Al-Shaafa 'i and others. Some interpreted it as being the case if the deceased had requested that (wailing), and so he is to be punished for his request. This is the view of a group which included Al-Mazani and others.
Some of them interpreted it as being the case if that was the people's custom, and the deceased would be punished for not forbidding this evil. This is the view of a group which included my (Ibn Taymiyah's) grandfather Abul-Barakaat. All of these views are very weak (da'eef jiddan)."[11] He refuted the view of those who rejected these ahaadeeth because of the way in which they understood them, and said:
"The clear Saheeh ahaadeeth which were narrated by people such as 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab, his son 'Abdullah, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and others, cannot be rejected on this basis.'Aa'ishah Umm al-Mu'mineen did this with other ahaadeeth, when she rejected them because of the way that she understood them and thought that the meaning she understood was incorrect. But this is not the case.
Whoever thinks about this matter will find that this clear, Saheeh hadith, transmitted by trustworthy narrators cannot be rejected on this basis, except by mistake."[12]
Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) explained that 'Aa'ishah made the same mistake that she was trying to avoid. He said: ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated two versions from the Prophet (Blessings and peace be upon him)- and she is a trustworthy narrator. She narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"Allah will increase the torment of the kaafir because of his family's weeping over him." This is in agreement with the hadith of 'Umar, because if it is possible for the kaafir s torment to be increased because of his family's weeping over him, it is possible for others to be tormented because of their family's weeping as well. Hence in Mukhtalif al-Hadith, Imam Shaafa'i rejected this hadith because of the meaning, and said that that the other version is more likely to be Saheeh: "They are weeping for him, and he is being tormented in his grave."[13]
He narrated the view of those who thought that this hadith means that a person may be punished for the sins of others and said: "Of those who accepted this hadith and interpreted it in this way, some of them thought that this was a case of punishing a man for the sins of another, and that Allah does whatever He wills and decrees whatever He wants. They believed that a man could be punished for the sins of another, so they believed that it was possible that the children of the kuffaar would enter Hell because of the sins of their fathers."[14] After discussing this issue - whether the children of the kuffaar will enter hell because of the sins of their fathers - at length, he said that this is not correct. The truth is that Allah does not punish anyone except those who disobey Him, and that those who are not tested (in this life) will be tested on the Day of Resurrection. He said, "As for the torment of the deceased, it does not say that the deceased is punished for the weeping of his family over him; what it says is 'tormented (yu'adhdhab)'. Torment ('adhaab) is more general than punishment ('iqaab). Torment means pain, but not everyone who suffers pain for some reason is being punished because of that reason. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
'Travel is a kind of torment; it keeps a person from his food and drink.' He called travel a torment, but it is not a punishment.
A person may be tormented by unpleasant things that he encounters, such as loud voices, evil people or horrible images. He may be tormented by what he hears, smells or sees, but this is not because of something that he did for which he is being punished. So how can we deny that the deceased is tormented by (his family's) wailing, even though this is not something that he did for which he would deserve to be punished?
The person in the grave suffers because of what some people say and because of what he hears or sees. Hence Qaadhi Abu Ya'la stated in a fatwa that when sins are committed near (graves), the deceased suffer because of that, as is stated in some reports. Their suffering because of sins committed near their graves is akin to their suffering because of the wailing of those who wail over them, so the wailing is the cause of the torment."[15]
The conclusion which the Shaykh (Ibn Taymiyah) reached to is also indicated in some ahaadeeth. It is narrated that An-Nu'maan ibn Basheer said: "Abdullah ibn Rawaahah (mayb Allah be pleased with him) fell unconscious, and his sister 'Amrah started weeping and crying, 'O' my rock (my support)!' and so on and so forth, making a list of eulogies. When he woke up, he said, 'You did not say anything but it was said to me, "Are you really like that?!"' When he died, she did not weep for him."[16]
This meaning was in fact clearly stated in the hadith narrated by Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari, who said that the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"There is no person who dies, and someone starts to weep for him and say, 'O' my rock! O' my master!' and so on, but two angels are appointed over him and they strike him on the chest and say, 'Are you really like that?"' This is narrated by Tirmidhi, who said, this is a ghareeb hasan hadith.[17]
Al-Haafiz said in At-Talkhees, after quoting this hadith, "It is narrated and classed as Saheeh by Al-Haakim, and there is a corroborating report in As-Saheeh from An-Nu'maan ibn Basheer."[18]
It is essential to point out here that not every dead person for whom others wail will be tormented because of that wailing. The cause of torment may be warded off by other means - as Ibn Taymiyah says - as is the case with those people who have the strength not to be affected by those loud voices, evil people and horrible scenes. Then he said that the ahaadeeth which issue warnings mention the reasons for punishment, and that the things which make a punishment inevitable may vary according to the things that counteract it, be it acceptable repentance, good deeds which cancel out bad deeds, calamities which expiate for sin, the intercession of one whose word is accepted, or by the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Allah. In conclusion, he explained that the torment suffered by the deceased believer in his grave because of others' wailing over him will be the means by which Allah causes the expiation of his bad deeds.[19]
(Continued)
[1] Shaykh Naasiruddin al-Albaani said in Al]kaam al-Janaa 'iz (p. 15), it is narrated by Ibn Maajah (2/82), Ahmad (4/136, 5/7) and Al-Bayhaqi (10/142). One of its isnads is Saheeh, and the other is like its isnad in Ibn Maajah. It was classed as Saheeh by Al-Boohayri in Az-Zawaa'id. The text of the hadith and the second narration are from Al-Bayhaqi; this text with additional material is also to be found in Ahmad.
[2] Shaykh Naasiruddin al-Albaani said in Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz (p. 15): it was narrated by Abu Dawood (2/84), An-Nasaa'i (2/233), Al-Haakim (2/25, 26), AI-Bayhaqi (6/4/76), At-Tayaali~i in his Musnad (no. 891, 892) and Ahmad (5/11, 13.20). Some of them narrated from Ash-Shu'bi from Samurah, and some inserted between them (in the isnad) Sam'aan ibn Mushannaj. The former is Saheeh according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), as stated by Al-Haakim, and Ad-Dhahabi agreed with him. The latter is Saheeh only. The Shaykh mentioned that there are those who narrated reports and additional material.
[3] This hadith is narrated by Bukhari, Kitaab al-Janaa 'iz, Baab Qawl an-Nabi Yu 'adhdhab al-Mayit bi ba'd Bikaa 'i ahlihi 'alayhi ', Fath al-Baari, 3/151. It is also narrated by Muslim. See Saheeh al-Jaami ', 11192
[4] Bukhari, Kitaab al-Janaa 'iz; see Fath al-Baari, 3/151
[5] If you wish to know more about these interpretations, see Fath al-Baari, 3/152
[6] Fath al-Baari, 3/154
[7] Ibid, 150
[8] Sunan at-Tirmidhi, 3/326
[9] Tadhkirat al-Qurtubi, 102
[10] Jaami' al-Usool, by Ibn a1-Atheer, 102
[11] Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 24/370
[12] Opt. cit, 24/370
[13] Ibid, 24/371
[14] Ibid.
[15] Majmoo' al-Fataawa, Kitaab al-Maghaazi, Baab Ghazwat Mu’tah
[16] Bukhari, Kitaab al-Maghaazi, Baab Ghazwat Mu'tah
[17] Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitaab al-Janaa 'iz, Baab ma jaa' fi Kiraahiyat al-Bikaa' 'ala al-Mayit, 3/326, hadith no. 1003
[18] Talkheefi al-lfabeer by Ibn I:Iajar, 2/140, hadith no. 806
[19] Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 41375