Death and Grave Facts in the Light of Quran and Sunnah

Death and Grave--Facts in the light of Quran and Sunnah By Hajrah Akhtar Posted on March 5, 2013

Death is a very well-known fact. It has always been indisputable. No one has ever doubted death. Although human beings rarely agree on anything, they have never disagreed on their mortality.

Death is mentioned in the Quran almost everywhere. The word “Death” and its derivatives “die, dying and dead” is found more than 160 times in the Quran. Quran has put a lot of emphasis on death. Why is it that the Quran is consistently reminding the believers about their own mortality while they already know this fact for centuries?

Let’s have a close look on the verses which mention death in the Quran and reflect upon them. Let us explore some of these verses:

“Every soul shall have a taste of death: And you shall only be paid fully your reward on the resurrection day, then whoever is removed from the Fire and admitted to the Garden has succeeded. For the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities” (Al-Imran 3:185).

No matter how powerful king even the Pharos (who consider themselves “the God”) cannot change their time of death. Suppose you are late for your office meeting or an important business trip you can’t make it up to that destination at a particular time. How frustrated you are at that point. And start blaming yourself and start thinking what excuse you will give when authorities will ask about your carelessness. When the time of death comes and the angels are standing at your side no matter how wealthy and rich you are even a president of USA or a normal to below person can’t ignore the realities and facts of death. Our Prophet Muhammad PBUH who is the dearest to Allah SWT faced the difficulties and pains of death. During his last days when He PBUH was in his bed of death He wiped his face with the piece of cloth and continuously prayed for Allah’s mercy. How many of us honestly and seriously think about the death and the life in the grave where no one will help us in answering the questions of the angels? Your closest friends, parents, your siblings without whom you can’t think to live for a single day won’t help you. We come to this Dunya alone and will go back again to the world of eternity alone.

When we visit some important person for the first time we try to buy an expensive gift for him and try to look presentable, these are our duniya’s priorities. If we apply the same priorities in our Akhirah, do we want to be presentably sound in front of Allah SWT, do we think what things will make us presentable in front of Allah SWT. Namaz, reciting Quran, paying zakat and fasting are the best tested friends of this Duniya and the Akhira, these are the relaxing agents of our physical and mental life hence hold them tightly and never let them go. Dancing, listening music and watching movies shall relax our brain for a temporary period of time and not benefit us in Akhirah at any cost. Grave

One narration says that once in the grave the Prophet Muhammad PBUH saw a man standing over another man carrying a large Iron hook. He stuck the hook into his mouth and ripped his mouth open down to his neck. His cheeks tore off from the force. He then stuck the hook into his eyes and ripped down his face until his neck. He then stuck the hook into his nose and then ripped down his face until his neck. He screamed a terrible scream each time the hook was inserted. When he was done, the one who was tortured, his face was returned to his original state. The punishment was repeated and will be repeated till the Day of Judgment.

About the one who learnt Quran but then ignored it and for the one who oversleeps the Prayers (eg Fajr): he will have his head smashed open with a solid rock until the day of judgment. Some narration also state that his body shall also be smashed.

About the one who consumes Usury (Interest): he will swim in a river of blood or boiling tar and every time he wants to get out, a person at the bank will smash a rock into his mouth, crushing his teeth etc. The person will fall back into the river and the process will continue.

About the adulterer or adulteress: these people will be in a clay lined pit and shall be burned from beneath. The force and heat of the fire will force them up the walls of the pit but they shall never come out as Allah wills. Their bodies will be roasted. In another narration it states that at the same time, they will be stoned with rocks of fire (Sunan Abu Dawud: Hadith No.4860 and also “Sahih al-Ja’mi” 2/926)

About the Backbiter: they will have nails of copper that will scratch at their faces till the Day of Judgment. Their copper nails will rip their skins and their eyes and the insides of their mouths until there is nothing left. Then Allah will restore their faces and the punishment will begin again.

The one who abondons Salat or whos Salat is not accepted: they will perform vudu with boiling fluid that will melt their skins. Then they will perform their Salat that they missed or that was not accepted on a scorching floor of fire. (Another narration states, on a floor of fire and nails). This will continue till the Day of Judgment (From Al-Bukhari).

The question is: has everyone gone through the punishment after the death? How can we be safe from the torment of the hell fire ?

Yes, it can be avoided. That depends on how you lead your life in this world. Pious Muslims who were dutiful to Allah and obeyed Him will not go through all this. Rather, their grave will be expanded for their comfort.

While the Prophet peace and blessings upon him, was passing by a cemetery, he saw that two dead people in two graves were suffering torment for some petty things. One of the dead people in those two graves was making Namima (informing someone of someone’s drawback that are related to the hearer) and the other was not avoiding urine (not paying attention to avoiding urine drops while urinating). Thereupon Allah’s Messenger peace and blessings upon him, took a green branch, split it into two, and planted them each on the two graves. The Companions asked why he did so. The Prophet replied: “As long as those two branches do not dry, the torment those two suffer is hoped to be alleviated.” (Bukhari Janaiz, 82; Muslim, Iman, 34; Abu Davud, Taharat, 26)

The Prophet PBUH says in another hadith: “The grave is either a garden of the gardens of Paradise, or a pit of the pits of Hell.” (Tirmidhi, Qiyamat, 26)

In another hadith, the Prophet PBUH says: “When the deceased is put to grave, two dark blue angels, one named Munkar and the other Naker come and they say to the dead: “What do you say about Muhammad (PBUH)?” And she/he answers: “He is the slave and Messenger of Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.” Thereupon the angels say: “We already knew you would say so.” Then they widen his/her grave seventy yards. And then this person’s grave is enlightened. Then the angels say to the deceased: “Lie and sleep!” She/he says: “Go to my family and inform them of my situation.” The angels say: “Continue sleeping till the Day of Resurrection, just like the person who is in his/her wedding night and who is waken only by the person who she/he likes most.”

