Why did the grave squeeze Sa´d b. Muadh though 70.000 angels took part in his janazah prayer?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Abu Said al-Khudri narrates:

"I was among those who dug the grave Sa´d b. Muadh in the Cemetery of Baqi. As we dug it, a pleasant smell of musk exuded from every piece of soil. The Messenger of Allah was also with us. When we finished digging, we brought some water and bricks. We dug the grave near the house of Aqil b. Abu Talib. I saw that the Cemetery of Baqi was full of people."

According to what Jabir b. Abdullah narrates, Harith b. Aws b. Muadh, Usayd b. Khudayr, Abu Naila Silkan b. Salama and Salama b. Salama entered the grave to place him.

The Prophet was standing next to the grave. When Sa´d b. Muadh was placed in the grave, the color of the face of the Prophet (pbuh) changed and he said, "Subhanallah" three times. The Muslims there said, "Subhanallah" three times too. Sounds of Subhanallah resounded in the Cemetery of Baqi.

After that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Allahuakbar" three times. The Companions repeated it three times. Sounds of Allahuakbar resounded in the Cemetery of Baqi.

The Companions asked,

"O Messenger of Allah! We saw that the color of your face changed and you said, "Subhanallah" three times. What is the reason for it?" The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"The grave narrowed so much and squeezed your friend so hard that only Sa´d could have been saved from it. Finally, Allah saved him from it." (see Waqidi, Maghazi, 2/528; Ibn Sa´d, Tabaqat, 3/431; Dhahabi, Siyaru A´lamin-Nubala, 1/209, 214)

This narration shows that Sad. b. Muadh was saved from the penalty in the grave. However, it is understood that some believers who are saved from the penalty in the grave undergo a slight trouble. The Prophet (pbuh) teaches this to his ummah.

Penalty in the grave is true and it is valid for both sinful believers and all unbelievers.

There are statements of the Prophet (pbuh) about it. The grave will squeeze believers like a mother caressing her baby, and unbelievers and hypocrites severely. (see Musnad, V, 407; VI, 55, 98; Tirmidhi, Janaiz 70)

It is necessary to consider the penalty in the grave in the form of squeezing not with the soil in the world but as a penalty peculiar to the realm of grave.

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