Explain to us the punishment of the grave and how to be saved from it, and is it true that when they bury the deceased and then say to him after finishing the burial, if the two angels ask you, Who is your Lord?
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The questioner : I hope, O honorable Shaykh, that you will explain to us the punishment of the grave and the causes of salvation from it. And is it true that when they bury the deceased and then say to him after finishing his burial: If the two angels ask you, Who is your Lord? Say: My Lord is Allah. And who is your Prophet? And what is your religion? Is it true that the deceased hears them?
The Shaykh : When the deceased is buried and his companions leave him, until he can hear the striking of their sandals, his farewell is complete. At that time, the two angels come to him and ask him about his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet. If he answers correctly, his grave is made spacious for him, and a door to Paradise is opened for him, and a caller from the sky calls out: My servant told the truth. If he hesitates and says: I do not know, then his grave is constricted for him until his ribs are crushed, and a caller from the sky calls out: My servant lied, and a door to the Fire is opened for him, and he receives from its heat and its fumes.
The causes of salvation from the punishment of the grave are many, and they are summarized in that the protective causes from the punishment of the grave are performing the obedience of Allah, so one does what Allah has commanded and leaves what Allah has forbidden.
And among them, meaning among the protective causes from the punishment of the grave, is seeking refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave.Sahih Muslim 2867 He says: Sunan Ibn Majah 909Sahih (Darussalam) .
And among the causes of the punishment of the grave is not cleaning oneself from urine, and walking among people with talebearing. In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said:Mishkat al-Masabih 338 Or he said: So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) explained the cause of their punishment, that one of them did not purify himself from urine, and that the other used to walk with talebearing. Talebearing is conveying people's words between them for the sake of corruption; he comes to a person and says: So-and-so said this about you, so-and-so said this about you, to sow enmity between them.
On this occasion, I would like to point out something that some people do when they finish burying the deceased: they place a green branch from palm fronds or something else on him, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who placed the palm frond that he split in half, one on each grave. This that some people do is a religious innovation, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not do it on the grave of every deceased. Also, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did it for a reason, which is that the two men in the graves were being punished. How does this man know that his companion is being punished until he places this green branch on him?
Also, placing this green branch is in fact a testimony that the owner of the grave is being punished, so there is in that a bad opinion of the owner of the grave. But some people do not reflect on what harms branch out from their actions; you find them taking the apparent state of things and not reflecting properly. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for you.
The Shaykh : When the deceased is buried and his companions leave him, until he can hear the striking of their sandals, his farewell is complete. At that time, the two angels come to him and ask him about his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet. If he answers correctly, his grave is made spacious for him, and a door to Paradise is opened for him, and a caller from the sky calls out: My servant told the truth. If he hesitates and says: I do not know, then his grave is constricted for him until his ribs are crushed, and a caller from the sky calls out: My servant lied, and a door to the Fire is opened for him, and he receives from its heat and its fumes.
The causes of salvation from the punishment of the grave are many, and they are summarized in that the protective causes from the punishment of the grave are performing the obedience of Allah, so one does what Allah has commanded and leaves what Allah has forbidden.
And among them, meaning among the protective causes from the punishment of the grave, is seeking refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave.
Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave
تعوذوا بالله من عذاب القبرWhen one of you performs the final tashahhud, or he said: the last, let him seek refuge in Allah from four things
إذا تشهد أحدكم التشهد الآخر أو قال : الأخير فليستعذ بالله من أربعlet him seek refuge with Allah from four things: From the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the Fitnah (tribulation) of Masihud-Dajjal.
أعوذ بالله من عذاب جهنم، ومن عذاب القبر، ومن فتنة المحيا والممات، ومن فتنة المسيح الدجالAnd among the causes of the punishment of the grave is not cleaning oneself from urine, and walking among people with talebearing. In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said:
the Prophet came upon two graves and said, "Their occupants are being punished, but not for a great sin. One of them did not keep himself from being defiled by urine.
مر النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم بقبرين فقال : إنهما ليعذبان وما يعذبان في كبير أما أحدهما فكان لا يستبرأ من البولHe used not to purify himself from urine, and as for the other, he used to walk with talebearing. Then he took a fresh palm frond, split it in half, and stuck one in each grave. They said: What did you do, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Perhaps it will lighten their punishment as long as they do not dry out
لا يستنزه من البول ، وأما الثاني فكان يمشي بالنميمة ، ثم أخذ جريدة رطبة فشقها نصفين وغرز في كل قبر واحدة، قالوا : لما صنعت هذا يا رسول الله ؟ قال : لعله يخفف عنهما ما لم ييبساOn this occasion, I would like to point out something that some people do when they finish burying the deceased: they place a green branch from palm fronds or something else on him, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who placed the palm frond that he split in half, one on each grave. This that some people do is a religious innovation, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not do it on the grave of every deceased. Also, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did it for a reason, which is that the two men in the graves were being punished. How does this man know that his companion is being punished until he places this green branch on him?
Also, placing this green branch is in fact a testimony that the owner of the grave is being punished, so there is in that a bad opinion of the owner of the grave. But some people do not reflect on what harms branch out from their actions; you find them taking the apparent state of things and not reflecting properly. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for you.