The grave is the first step to the Hereafter

Praise and thanks be to Allah, blessings be to His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Allah say in the Holy Qur'an: "Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills." [Ibrahim 14:27]

Transliteration: Yuthabbitu Allāhu Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Bil-Qawli Ath-Thābiti Fī Al-Ĥayāati Ad-Dunyā Wa Fī Al-'Ākhirati Wa Yuđillu Allāhu Až-Žālimīna Wa Yaf`alu Allāhu Mā Yashā'u

Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, May Allah be pleased with him, said: ''this verse is revealed to tell about torment in the grave''.

Abu Huraira, May Allah be pleased with him, said the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ''do you know for whom this verse was revealed: "indeed, he will have a depressed life" [Taha 20:124]

Transliteration: Fa'inna Lahu Ma`īshatan Đankāan Wa Naĥshuruhu Yawma Al-Qiyāmati 'A`má
They answered that God and his Messenger Know better. He said: 'it is revealed to tell about the torment of the unbeliever in his grave. By God, ninety nine dragons are assigned for him, do you know what a dragon is! It consists of ninety nine snakes, each snake has seven heads that bite and snap him till the Day of Judgment''. [Approved by al-Albany]

Uthman ibn 'Affan, May Allah be pleased with him, would not weep if paradise or hell were mentioned, but he would shed tears till soaking his beard if the grave was mentioned. He was asked: ''paradise and hell do not make you cry but mentioning the grave put you into tears, why?''. He answered: ''the grave is the first step to the Hereafter, if you survive the grave what follows is lesser, if you do not survive what follows is more difficult''. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: '' fearing that you would stop burying you dead I would have asked God to allow you to hear the torment of the grave''.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, always asked God's refuge from the torment of the grave.

Did you contemplate the dark grave when closed, the enquiry of the tow angles; the inquiry of Munkir and Nakeer?

Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz, may God rest his soul, told some of his companions: ''I have spent the night sleeplessly thinking of the grave and its habitant, if you saw the dead person three days after being buried you would hate being near it after your long lived intimacy. You would see a home of vermin, puss, worms instead of good shape, perfumed breath and clean garments''.

When Ali Ibn Abi-Talib returned from Seffin and was about the graveyards said: ''O people of lonely homes and empty places… houses have been dwelled, espouses have been married, money has been distributed; this is our news, what about yours?'' Then he turned to his companions and said: ''if they had permission to talk they would tell you that the best provision is piety''.

Ibn Abi-Aldunia said that the wife of Hesham al-Destwa'i said: ''if we turned off the lamp Hesham would be overwhelmed with uneasiness, I asked him why and he answered: because I remember the darkness of the grave''.

Khaled Ibn Khadash said: ''I used to sit with Ashyam al-Balkhy who was a blind man, he said: O! How dark is the grave! How tight is the coffin! What can I do?'' then he faints. When he recovers he would do the same over and over again''.

Al-A'mash said: ''we attend funerals not knowing who to console; they are all in grieve''.

It was told that Haroun al-Rashid chose and picked his shroud; looking at it saying: "My wealth has not availed me. (28) Gone from me is my authority" [Al-Haqqah 69:28-29]

Transliteration: Mā 'Aghnaá `Annī Mālīh (28)Halaka `Annī Sulţānīh

When Al-Ma'moun was dying he lay over ashes and said: ''Oh God whose sovereignty would never perish, have mercy on him whose kingdom has already perished''.

Have you considered these great matters, have you contemplated them? By God tell me what it is like in the grave for prayer deserter, usurer, what about that who violated God's rulings? What about that who enjoyed listening to music and songs? What about unveiled women, fashion-followers, disobedient of God?

If we were to let be, death would be the comfort of every living man,
But when we die we are resurrected and held responsible for everything.

Compare between believes and unbelievers when dying and in their graves; it is a reminder for everyone who has a mind and a heart.

