The Believer and Disbeliever at the Time of Death

[Ershad]

The Believer and Disbeliever at the Time of Death​

From “Aḥkām al-Janāiz” by Muḥammad Nāṣir ad-Dīn al-Albānī [1]

Introduction​

It is permissible to sit around the grave at the time of burial and remind those present of death and what occurs after a person dies.

This is based on the ḥadīth of al-Barā Ibn ‘Āzib (رضي الله عنه) who said: We went out with the prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) for the funeral of a man from the Anṣār.[2] When we reached the grave and the body was placed inside, the messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) sat [facing the direction of the Ka’bah in Mecca.][3] We all sat around him and we were so still and quiet that it was as if birds were sitting undisturbed on our heads. The prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) had in his hand a stick with which he was scratching the ground. [He began looking up to the sky and then back down to the ground, raising his gaze and lowering it, and he did this three times.] He then repeated two or three times:Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.

[He then said:Oh Allah, I seek refuge with you from the punishment of the grave.]
[And he said that three times.]
The prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) then said…

A Believer at the Time of Death​

Indeed the believing servant, when he comes to the departure of this life and the arrival of the hereafter, angels come down to him from the sky, their faces so white and bright, it is as if their faces were the sun. They will have with them a shroud from Paradise and embalms[4] from Paradise, and they will sit as far away from the deceased as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death[5] (عليه الصلاة والسلام) will come and sit beside his head and say, “Oh good soul (In another narration: “Oh soul, safe and peaceful”), come out to forgiveness and pleasure from Allah.”

The believer’s soul then comes out (easily and gently) like a drop flows from the spout of a waterskin. The Angel of Death(عليه الصلاة والسلام) will then take it. (And in another narration: And when his soul is taken out, every angel between the heavens and earth and every angel in the heavens send prayers upon him. The gates of heaven are opened to him and all gatekeepers will call upon Allah, asking that his soul ascend by way of them.) The Angel of Death will take the soul and when he has taken it, the other angels do not leave it in his had even for the blink of an eye before they place it in that shroud and embalms (from Paradise). [And that is like the statement of Allah: Our messengers take him and they do not fail (in their duties).[6] And there will come from the soul a scent like the best, most fragrant perfume found on earth.
Allah’s messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) continued:

The angels will ascend with the believer’s soul and will pass no group of angels except that they will ask, “Who is this good soul?” The other angels will answer, “He is So-and-So, the son of So-and-So,” calling him the best names people used to call him in life. The angels will continue rising with the soul until they come to the end of the sky of this world. They will seek permission for the next heaven to open for him (the soul) and it will be opened for them. The best angels of every heaven will accompany him until they reach to the next heaven, and they will continue in this manner until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah will say, “Write my servant’s book (of deeds) in ‘Illiyyūn.” And what will make you know what ‘Illiyyūn is? A register inscribed. Which is witnessed by those (angels) brought near (to Allah).[7] So his book will be recorded in ‘Illiyyūn.] Then it will be said, “Return him to the earth, for surely [I promised them that] from it I created them, to it I will return them, and from it I will bring them out once again.” So [he will then be returned to earth and] his soul will be returned to his body. [He will then be able to hear the footsteps of his companions’ shoes as they turn from him and walk away] [leaving him behind].

He ( صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) continues:

Two angels [harsh in reprimanding] will then come to him. They [will reprimand him and] will sit him up and ask, “Who is your lord?” The believer will reply, “My lord is Allah.” They will further ask, “What is your religion?” to which he will reply, “My religion is Islam.” The two angels will then ask, “Who was that man who was sent to you?” He will reply, “He is the messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ).” They will finally ask him, “And what did you do?” The person will say, “I read the book of Allah, I believed in it, and I considered it to be true.” So he will rebuke him and ask, “Who is your lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet?” and that is the last trial the believer will experience. And that is as Allah says: Allah keeps firm those who believe with the firm word in the worldly life and in the hereafter.[8] So the person will answer, “My lord is Allah, my religion is Islam, and my prophet is Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم)”. Then a caller from the heaven will call out, “My servant has spoken the truth. So give him furnishings from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise.” The pleasant and refreshing breeze of Paradise and its fragrance will then come to the person, and his grave will be made spacious, spread out as far as his eye can see.

