What occurs just after death

Fitnatul Qabr (The Affliction of the Grave)


This is the questioning (by two angels) of the dead person (in his grave) about his Rabb, his Deen, and his Prophet. Allah will keep firm those who believed with the word that stands firm. The believer will say: “My Rabb is Allah and my Deen is Islam, and my Prophet is Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). As to Ath-Thaalimeen (wrongdoers), Allah will lead them astray and the kaafir will say: “Hah! Hah!, I don’t know.” The hypocrite (or a doubtful person) will say: “I don’t know, I heard the people say something and so I said it (the same).” This is part of an authentic hadith collected by Al-Bukhari, and Muslim. The statement “or the doubtful person” is from the sub-narrator who was not sure which person Asmaa (radiallahu ‘anhaa) used in her narration: the “hypocrite” or “the doubtful person”. (Sahih AI-Bukhari)


The Torment of the Grave

The torment will be inflicted upon Ath-Thaalimeen from the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Allah ta’aala said:

And if you could but see when Ath-Thaalimeen are in the agonies of death, while the angels extending forth their hands (saying): Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His aayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) with disrespect. (Qur’an 6:93)

And also the statement of Allah ta’aala about the punishment in the grave of the people of Fir’awn (Pharaoh): The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and afternoon, and on the Day when the Hour will be established (It will be said to the angels): “Cast the Pharaoh’s folk into the severest torment. (Qur’an 40:46)

The Prophet (sallallaahu’alaihi wa sallam) was with some of his companions when they passed by the graves of some of the Kufaar and said, “These people are passing through the ordeal in the graves”and completed his statements regarding the torment of the grave as in the text below. In Sahih Muslim and in the hadeeth narrated by Zayed Bin Thaabit (radiallahu ‘anhu) the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

If it were not for the reason that you would stop burying (your dead) in the graves on listening to the torment in the grave which I am listening to, I would have certainly made you hear that. Then turning his face towards us he said: ‘Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell. ‘They said. We seek refuge in Allah from the torment of Hell. He said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from the torment of the grave. ‘They said: We seek refuge in Allah from the torment of the grave. He said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from trials, its manifested and hidden (aspects), and they said: We seek refuge in Allah from trials and its manifested and hidden (aspects) and he said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from the affliction of the Dajjaal (pseudo-Christ)”, and they said: We seek refuge in Allah from the affliction of the Dajjaal. An authentic narration describing the trial of ad-Dajjaal is described in Saheeh Muslim, V.4, pp. l515-1518.

Also Masrook narrated: ‘A’ishah (radiallahu ‘anhaa) said that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the punishment in the grave, saying to her ‘May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave.’ A’ishah then asked Allah’s Apostle about the punishment in the grave. He said: ‘Yes, (there is) punishment in the grave.’ A’ishah said: After that I never saw Allah’s Apostle without seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave. [Al-Bukhari]

The bliss of the grave is exclusive to the true believers.


Allah said:

Verily, those who say: “Our Rabb is Allah (Alone), and then they believed in Tawheed and performed all that was ordained by Allah (good deeds) and abstained from all that He has forbidden (sins and evil deeds), on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve, But receive the glad tidings of Al-Jannah which you have been promised”. (Qur’an 41:30) “Then why do you not (intervene) when (the soul of a dying person) reaches the throat? And you at the moment are looking on, but We (i.e. Our angels who take the soul) are nearer to him than you, but you see not. Then why do you not, if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense (punishment, etc.) bring back the soul (to its body), if you are truthful? Then, if he (the dying person be of those brought near to Allah, (there is for him) rest and provision and a Garden of delights (Paradise)” (Qur’an 56:83-89) (till the end of the same Surah).

As far as the questions raised by the two angels in the grave:

A voice is heard in the heavens, saying: ‘My ‘abd (slave) has told the truth, so clothe him in the clothing of AI-Jannah, spread for him the furnishings of Al-Jannah, and open for him the door to Al-Jannah.’ Thereupon, he is engulfed by a breeze of its scent and fragrance, while the expanse of his grave is extended before him as far as the eye can see. This hadith in its entirety is lengthy and is reported by Imaam Ahmed and Abu Dawood.