Al-Barra' Ibn 'Azib said: ''we went with the Prophet, peace be upon him, to a funeral of a man from al-Ansaar (people of Medina), we reached the grave and the man was not buried yet, the Prophet sat and we sat around him, as silent as dead, He had a small stick in his hand scraping the ground with it. He raised his head and said three times: ''ask God refuge from the torment of the grave'', then he continued: ''when a true believer is about to die, white faced angles, as bright as the sun, descend from heaven for him till they sit where he can see them, they bring along shrouds from paradise, and (hunut) embalmment of paradise, then the Angle of Death comes and sits by his head and say: ''O peaceful soul, come out to the forgiveness and blessings of God'', it comes out as smoothly as a drop of water flows, the Angle takes the soul and, with a blink of an eye, shrouds and embalms it in the shroud and embalmment of paradise, it comes out bearing the best smell of musk found on earth. The Prophet said: the angles ascend to heaven, whenever they pass by a group of angles they wonder: what is this good spirit? They answer: he is so and so, calling him with his favorable names, until they reach the first heaven and ask permission to enter. He is granted the permission and is accompanied by heavenly people of each heaven to the following one till he reaches the seventh heaven. God Almighty says: record his book of deeds in 'illiyyun (the highest of the highest), turn him back to earth, I have created them from earth, to earth I return them and from earth I will resurrect them''. The Prophet said: so his soul is returned to his body, two angles come and make him sit down, they ask: ''who is your God?'' he answers: ''my God is Allah''. They ask: ''what is your religion?'' he answers: ''my religion is Islam''. They say: ''who is this man who is sent for you?'', he says: ''he is the Messenger of Allah.'' They ask: ''what is your education?'', he answers: ''I have read the Holy Qur'an, had believed it and believed in it.''. Then a voice from heaven is heard saying: ''my slave has spoken the truth, furnish him with heavenly furniture, dress him in heavenly garments, and open for him a port to paradise''. He feels its smell and goodness, and his grave is widened. A good looking man; well dressed and nice-smelled comes and says: ''bear the good news; this is the day you had been promised before''. The dead man asks the good looking man: ''who are you? Your face is ambassador of goodwill''. He answers: ''I am your good deeds". The man asks God to be immediately resurrected to return to his family and belongings.

Poor soul! Look at unbelievers, so that you heart may soften, and that you repent, consider their state:

''when an unbeliever is about to die, black faced angles descend from heaven for him till they sit where he can see them, they bring along rags, then the Angle of Death comes and sits by his head and say: ''O wicked soul, come out to the wrath and anger of God'', it sinks in his body, the angle of Death brings it out, tearing veins and nerves just like skewers are separated from wet wool, the Angle takes the soul and, with a blink of an eye, puts it in the rags, it comes out bearing the stink of the most rotten corpse found on earth. The angles ascend to heaven, whenever they pass by a group of angles they wonder: what is this stinking soul? They answer: he is so and so, calling him with his worst names, until they reach the first heaven and ask permission to enter. They are denied the permission. Then the Prophet -peace be upon him- 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..." [Al-A'raf 7:40]

Transliteration: Lā Tufattaĥu Lahum 'Abwābu As-Samā'i Wa Lā Yadkhulūna Al-Jannata Ĥattá Yalija Al-Jamalu Fī Sammi Al-Khiyāţi

God Almighty says: record his book of deeds in sijiin (the lowest of the lowest), turn him back to earth, I have created them from earth, to earth I return them and from earth I will resurrect them''. The Prophet said: so his soul is dropped fiercely. He recited: "…And he who associates other deities with Allah - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place." [Al-Haj 22:31]

Transliteration: Wa Man Yushrik Billāhi Faka'annamā Kharra Mina As-Samā'i Fatakhţafuhu Aţ-Ţayru 'Aw Tahwī Bihi Ar-Rīĥu Fī Makānin Saĥīqin

