Part 10

5) As for the tall man that you saw in the garden, he is Ibrahim (@&). The children about him are all those children who have died according to fitrah ”.

(Here, some of the companions interjected, ‘O Messenger of Allah! The children of the disbelievers too?’ He (8) said, <The children of the disbelievers as well!)

6) As for the man with extremely ugly appearance who was by the fire, kindling it and running around it: he is Malik, the Guardian of Jahannam (Hell).

1 Eating rib@ means to take usury or deal with any prohibited transactions. Unfortunately, many such transactions in our time are given deceiving names like “{nterest” or “benefit”. But there is no interest or benefit in them; and the names do not change their reality of being major sins and pure harm.

2 Fitrah is the pure and clean nature according to which all people are born before they are influenced by their societies and upbringing.

Life in Al-Barzakh 61 The Sinful in al-Barzakh

7) As for the first town, it is the dwelling place of the common believers. The people who were half handsome and half ugly: they are people who mixed good with evil deeds, and Allah forgave them.”

8) And as for this town, it is the dwelling place of the shuhada@ (martyrs).

They added, “I am Jibril, and this is Mika‘. This is the Garden of ‘Adn (Eden); and that over there is your residence. Now raise your head.” I raised my eyes and saw, above me, a castle that resembled a white cloud. They said (again), “That is your dwelling.” I said to them, “May Allah bless you; allow me to enter my dwelling.” They said, “Not yet! There is a portion of your life which you have not yet completed; when you complete it, you will surely enter your dwelling.” > '

Sins Punishable in the Grave

In the following table, we summarize the sins that were specifically mentioned in authentic texts as being punishable in al-Barzakh. In the column of references, “S” refers to the above hadith of Samurah (<4), and “*” refers to the additional hadiths appearing later in this chapter.

It is important to note that these texts provide examples of sins that are punished in the grave. However, there could be other punishable sins that we have not been informed about.

1 This is a combined narration of two different reports recorded by al-Bukhari from Samurah.

Being the worst sin, his punishment is the most sever, as detailed in earlier chapters.

One who rejects the QurGn after knowing it, and sleeps through the prescribed prayers.

He lies on his back on the ground. A man smashes his head, once and again, with a boulder.

A liar who spreads lies which are carried from him in all directions.

His mouth, nose, and eyes are continuously ripped, with a sharp hook, to the back of his head.

Men and women who indulge in zind (adultery).

They are put, naked, into a hole that resembles a baking pit, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Underneath the pit is a raging fire; whenever it flares up, they scream and rise with it until they almost fall out of the pit. As it subsided, they return (to the bottom).

One who take riba (usury).

He swims in a river of blood, on whose bank stands a man with a pile of rock. Every time he tries to exit from the river, the man throws a rock into his mouth, causing him to fall back to the center of the river.

One who does not clean himself from traces of urine.

This is the most common reason of punishment; but it is not specified what form of punishment he receives.

Life in Al-Barzakh 63 The Sinful in a/-Barzakh

Sinful Person Punishment in al-Barzakh Ref. One whose He receives punishment * relatives wail or (unspecified), or his punishment is weep over him increased. This applies to a (expressing disbeliever, as well as a believer

dissatisfaction with | who had encouraged his relatives to Allah’s decree). do so.

One whose Allah appoints two angels who hit | * relatives are him in the neck saying, “Were you excessive in like that?”

One who spreads | This is one of the great sin * namimah (slander) | punished in al-Barzakh. Its among the people. | punishment is not specified.

Additional Texts CONTAMINATION WITH URINE Ibn ‘Abbas (t#) reported that Allah’s Messenger (88) said:

<The most prevalent punishment of the grave is because of urine. '

WAILING OF A DISBELIEVER'S RELATIVES

‘A’ishah (tS) reported that Allah’s Messenger (&$) said: <Indeed Allah increases the punishment of a disbeliever because of the weeping of some members of his family over him. ?

