The Ruling on the Punishment of the Grave for the Believer and the Disbeliever

Question:
May Allah reward you. Among the major sins committed by believers, is the punishment in the grave a garden or something else?

Answer:
A believer may be punished in his grave, just as you heard in the hadith of the two graves, where they are being punished. These are believers, but one of them committed the major sin of talebearing, and the other committed the major sin of not performing ritual purity. So the believer is punished in his grave, but the punishment does not continue for him; the punishment does not persist for the believer in his grave, rather it ends for reasons mentioned in your copy of Sharh al-Tahawiyyah, quoted from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. There are ten or twelve reasons, all of which end the punishment of the grave for the believer. Among them is the seeking of forgiveness by the believers and their supplication for him, and among them are many other things mentioned in your copy. As for the disbeliever, the punishment of the grave does not cease for him.
Rather, he remains in the punishment of the grave and wishes that he would be buried in the grave, because the Fire is more severe than this. He says, "My Lord, do not raise the Hour." The disbeliever says, "My Lord," and the hypocrite says, "My Lord, do not raise the Hour." He remains in the grave and endures the punishment of the grave because it is lighter than the punishment of the Fire, may Allah protect us from it. Yes.