According to Ahlu Sunnah, Munkar and Nakir ask the person who has died about his Lord, religion and prophet. A believer answers those questions but an unbeliever cannot. There are a lot of hadiths regarding the issue. Those two angels go to the grave of the dead, revive him and ask the questions. (Pazdawi, "Ehl-i Sünnet Akâidi" Trns., Şerafettin Gölcük, İstanbul 1980, 237).
From Abu Hurayra; Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) was reported to have said the following:
"When a dead body is buried, two jet-black angels with blue eyes come. One of them is called Munkar and the other Nakir. They ask the dead person, What do you say about this man (the Messenger of Allah)? He says what he used to say when he was alive; "He is the slave and messenger of Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His slave and messenger. The angels say; "We already knew that you said it. Then his grave is expanded seventy times seventy ziras (1 zira = 75 cm) and illuminated. Then, he is told to lie down. He turns to them and asks; Shall I return and inform my family? They say, Sleep like the sleep of a groom that will nobody will wake except the person that he loves most. Thus, he sleeps in the place he is lying down until Almighty Allah revives him.
If he is a munafiq (hypocrite), he will say, "I would hear what people say and would repeat it. I dont know. The angels will say, We already knew you would say that Then they say to the earth, Squeeze him. The earth squeezes him and his ribs become intertwined. He is tortured in that place until Allah revives him." (Tirmizi, Janaiz, 70)
In almost all of the creed books, Munkar and Nakir, and the questions they ask the dead person in the grave are mentioned. In the Quran, the names of those two angels are not mentioned; there is no statement in the Quran expressing that the dead person will be questioned in the grave, either. However, Ahlu Sunnah scholars accept that some verses indicate it and some verses are completely related to the questioning in the grave. The following is stated in the Aqaid of Omar Nasafi: "The questioning by Munkar and Nakir is definite in the Book (the Quran) and Sunnah."
It is stated that the hereafter mentioned in the following verse is the grave and the firm word is the word of witness" (kalima shahadah): Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave to stray those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth". (Ibrahim 14/27) Ibn Majah says the following in his Sunan:
This verse " Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm " was sent down about the questioning in the grave. The dead person will be asked in the grave; "Who is your Lord?" He will answer: "My Lord is Allah; my Prophet is Muhammad (pbuh). Thus, the answer of the dead believer is the expression of the verse; "Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm " (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 32; In addition, see Bukhari, Tafsir, Chapter, 14).
That hadith is narrated in all of the famous six hadith books. In some narrations, the number of the questions are increased to three as follows: "Who is your Lord, what is your religion, who is your prophet?"
It is stated in tafsir (interpretation) books that the following verse is also about the questioning in the grave and grave torture: " In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening: and (the Sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: "Cast ye the People of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty!" (al-Mu'min, 40/46) (Ibn Kathir, "Tafsiru'l-Qur'ani'l-Azim", tafsir of 40/46).
There are a lot of hadiths about the questions of Munkar and Nakir in the grave. Although those ahad (reported by only one person) hadiths do not reach the state of tawatur (multiplicity of the sources of a certain report that leads to certitude in the listener that the report is indeed true) in terms of the words, the fact that there are a lot of hadiths regarding the issue raises the issue to the level of tawatur. (Haşiyetü'l-Kesteli alâ Şerhi'l-Akâid, İstanbul 1973, 133, 134).
In some of those hadiths, it is mentioned that the dead person will be questioned but no angel is mentioned:
"The dead person is put into the grave. If he is a good person, he is placed in the grave without anxiety or fear. Then, he is asked; "What was your religion?". He answers; "I was in the religion of Islam". Then, he is asked; "Who is that man (the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)?". He says; "He is Muhammad (pbuh), the Messenger of Allah. He brought us obvious verses from Allah; and we approved him. Then they ask him;Have you seen Allah? He says: "Nobody is worthy of seeing Allah." After those questions and answers, a window on the side of the fire is opened. When the dead person looks at it, he sees that the flames of the fire try to beat one another. Then, he is told; "Look at the fire that Allah protected you from. Then a window on the side of Paradise is opened. This time, he looks at the ornaments and bounties of Paradise. He is told; "That place is your position; then, he is told; "You were on a sincere belief, you died on that sound belief and inshaallah (God willing) you will be revived on that belief." (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 32).
