[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Grave (7-9)

Dr. `Umar S. al-Ashqar


(5) Things which save one from the trial and torment of the grave
What can save a person from the torment of the grave is to be prepared and ready for death, so even if death comes suddenly, there will be no cause for regret. Some of the ways of preparing for death are hastening to repent, fulfilling one's obligations and doing a lot of righteous deeds, because faith, prayer, fasting, zakaah, hajj, jihaad, honouring one's parents, upholding the ties of kinship, remembering Allah (dhikr) and other kinds of righteous deeds will protect the believer, and by means of these righteous deeds Allah will provide him a way out from every difficulty.
The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) told us that righteous deeds will protect a person in his grave. Ibn Taymiyah said: "According to the famous hadith of Muhammad ibn 'Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), narrated by Abu Haatim in his Saheeh and by the Imams, he said: 'The deceased can hear their footsteps as they depart from him. If he was a believer, prayer stands by his head, fasting stands to his right, zakaah stands to his left and good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly stand at his feet. He is approached from the direction of his head, and prayer says, "You cannot get past me." Then he is approached from the right, and fasting says, "You cannot get past me." Then he is approached from the left, and zakaah says, "You cannot get past me." Then he is approached from the direction of his feet, and his good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly say, "You cannot get past me." Then it is said to him, "Sit up," and he sits up. Then the sun is made to appear to him as if it is about to set, and it is said to him, "Who is this man who was among you? What do you say about him?" He says, "Let me pray." They say, "You will do that, but tell us about what we asked you about." He says, "What did you ask me about?" They say, "What do you say about this man who was among you? What is your testimony concerning him?" He says, "I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah, and that he brought the truth from Allah." It is said to him, "In this belief you lived and in this belief you died, and in this belief you will be resurrected, in sha Allah." Then one of the gates of Paradise is opened for him, and it is said to him, "That is your place therein, and what Allah has prepared for you therein," and his joy and happiness increase. Then one of the gates of Hell is opened for him, and it is said, "That was your place therein and what Allah has prepared for you therein (if you had disobeyed Allah)," and his joy and happiness increase. Then his grave is expanded for him by seventy cubits, and it is illuminated for him, and his body is put back as it was, and his soul is placed in nasm at-teeb, which is a bird that perches in a tree in Paradise.""
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said (quoting the Qur'an):

“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 …” (Qur'an, Surah Ibraheem, 14: 27)


According to another version: "Then his body is put back as it was.”
Seeking refuge with Allah from the trial of the grave and the torment of the grave
Because the trial of the grave and the torment of the grave are major terrors and severe hardships, the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah from that in his prayer and at other times, and he used to tell his Companions to do likewise.
According to the hadith of 'Aa'ishah, a Jewish woman said to her, "May Allah protect you from the torment of the grave." She asked the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) about the torment of the grave, and he said, "Yes, the torment of the grave." 'Aa'ishah said, "After that I never saw the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) pray any prayer but he sought refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave." Ghandar added: "The torment of the grave is real."[1]
It is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) used to supplicate, "Allahumma innee a 'oodhu bika min al-'ajz wal-kasal wal-jubun wal-bukhl wal-haram, wa a'oodhu bika min 'adhaab alqabr, wa 'aoodhu bika min fitnat il-mahyaa wal-mamaat (0 Allah, I seek refuge with You from incapacity, laziness, cowardliness, miserliness and old age; I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave; and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death."[2]
It is narrated from 'Aa'ishah that the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) used to say, "Allahumma inni a 'oodhu bika min al-kasl wal-haram wal-ma 'tham wal-maghram, wa min fitnat al-qabr wa 'adhaab al-qabr (O' Allah, I seek refuge with You from laziness, old age, sin and debt, and from the trial of the grave and the torment of the grave)."[3]
The Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) used to say to his Companions, "Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave," and they would say, "Na'oodhu Billaahi min 'adhaab al-qabr (we seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave)." [4]
And he used to say to them, "Seek Allah's protection from the torment of the grave, for the torment of the grave is real."[5] And he used to tell them to seek refuge with Allah from four things: "Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave; seek refuge with Allah from Hell; seek refuge with Allah from the trial of Al-Maseeh ad-Dajjaal (Pseudo-Christ); seek refuge with Allah from the trials of life and death."[6]
He used to tell them to seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave in their prayers, after reciting the Tashahhud. It is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated, "The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) said:
'When anyone of you recites the Tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allah from four things, and say, "Allahumma inni a 'oodhu bika min 'adhaab Jahannam, wa min 'adhaab al-qabr, wa min fitnat il-mahyaa wal-mamaat, wa min sharri fitnat il-Maseeh ad-Dajjaal [O' Allah, I seek refuge with you from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of Al-Maseeh ad-Dajjaal (Pseudo-Christ)].""[7]
It is narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas that the Messenger used to teach them this du 'aa 'as he taught them a soorah from the Qur'an: "Allahumma inni a 'oodhu bika min 'adhaab Jahannam, wa a'oodhu bika min 'adhaab al-qabr, wa a'oodhu bika min fitnat al-maseeh ad-Dajjaal, wa a 'oodhu bika min fitnat il-mahyaa wal-mamaat (O' Allah, I seek refuge with You from the torment of Hell, I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave, I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjaal, and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death)."[8]


