Do the dead visit one another and recognize each other?

The questioner : Here, this is a statement by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. Shaykh al-Islam said, "The reports (athar) have become widespread regarding the dead person knowing the conditions of his family and companions in this world, and that this is presented to him; he is pleased with what was good and pained by what was ugly. The reports also came regarding their meeting and asking one another questions; they gather if Allah wills, just as they gather in this world, despite the difference in their ranks." We would like to know the extent of the authenticity of this statement.

The Shaykh : Its authenticity is that you mention the statement of Imam Malik: "None of us is there who is not visited and does not visit, except the one in this grave." First, note that he says "reports" (athar) and not "hadiths." This is the first point of attention that draws the attention of the student of knowledge that this is not from the knowledge that obligates the student of knowledge to adopt it. Second, in my belief, it contradicts many texts of the Book and the Sunnah. How do we imagine that these dead people know these details that came in these reports, while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) does not know the prayers of those praying for him except through angels assigned to honor him? That is, he does not hear or know, and therefore it was said to him, or is said to him, on the Day of Resurrection, "You do not know what they have innovated after you." So our chosen Prophet was not given this level of perception, so how can we believe that the general Muslim dead are given such perception, such hearing, and the like? One of the people of the household from the descendants of al-Hasan or al-Husayn—I have forgotten his name now—whenever he entered the Prophet's Mosque, he would find a man next to the grave of the Messenger (peace be upon him).

The questioner : al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, he asked him why he was there. He said to him, "I pray for the Messenger (peace be upon him)." He said to him, "You and what is in Andalusia are the same." And he narrated the well-known hadith and the well-known hadith regarding Friday They said, "How is that when you have died?" He said So the dead, as Allah the Exalted said And if the Messenger does not hear the greetings of the Muslims to him except through the angels assigned to convey the greeting, how do many people today think that he hears the greetings of the Muslims in the East, West, North, and South? Once a joke occurred between one of the senior officials in Damascus when I decided to travel to Saudi Arabia. He passed the passport saying I am going to Madinah. The official said to me, "I am entrusting you with a trust, but when you get there, convey my greetings to the Messenger." I said to him, "That is a lecture in summary: I am a person who may not travel, may travel, may forget. What do you think? Now, try a fax... meaning immediately, very fast mail. Pray for him, now it will reach him." And I mentioned to him the hadith You do not need my intermediation. In conclusion, I advise our brothers to study the Book and the Sunnah, and on the methodology of the righteous Salaf, and to avoid the statement by the tongue of the state and not by the tongue of the speech, I, beware of me and of you, and peace be upon you.
Al-Halabi : A quick point. You said when the brother asked about the reports (athar), it stopped us for a moment. If there had been hadiths, we would fear that someone might understand from this statement the opposite of the issue of the beard. We took the reports (athar), and it might be imagined by someone that we rejected the hadiths. Is this the opposite of that, or are they the same?

The Shaykh : Without a doubt, they are not the same. These are reports (athar) in terms of narration; they have no camel to saddle and no bridle to hold, but rather from here and there. And some of them are expressions of dreams.
Al-Halabi : And the first issue is understanding the general text.

The Shaykh : Understanding the general text regarding the opponent, but we rely on authentic reports (athar), and they are the ones who narrated the general text that is used as evidence. And peace be upon you.