As it is seen, in the hadith above, no angel is mentioned; only the questioning in grave is mentioned. In another hadith, it is stated that there is an angel that will question the dead but the name of that angel is not mentioned:
"This umma (community) will be questioned in the grave. When the dead person is buried and his friends leave him, an angel holding a mace will come, will make him sit and ask; "What do you say about this man (the Messenger of Allah)? If the dead person is a believer, he will say, "I witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His slave and Messenger. The angel will say; "You told the truth." (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, III, 3, 40).
In the Abu Hurayra hadith mentioned earlier, two questioning angels are mentioned and it is stated that one of them is called Munkar and the other Nakir.
According to Ahlu Sunnah, it is true that Munkar and Nakir will question the dead. The grave in the grave and the squeezing of the grave is true. It is for all of the unbelievers and some disobedient Muslims. (Imam Azam, "al-Fiqh al-Akbar", trns. H. Basrî Çantay, Ankara 1985, p. 14).
FAQ in the category of The life in the grave
For a prospective soldier, certain records are written down both when he surrenders to his detachment, and when he is discharged. Both the enrollment into army and discharge from it are deeds. Likewise, this point is highlighted in the above statements. Just like life is dependent upon the deed ‘to give life’, so is death dependent upon the deed ‘to make test death.’ Both of them serve to the reflections of different divine names.
One of the endless divine deeds: making creatures test death; ending the sovereignty of the soul in the body. Soul is the wonderful and mysterious work of God. It is blessed with the reflection of the name of ‘Provider of Life’. This blessing and honor will not be taken away from it forever. In the grave, in the Hereafter, and in the Paradise or Hell it will continue.
As well as creating the soul, it is also the greatest and merciful deed of God to create an appropriate body for each soul. And with the rule of death, the soul, which is a guest in the body, disintegrates for its journey to a different world peculiar to it.
One of the beautiful descriptions of death from the Risale-i Nur Collection:
Death is a discharge from the duties of life; it is a rest, a change of residence, a change of existence; it is an invitation to an eternal life, a beginning, the introduction to an immortal life.” (Risale-i Nur Collection; the Letters, First Letter)
Again a precise expression about death:
Just as life comes into the world is through a creation and a determining, so too departure from the world is through a creation and determining, through a wise and purposeful direction. (Risale-i Nur Collection; the Letters, First Letter)
For a prospective soldier, certain records are written down both when he surrenders to his detachment, and when he is discharged. Both the enrollment into army and discharge from it are deeds. Likewise, this point is highlighted in the above statements. Just like life is dependent upon the deed ‘to give life’, so is death dependent upon the deed ‘to make test death.’ Both of them serve to the reflections of different divine names.
While the dead elements are brought into life with the deed of giving life, with the deed to make test death this life is taken away. Live cells gradually leave their places to new cells.
In the Risale-i Nur Collection, it is beautifully expressed that death, through which seeds proceed to the life of bloom, is as good a blessing as life. We, too, widen that good news in our imagination and see that every death is followed by a resurrection, and the second phases are much better than the first ones. When the phase of sperm has ended, that of the blood begins. When it has also ended, then begins the phase of flesh.
This is also seen in the phases of the creation of the Universe; the following phase is better than the one before.
All these reflections of mercy and wisdom give us the lesson that the life of the grave is better and more beautiful than that of the world, the life of the Hereafter than that of the grave.
Hence, death is the name of the step taken toward a new and better destination. This will be followed by the world of grave and with the event of resurrection; man will again reach the unity of body and soul.
The human seeing death and the deed of making test death this way will ‘welcome death happily’.
Yes, there are hadiths in this sense:
“When the dead body is placed in the grave, before the footsteps of those who accompanied him stop, the angels come and ask him questions. At that very moment, something luminous comes and sits on his head. It is his prayer. Another luminous thing sits at his feet. It is his other charity and good deeds. Another luminous thing sits on his right side. It is his fasting. Another luminous thing sits on his left side and it is his zakah. They will protect him from the grave from the right and the left, against the grave squeezing his bones and giving him trouble.” (see Abdurrazzaq, Musannaf, 3/582, 583; Haythami, Majmauz-Zawaid, III, 51)
The following is stated in another hadith: “On the Day of Judgment, a person will be protected by the good deeds and charity he has done.” (Musnad, 6/352)
There are also hadiths stating that “one’s various deeds will defend him and conduce to his salvation in the grave, in the gathering place, in the hands of the demons, at the scales (mizan) and on the bridge (Sirat).” (see Ibn Kathir, Tafsir of Ibrahim, verse 27)
“Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave, to stray, those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth.” (Ibrahim, 14/27)
On the other hand, Ibn Kathir narrates many hadiths regarding the issue in the tafsir of the verse above, but he also points out that some of them are weak.
