Punishment of the Grave - Fact or Fiction?
Mohammed UddinMarch 19, 2020
The concept of a punishment for the deceased within their graves (Arabic: Azhaab al-Qabr - عذاب القبر) is one that exists only within the secondary Hadith compilations (such as al-Jami' al-Sahih al-Bukhaari, Sunan al-Tirmidhi etc) and the Jewish Mishnaic literature (such as Talmud). Some traditionalist scholars have also argued that the Book of Allah lends support to this concept of theirs. However, the reality is that the Qur'aan which was sent down and revealed to the Prophet Muhammad does not contain any explicit or decisive proof to support the belief that the souls of the unrighteous will be punished or tormented in their graves before the Day of Resurrection and Judgement. On the contrary, a study of the Qur'aan in it's entirety provides overwhelming evidence that the soul of the deceased will be confined to a place in between the life of this world and the hereafter within which the concept of time, as we know it, does not exist and wherein they are in a state of sleep up until the Day of Resurrection when they are awoken in order to gather for judgement.
MANKIND: FROM CREATION TO DEATH
The Messenger Muhammad conveyed through {Surah Abasa, 80:17-22}:
قُتِلَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ
Perish the mankind, how disbelieving/rejecting is he.
مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ
From what thing did He create him?
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ
From a sperm He created him, then determined/proportioned him according to a measure.
ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ
Then the path, He eased for him.
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ
Then He causes him to die, then assigns to him a grave.
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنشَرَهُ
Then when He wills, (He) will resurrect him.
This cycle is also mentioned again in more detail through Surah 23:12-16
And in {Surah al-Jathiya, 45:26}:
قُلِ اللَّهُ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يَجْمَعُكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Say: "Allah gives you life, then He gives you death, then He gathers you to the Day of Resurrection, no doubt in it, but most of the mankind do not know."
And in {Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:185}:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
"Every soul shall taste the death, and only shall be fulfilled your reward on the Day of Resurrection; so whoever is distanced/drawn away from the Fire and is made to enter the Garden then indeed he has succeeded/won, and the life of the world is not except an enjoyment/provision of delusion/deception."
This message is also repeated in Surah 21:35 and 29:57.
EXTRACTION OF THE SOUL DURING DEATH
The Messenger Muhammad conveyed through {Surah al-Zumar, 39:42} that:
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
"Allah takes the souls at the time of its death, and the one who does not die in its sleep. Then He holds/restrains the one who He has decreed upon it the death and sends the other (back) to a term appointed/specified. Indeed, in this are signs for a people who reflect."
This knowledge about the taking and returning of souls in relation to the action of sleeping is repeated in {Surah al-An'aam, 6:60}.
Allah further explained that He has assigned Angels who come to the dying person during a stage shortly before their soul leaves its body. The death (of the body) is thus finalised after the Angels have extracted the soul:
قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ
Say: "Shall take you the Angel of death who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned."
Reference: {Surah Al-Sajda, 32:11}
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَاسِطُو أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوا أَنفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
And who is more unjust/oppressive than who fabricates upon Allah a lie, or said: "Was revealed to me." And was not revealed to him any thing? And who said: "I will descend similar to what Allah sent down". And if you could see when the Zhalimoon are in the agonies/floods of death, and the Angels extend/spread/stretch forth their hands (saying): "Bring out your souls this day. You shall be recompensed/repaid a punishment of humiliation for what you were saying upon Allah other than the truth and you were being arrogant towards His Verses."
Reference: {Surah al-An'aam, 6:93}
This knowledge concerning the Angel of death is also repeated through {Surah al-An'aam, verses 61 to 62}
ENTERING A BARZAKH AFTER DEATH
The soul of the deceased, after having left it's body, is then unable to return to the life of this world but instead it will become enclosed within a barrier until the Day of Resurrection:
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ
Until when the death comes to one of them, he says: My Lord, return me.
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
That I may do righteous/good in what I have left. But no! It is only a word that he speaks; and from behind them is a barrier (Arabic: Barzakhun) until the day they are raised/revived/awoken.
Reference: {Surah al-Mumenoon, 23:99-100}:
PUNISHMENT PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO DIE AS DISBELIEVERS
One will find repeated throughout the Qur'aan that Allah has indeed prepared a punishment for the unrighteous and disbelievers, such as in {Surah al-Nisaa, 4:18}:
وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُولَٰئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
And the repentance is not for those who do the evil deeds, until when approaches/becomes present to one of them the death, he says: "Indeed, I repent now", And nor (for) those who die and they are disbelievers. Those - We have prepared for them a painful punishment.
