Using the Verse of the Lesser Punishment as Evidence for the Punishment of the Grave
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, says: Some scholars have cited the saying of Allah the Exalted,[As-Sajdah 32:21], as evidence for the punishment of the grave. However, He says, "Perhaps they will return," and we know that one who is in the grave does not return. So is this evidence valid?
Answer:
That is, perhaps the living will return. Perhaps the living, upon learning of the punishment of the grave, will turn back from their sins and repent to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. There is no objection to the idea that "We will surely let them taste of the lesser punishment" refers to what befalls the living as well as what befalls the dead in the graves; all of it is a lesser punishment, for it is in this world. Yes.
The Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, says: Some scholars have cited the saying of Allah the Exalted,
And we will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will repent.
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَAnswer:
That is, perhaps the living will return. Perhaps the living, upon learning of the punishment of the grave, will turn back from their sins and repent to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. There is no objection to the idea that "We will surely let them taste of the lesser punishment" refers to what befalls the living as well as what befalls the dead in the graves; all of it is a lesser punishment, for it is in this world. Yes.
Source
شرح كتاب المنتقى من أخبار المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم، بداية من باب وجوب الاستنجاء بالحجر أو الماء — islamhouse.com (59:16)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.