Allah’s messenger ( صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) continued:

There will then come to him [In another narration: or there will be portrayed to him the form of] a man with a beautiful face, beautiful clothing, and a beautiful fragrance. This man will say, “Rejoice at that which will please you. [Rejoice at the pleasure of Allah and gardens in which is eternal bliss.] This is your day which you were promised.” So the person will ask the man, “[And you, may Allah give you good,] who are you? Your face is the face that brings good.” The man will reply, “I am your good deed. [For I swear by Allah, I only knew you to be quick to obey Allah, hesitant to disobey Allah, so may Allah reward you with good.]” A door to Paradise will then be opened for him. A door to the fire will also be opened and he will be told, “This is your place if you had disobeyed Allah, but Allah has replaced it with this (Paradise).” When the person sees what is in Paradise, he will say, “My lord, speed up the last hour, so I can return to my family and wealth.” [He will be told, “Rest.”]

As for a disbeliever, the prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) said…

A Disbeliever at the Time of Death​

Indeed the disbelieving (In another narration: wicked, immoral) servant, when he reaches the departure from this life and the arrival of the hereafter, angels [harsh and severe] come down from the sky to him, their faces dark. They will have with them sackcloth [from the fire.] They will sit as far away from the deceased as the eye can see, then the Angel of Death will come and sit beside his head and say, “Oh filthy soul, come out to displeasure and anger from Allah.”

The prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) continued:

The disbeliever’s soul will then scatter, dispersing throughout his body, but the Angel of Death will rip it out violently similar to how a skewer [with many forks] is yanked through wet wool [ripping with it the veins and nerves].[Every angel between the heaven and earth and every angel in the heaven will curse the person. The gates of heaven will be closed and there will be no group of gatekeepers except that those angels will call upon Allah, asking that his soul does not ascend by way of them]. The Angel of Death will take the soul and when he has taken it, the other angels do not leave it in his had even for the blink of an eye before they put the soul into that sackcloth. There will emit from the soul a stench more disgusting, offensive than any decaying carcass found on the surface of the earth.

Allah’s messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) continued:

The angels will ascend with the soul and will pass no group of angels except that they will ask, “What is this filthy soul?” The angels carrying the soul will answer, “He is So-and-So, the son of So-and-So,” calling him the worst names he used to be called in life. The angels will continue rising with the soul until they come to the end of the sky of this world. They will seek permission for the next heaven to open for him (the soul) but he will be refused entry. Allah’s messenger then recited: The gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle.[12] Then Allah will say, “Write his book (of deeds) in Sijjīn, in the lowest earth.” [It will then be said, “Return my servant to the earth, for surely I promised them that from it I created them, to it I will return them, and from it I will bring them out once again.”] His soul will then be thrown [from the heaven] with a single toss [and fall into his body]. The prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) then recited: And whoever associates with Allah partners in worship, it is as he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down to some remote place.[11] And so his soul will be returned to his body. He will then be able to hear the footsteps of his companions’ shoes as they turn and walk away from him.]

He (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) continues:

There will come to him two angels [harsh in reprimanding who will chastise him and] make him sit up. They both ask him, “Who is your lord?” [The person will reply, “Huh, huh, I don’t know.” The angels further ask him, “What is your religion?” and he will again answer, “Huh, huh, I don’t know.”] The angels will then ask him, “Then what do you say about this man that was sent to you?” He will not be guided to remember his name. It will be said, “Muhammad!” Then the person will say, “Huh, huh, I don’t know.” [“I did hear the people saying that!” He will then be told, “You did not know] [and you did not read.”] A caller will then call out from the heaven, saying, “He lied. So give him furnishing from the fire (of Hell) and open a door for him to the fire.” Its heat and scorching wind will then come to him, and his grave will close in on him, tightening around him until his ribs are pressed together.

Allah’s messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) continued:

There will come to him (In another narration: there will be portrayed to him the form of) a man with a hideous face, ugly clothing, and a horrible stench. This man will say to the person, “Rejoice at that which will sadden you; this is your day which you were promised.” So the person will say to this man, “[And you, may Allah give you evil.] Who are you? Your face is the face that brings evil!” The man will reply, “I am your filthy deed. [For I swear by Allah, I only knew you to be hesitant to obey Allah, quick to disobey Allah.] So may Allah reward you with evil.” A blind, deaf, mute man will then be sent to him carrying a huge hammer in his hand; if a mountain were hit with it, it would become dust. The man will then hit the disbeliever once and the person will turn to dust. Allah will then return him to his former state, and the man will hit him again. The person will scream so loud that everything will hear it except the humans and Jinn. A door will then be opened for him to the fire and he will be furnished with furnishings of the fire.] He will then say, “My Lord, do not establish the last hour.”

