POS-8
bricks, and we went to its gate and asked (the gatekeeper) to open the gate, and it was opened and we entered the city and found in it men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across (the city) and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness (of their bodies) had disappeared, and they became of the best shape.”
The Prophet (saw) further added, “My two companions (angels) said to me, ‘This place is the Adn Paradise, and that is your place.’ I raised up my sight, and behold there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, ‘That (palace) is your place.’ I said to them ‘May Allah bless you both! Let me enter it (one day).’ I said to them, ‘I have seen many wonders tonight. What does all that mean that which I have seen?’ They replied, ‘We will inform you:
As for the first man you came upon whose head was being smashed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Quraan and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps neglecting the enjoined prayers. He will be continued to be tortured in this way until the Day of Resurrection.
As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells lies that are spread all over the world. He will be continued to be tortured in this way until the Day of Resurrection.
And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers – fornicators, and the adulteresses – fornicatresses; and the men that you saw swimming in the river, and was given a stone to swallow, is the eater of Ribaa; and the bad looking man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going around it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell; and the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Ibrahim (Abraham), and the children around him are those who die on Al-Fitrah (The Islamic Faith of Monotheism).’” The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet (saw), “O Allah’s Messenger! What about the children of Al-Mushrikin?” The Prophet (saw) replied, “and also the children of Al-Mushrikun.’
The Prophet (saw) added, “My two companions added, ‘The man you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was evil but Allah forgave them.’” (Bukhari 7047)
Aishah (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Indeed Allah increases the punishment of a disbeliever because of the weeping of some members of his family over him.” (An-Nasai)
‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “The dead (person) is punished in his grave because of the wailing over him.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
t Abu Musa (ra) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (saw) 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?’” (Tirmidhi)
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) passed by two graves and said,
“Both of them (persons in the grave) are being tortured, and they are not being tortured for a major sin. This one used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other used to go about with calumnies (among the people to rouse hostilities, e.g. one goes to a person and tells him that so and so says about him such and such evil things).” The Prophet (saw) then asked for a green branch of a date palm tree, split it in two pieces and planted one on each grave and said, “It is hoped that their punishment may be abated till those two pieces of the branch get dried.” (Bukhari 6052)
Thus it is clear that the soul and the body together experience the effect of torment or pleasure, not just one or the other as some have erroneously contended.
Hadith: Shown place (in heaven or hell) while waiting for the Day of Judgment
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): The Prophet (saw) said, “None will enter Paradise but will be shown the place he would have occupied in the
(Hell) Fire if he had rejected faith, so that he may be more thankful; and none will enter the (Hell) Fire but will be shown the place he would have occupied in Paradise if he had faith, so that, that may be a cause of sorrow for him.”
According to the hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), “The Prophet (saw) said, ‘When anyone of you dies, he is shown his abode morning and evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise, then he is one of the people of Paradise, and if he one of the people of Hell, then he is one of the people of Hell. And it is said to him, ‘This is your place until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection.’” (Bukhari 3/243, Muslim hadith no. 2866)
Things which save one from the trial and torment of the grave.
What can save a person from the torment of the grave is to be prepared and ready for death, so even if death comes suddenly, there will be no cause for regret. Some of the ways of preparing for death are hastening to repent, fulfilling one’s obligations and doing a lot of righteous deeds, because faith, prayer, fasting, Zakah, hajj, jihad, honoring one’s parents, upholding the ties of kinship, remembering Allah (dhikr) and other kinds of good deeds will protect the believer, and by means of these righteous deeds Allah will provide him a way out of every difficulty.
Hadith on good character:
The good character will stand before you and protect you from the trials of the grave.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) told us that righteous deeds will protect a person in his grave. Ibn Taymiyah said: “According to the famous hadith of Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saw), narrated by Abu Haatim in his footsteps as they depart from him. If he was a believer, prayer stands by his head, fasting stands to his right, zakah stands to his left and good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly stand at his feet. He is approached from the direction of his head, and prayer says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from his right, and fasting says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from his left, and zakah says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from the direction of his feet, and his good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly say. ‘You can not get past me.’ …”
According to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, the Messenger (saw) said
“…There comes to him (according to one report, there appears to him) a man with a handsome face, fine clothes, and a pleasant scent. He says, ‘receive the glad tidings of that which will delight you.’ (Receive the glad tidings of the pleasure of Allah, and Gardens in which is everlasting joy). This is your day which you were promised.’ (The deceased) says, ‘(May
Allah bless you), who are you? Your face is a face which portends good.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds. (By Allah, all I ever knew of you was that you were quick to obey Allah and slow to disobey Him; may Allah reward you with good).’…”
The Lessons of Death
Remember death always
“Know that death is the greatest calamity, the most terrifying thing, the cup whose taste is most hateful and bitter. It is the destroyer of delights, which puts an end to all comforts and brings all that you dislike. The thing that cuts off your limbs, separates your body parts and destroys your strength is indeed a terrifying thing, an immense calamity, and the day when it happens is a terrible day.” (Al-Qurtubi, 24)
“Where is the wealth that you have gathered and prepared for hardship and terror? There is no money in your hand when you are dying. The wealth and pride that you enjoyed have been replaced with humiliation and poverty. What has become of you, O’ prisoner of your burdens. O’ you who have been taken away from your family and your home? (Al-Qurtubi)
t Narrated Anas (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him; and if he can not, but long for death, then he should say, ‘O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me.’” (Bukhari 6351
bricks, and we went to its gate and asked (the gatekeeper) to open the gate, and it was opened and we entered the city and found in it men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across (the city) and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness (of their bodies) had disappeared, and they became of the best shape.”
