Questioning in the Grave, Chastisement in the Grave, and Barzakh

‘I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, “When a person is placed in his grave, two angels come to him, one angel from his right and another from his left; and Satan is made to stand in front of him, his two eyes looking [intensely red] like copper. Then he is asked, ‘What do you say about the man who came before you [as a Prophet]?’ He will be overwhelmed by fear and then, if he is a believer, he will say, ‘Are you asking me about Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah (ṣ)?’ So they will say to him, ‘Sleep a slumber wherein there is no dream,’ and his grave will be widened by nine cubits. Then he will see his place in Paradise; and that is [what is referred to in] the verse wherein Allah, the Almighty, says: Allah makes the believers steadfast with the firm word [of faith] in this worldly life and in the Hereafter (Q14:27). If [on the other hand] he is a disbeliever, they will ask him, ‘What [do you say] of the man who came before you [as a Prophet]?’ He will reply, ‘I do not know.’ So they will leave him alone with Satan.”’”

“A believer is asked [by two angels] in his grave, ‘Who is your Lord?’ So he replies, ‘Allah.’ Then he is asked, ‘What is your religion?’ So he replies, ‘Islam.’ Then he is asked, ‘Who is your Prophet?’ So he replies, ‘Muḥammad (ṣ).’ Then he is asked, ‘Who is you Imam?’ He replies, ‘ʿAlī (a).’ He is asked, ‘How did you know this?’ So he replies, ‘It is a matter to which Allah guided me and made me steadfast upon it.’ He will thus be told, ‘Sleep a slumber without any dream – the sleep of a bride.’ Then one of the doors of Paradise is opened for him and its breeze and fragrance enters upon him [in his grave]. He will then say, ‘O Lord, hasten for me the establishment of the Hour [of Judgment] so that I may return to my family and wealth!’” Then he said, “A disbeliever [on the other hand] is asked, ‘Who is your Lord?’ So he replies, ‘Allah.’ Then he is asked, ‘Who is your Prophet?’ So he replies, ‘Muḥammad.’ Then he is asked, ‘What is your religion?’ So he says, ‘Islam.’ He is asked, ‘Where did you learn that from?’ So he replies, ‘I heard people saying it so I [too] said it.’ He is then asked, ‘Who is your walī?’ So he answers, ‘I do not know.’ So they both strike him with an iron rod in a manner which all the humans and jinn would not be able to bear even if they came together! He will thus melt the way lead melts. Then, they will return his soul into his body and place his heart between two tablets of fire. [Knowing what awaits him,] he will say, ‘O Lord, delay the Hour of Reckoning.’”[1]

“When Saʿd died, seventy thousand angels accompanied his funeral procession, and the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) stood at his grave and said, ‘Would the likes of Saʿd face the squeezing [of the grave]?’ His mother said, ‘Congratulations to you O Saʿd, and [what a great] honor!’ So the Messenger of Allah said to her, ‘O mother of Saʿd, do not impose anything upon Allah.’ She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have heard you say what you said about Saʿd [and how you praised him].’ So he said, ‘Verily Saʿd was harsh in his speech with his family.’”

I asked my Lord to gift me [the exception of] the squeezing of the grave for Ruqayyah.”’”

“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) addressed the grave of Saʿd and wiped his hand over it, and [as he did so] he began to quiver between his shoulders. So it was said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, we saw you addressing [the grave of Saʿd] as you were quivering between your shoulders, and you said, ‘Saʿd is undergoing this.’” So he said, “Verily there is no believer but that he will undergo squeezing [in the grave].”’”

“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about what will be faced by one who is [buried] in the grave, so he said, ‘Verily two angels who are called Munkar and Nakīr will come to the one who is in the grave and will ask him about the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) saying, “What do you have to say about this man who rose among you?” He will ask, “Who was he?” They will say, “The one who used to say that he is the Messenger of Allah. Was that true?” So if the man was one of the doubters, he will say, “I do not know. I heard the people saying [that] but I do not know whether it was the truth or a lie.” So they will strike him such a blow that it will be audible to the inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of earth, except the polytheists.[1] But if he was one of those with certitude, he will not fear and will say [confidently], “Are you asking me about the Messenger of Allah?” So they will ask, “Do you know that he is the Messenger of Allah?” He will say, “I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah in truth. He came with guidance and the religion of truth.” Thus he will see his position in Paradise and his grave will be expanded for him. They (the two angels) will then say to him, “Sleep a slumber wherein there is no dream, in the best state of any sleeper.”’”

“When Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, wants to resurrect the creation, He makes the sky rain upon the earth for forty days, then the limbs come together and flesh grows [on the bodies].”

to one of his companions, “How will you be when the two examiners of the grave come to you?” So he (the companion) asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what are the examiners of the grave?” He said, “Two angels, harsh and severe, with voices like rumbling thunder and eyes like blinding lightning. They will be treading on their own hair and ploughing the ground with their [large] fangs; they will [come to] question you.” He asked, “[Will that be] when I am in a state such as this?” He replied, “[Yes,] you will be as you are in your present state.” He said, “Then I will be able to face them.”’”

“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the souls of believers so he said, ‘[They will be] in [lofty] chambers in Paradise, eating of its food and drinking of its drink, and they will say, “Our Lord, bring upon us the Hour [of Judgment] and fulfil for us what You promised us, and make the last among us join the first!”’”

“I asked him about the souls of the polytheists, so he said, ‘[They will be] in the Fire facing punishment and will say, “Our Lord, do not bring upon us the Hour [of Judgment], and do not fulfil for us what You promised us, and do not join the last of us with the first!”’”

“I was with Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) and he asked me, ‘What do the people say about the souls of believers?’ I replied, ‘They say that they are in the craws of green birds in lanterns under the Throne.’ So Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) said, ‘Glory be to Allah! The believer is more honourable in the sight of Allah than His placing his soul in the craw of a green bird, O Yūnus! When the time [of a believer’s death] approaches, Muḥammad(ṣ), ʿAlī, Fāṭimah, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, and the close archangels (peace be upon them all) come to him. And when Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, takes his soul, He places that soul in a form similar to its form in the world; so they subsist, eating and drinking [in that realm as well]. Then, when someone [who has just died] comes to them, they recognize him by the appearance that he had in the world.’”