This ḥadīth is recorded by Abū Dāwūd (2/281), al-Ḥākim (1/37-40), aṭ-Ṭiyālisī (no. 753), and Aḥmad (4/287, 288, 295, and 296). The wording above is Aḥmad’s narration and that of al-Ājurrī in “ash-Sharī’ah” (367-380).

The ḥadīth is also recorded by an-Nasāī (1/282) and Ibn Mājah (1/469-470) – the first part of it up until the statement, “as if birds were sitting undisturbed on our heads.” The same chain of narration is also from Abū Dāwūd (2/70) and Aḥmad (4/297) in a shorter form.

al-Ḥākim said about this ḥadīth, “It is authentic according to the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim,” and adh-Dhahabī agreed. And (al-Albānī says) it is exactly as they both say. Ibn al-Qayyim also says it is authentic in “I’lām al-Muwaqqi’īn” (1/214) and in “Tahdhīb as-Sunan” (4/337), and he reported that Abū Nu’aym and others also said it is authentic.


Footnotes:

1. This article is comprised of a single ḥadīth that, when presented with the various wordings and additions, illustrate with clear descriptions the distinction between a believer and a disbeliever at the time of death. This ḥadīth, though recorded in earlier ḥadīth collections, was translated from “Aḥkām al-Janāiz wa Bidau’hā” (no. 105, pp. 198-202) by Muḥammad Nāṣir ad-Dīn al-Albānī with the scholar’s accompanying notes included.

2. The Anṣār, or “supporters,” were the residents of Medina who supported the prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ) and his companions from Mecca when they migrated to Medina.

3. From here on, additional wordings taken from the various narrations of this same ḥadīth will appear in brackets – each recorded difference in wording appearing in a separate set of brackets.

4. The Arabic word here, ḥanūṭ, or embalms, as explained by al-Albānī, is a mixture of perfume which is applied to the shroud of the deceased or directly to his body.

5. al-Albānī explains: This is his name in the Quran and Sunnah, “Malak al-Mawt” or the “Angel of Death.” As for the name, “’Izrāīl,” there is no basis for it and it is contradictory to the well-known name that people know (“Angel of Death”). And perhaps it is from the past narrations of the Jews.

6. The Quran, Sūrah al-An’ām, 6:61.

7. The Quran, Sūrah al-Muṭaffifīn, 83:19-21.

8. The Quran, Sūrah Ibrāhīm, 14:27.

10. Meaning: the eye of a needle. A camel is a known animal, but it is referred to as jamal in Arabic when it has reached nine years of age. The verse is in Sūrah al-A’rāf, 7:40.

11. The Quran, Sūrah al-Ḥajj, 22:31

12. The Quran, Sūrah al-A’rāf, 7:40.




Source: http://www.authentictranslations.com/

 

[Sister Zohra]

Assalamu Alaikum,

Great post. JazakAllah khair.

 

[finding light]

Salaam,

Thanks for the post Brother...
I have a question - as always :S

Believers vs non-believers = Muslims vs Non-muslims?? Correct?
Then why do Muslims still get puinished in the grave? e.g. for not praying salaah
Its just a little confusing...

JazakAllah Khayr!

 

[kashif_nazeer]

:salam2:

Allahu Akbar!
This is byfar the most helpful post for me.I am speechless.
May Allah reward you with good in this world and hereafter and grant you and your family Jannatul firdaus.Ameen.
Allah help us.The darkness of grave is something that dilutes every pleasure of this world and gets us closer to Allah.The destroyer of pleasure subhanAllah.

To the sister above,

We will be recompensed for our deeds and none of us will be wronged even a weight of an atom.
It is chastisement,we either get it in this world,grave or hereafter.So after we have been purified of our sins and given our payment we will inshaAllah enter Jannah.
You must have read the hadith,whose mahfoom is,never does a calamity befall a believer,except that Allah will expiate his sins,on account of his patience.Tht is why when someone is sick,we say "tahoor inshaAllah" or may this be a purification for you by the will of Allah.
That is why,I believe it is much better to suffer in this world and be patient than to suffer in the hereafter,for the sufferinng of this world is nothing compared to hereafter.

Allah knows best.

 

[finding light]

To the sister above,

We will be recompensed for our deeds and none of us will be wronged even a weight of an atom.
It is chastisement,we either get it in this world,grave or hereafter.So after we have been purified of our sins and given our payment we will inshaAllah enter Jannah.
You must have read the hadith,whose mahfoom is,never does a calamity befall a believer,except that Allah will expiate his sins,on account of his patience.Tht is why when someone is sick,we say "tahoor inshaAllah" or may this be a purification for you by the will of Allah.
That is why,I believe it is much better to suffer in this world and be patient than to suffer in the hereafter,for the sufferinng of this world is nothing compared to hereafter.