Then his soul is returned to his body, two angles come and make him sit down, they ask: ''who is your God?'' he answers: ''ah ah I do not know''. They ask: ''what is your religion?'' he answers: ''ah ah I do not know''. Then a voice from heaven is heard saying: furnish him with hell furniture, dress him in hell garments, and open for him a port to hell fire''. He feels its smell and heat, and his grave is narrowed so that his ribs mingle together. An ugly looking man; bad dressed and stinky-smelled comes and says: ''bear the bad news; this is the day you had been promised before''. The dead man asks the bad looking man: ''who are you? Your face is ambassador of evil''. He answers: ''I am your bad deeds". The man asks God that the Day of Judgment would never take place. [Declared Authentic by Al-Albany]

Al-Barra' Ibn Azib commented on this Qur'anic verse:"Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter" [Ibrahim 14:27]

Transliteration: Yuthabbitu Allāhu Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Bil-Qawli Ath-Thābiti Fī Al-Ĥayāati Ad-Dunyā Wa Fī Al-'Ākhirati Wa Yuđillu Allāhu Až-Žālimīna Wa Yaf`alu Allāhu Mā Yashā'u

That keeping firm in worldly life is when the two angles come in the grave and ask the believer: ''who is your God?'' he answers: ''my God is Allah''. They ask: ''what is your religion?'' he answers: ''my religion is Islam''. They say: ''who is your Prophet?'', he says: ''he is Muhammad the Messenger of Allah''. The Prophet, peace be upon him said: ''the deceased is followed by three: his money, his folks and his deeds, two leave him and return and one stays with him; his money and folks leave, and his deeds stay''. [Narrated by Bukhari]

So, you must visit the graveyards. Whenever your heart falls asleep emerging in worldly matters, go and visit those lying in graves. They were, not long ago, as alive as you are; eating, drinking and enjoying life. Where are they now? They are under the mercy of their deeds, whether good or evil.
It is the every Muslim's duty to ask God refuge from the torment of the grave. It is our duty to get prepared for the grave by good deeds before entering it; when you are still alive it is easy, once you are inside the grave you would yearn for only one hasanah (good deed) but alas!

Yazid Ibn Hawsheb said that he had not seen people more in fear than Al-Hasan Al-Basrey and Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz, as if hell was merely created for them.

Whenever death was mentioned Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz would tremble, it was narrated that one day he read: "And, [O Muhammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it"[Yunus 10:61]

Transliteration: Wa Mā Takūnu Fī Sha'nin Wa Mā Tatlū Minhu Min Qur'ānin Wa Lā Ta`malūna Min `Amalin 'Illā Kunnā `Alaykum Shuhūdāan 'Idh Tufīđūna Fīhi

He cried so emotionally that his family heard him, his wife, Fatima came and cried with him, his son, Abdullah saw them crying, he asked: ''O father! What makes you cry!'' he answered: ''sonny, your father would rather have never been born, by God I fear that I am of the dwellers of hell''.

Oh you intimate with life, forgetting that death is coming by, you whose heart is dark, though hearts have light, empty from inside, hey you, if you remember graves and tombs, you will stop building homes. Oh brother! You will be asked about how you had spent your days.

Dear brother! Wake up! Realize that you are soon dead. These days however long are short. Whatsoever you do, you are leaving, and you are dead. "Then have you considered if We gave them enjoyment for years (205) And then there came to them that which they were promised (206) They would not be availed by the enjoyment with which they were provided."[Al-Shu'ara' 26:205-207]

Transliteration: 'Afara'ayta 'In Matta`nāhum Sinīna (205) Thumma Jā'ahum Mā Kānū Yū`adūna (206) Mā 'Aghná `Anhum Mā Kānū Yumatta`ūna

May peace of God be availed on His Messenger, his household and his companions.


Modified and Translated by Wathakker.net website
http://en.wathakker.net/