The following is stated in the Quran: “Every man’s fate We have fastened on his own neck: On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.” (al-Isra, 17/13)
The Prophet (pbuh) said,
“Prayer is a light and sadaqah is evidence.” (Nasai, Zakah 1; Muslim, Taharah 1)
Thus, he states that prayer will appear as a light and charity as a proof, and that they will try to protect the human being like two heroes.
So, “The grave and the realms of the hereafter are the dowry chest of our deeds, our life and everything material and spiritual.” Like the chest in which a bride puts her dowry, when we go to our eternal homeland and motherland, we will find our prayers, fasting, zakah, charity and good deeds represented there.
Accordingly, each of the believer’s deeds will be manifested separately in each of the realms of the Hereafter; in some places, it will protect the believer against misfortunes and calamities, and in other places, it will appear before him as a food of Paradise or one of the other blessings of Paradise.
Every deed of the believer ascends to the heaven. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
“Around the Throne of Allah, a sound like the sound of a bee is always heard. Your tasbih, tahlil, takbir and tahmid will buzz around the Throne of Allah like a swarming bee. And their only wish is that their reciters be forgiven. Would you not like to have such intercessors with your Lord?” (Musnad, 4/268-271)
Every word, every sound that comes out of our mouths will ascend to the Throne, and it will surround the Throne; sounding like a bee it will try to intercede for us. If that is the reward for a single word, it is unimaginable how great the reward for doing the fard deeds and avoiding the haram deeds will be.
The hadith above and similar ones, tell us about some signs in the world of similitude, in the grave and in the Hereafter though the exact nature of them is unknown.
Our possessions will be embodied and they will be intercessors for us with their value in the sight of Allah. Our wealth whose zakah and tithe we have not given will be embodied as snakes and centipedes and will be presented to us in the form of paintings from the realm of similitude; and they will torment and punish us. One verse describes this reality as follows:
“And let not those who covetously withhold of the gifts which Allah Hath given them of His Grace, think that it is good for them: Nay, it will be the worse for them: soon shall the things which they covetously withheld be tied to their necks Like a twisted collar, on the Day of Judgment. To Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/180)
“If a believer fails to pay the zakah of his wealth, it will appear before him in the Hereafter as a terrible snake, with a bald head because of its old age and horror.” (Nasai, Zakah, 2),
“It has two teeth. They bite the mouth or cheek of a person.” (Bukhari, Zakah 3)
The hadiths above also draw attention to the issue.
To sum up, we can say that everything we do, every word we speak, every breath we take will appear before us, either as good or bad, either in this world or in the grave, in the gathering place, in the realms of the hereafter. Whoever does anything does it for or against himself. Nothing will be wasted; everything will be rewarded or punished. (see Muhtasarı Tecrîdi Sarih Ter. ve Şerhi, 4/637; Ibn Qayyum, Ar-Ruh; Ihyau-Ulumid-Din, Bayanu Kalamil-Qabri-lil Mayyit)
Abud-Darda narrates: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"Utter salawat for me on Friday a lot. For, salawat uttered on Friday are witnessed by angels. When anyone utters salawat, it is conveyed to me before he finishes uttering."
Thereupon, I said, "Even if after you die?" The Prophet said,
"Yes! Allah Almighty prohibited the earth from decaying the bodies of prophets. Allah’s Prophet is always alive and attains sustenance." (see Abu Dawud, Salah, 207; Nasai, Jumua 5, 45; Ibn Majah, Janaiz, 65; Ahmad b. Hanbal, IV, 8)
After mentioning the virtue of Friday, the Prophet (pbuh) advised his ummah to utter salawat for him a lot so that they would benefit from the virtues of Friday and he stated that the salawat they utter would be presented to him. Thereupon, the Companions regarded it odd first and asked him, "How can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed?"