Allah knows best.
[/COLOR]

:salam2: Brother,

I am still confused. Let me explain a little more...
The description above states what will happen to the "Believer". We consider ourselves as Muslims to be believers correct? And we also believe in the grave punishment. So my earlier question is that even tho we are believers, we will still be punished in the grave - this description above doesnt include that. But I just watched a video just now (cant remember name of the Brother who was delivering it) and it stated that after our (Muslim) souls will go to Allah and then returned to the grave, we will receive our grave punishment. This is not included in the description above. So who is this description for then? The extremely righteous? who will have no grave punishment?
Second question: If we ask sincerely for forgiveness, is it possible that Allah will forgive every single atom of sin that we have committed and we will therefore have no punishment in the grave nor enter Jahanam at all? Because if we go by what the Quraan says, as long as we are asking for sincere forgiveness, we will be forgiven..

JazakAlalh

 

[kashif_nazeer]

:salam2: Brother,

I am still confused. Let me explain a little more...
The description above states what will happen to the "Believer". We consider ourselves as Muslims to be believers correct?

A Mu'umin(Believer) is always a Muslim, a Muslim might not necessarily always be a Mu'min(Believer),as we can read from the hadith of nawawi of Islam,Iman and Ihsan.Allah knows best.

Reasons for the punishment in the grave


Praise be to Allaah.
There are many reasons for which people may be punished in their graves, which Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) listed and said:

Some people may wonder about the reasons for which people may be punished in their graves. This may be answered in two ways: in general and in detail.

In general terms, they may be punished for their ignorance of Allaah, their ignoring His commands and their disobedience towards Him. Allaah does not punish any soul that acknowledged Him, loved Him, obeyed His commands and heeded His prohibitions, nor does He punish the body that was inhabited by that soul.

Punishment in the grave and in the Hereafter are due to the wrath and anger of Allaah towards His slave. Whoever angers Allaah in this world and does not repent, and dies like that, will be punished in al-Barzakh to a level commensurate with Allaah's anger with him.

As for the detailed answer:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us about two men whom he saw being punished in their graves. One of them used to walk around spreading malicious gossip among people, and the other failed to take precautions to avoid getting urine on himself. So the latter failed to purify himself as required, and the former did something that creates enmity among people by talking, even if what he says is true.

Thus it may be noted that the one who stirs up enmity by telling lies and making false statements will be punished even more.

Failing to keep oneself clean from urine indicates that the one who neglects prayer, for which cleansing oneself from urine is a requirement and condition will be punished even more. In the hadeeth of Shu’bah it says: “One of them used to eat the flesh of people,” which refers to backbiting or malicious gossip.

According to the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) a man was struck with a whip and his grave was filled with fire because he offered a single prayer without having purified himself, and he passed by one who was being wronged and did not help him.

According to the hadeeth of Samurah in Saheeh al-Bukhaari, a person who told a lie that spread far and wide was punished.

A man who read Qur’aan then slept at night and did not act upon it by day was punished.

Adulterers and adulteresses are punished.

The one who consumes riba is punished in al-Barzakh, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) testified.

According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), the heads of some people will be crushed with rock because they were too heavy for them to get up and pray.

Some will graze on al-daree’ and al-zaqqoom (horrid types of food in Hell) because they withheld the zakaah of their wealth.

Some will eat putrid, rotten meat because of their zina.

Some will have their lips cut off with iron scissors because they caused fitnah (fighting, civil war) with their words and their speech.

According to the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed, those who committed these crimes will be punished. Some of them will have bellies as big as houses; they are those who consumed riba. Some will open their mouths and have stones thrown into them that will emerge from their nether regions; they are the ones who consumed orphans’ wealth. Some will be hung up by their breasts; they are the adulterers. Some will have their sides cut and will be fed with their own flesh; they are the one who engaged in backbiting. Some will have nails of copper with which they will scratch their faces and chests; they are the ones who impugned people’s honour.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that the one who stole a cloak from the war booty will be wrapped in a cloak of fire in his grave. This is despite the fact that he was entitled to a share of the booty, so how about those who wrong others unlawfully?

The punishment of the grave is for sins of the heart, the eye, the ear, the mouth, the tongue, the stomach, the private parts, the hand, the foot, and the entire body.

Those who spread malicious gossip, tell lies, backbite, give false witness, slander those who are chaste and innocent, spread fitnah, promote bid’ah (innovation), say things about Allaah and His Messenger without knowledge, and speak in a reckless manner.

Those who consume riba, consume orphans’ wealth and consume haraam wealth such as bribes and the like.

