3. The third opinion does not give any preference concerning this subject

because the proofs pertaining to it are not conclusive. Allah knows best. The Description of the Questioning of the Two Angels as Related in Hadiths: In the b.adith narrated by Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: ~ .. His soul (the soul ofthe deceased) will be returned to his body, and two angels will come to him ..." In the Two S.ab.ihs (two authentic books of Al-Bukhari and Muslim), it is related from Qat~dah on the authority of Anas that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "When a deceased person is laid in his grave and his companions return and he even hears the sound oftheirfootsteps, two angels come to him and sit him and ask him, 'What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad?' If he is a believer, he will say, '1 testify that he is Allah's servant and His Messenger.' Then it will be said to him, Look at your place in the Hellfire. Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead ofit: So, the dead person will see both his places. But when they say to a non-believer or a hypocrite, 'What did you use to say about this man?' He will say to the angels, (1 do not know, but 1 used to say what the people used to say!' So, it will be said to him, (Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Quriin): Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever on earth except human beings andjinn." In another hadith related in S.ahih (Authentic Book of) Abu HAtim, the Prophet (PBUH) said: ~ .. There appears before him two angels, both having black faces and blue eyes. One is called Munkar and the other is called Nakir..." In the Musnad and in the Authentic Book ofAbu H~tim, it is related that 16 Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "When the dead person is laid in grave, he even hears the sound ofthe footsteps ofpeople when they depart and leave him. If he is a believer, the Prayer will stand by his head, Fasting by his right, Zakah by his left, and the righteous deeds, such as charity, keeping relations with kith and kin and acts ofkindness to people will stand by hisfeet. He will be approached from his head, and the Prayer will declare, 'No entrance from my side: He will be approachedfrom his left, and the Zakah will declare, 'No entrance from my side.' He will be approached from his right, and the Fast will declare, (No entrance from my side: He will be approached from his feet, and the acts of righteousness will declare, (No entrance from our side.' He will be commanded to sit up, and he will sit up while the sun appears to him just like when it is about to set. He will be told, (What do you say about that man who was sent to you, and what do you testify concerning him?' He will say, (Leave me until 1 perform prayer: They will say to him, 'You will perform prayer, but first tell us what we ask you .. .' » The above b.adith and those related b.adiths, which bear the same meanings, verify a number of points: 1. The questioning happens when the dead person is placed in his grave, which refutes the views of the innovators like AbUl-Hudhayl and Al­ Mirrisi, who have said that the questioning happens at the time between the two blows 17. 2. Calling the two angels 'Munkar' and 'Nakir' is a reply to those Mu' tazilah (Mutazilites) who claim that it is impermissible to call them so. They (Mu'tazilah) mistakenly interpret their names in the b.adiths by saying that 'Munkar' means the dead persons hesitation in answering back while 'Naldr' refers to the angels' scolding ofthe dead person. 3. Thedeadpersons soul is returned to himin hisgrave at the tlme ofhis questioning, where he sits and is interrogated. This is a response to Abu Muhammad Ibn Hazm who denies that the deceased persons soul is returned to him in his grave. But ifhe means to deny that the returning ofsouls in the graves is different from the normal life ofthis world. this will be true. The returning ofthe dead persons soul in his grave differs from its returning in this life, although it may be more comprehensive in some respect, just as the creation ofman in the Hereafter is different from that in this world. though it is more comprehensive. Every place, whether in this life, the Barzakh or the Resurrection, has its special conditions. That is why the Prophet (PBUH) has said that the grave ofthe deceased person is widened for him, that he is questioned and so on. Thus, even ifdust does not change, souls are returned to and withdrawn from the bodies ofthe dead. The soul is attached to the body in several ways, which are illustrated below. The Connections between the Soul and the Body The soul is connected to the body through five different kinds of connections, each ofwhich has its own ruling: 1. Its connection to the body in the mother's womb as a fetus