The Prophet (saw) further added, “My two companions (angels) said to me, ‘This place is the Adn Paradise, and that is your place.’ I raised up my sight, and behold there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, ‘That (palace) is your place.’ I said to them ‘May Allah bless you both! Let me enter it (one day).’ I said to them, ‘I have seen many wonders tonight. What does all that mean that which I have seen?’ They replied, ‘We will inform you:
As for the first man you came upon whose head was being smashed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Quraan and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps neglecting the enjoined prayers. He will be continued to be tortured in this way until the Day of Resurrection.
As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells lies that are spread all over the world. He will be continued to be tortured in this way until the Day of Resurrection.
And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers – fornicators, and the adulteresses – fornicatresses; and the men that you saw swimming in the river, and was given a stone to swallow, is the eater of Ribaa; and the bad looking man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going around it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell; and the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Ibrahim (Abraham), and the children around him are those who die on Al-Fitrah (The Islamic Faith of Monotheism).’” The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet (saw), “O Allah’s Messenger! What about the children of Al-Mushrikin?” The Prophet (saw) replied, “and also the children of Al-Mushrikun.’
The Prophet (saw) added, “My two companions added, ‘The man you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was evil but Allah forgave them.’” (Bukhari 7047)
Aishah (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Indeed Allah increases the punishment of a disbeliever because of the weeping of some members of his family over him.” (An-Nasai)
‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “The dead (person) is punished in his grave because of the wailing over him.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
t Abu Musa (ra) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (saw) 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?’” (Tirmidhi)
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) passed by two graves and said,
“Both of them (persons in the grave) are being tortured, and they are not being tortured for a major sin. This one used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other used to go about with calumnies (among the people to rouse hostilities, e.g. one goes to a person and tells him that so and so says about him such and such evil things).” The Prophet (saw) then asked for a green branch of a date palm tree, split it in two pieces and planted one on each grave and said, “It is hoped that their punishment may be abated till those two pieces of the branch get dried.” (Bukhari 6052)
Thus it is clear that the soul and the body together experience the effect of torment or pleasure, not just one or the other as some have erroneously contended.
Hadith: Shown place (in heaven or hell) while waiting for the Day of Judgment
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): The Prophet (saw) said, “None will enter Paradise but will be shown the place he would have occupied in the
(Hell) Fire if he had rejected faith, so that he may be more thankful; and none will enter the (Hell) Fire but will be shown the place he would have occupied in Paradise if he had faith, so that, that may be a cause of sorrow for him.”
According to the hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), “The Prophet (saw) said, ‘When anyone of you dies, he is shown his abode morning and evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise, then he is one of the people of Paradise, and if he one of the people of Hell, then he is one of the people of Hell. And it is said to him, ‘This is your place until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection.’” (Bukhari 3/243, Muslim hadith no. 2866)
Things which save one from the trial and torment of the grave.
What can save a person from the torment of the grave is to be prepared and ready for death, so even if death comes suddenly, there will be no cause for regret. Some of the ways of preparing for death are hastening to repent, fulfilling one’s obligations and doing a lot of righteous deeds, because faith, prayer, fasting, Zakah, hajj, jihad, honoring one’s parents, upholding the ties of kinship, remembering Allah (dhikr) and other kinds of good deeds will protect the believer, and by means of these righteous deeds Allah will provide him a way out of every difficulty.
Hadith on good character:
The good character will stand before you and protect you from the trials of the grave.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) told us that righteous deeds will protect a person in his grave. Ibn Taymiyah said: “According to the famous hadith of Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saw), narrated by Abu Haatim in his footsteps as they depart from him. If he was a believer, prayer stands by his head, fasting stands to his right, zakah stands to his left and good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly stand at his feet. He is approached from the direction of his head, and prayer says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from his right, and fasting says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from his left, and zakah says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from the direction of his feet, and his good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly say. ‘You can not get past me.’ …”
According to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, the Messenger (saw) said
“…There comes to him (according to one report, there appears to him) a man with a handsome face, fine clothes, and a pleasant scent. He says, ‘receive the glad tidings of that which will delight you.’ (Receive the glad tidings of the pleasure of Allah, and Gardens in which is everlasting joy). This is your day which you were promised.’ (The deceased) says, ‘(May
Allah bless you), who are you? Your face is a face which portends good.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds. (By Allah, all I ever knew of you was that you were quick to obey Allah and slow to disobey Him; may Allah reward you with good).’…”
The Lessons of Death
Remember death always
“Know that death is the greatest calamity, the most terrifying thing, the cup whose taste is most hateful and bitter. It is the destroyer of delights, which puts an end to all comforts and brings all that you dislike. The thing that cuts off your limbs, separates your body parts and destroys your strength is indeed a terrifying thing, an immense calamity, and the day when it happens is a terrible day.” (Al-Qurtubi, 24)
“Where is the wealth that you have gathered and prepared for hardship and terror? There is no money in your hand when you are dying. The wealth and pride that you enjoyed have been replaced with humiliation and poverty. What has become of you, O’ prisoner of your burdens. O’ you who have been taken away from your family and your home? (Al-Qurtubi)
t Narrated Anas (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him; and if he can not, but long for death, then he should say, ‘O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me.’” (Bukhari 6351
