Does the deceased hear the greeting and speech, and is he aware of what is done at his grave, or not?
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The questioner : Does the deceased hear the greeting and speech, and is he aware of what is done at his grave, or not?
The Shaykh : This is a matter in which the scholars have differed, and the Sunnah has clarified some aspects of it. It is authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when a man is buried in his grave and the people leave him, to the extent that he can hear the clatter of their sandals, two angels come to him and test him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed that he hears the clatter of the sandals. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also informed us that there is no Muslim man who passes by the grave of a Muslim man and greets him, whom he knew in this world, but that Allah returns his spirit to him so that he returns the greeting. This hadith was authenticated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, and Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned it in his book "The Soul" without criticizing it. Perhaps this supports the idea, or perhaps it is reinforced by the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he went out to the graveyards, would saySunan Abi Dawud 3237Sahih (Al-Albani) This indicates that they may be made aware that they hear it and respond, because this supplication was directed to them by address.
In any case, even if we say that the deceased hears, the deceased does not benefit others. That is, it is not possible for the deceased to benefit you if you call upon Allah at his grave, just as he cannot benefit you if you call upon him directly. Your calling upon Allah at his grave while believing that this has a special merit is an innovation among innovations, and your calling upon him is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. If someone says that some of those who call upon the dead may benefit from their supplication, the answer to that is that this benefit did not come from the dead person's supplication, but rather occurred at the time of their supplication. There is a difference between benefiting from the dead person's supplication and benefiting at the time of the dead person's supplication. If you say the benefit came from the dead person's supplication, then the dead person's supplication is the cause of this benefit. If you say it was at the time of the dead person's supplication, then he was not the cause, but was merely close to it in time. We say that Allah the Exalted may test the person who calls upon the people of the graves by granting them what they ask for at the time of their supplication, as a trial and test for them. Otherwise, we know with certainty that everyone who calls upon other than Allah is among the most misguided of people. Indeed, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ahqaf 46:5-6]
There is no wonder that Allah tests a person with such a trial. Here are the people of the Sabbath, a group of the Jews from the Children of Israel, who were in a town on the seashore. Fishing was forbidden for them on the day of the Sabbath. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) tested them, and the fish would come on the day of the Sabbath in great numbers, swimming on the surface of the water, but on days other than the Sabbath, the fish would not come. So the time dragged on for them, and they said, "How can we be forbidden from these fish, and what is the way to obtain them?" Satan made a scheme attractive to them: to place a net in the water on Friday, so that when the fish came on the Sabbath, they would fall into this net and be unable to get out. Then, when Sunday came, they would come and take them. They resorted to the lowest of tricks to circumvent the prohibitions of Allah. What was the result? Allah the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:163-166] So Allah the Exalted turned these people into apes, wretched and humiliated.
The important point in the context of this story is that a person may be tested with something that becomes a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for him in his religion if he follows it. These people who call upon the dead may be tested, and they may obtain what they desire when they call upon the dead, which is a fitnah for them. Otherwise, we know with absolute certainty that the dead do not benefit anyone, no matter what the situation. Even if they called upon them night and day, they would not benefit them. How could they, when they are dead, lifeless bodies? But whoever does not make Allah give him light, for him there is no light. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This is a matter in which the scholars have differed, and the Sunnah has clarified some aspects of it. It is authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when a man is buried in his grave and the people leave him, to the extent that he can hear the clatter of their sandals, two angels come to him and test him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed that he hears the clatter of the sandals. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also informed us that there is no Muslim man who passes by the grave of a Muslim man and greets him, whom he knew in this world, but that Allah returns his spirit to him so that he returns the greeting. This hadith was authenticated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, and Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned it in his book "The Soul" without criticizing it. Perhaps this supports the idea, or perhaps it is reinforced by the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he went out to the graveyards, would say
Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the dwellings who are of the community of the believers
السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنينIn any case, even if we say that the deceased hears, the deceased does not benefit others. That is, it is not possible for the deceased to benefit you if you call upon Allah at his grave, just as he cannot benefit you if you call upon him directly. Your calling upon Allah at his grave while believing that this has a special merit is an innovation among innovations, and your calling upon him is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. If someone says that some of those who call upon the dead may benefit from their supplication, the answer to that is that this benefit did not come from the dead person's supplication, but rather occurred at the time of their supplication. There is a difference between benefiting from the dead person's supplication and benefiting at the time of the dead person's supplication. If you say the benefit came from the dead person's supplication, then the dead person's supplication is the cause of this benefit. If you say it was at the time of the dead person's supplication, then he was not the cause, but was merely close to it in time. We say that Allah the Exalted may test the person who calls upon the people of the graves by granting them what they ask for at the time of their supplication, as a trial and test for them. Otherwise, we know with certainty that everyone who calls upon other than Allah is among the most misguided of people. Indeed, Allah the Exalted said:
(5) And who is more astray than he who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware. (6) And when the people are gathered [that Day], they [who were invoked] will be enemies to them, and they will be deniers of their worship.
