Part 8

RANKS OF THE FEARFUL

The Conversation Between The Dead

Muhammad ibn Ja‘far related: I heard Muhammad ibn Sabih saying: “I was informed that when a person is placed in his grave [and he has sinned so] he is punished or encountered by what he detest in there, the dead from the neighbouring graves say to him: ‘O you whose brothers and neighbours passed away, while you were left behind in the world! Did not you learn a Jesson from us [when we died but you stayed alive]? Have you not thought about notion of us preceding you in death? Did not you notice that our deeds ended by our death, yet you were still given time [i-c. to perform more decds?] So why did not you take advantage of what we have neglected?’ Then the earth calls him saying: ‘O you who was befooled with the appearance of this worldly life! Why did not you learn a lesson from those who were befooled with this worldly life then they were removed and buried underneath?”””*

Al-Hakam ibn Sinan narrated that ‘Amr ibn Dinar said: “There was a man from the residents of Madinah whose sister passed away so he buried her. However, after he buried her, he remembered that he left his moneybag back inside the grave while he was digging it. He returned with a friend of his and they dug up the grave and took his bag. He then said to his friend, ‘Move away for a second so I can check on my sister.’ So he lifted up part of the cover that was laid on top and found the grave on fire. So he restored the grave to its original state and returned home. He then asked his mother: “Tell me how my sister was [religiously] during her life?” She said: ‘Your sister used to delay praying the Salah, and prays without a w#du, as far as I remember, and at nights when everyone was asleep she used to go to the doors of our neigh-

* cf. Ibn Rajab in Abwal a/-Qabar (p.26) and Ihya’ ‘Ulm al-Din (4/482)

Appendix One: Disturber of the Hearts

bours spying on them then spreading their secrets in public.””

The Horrors of the Grave

Hudhayfah related: “We were with the Prophet (8) at a funeral and when we arrived at the grave [in which the deceased was to be buried] he sat down on its edge and looked repeatedly in it then said: “The believer shall be squeezed in the grave; a squeeze from which his bones will be broken, while the grave of a disbeliever shall be filled with fire.”

Abi Sa‘id al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (3%) said: “When a funeral is ready and the men carry the deceased on their necks (shoulders), if it was pious then it will say, ‘Present me quickly’, and if it was not pious, then it will say, “Woe to it (me), where are they taking it (me)?’ And its voice is heard by everything except mankind and we’re they to hear it they would fall

A Portray from the Punishment of the Grave

Samurah ibn Jundub narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (38) said to us: ‘Last night, two angels came to me, and woke me up and said, ‘Let’s go!’ I set out with them, and we came across a man who was lying down, with another man standing over him, holding a big rock. He threw the rock at the man’s head, smash-

2 Al-Wara’ by Ibn Abi al-Dunya (84) and a/-Mizan (1/571). ** Ahmad in his Musnad (5/407)

RANKS OF THE FEARFUL

ing it. The rock rolled away, and the one who had thrown it followed it, and picked it up. By the time he came back to the man, his head had been restored to its former state. Then he (the one who had thrown the rock) did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?” They said, ‘Move on!’ So we went on, and came to a man who was lying flat on his back, with another man standing over him, holding an iron hook. He put the hook in the man's mouth and tore off that side of his face to the back (of his neck), and he tore his nose and his eye from front to back in a similar manner. Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did likewise. No sooner had he finished the second side but the first side was restored to its former state, then he went back and did the same thing again. I said to my two companions, ‘Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on!’ So we went on, and came to something like a /annir (a kind of oven, lined with clay, usually used for baking bread). We looked into it and saw naked men and women. A flame of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried out loudly. I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Move on!’ So we went on and came to a river. In the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had gathered many stones. Whilst the swimmer was swimming, the man who had gathered the stones approached him. The swimmer opened his mouth and the man on the bank threw a stone into it, then the swimmer carried on swimming, Each time he came back, he opened his mouth again, and the man on the bank threw another stone into his mouth. They said to me: The first man you came across, whose head was being smashed with the rock, is the man who studies the Qur’an then he neither recites it nor acts upon it, and he goes to sleep, neglecting the obligatory prayers. The man you came across whose mouth, nose and ears were being torn from front to

Appendix One: Disturber of the Hearts

The Condition Of Sun On The Day Of Judgement

Abia Umamah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (4) said: “On the Day of Judgement, the sun will draw near [to the people] until it is a mile or two away from them. Its heat will be increased to such a level from which insects will boil similar to how [liquids] boil in a pot. People will be submersed in sweat based upon the amount of their wrongdoings. From among them there will be those whose sweat will come up to their two heels. From among them there will be those whose sweat will come up to their two knees. From among them there will be those whose sweat will come up to their groins, From among them there will

* Its origin is found in Sahih al-Bukhari (9/1566). See also Musnad Ahmad

* Sahih al-Bukhari (5/169) and Muslim (112)

RANKS OF THE FEARFUL

be those who will be bridled in sweat.’”

Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (38) said: “How can I rejoice when the Angel assigned to blow in the Horn has put the Horn in his mouth (prepared to blow in it) and lowered his forehead attentively [waiting to] hear the command [of Allah] so he blows into it.” The companions said: ‘What should we say?” He said: ‘Say: Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us) and upon Him we fully rely.”

Ibn ‘Umar related: The Messenger of Allah (38) said: “{Intoxicating] Alcohol has been cursed from ten aspects; its essence is cursed, the one who drinks it, the one who pours it for others, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who makes it, the one who it is made for, the one who carries it, the

one who it is carried to and the one who consumes the money

The First Three Persons Admit into Hell

Abi Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (3%) said: “The first people who will be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be (three). (The first one will be) a man who dies a martyr. He will be called and (Allah) will show him the bounties He bestowed upon him (in worldly life). He will recognise them and then He (Allah) will ask him, ‘How did you act concerning them?’ He will

7 Ahmad in his Musnad (5/254)

” Ahmad in his Musnad (2/25)

Appendix One: Disturber of the Hearts

say, ‘I fought in Your Cause until I died a martyr.’ He (Allah) will say, ‘You have lied. You fought so that it might be said you were a brave man; and such was said of you.’ Then it will be ordered that he be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell-fire. (The second one will be) a man who acquired knowledge, taught it (to others), and studied the Quran. He will be called and (Allah) will show him the bounties He bestowed upon him. He will recognise them and then He will ask him, ‘How did you act concerning them?” He will say, ‘I acquired knowledge and taught it (to others) and recited the Quran for You.’ He (Allah) will say, ‘You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that you might be called a knowledgeable man and you read the Quran so that you might be called a reciter, and such was said of you.’ Then it will be ordered that he be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell-fire. (The third of the three people will be) a man whom Allah granted all kinds of wealth and property. He will be called and (Allah) will show him

the bounties He bestowed upon him. He will recognise them and