DOES THIS PUNISHMENT BEGIN WITHIN THE GRAVE?
Through {Surah Ya Seen, 36:51-52} it becomes evident that the punishment prepared in the hereafter does not occur to the soulless body residing within it's grave because after death one will find themselves in a state of sleep, with their soul enclosed within a Barzakh until the Day of Resurrection:
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ
And shall be blown into the trumpet, when behold! They from the graves shall hasten to their Lord.
قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا مَن بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَصَدَقَ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
They shall say: O woe to us! Who has raised/awoken us from our sleeping place? This is what the Beneficent promised and the Messengers told the truth.
JUDGEMENT ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION
It was revealed by Allah through {Surah al-Anbiya, 21:47}:
وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ
"And We shall put in place the balances/scales of justice/equity for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul shall be wronged in anything. And if there be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We will come with it, and sufficient with us is reckoning."
Further details about this day are provided through Surah 18:47-49 and Surah 23:101-104.
A COMMON MISCONCEPTION
In trying to establish support for the secondary traditions (Hadith) that endorse a punishment in the grave, the traditionalist scholars have cited verse 46 of Surah al-Ghaafir and interpreted it to imply that Firoun and his followers are presently being subjected to punishment in their graves. However, when one reconciles this verse with the narratives of the Qur'aan in full - in context of the verses directly surrounding it as well as with verses found in other chapters, then it becomes clear that the verse does not give justification for the concept of a punishment in the grave and that the interpretation of the traditionalists which was formed through isolation of a single verse, is but erroneous.
In {Surah Ghaafir, 40:45} Allah revealed in relation to the story of Prophet Musa:
فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ
"So Allah guarded/preserved him (Musa) from what they plotted of evil, and a grievous punishment surrounded Firoun's people."
The punishment mentioned in the above verse is a reference to that which occurred in the life of THIS WORLD as is understood through other verses such as in {Surah al-Zukhruf, 43:55} and {Surah al-Baqarah, 2:50}:
وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَاكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
"And when We separated for you the sea, then We saved you and drowned Firoun's people and you were looking/watching."
Therefore, when {Surah Ghaafir, 40:46} commences with a mentioning of the Fire, it is clear that this is a separate reference to events within the Hereafter:
النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ
"The Fire - they shall be presented/shown to it morning and evening, and that day when shall be established the hour/time, Enter Firoun's people to the severest punishment."
However, the Fire (Arabic: al-Naar - النَّار) in the above verse is not a reference to any form of punishment for the deceased Firoun and his people within their graves because:
1️⃣ The unrighteous being presented to and literally shown the Fire of Hell before they are punished within it is a narrative of events that will occur on the Day of Resurrection - not before it - as was repeatedly revealed by Allah and conveyed by the Messenger Muhammad throughout the Qur'aan, such as in {Surah al-Ahqaf, 46:34}:
وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَلَى النَّارِ أَلَيْسَ هَٰذَا بِالْحَقِّ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
"And that day those who disbelieve shall be presented/shown to the Fire: Is not this the truth? They shall say: Yes, by our Lord. He will say: Then taste the punishment, with what you used to disbelieve."
And similarly in {Surah al-Kahf, 18:100}:
وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ عَرْضًا
"And We shall present Jahannam, on that day to the disbelievers on view."
And also in {Surah al-Kahf, 18:53}:
وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُم مُّوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا
"And the Criminals shall see the Fire, then they shall think that they are to fall into it, and not shall they find any (means of) turning away from it ."
And also further mentioned in {Surah al-Ahqaf, 46:20} and {Surah al-Fajr, 89:21-23}.
2️⃣ Considering that the soul of the deceased, after it has departed from the body, enters into a state of sleep without concept of time and without awakening before the Day of Resurrection, the Fire mentioned in {Surah Ghaafir, 40:46} may be a reference to the nightmares which the souls of Firoun's people will experience whilst they are asleep in the Barzakh. This interpretation is significantly better suited with the narratives of the Qur'aan than the concept of a punishment in the grave if يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا is not considered as being in the literal sense.
3️⃣ It is completely illogical to think that a lifeless body (buried within it's grave) would be exposed to punishment before it has been brought back to life or that a soul could literally look at and comprehend something whilst being asleep (within a Barzakh). Any doctrine attempting to argue otherwise is one that is not in accordance with the Book of Allah and thus it is a doctrine entailing falsehood and misguidance.
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