وَمَن أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدعو مِن دونِ اللَّهِ مَن لا يَستَجيبُ لَهُ إِلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ وَهُم عَن دُعائِهِم غافِلونَ * وَإِذا حُشِرَ النّاسُ كانوا لَهُم أَعداءً وَكانوا بِعِبادَتِهِم كافِرينَThere is no wonder that Allah tests a person with such a trial. Here are the people of the Sabbath, a group of the Jews from the Children of Israel, who were in a town on the seashore. Fishing was forbidden for them on the day of the Sabbath. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) tested them, and the fish would come on the day of the Sabbath in great numbers, swimming on the surface of the water, but on days other than the Sabbath, the fish would not come. So the time dragged on for them, and they said, "How can we be forbidden from these fish, and what is the way to obtain them?" Satan made a scheme attractive to them: to place a net in the water on Friday, so that when the fish came on the Sabbath, they would fall into this net and be unable to get out. Then, when Sunday came, they would come and take them. They resorted to the lowest of tricks to circumvent the prohibitions of Allah. What was the result? Allah the Exalted said:
(163) And ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them openly on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient. (164) And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him." (165) And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying. (166) So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised."
وَاسأَلهُم عَنِ القَريَةِ الَّتي كانَت حاضِرَةَ البَحرِ إِذ يَعدونَ فِي السَّبتِ إِذ تَأتيهِم حيتانُهُم يَومَ سَبتِهِم شُرَّعًا وَيَومَ لا يَسبِتونَ لا تَأتيهِم كَذلِكَ نَبلوهُم بِما كانوا يَفسُقونَ * وَإِذ قالَت أُمَّةٌ مِنهُم لِمَ تَعِظونَ قَومًا اللَّهُ مُهلِكُهُم أَو مُعَذِّبُهُم عَذابًا شَديدًا قالوا مَعذِرَةً إِلى رَبِّكُم وَلَعَلَّهُم يَتَّقونَ * فَلَمّا نَسوا ما ذُكِّروا بِهِ أَنجَينَا الَّذينَ يَنهَونَ عَنِ السّوءِ وَأَخَذنَا الَّذينَ ظَلَموا بِعَذابٍ بَئيسٍ بِما كانوا يَفسُقونَ * فَلَمّا عَتَوا عَن ما نُهوا عَنهُ قُلنا لَهُم كونوا قِرَدَةً خاسِئينَThe important point in the context of this story is that a person may be tested with something that becomes a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for him in his religion if he follows it. These people who call upon the dead may be tested, and they may obtain what they desire when they call upon the dead, which is a fitnah for them. Otherwise, we know with absolute certainty that the dead do not benefit anyone, no matter what the situation. Even if they called upon them night and day, they would not benefit them. How could they, when they are dead, lifeless bodies? But whoever does not make Allah give him light, for him there is no light. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.