Part 49

He will be asked about his Lord, his Religion and his Prophet. As for the Believers then Allaah will make them firm upon the true saying, and they will reply: 'My Lord is Allaah, my Religion is Islaam, and my Prophet is Muhammad.' As for the transgressors then Allaah will misguide them. The unbeliever will say: 'Aah, Aah, I do not know,' and the hypocrite and the doubter will say: 'I do not know, I heard the people saying something so I said it too.' (b) Punishment and bliss in the grave ('adhaabul-qabr wa na 'eemuhu). The transgressors, the hypocrites and the unbelievers will be tortured in it. Allaah, the Most High, says, "And if you could but see, O Muhammad, those disbelievers in the throes of death - with the angel striking them with their hands, saying: 'Bring out your soul. This day you will be humiliated and punished for your unbelief - because of your speaking falsely about Allaah and your haughty refusal to obey Allaah's commands and the orders of His Messenger." [surah al-An'aam (6):93] Allaah, the Most High, said concerning the Pharaoh and his followers, "They are exposed to the Fire, morning and evening, and on the Day when the Hour is established it will be said to the angels: Enter Pharaoh and his people into the severest torment." [surah Ghaafir (40):46] Also it is reported in sahih Muslim from the hadith of Zayd ibn Thaabit, from the Prophet (3|&) that he said: "If it were not that you would stop burying the dead I would have supplicated so that you should hear the torment of the grave that I am hearing." Then he turned his face towards us and said: "Seek Allaah's refuge from the torment of the grave." They said: "We seek Allaah's refuge from the torment of the grave." He said: "Seek Allaah7s refuge from the trials and turmoil - those which are apparent and those which are hidden." They said: "We seek Allaah's refuge from trials and turmoil - those which are apparent and those which are hidden." He said: "Seek Allaah's refuge from the trial of the Dajjaai" They said: "We seek Allaah 's refuge from the trial of the Dajjaai" [Eng. transl. 4/1489/ no. 6859]. As for the bliss experienced by the sincere Believers in the grave, then Allaah, the Most High, says, "Those who declare that their Lord is Allaah, and attribute no partner to Him and free themselves from the false gods and rivals attributed to Him, and they remain upright upon tawhid, not polluting it with shirk, and they are obedient to Him in whatever He orders and prohibits - then the angels descend upon them at the point of death, saying: 'Do not fear or grieve, and receive good tidings of the Paradise which you were promised in the world'." [surah Fussilat (41):30] "Why then, when the person's soul is leaving him and reaches his throat; and those of you who are present are witnessing; and Our Angels are nearer to him than you - ready to take his soul -but you do not see them. If you are exempt from the Reckoning why then do you not bring back the souls, if you are truthful?! So if the deceased was one of those brought near by Allaah, then for him there is ease and fine and pleasant provision, and gardens of delight." [surah al-Waaqi'ah (56):83-89] From al-Baraa ibn 'Aazib, raa[iyallaahu 'anhu, that the Prophet said, with regard to the Believer when he answers the angels in the grave,: "A Caller will call from heaven: 'That My servant has spoken truly, so spread out for him a bed from Paradise, and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise. ‘He said: So its gentle breeze and its fragrance will come to him, and his grave will be widened for him as far as the eye can see" [Reported by Ahmad and Aboo Daawood (Eng. transl. 3/1330/no. 4735) within a long hadith]. Eemaan in the Last Day produces very great fruits, from them: (i) The desire to do acts of obedience, keenness upon that and to have hope for reward for them on that day. (ii) Fear of committing sins and fear of being pleased with sins - for fear of receiving punishment on that Day. (iii) Consolation for the Believer of whatever worldly things he has missed and solace in the bliss and reward of the Hereafter that he hopes for. But the unbelievers deny the Resurrection after death claiming that it is not possible. This claim of theirs is futile, and its futility is proven by the Revelation, by what has been witnessed and experienced, and by the intellect. As for the Revelation, then Allaah, the Most High, says, "The unbelievers claim that Allaah will not resurrect them after death. Say to them O Muhammad, by my Lord you will certainly be resurrected from your graves - and then you will be informed of the deeds which you did in the world. That is easy for Allaah." [surah at-Taghaabun (64):7] This is also something about which all the Revealed Books were agreed upon. As for what has been witnessed, then Allaah has shown his servants the dead being brought to life in this world.