The Prophet (pbuh) answered this question, which the Companions asked in surprise, by stating that the earth could not decay the bodies of the prophets. It indicates that prophets are alive in their grave. This is something extraordinary based on the power of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) informed us about it. A believer believes in it. When a person denies it, he does not become an unbeliever since it is based on zanni evidence; its denial does not gain man anything but makes him lose so many things. (see al-Manhal, IV, 186 – 187; Sunanu Abu Dawud Translation and Explanation, Şamil Publications, 4/126-127)
The following is stated in a narration:
"When a person enters the grave, his good deeds such as prayer and fasting surround him. When the angels (Nakir and Munkar) come, his prayer defends him from one side and his fasting from the other side. Finally, the angels make him sit and ask who the Prophet Muhammad is. He tells that them that he is the true prophet…” (see Ibn Hanbal, 6/352; Kanzul-Ummal, h.no: 42506)
- Hafiz Haythami states that this narration of Ibn Hanbal is sound. (see Majmauz-Zawaid, h. no:4268)
- Hakim Tirmidhi includes the following hadith narration from Abdurrahman b. Samura named in his book called "Nawadirul-Usul": Various good deeds of a person such as prayer, fasting, dhikr, hajj, and umrah defend him and they are a means of salvation for him in the grave, in the Gathering Place, in the hands of zabanis, in Mizan and on Sirat Bridge. Ibn Kathir includes that narration in his tafsir book. (see Nawadirul-Usul, 3/235-236; Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of verse 17 of the chapter of Ibrahim (14/27))
- The following was narrated as the statement of Thabit al-Banani: "When a believing slave is put in the grave, his good deeds surround him and they defend him." (Abu Nuaym, al-Hilya, 2/325)
“When a believer comes out of the grave, his deed becomes embodied before him in a beautiful way. The believer says to him, “Who are you? By Allah, I see you as a beautiful and honest person." He says: “I am your deed.” Then, it becomes a light for him and a guide toward Paradise. On the other hand, when an unbeliever comes out of his grave, his deed becomes embodied in a bad way and as bad news. The unbeliever says to him, “Who are you? By Allah, I see you as a bad person." He says: “I am your deed.” Then he takes the unbeliever and throws him into the fire.” (Kanzul Ummal, h.no: 38963)
- Embodiment of deed means that it is represented in the form of a living person and takes shape. Allah creates spiritual beings and living beings out of sound, electricity and other similar materials; similarly, there is no rational or religious drawback to creating living forms from deeds for a temporary period of time - so that they can testify for or against their doers.
The following statement by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi shows the existence of different materials in living beings:
“This infinite space and the majestic heavens with their constellations and stars are full of animate beings, conscious beings, and beings with spirits. The Illustrious Shari’a of Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) and the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition call these beings, who are created from fire, light, and even from electricity, and from other subtle flowing matter, ‘The angels, the jinn, and spirit beings’” (see Sözler, p. 508)
A hadith narration regarding the issue and its explanation are as follows:
Man is buried in the grave together with his deeds.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّه صلى الله عليه و سلم اِنَّ عَمَلَ اْلاِنْسَانِ يُدْفَنُ مَعَهُ فِى قَبْرِهِ ، فَاِنْ كَانَ اْلعَمَلُ كَرِيمًا اَكْرَمَ صَاحِبَهُ ، وَ اِنْ كَانَ لَئِيمًا اَسْلَمَهُ ، وَ اِنْ كَانَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا آنَسَ صَاحِبَهُ وَ بَشَّرَهُ وَ وَسَّعَ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرَهُ وَ نَوَّرَهُ وَ حَمَاهُ مِنَ الشَّدَائِدِ وَ اْلاَهْوَالِ وَ اْلعَذَابِ وَ الَوَبَالِ ، وَ اِنْ كَانَ عَمَلاً سَيِّئًا فَزَّعَ صَاحِبَهُ وَ رَوَّعَهُ وَ اَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرَهُ وَ ضَيَّقَهُ وَ عَذَّبَهُ وَ خَلَّى بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ الشَّدَائِدِ وَ اْلاَهْوَالِ وَ اْلعَذَابِ وَ الَوَبَالِ
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following: "Deeds of man are buried in the grave together with him. If his deeds are good, they offer treats to their owner; if they are bad, they lead him to punishment. Good deeds become companions of their owner; they give him glad tidings and expand his grave and enlighten it; and they protect him from violence, terror, penalty and sins. Bad deeds frighten and intimidate their owner; they darken the grave and narrow it; they torment him; they lead him to trouble, penalty and sins." (Ruhul-Bayan, 3/69)
The hadith above informs us that man is buried with his deeds and warns us not to be buried with our sins. Let us listen to the warning of the hadith now:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّه صلى الله عليه و سلم The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following: اِنَّ عَمَلَ اْلاِنْسَانِ Doubtlessly, the deed of man …That is, what he does in the world, يُدْفَنُ مَعَهُ فِى قَبْرِهِ is buried in the grave together with him... It means, soil is thrown not only on man but also his deeds; man is buried together with his deeds.