(6) Those who are protected from the trial and torment of the grave
Some of the believers who do great good deeds or who suffer immense calamities will be protected from the trial and torment of the grave. Among them are the following:
1) The Shaheed (martyr). Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma'di Karb narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"The shaheed will have six blessings from Allah: he will be forgiven from the first drop of blood shed; he will be shown his place in Paradise; he will be spared the torment of the grave; he will be protected from the greater terror (of the Day of Judgement); A crown of dignity, will be placed on his head, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it; he will be married to seventy two of al-hoor al-'iyn; and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives." This is narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah.[9]
Nasaa'i narrated in his Sunan from Raashid ibn Sa'd from one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him)that a man said, "O' Messenger of Allah, why will the believers be tried in their graves, apart from the shaheed?" He said, "The flashing of the sword above his head is sufficient trial for him." [10]
2) The one who dies as a muraabi[11] for the sake of Allah.
Fadaalah ibn 'Ubayd narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"For every person who dies, his deeds come to an end, except for the one who dies as a muraabit (guard) for the sake of Allah. Allah will make his good deeds grow on the Day of Resurrection, and will protect him from the trial of the grave."
This is narrated by Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood. [12]
3) The one who dies on Friday. According to the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
"There is no Muslim who dies on Friday, but Allah will save him from the trial of the grave."
This is narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi, and the hadith is Saheeh or Hasan when all its isnads are taken into account. [13]
4) The one who dies of a stomach disease. It is reported in a hadith narrated by 'Abdullah ibn Yasaar: "I was sitting with Sulaymaan ibn Sard and Khaalid ibn 'Arfatah, and they said that a man had passed away. He had died of a stomach disease, and they wished that they had attended his funeral. One of them said to the other, 'Didn't the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and peace be upon him) say, "Whoever dies of a stomach disease will not be tormented in his grave?" And the other said, 'Yes, he did.'" According to another report, "You have spoken the truth."[14]

(Continued)

[1] Bukhari: Kitaab al-Janaa'iz, Baab 'Adhaab al-Qabr, Fath al-Baari, 13/232). Also Muslim, Kitaab al-Masaajid, Baab Istihbaab at-Ta'awwudh min 'Adhaab al-Qabr, 11410)

[2] Shaykh Naasiruddin said in Saheeh al-Jaami' (11406): it is narrated by Ahmad, Bukhari and Muslim.

[3] Attributed in Saheeh al-Jaami' (1/407) to Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah

[4] Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab 'Ard Maq'ad al-Mayit min al-Jannah aw an-Naar 'alayhi, 4/2199

[5] At-Tabaraani with a Saheeh isnad. See Saheeh al-Jaami', 1/317

[6] Attributed in Saheeh al-Jaami' (1/320) to Tirmidhi and Nasaa'i

[7] Muslim; Kitaab al-Masaajid, Baab ma yusta 'aadh minhu fis-Salaah, 1/412, hadith no. 588

[8] Muslim, Kitaab al-Masaajid, Baab ma yusta 'aadh minhu fis-Salaah, l/412, hadith no. 590

[9] Mishkaat al-MasaabehJ, 2/358. Its isnad is Hasan as stated by the editor of al-Mishkaat, Shaykh Naasiruddin al-Albaani.

[10] Its isnad is Saheeh. See Ahkaam al-Janaa 'iz by Shaykh Naasiruddin al-Albaani: 36; and Saheeh al-Jaami', 4/164

[11] Muraabit: one who stands guard at the borders of Islam. The word is derived from rabt al-khayl (tying a horse), then it was applied to anyone who guards one of the Muslims' borders, regardless of whether he is cavalry or infantry. (Author)

[12] Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 21355. Its isnad is Saheeh as stated by the editor of Al-Mishkaat

[13] Ahtmad and Tirmidhi, and the hadith is Saheeh or Hasan when all its isnads are taken into account. Ahkaam al-Janaa 'iz, 35

[14] Shaykh Naasir said in Ahkaam ai-Janaa'iz: it was narrated by Nasaa'i and by Tirmidhi, who classed it as Hasan. Also narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, and by At-Tayaalisi and Ahmad. Its isnad is Saheeh (Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz, p. 38)