While we were accompanying God’s messenger who was riding a she-mule in a garden belonging to the B. an-Najjar, the animal shied and almost unseated him. It happened that there were five or six graves there, so he asked if anyone knew who were buried in them. A man replied that he did, and on being asked when they died said it was in the period when the people were polytheists. The Prophet then said, “These people are being afflicted in their graves, and were it not that you would cease to bury, I would ask God to let you hear the punishment in the grave which I am hearing.” Then he turned facing us and said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment of the fire.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the punishment of the fire.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment in the grave.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the punishment in the grave.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from trials both open and secret.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from trials both open and secret.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from the trial of ad-Dajjal!” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the trial of ad-Dajjal.”
‘A’isha told of a Jewess who visited her and mentioned the punishment in the grave adding, “May God preserve you from the punishment of the grave!” ‘A’isha asked God’s messenger about the subject and he said, “Yes, the punishment in the grave is real.” ‘A’isha said, “After that I never saw God’s messenger observing a prayer without seeking God’s protection from the punishment in the grave.”
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the dead is buried two black and blue angels, one called al-Munkar and the other an-Nakir, come to him and ask him what opinion he held about this man. If he is a believer he replies, ‘He is the servant and messenger of God. I testify that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and apostle.’ They say that they knew he would say so. A space of 4900 square cubits is then made for him in his grave, it is illuminated for him, and he is told to sleep. He will then express a desire to return to his family to tell them, but will be told to sleep like one newly married who is wakened only by the member of his family who is dearest to him, until God resurrects him from that resting-place of his. But if he is a hypocrite he will say, ‘I heard men expressing a belief and I held the same, but I really do not know.’ They will tell him they knew he would say so; then the earth will be told to press in upon him and it will do so. His ribs will be pressed together and he will remain there suffering punishment till God resurrects him from that resting-place of his.”
‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you dies, his abode among the inhabitants of paradise will be shown him morning and evening if he is to be one of them; but if he is to be one of the inhabitants of hell, his abode among them will be shown him. He will be told that this is his abode to which God will finally raise him on the day of resurrection.”