فَاِنْ كَانَ اْلعَمَلُ كَرِيمًا If his deeds are good,… That is, if he obeys Allah’s commands and prohibitions, if he performs prayers and gives zakah, performs hajj and worship, to sum up, if he leads a life based on the Quran and the sunnah, اَكْرَمَ صَاحِبَهُ they offer treats to their owner… they offer treats to their owner and do him favors.
وَ اِنْ كَانَ لَئِيمًا If his deeds are bad,… That is, if he does not have the ethics of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), if he abandons prayers and does not give zakah, if he does not obey Allah’s commands and prohibitions, to sum up, if he leads a life away from obedience to Allah, اَسْلَمَهُ they lead him to punishment… they lead him to punishment and torment him.
وَ اِنْ كَانَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا If his deeds are good… آنَسَ صَاحِبَهُ they become companions of their owner… One of the many problems of the grave is loneliness and desolation. All the friends who come to the grave leave the person alone in the grave; nobody can become his friend there; even his beloved ones leave him; man enters the grave alone. However, he has a friend who does not abandon him and becomes his companion: his deed. His deeds are with him; they become his friends; they save him from the loneliness of the grave. Yes, God Almighty embodies a person’s deed in the grave, turns it into a body and makes it a friend. This friendship is its first favor to its owner.
وَ بَشَّرَهُ They give him glad tidings… This is the second favor of good deeds: giving glad tidings. For, man wonders about his end in the grave and worries about how Allah will treat them. Just then, his good deeds give him the glad tidings of Paradise, the glad tidings of divine forgiveness, the glad tidings of eternal happiness and the other blessings he will attain.
وَ وَسَّعَ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرَهُ They expand his grave …Yes, the narrowness of the grave is a problem and trouble just like loneliness and worrying about one’s end. Good deeds save their owner from this trouble, and widen the grave for him as far as the eye can see; they make the narrow grave like a garden of Paradise.
وَ نَوَّرَهُ They enlighten the grave… They save their owner from the darkness of the grave. They enlighten the dark grave for him virtually like a lamp, maybe like the sun. They save their owner from that darkness.
وَ حَمَاهُ مِنَ الشَّدَائِدِ وَ اْلاَهْوَالِ وَ اْلعَذَابِ وَ الَوَبَالِ And they protect him from violence, terror, penalty and sins …In addition, good deeds protect their owner from all trouble, horror, torment that can be imagined. They virtually become a castle for their owner. No torment or trouble can hit their owner by going beyond the bastions of that castle. They virtually become a shield for their owner; no horror can penetrate that shield and touch their owner.
What a blessing it is to find a companion in the grave, to be given glad tidings by him, the grave to be expanded and enlightened by him, and to be protected from all violence, horror and torment by him. What a great treat and bestowal! Happy are the owners of righteous deeds! Happy are those who obey Allah in the world!
What will be the end of those who do not obey Allah in the world and those who enter the grave with bad deeds?
وَ اِنْ كَانَ عَمَلاً سَيِّئًا If his deeds are bad… In other words, if he leads a life in the world without knowing Allah and ends his life with disobedience, فَزَّعَ صَاحِبَهُ his deeds will frighten him… Yes, while righteous deeds become friends with their owner, bad deeds frighten the owner. How does a deed to frighten its owner? What kind of a scene is it when a person who opens his eyes in the grave encounters his deeds that will frighten him? Can we imagine man’s regret and fear at that moment? What would he not give to get out of that grave at that moment? What else does a bad deed do to its owner?
وَ رَوَّعَهُ They frighten him… Yes, good deeds give glad tidings to their owner but bad deeds frighten the owner and mention the torment that will happen to him. They give the bad news of Hell, inform him that a terrible torment awaits him and states that divine wrath will hit him… O Lord! What a scene is it to be frightened by one’s own deeds and threatened with hell! They do not only frighten;
وَ اَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِ قَبْرَهُ they also darken the grave… Yes, while good deeds illuminate the grave for their owner, bad deeds darken the grave for their owner. I wonder what happens when the grave, which is already pitch black, is also darkened by bad deeds. How can man endure the horror of this darkness?