1 Recorded by al-Hakim; verified to be authentic by al-Albant (Sahih ul-Jami' no.

2. Recorded by an-An-Nasa’j; verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahif ai-Jami‘ no.

WAILING OF A DEAD PERSON'S RELATIVES

Any dead person is also liable to the punishment of the grave because of the lamentation over him. He would be excused, however, if he had urged his family during his life not to do so after his death. ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar (tt) reported that Allah’s Messenger (#) said:

EXCESSIVENESS IN PRAISING THE DEAD PERSON Abi Miisa (#) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (#8) said:

<Whenever a person dies, and one of his mourners stands up and cries, “O you whom we used to rely on! O you who used to rescue us! ...,” and so on, two angels are appointed to hit him in the neck saying, “Were you truly as they say?” *

Ibn ‘Abbas (t#e) reported that Allah’s Messenger (8%) passed by two graves and said:

1 Al-Bukhari, Muslim and others.

2 Recorded by at-Tirmithi; verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih ul-Jami no.

3 At-Bukhari and Muslim.

From the previous chapters, it is apparent that the best protection against punishment in the grave is to carry the true belief in Allah and avoid the major sins. In this chapter, we additionally present specific

CHAPTER 9 SAVIORS FROM THE PUNISHMENT

things that protect from the punishment of the grave.

Martyrdom on the Battlefield

Al-Miqdam Bin Ma‘d Yakrib narrated that Allah’s Messenger (44)

<A shahid (martyr) is favored by Allah with seven qualities:

(a) He is forgiven as soon as his blood gushes forth; (b) he is shown his position in Jannah;

(c) he is adorned with the adornments of Iman;

(d) he is married to seventy two wives of al-Hir ul- ‘In (fair females with wide lovely eyes);

(e) he is protected from the torment of the grave, and is saved from the Great Fear (on the Day of Judgement);

(f) on his head is placed the crown of dignity, each of whose jewels is better than the world and all what is in it;

(g) and he is allowed to intercede for seventy of his relatives.> '

Recorded by at-Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad; verified to be authentic by a

Albani (Sahih ul-Jami’ no. 5182).

One of the companions of the Prophet (8%) reported that a man said, “O Messenger of Allah, why are all the believers tested in their graves except a martyr?” He (88) said:

<The flashing of swords over his head was a sufficient fitnah (test) for him. '

Standing Guard in the Way of Allah Salman (4) reported that Allah’s Messenger (8) said:

Fudalah Bin ‘Ubayd and ‘Uqbah Bin ‘Amir (t#) reported that Allah’s Messenger (28) said:

1 Recorded by an-Nasa’j; verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih ul-Jami‘ no.

2 Al-Fattdn: The angel who test people in the grave.

4 Recorded by Ahmad, Abii Dawid, at-Tirmithi, and others, verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih ul-Jami‘ no. 4562).

Life in Al-Barzakh 67 Saviors from the Punishment

Death Caused by Abdomen Diseases

“Abdullah Bin Yasar reported that he was sitting with Sulayman Bin Sard and Khalid Bin ‘Arfatah (té). They mentioned that a man died of an abdominal disease; and they expressed desire to witness his funeral; one of them said to the other, “Did Allah’s Messenger (&) not say:

<Whoever is killed by a disease in his abdomen will not be punished in the grave?>”

The other one replied, “Yes. You spoke the truth.” '

Reciting Sdrat ul-Mulk ‘Abdullah Bin Mas‘id (<) reported that Allah’s Messenger (4%) said:

<Sirat Tabarak is the protector from the torment of the grave. ”

Dying on Friday ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Amr (te) said that Allah’s Messenger (4) said:

<For any Muslim who dies on the day or night of Jumu‘ah (Friday), Allah protects him from the trial of the grave. *

1 Recorded by at-Tirmitht and others; verified to be authentic by al-Albani in Ahkam ul-Janaiz.

2 Recorded by Al-Hakim and others; verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih ul-

3 Recorded by Abmad and at-Tirmithi; verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih ul-

CHAPTER 10 COMMUNICATION WITH AL-BARZAKH *

The Dead’s Ability to Hear?

Do the dead hear what takes place in this world? This question is not subject to human opinions or speculations. It is a matter of ghayb that is encompassed by Allah’s knowledge, and may only be established through a clear evidence from Allah’s book and His Messenger’s (4) Sunnah.

The true understanding in this regard is that the dead cannot, in general, hear what takes place on the earth. There are, however, exceptions to this general rule that are established in the Book and the Sunnah. We have to accept these exceptional cases and believe in them, without generalizing them beyond their boundaries.

In this chapter, we will establish this understanding by presenting the proper evidence and, in some cases, refuting the wrong evidence used by some people to the contrary.