In Sahih Al-Bukhari and by the way of the hadith narrated by Ibn Abbaas (radiallahu ‘anhumaa), he said:

Once the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) passed through one of the graveyards of Madinah and heard the voices of two humans who were being tortured in their graves. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “They are being punished, not because of a major sin, yet their sins are great: One of them used not to shield himself from (being soiled with) the urine, and the other used to go about with Nameemah (spreading false information and lies in order to incite discord, dissension or the like).” [Al-Bukhari 8/81]


The Evidence of the Senses (Al-Hiss)

A person may, while in his sleep, perceive that he was in a wide and beautiful place enjoying himself therein, or that he was in a narrow and eerie place suffering from it. Sometimes he may get up because of what he saw, yet he is still in his bed and in his room as he was before. Sleep is like death and that is why Allah ta’aala called it Wafaat. He said:

It is Allah Who yatawafaa (takes away) the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed.” (Qur’an 39:42)


According to Reasoning

The person in his sleep sees a true dream that is actually identical to reality. He may even see the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) in his true shape, and whoever sees him in his true shape then indeed he has truly seen him. Nevertheless, the sleeping person is still in his room far away from what he has seen. Thus, if this is possible in matters of this life, will it not then be possible in the matters of the Hereafter?

The reliance on the doubters’ claim that ‘If the dead in his grave is uncovered he would be found in the same condition that he was upon (right before his burial), and that neither a change in the wideness nor narrowness of the grave took place’, may be answered in several ways.

First: It is impermissible to oppose what Ash-Shar’a (Islam) brought forth (i.e. from news and evidence) by such refutable doubts. If the one who bases his opposition on such doubts would give good thought to what is brought forth by Ash-Shar’a, he would come to recognise the invalidity of these doubts.

Second: The conditions in the Barzakh (the period between death and resurrection) are matters of the Unseen (Al-Ghayb) which cannot be comprehended by the senses. If they were comprehensible by the senses, then the benefit of believing in Al-Ghayb would be missed and the believers in Al-Ghayb would be equally the same as those who deny its truth.

Third: The torment and delight, and the wideness and narrowness of the grave are comprehended only by the dead person and none else. This is the same as the situation which the person sees himself while in his sleep in a narrow and weird place or in a wide and beautiful one. With respect to others, his place during his sleep did not change. He is still in his room between his bed and his cover. In fact the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to receive inspiration through revelation (Al-Wahy) while being among his companions. He heard the Revelation while his companions didn’t. At times the Angel Jibreel used to take the form of a man who spoke to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and the Sahaabah neither saw nor heard him.

Fourth: The creation’s capacity of comprehension is limited to what Allah ta’aala enables them to comprehend. It is impossible for them to comprehend every existing thing. The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and there is not a thing but makes Tasbeeh bihamdillah i.e. involved in declaring all Praise is due to Allah (being) far removed from every imperfection or defect. This Tasbeeh is true and real and sometimes Allah may let whom He wills from His creation hear it. Yet, it is still concealed from us. About this Allah, says:

The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein make Tasbeeh of Him and there is not a thing but makes Tasbeeh bihamdihi but you understand not their Tasbeeh.(Qur’an 17:44)

In this manner, the Shayaateen and Jinn move across the earth back and forth and a company of the Jinn came to Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), listened in silence to his recitation of the Qur’an and when it was finished, they returned to their people as warners. Still, however, they are concealed from us. About this, Allah says:

O Children of Adam! Let not the Shaytaan deceive you, as he got your parents (Adam and Eve) out of Al-Jannah, stripping them of their raiment, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabeelahu (his soldiers from the jinns or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the devils ‘awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers) for those who believe not.” (Qur’an 7: 27)

And since creation cannot comprehend every existing thing, then it is impermissible for them to deny what has been affirmed in the Qur’an and the authentic hadith from the matters of Al-Ghayb when they are unaware of it.