وَ ضَيَّقَهُ They narrow the grave… They squeeze the grave until the bones of the person clamp together, and finally the ribs clamp together… O Lord! What a horrible thing it is! What a strange state it is! When the walls of the grave collapse on us, who else but you can save us? Who else but you can help us? Who else but you can save us from the company of our bad deeds?
وَ عَذَّبَهُ They torment him… وَ خَلَّى بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ الشَّدَائِدِ وَ اْلاَهْوَالِ وَ اْلعَذَابِ وَ الَوَبَالِ they lead him to trouble, penalty and sins … Bad deeds lead their owner to all kinds of difficulties, trouble and torments that we know and do not know that we can imagine and cannot imagine; they even torment their owner themselves.
I wonder if the people who make friends with bad deeds in the world think about what their end will be like. I wonder if they are not at all afraid of this news given by the Prophet (pbuh) and if they do not lose their sleep and feel disturbed. Will they still not give up the companionship of evil deed?
O Lord! Grant us the friendship of good deeds in the world so that they will be our companions in the grave, give us glad tidings, illuminate and expand our graves and protect us from all kinds of trouble and horror! O Lord! Protect us from the friendship of bad deeds in this world so that they will not be our companions in the grave. Do not allow them to frighten us, to intimidate us, to darken the grave, to squeeze us, to punish us, and to lead us to all kinds of torment, violence and hardship. Amin, Amin, Amin!
It is accepted that the torment (punishment) in the grave will continue until the Day of Judgment for believers with many sins and unbelievers while it will be temporary for believers with few sins.
There will be no punishment for a sin that was forgiven in this world.
Questioning in the Grave
It is stated in the hadiths that the person placed in the grave will be questioned. It is narrated that the verse (Ibrahim, 14/27), which states that Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm, in this world and in the hereafter was revealed about questioning in the grave. (Bukhari, Janaiz, 86; Muslim, Jannah, 73-74)
When the dead person is placed in the grave and the people in the graveyard begin to leave, he is questioned by two angels called Munkar and Nakir, and he is asked specifically about his opinion of the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The believer declares that he accepts him as the servant and messenger of Allah; the unbeliever replies, “I do not know, I shared the opinion of the people around me.”
Torment (Punishment) in the Grave
Torment in the grave and the blessings in the grave are among the issues of ghayb (unknown/unseen) that cannot be known through the senses and reasoning, but are certain based on divine revelation. There are indications of some verses and explicit statements of various hadiths regarding the issue:
The verses stating that Pharaoh and his people will be brought in front of the Fire morning and evening and will be cast into the severest penalty on the Day that Judgment (al-Mu’min, 40/46), and that the people of Noah were made to enter the Fire after being drowned in the flood (Nuh, 71/25) are evidences related to the life in the grave according to Ahl as-Sunnah scholars.
In addition, the following verses stating that
- Those who believe and do righteous deeds will not be held equal with those who seek after evil ways (al-Jasiya, 45/21-22),
- Hypocrites will be punished twice and in addition they will be sent to a grievous penalty (at-Tawba, 9/101),
- Unbelievers and hypocrites will taste of the penalty of this life prior to the supreme penalty (as-Sajda, 32/21; at-Tur, 52/47)
are also cited as evidences indicating punishment in the grave.
According to what is stated in hadiths,
- The Messenger of Allah heard the voice of some people who were tormented in the grave (Musnad, III, 103, 104; Muslim, Jannah, 67-69),
- He sought refuge in Allah from the torment of the grave and told his Companions to seek refuge in Allah from it (Musnad, III, 296; Muslim, Jannah, 67),
- He prayed to Allah to protect the dead person whose janazah prayer he led from the torment of the grave (Muslim, Janaiz, 86),
- He also stated that animals heard the voices of those who were tormented (Nasai, Janaiz, 115)
- Backbiting and talebearing (Musnad, I, 225; Bukhari, Janaiz, 88, Wudu, 57),
- Crying by lamenting for the dead (Bukhari, Janaiz, 33; Muslim, “Janaiz”, 16-28),
- Dying as a debtor (Ibn Majah, Sadaqat, 12),
- Telling lies, committing adultery, getting interest (usury), drinking alcohol (Bukhari, Janaiz, 92; “Tabirur-Ruya, 48)
It is also stated in hadiths that the deeds mentioned above and similar ones cause torment in the grave.