If the dead is a hypocrite, the angels say to him/her: “What do you say about Muhammad (PBUH)?” And the hypocrite answers: “I had heard people say some things about Muhammad, and I talked like them. I know nothing else.” The angels say to him/her: “We already knew you would say so.” And then the earth is addressed: “Pressure this person as much as you can!” And the earth starts to pressure. To such an extent that that person feels as if his/her bones entangled each other. That torment continues till the Day of Resurrection.” (Tirmidhi Janaiz 70)

In the Qur’an, about the grave life of the martyrs, it is stated: “Do not think at all of those killed in God’s cause as dead. Rather, they are alive; with their Lord they have their sustenance.” (The Qur’an, Al-‘Imran, 3:169), “And say not of those who are killed in God’s cause: “They are dead. ” Rather they are alive, but you are not aware.” (The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah, 2:154)

Narrated Asma’ bint Abi Bakr : Allah’s Apostle once stood up delivering a sermon and mentioned the trial which people will face in the grave. When he mentioned that, the Muslims started shouting loudly (Al-Bukhari ,No.455).

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Apostle said, “When (Allah’s) slave is put in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their footsteps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask, ‘What did you use to say about this man (i.e. Muhammad)?’ The faithful Believer will say, ‘I testify that he is Allah’s slave and His Apostle.’ Then they will say to him, ‘Look at your place in the Hell Fire; Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.’ So he will see both his places.” (Qatada said, “We were informed that his grave would be made spacious.” Then Qatada went back to the narration of Anas who said;) Whereas a hypocrite or a non-believer will be asked, “What did you use to say about this man.” He will reply, “I do not know; but I used to say what the people used to say.” So they will say to him, “Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Quran).” Then he will be hit with iron hammers once, that he will send such a cry as everything near to him will hear, except Jinns and human beings. (Al- Bukhari, No. 422). Narrated Abi Aiyub: Once the Prophet went out after sunset and heard a dreadful voice, and said, “The Jews are being punished in their graves.” (Al-Bukhari, 458)

Narrated Musa bin ‘Uqba: (From the daughter of Khalid bin Sa id bin Al-’Asi) who said that she had heard the Prophet seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave. (Al-Bukhari, 459)

Narrated Abu Huraira : Allah’s Apostle used to invoke (Allah): “Allahumma ini a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi-l-Qabr, wa min ‘adhabi-nnar, wa min fitnati-l-mahya wa-lmamat, wa min fitnati-l-masih ad-dajjal. (O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al- Masih Ad-Dajjal.” (Al-Bukhari, 461)

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar : Allah’s Apostle said, “When anyone of you dies, he is shown his place both in the morning and in the evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise; he is shown his place in it, and if he is from the people of the Hell-Fire; he is shown his place there-in. Then it is said to him, ‘This is your place till Allah resurrect you on the Day of Resurrection.” (Al- Bukhari, 462)

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri : Allah’s Apostle said, “When the funeral is ready (for its burial) and the people lift it on their shoulders, then if the deceased is a righteous person he says, ‘Take me ahead,’ and if he is not a righteous one then he says, ‘Woe to it (me)! Where are you taking it (me)?’ And his voice is audible to everything except human beings; and if they heard it they would fall down unconscious . ” (Al-Bukhari, 463)

Narrated Anas bin Malik Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, “Any Muslim whose three children died before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah because of His mercy to them.”( Al- Bukhari,472)

Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle in his fatal illness said, “Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians, for they built the places of worship at the graves of their prophets.” And if that had not been the case, then the Prophet’s PBUHgrave would have been made prominent before the people. So (the Prophet PBUH) was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship.

Those who are not cautious with regard to what they look at or say or eat or where they go, and they do not care what wealth they acquire, whether it is halaal or haraam. Those who do not uphold the ties of kinship or show compassion towards the poor, widows, orphans, or animals, rather they forsake orphans and do not urge others to feed the poor. They show off to people, withhold small kindnesses, and seek out people’s faults and sins whilst ignoring their own. All of these will be punished in their graves for these sins, according to how great or small they were. Because most people are like this, most of the inhabitants of the graves will be punished, and those who succeed will be very few.

The outside of the grave is just earth, but inside it is regret and whilst inside it is disaster and calamity, boiling with grief and sorrow like a kettle. Suggestions

To sum up, I would like to remind myself first and then my dear brothers and sisters that death is a reality and we have to always be prepared for it. Please, don’t assume that we will live for too long. We usually think that we will live for too long especially if we are young and healthy. This is not true. Young people die every day and for a variety of reasons. I myself have 2 friends who died in their twenties. One was about 24 the other was 27, the latter healthy indeed. I graduated in the class of 2010, so far I have been informed of two classmates who have already died. No one has immunity against death. No one is too healthy to die, or too young to die or too wealthy to die or too powerful to die or too famous to die.

The question that we should always ask ourselves is not whether we are going to die, it is what preparations are we making to die as good Muslims? We should always be ready. We should always struggle to improve ourselves until we become the best persons we can be. We should humble ourselves in our progress. Read the Quran more and reflect upon what we read more. We should help others. We should pay more in charity. We have to get rid of our greed and selfishness. We have to love to others what we love to ourselves. And also we have to sacrifice for the sake of Allah by spending from our wealth, our time, our efforts and if the need arises by our lives. We have to remember to repent everyday and if possible during and after every prayer. Finally, the best way to remember death is to read the Quran. This is major source of spiritual power in Islam.