Those who consume the wealth of their Muslim brothers unlawfully, or the wealth of non-Muslims living under Muslim protection, or consume intoxicants.

Adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, traitors, betrayers and plotters.

Those who consume riba, those who pay it, those who record it and those who witness it; those who enter into a marriage merely to divorce the woman so that it will become permissible for her to return to her former husband, and those for whom this is done; those who seek to waive the duties enjoined by Allaah and transgress His sacred limits.

Those who seek to harm the Muslims and seek to expose their faults.

Those who rule by something other than that which Allaah has revealed, those who issue rulings based on things which Allaah has not prescribed, and those who help others in sin and transgression.

Those who kill souls whom Allaah has forbidden us to kill, those who deny the names and attributes of Allaah, those who give their opinions and ideas precedence over the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah.

Those who wail for the dead and those who listen to them, those who will wail in Hell are those who sing songs that are forbidden by Allaah and His Messenger and those who listen to them. Those who build mosques over graves and set up lamps in them; those who try to take more when they take what they are owed and try to give less when they give what they owe.

Tyrants, the arrogant, those who show off, slanderers and backbiters, those who slander the salaf.

Those who go to soothsayers, astrologers and fortunetellers to ask them things and believe what they say.

Those who help wrongdoers, who have sold their Hereafter for the sake of others in this world.

Those who, if you remind them to fear Allaah do not pay any heed, but if you try to scare them by mentioning another person like themselves, they pay heed and refrain from what they are doing.

Those who are told of the words of Allaah and His Messenger but they do not pay any attention to it, but if they hear it from one of whom they think well, who may be right or wrong, they seize it and do not go against it.

Those to whom Qur’aan is recited but they are not affected by it, and it may be burdensome for them, but when they heard the “qur’aan” of the shaytaan or that which calls to zina (i.e., music) and words of hypocrisy, they feel good and it cheers them up, and they wish that the singer would not stop.

Those who swear by Allaah and tell lies, but when they swear by their shaykhs or relatives, or the life of one whom they love and respect, they will not lie, even if they are threatened and tortured.

Those who boast of their sins in front of their brothers.

Those from whom you do not feel that your possessions and dignity are safe. Those who engage in obscene speech, whom people shun for fear of their evil.

Those who delay prayer until the end of its time, and then peck out the prayer, remembering Allaah but little therein. Those who do not pay the zakaah of their wealth willingly. Those who do not perform Hajj even though they are able to, and do not do the duties required of them even though they are able to.

Those who are not cautious with regard to what they look at or say or eat or where they go, and they do not care what wealth they acquire, whether it is halaal or haraam.

Those who do not uphold the ties of kinship or show compassion towards the poor, widows, orphans, or animals, rather they forsake orphans and do not urge others to feed the poor. They show off to people, withhold small kindnesses, and seek out people’s faults and sins whilst ignoring their own.

All of these and their ilk will be punished in their graves for these sins, according to how great or small they were. Because most people are like this, most of the inhabitants of the graves will be punished, and those who succeed will be very few.

The outside of the grave is just earth, but inside it is regret and torment.

The outside may be earth and carved stones, whilst inside it is disaster and calamity, boiling with grief and sorrow like a kettle, and no wonder, when they no longer get what they want of their desires and wishes.

There are lessons in this world which need no further exhortation.

It calls out: O dwellers of the earth, you have focused on building a realm that will soon pass away, and you have neglected the realm to which you are moving quickly. You have built houses in which others will live and enjoy them, and you have neglected houses for which there are no other inhabitants but you.

This is the place where you will abide and bid farewell to work and toil. This is what matters, one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the chambers of Hell…

End quote from al-Rooh (95).

Islam Q&A

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/45325

Second question: If we ask sincerely for forgiveness, is it possible that Allah will forgive every single atom of sin that we have committed and we will therefore have no punishment in the grave nor enter Jahanam at all? Because if we go by what the Quraan says, as long as we are asking for sincere forgiveness, we will be forgiven..

JazakAlalh

Allah knows best sister.I read a hadith,I would like to share with you inshaAllah

"O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it." Hadith e Qudsi
Allah knows best,but we should always have hope in Allah's forgiveness and Mercy and never lose it.

Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people. (Surah Yusuf 12:87) Interpretation of meaning.
Wajazakallah khayr.Ameen.

 

[finding light]

Shukran Brother. I appreciate the time you take to answer... I love this hadith:

"O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it." Hadith e Qudsi

Allah is great!
May Allah bless you.

 

[Itqan Ullah]

Jazakallah khairan for sharing.