It is also stated in hadiths that the following types of punishments exist in the grave:
- The grace squeezing the person (Tirmidhi, Janaiz, 70),
- A person is shown his place in Hell in the morning and evening (Bukhari, Janaiz, 88; Muslim, Jannah, 65-66)
Blessing in the Grave
It is definite based on Quranic verses and hadiths that blessings exist in the grave.
The following is stated in the Quran:
- Those who are slain in the way of Allah are not regarded as dead and that they are alive even though people do not perceive it. (al-Baqara, 2/154)
- They live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord (Aal-i Imran, 3/169)
According to Sunni scholars, those verses are literal and cannot be interpreted in any other way. The phrase in the verse in the chapter of al-Baqara, “You cannot perceive it,” indicates that the life in question takes place in the intermediate realm (barzakh) not in the gathering place in the hereafter because the life in the hereafter is comprehended by all people, since everyone is in the same realm.
The fact that the verses say that martyrs will be blessed is an indication that other believers who are not tormented in the grave will also be blessed since salvation from torment is also a blessing.
The verses in the Quran stating that those who migrated in the way of Allah and were killed in battle or died in the cause of Allah will be granted good sustenance and blessing by Allah and will be placed in a place where they will be pleased (al-Hajj, 22/58-59) indicate that believers who do not reach the rank of martyrdom will also have a good life in the grave.
In addition, in almost all of the hadiths related to the questioning and torment in the grave, it is reported that the graves of the believers who answer the questions will be enlarged and illuminated, transformed into a garden among the gardens of Paradise, and the believer will be shown his place in Paradise in the morning and evening. (Musnad, III, 3-4; Muslim, Jannah, 65-66; Tirmidhi, Janaiz, 71)
According to Ahlu Sunnah, Munkar and Nakir ask the person who has died about his Lord, religion and prophet. A believer answers those questions but an unbeliever cannot. There are a lot of hadiths regarding the issue. Those two angels go to the grave of the dead, revive him and ask the questions. (Pazdawi, "Ehl-i Sünnet Akâidi" Trns., Şerafettin Gölcük, İstanbul 1980, 237).
From Abu Hurayra; Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) was reported to have said the following:
"When a dead body is buried, two jet-black angels with blue eyes come. One of them is called Munkar and the other Nakir. They ask the dead person,
What do you say about this man (the Messenger of Allah)? He says what he used to say when he was alive;
"He is the slave and messenger of Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His slave and messenger." The angels say;
"We already knew that you said it." Then his grave is expanded seventy times seventy ziras (1 zira = 75 cm) and illuminated. Then, he is told "to lie down."
He turns to them and asks; Shall I return and inform my family? They say,
"Sleep like the sleep of a groom that will nobody will wake except the person that he loves most."! Thus, he sleeps in the place he is lying down until Almighty Allah revives him.
If he is a munafiq (hypocrite), he will say, "I would hear what people say and would repeat it. I dont know." The angels will say,"We already knew you would say that" Then they say to the earth, "Squeeze him." The earth squeezes him and his ribs become intertwined. He is tortured in that place until Allah revives him." (Tirmizi, Janaiz, 70)
In almost all of the creed books, Munkar and Nakir, and the questions they ask the dead person in the grave are mentioned. In the Quran, the names of those two angels are not mentioned; there is no statement in the Quran expressing that the dead person will be questioned in the grave, either.
However, Ahlu Sunnah scholars accept that some verses indicate it and some verses are completely related to the questioning in the grave. The following is stated in the Aqaid of Omar Nasafi: "The questioning by Munkar and Nakir is definite in the Book (the Quran) and Sunnah."
It is stated that the hereafter mentioned in the following verse is the grave and "the firm word" is "the word of witness" (kalima shahadah):
"Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave to stray those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth". (Ibrahim 14/27)
Ibn Majah says the following in his Sunan:
This verse "Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm " was sent down about the questioning in the grave. The dead person will be asked in the grave; "Who is your Lord?" He will answer: "My Lord is Allah; my Prophet is Muhammad (pbuh)." Thus, the answer of the dead believer is the expression of the verse; "Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm " (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 32; In addition, see Bukhari, Tafsir, Chapter, 14).
That hadith is narrated in all of the famous six hadith books. In some narrations, the number of the questions are increased to three as follows: "Who is your Lord, what is your religion, who is your prophet?"
It is stated in tafsir (interpretation) books that the following verse is also about the questioning in the grave and grave torture:
"In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening: and (the Sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: "Cast ye the People of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty!" (al-Mu'min, 40/46) (Ibn Kathir, "Tafsiru'l-Qur'ani'l-Azim", tafsir of 40/46).
There are a lot of hadiths about the questions of Munkar and Nakir in the grave. Although those ahad (reported by only one person) hadiths do not reach the state of tawatur (multiplicity of the sources of a certain report that leads to certitude in the listener that the report is indeed true) in terms of the words, the fact that there are a lot of hadiths regarding the issue raises the issue to the level of tawatur. (Haşiyetü'l-Kesteli alâ Şerhi'l-Akâid, İstanbul 1973, 133, 134).
In some of those hadiths, it is mentioned that the dead person will be questioned but no angel is mentioned:
"The dead person is put into the grave. If he is a good person, he is placed in the grave without anxiety or fear. Then, he is asked;
"What was your religion?". He answers;
"I was in the religion of Islam". Then, he is asked;
"Who is that man (the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)?". He says;
"He is Muhammad (pbuh), the Messenger of Allah. He brought us obvious verses from Allah; and we approved him." Then they ask him;
Have you seen Allah? He says:
"Nobody is worthy of seeing Allah." After those questions and answers, a window on the side of the fire is opened. When the dead person looks at it, he sees that the flames of the fire try to beat one another. Then, he is told;
"Look at the fire that Allah protected you from." Then a window on the side of Paradise is opened. This time, he looks at the ornaments and bounties of Paradise. He is told;
"That place is your position"; then, he is told;
"You were on a sincere belief, you died on that sound belief and inshaallah (God willing) you will be revived on that belief." (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 32).
As it is seen, in the hadith above, no angel is mentioned; only the questioning in grave is mentioned. In another hadith, it is stated that there is an angel that will question the dead but the name of that angel is not mentioned:
"This umma (community) will be questioned in the grave. When the dead person is buried and his friends leave him, an angel holding a mace will come, will make him sit and ask;
"What do you say about this man (the Messenger of Allah)? If the dead person is a believer, he will say,
"I witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His slave and Messenger. The angel will say;
"You told the truth." (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, III, 3, 40).
In the Abu Hurayra hadith mentioned earlier, two questioning angels are mentioned and it is stated that one of them is called Munkar and the other Nakir.
According to Ahlu Sunnah, it is true that Munkar and Nakir will question the dead. The grave in the grave and the squeezing of the grave is true. It is for all of the unbelievers and some disobedient Muslims. (Imam Azam, "al-Fiqh al-Akbar", trns. H. Basrî Çantay, Ankara 1985, p. 14).
Yes, there will the torment in the grave or blessing in the grave before the Day of Judgment. It is not appropriate to think of only torment when we talk about the grave, or mentioning only the torment in the grave when we talk about the life in the grave because there are also blessings in the life in the grave. Therefore, it should be referred to as “life in the grave”.
To sum up, there is life in the grave, which is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell, depending on the condition of the person.
The expression “a Jewish woman” is mentioned in another narration as “two Jewish women”. The names of those women could not be identified. This woman or these women told her about the torment in the grave. Despite the differences in the narrations, Aisha did not believe what the woman said, but the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) took refuge in Allah from the torment in the grave, according to a narration as a result of a revelation, according to another narration directly confirming what the woman said.
As a matter of fact, according to sound narrations, a Jewish woman came to beg for something from Aisha (ra) and after talking about the torment in the grave, she said, “May Allah protect you from the torment in the grave.” Aisha (ra) asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), “Are people tormented in their graves?” The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Yes, there is the torment in the grave.” Then Aisha said: “After that, I never saw a prayer of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) at the end of which he did not seek refuge with Allah from the torment in the grave.” (Bukhari, 986, 988; Muslim, 499, 1501, 1502)
As for the first narration mentioned in the question:
It is stated in the place in question that this hadith narration reported by Ibn Kathir is sound. (see Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 7/132-133)
However, the following is stated at the end of the same hadith: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh), after a period of time as long as Allah wills, said: O people! Seek refuge in Allah from the torment in the grave because the torment in the grave is true.” (Ibn Kathir, ibid)
Since both of those narrations are sound, the following interpretation can be made to reconcile them:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) knew that the unbelievers and polytheists would be subjected to the torment of the grave, but he did not know that the sinners among the believers would also be subjected to this torment. Immediately after this incident, he was informed by revelation that the sinners of the believers would also be subjected to this torment.
