Q: What are the sins for which people will be punished in the grave?.
Answer
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 45325
, we have mentioned some of these reasons. Here we will list some of
these sins, along with evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah.
Shirk (associating others with Allaah) and kufr (disbelieving in Him)
Allaah says concerning the people of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):
“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the
Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels):
‘Cause Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’”
[Ghaafir 40:46]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if you could but see when the Zaalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers) are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching
forth their hands (saying): ‘Deliver your souls! This day you shall be
recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to
utter against Allaah other than the truth. And you used to reject His
Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)
with disrespect!’”
[al-An’aam 6:93]
When death approaches the kaafir, the angels tell him of what is
awaiting of him of punishment, chains and fire, and the wrath of Allaah;
his soul disperses in his body and refuses to leave his body, and the
angels beat him until his soul comes out of his body, saying, “Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation” [al-An’aam 6:93].
Evidence that shirk is one of the causes of punishment in the grave
is to be found in the hadeeth of Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased
with him) who said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was in a garden belonging to Banu’l-Najjaar on a mule of his
and we were with him, it stumbled and nearly threw him. There he saw
some graves, six or five or four. He said: “Who knows the occupants of
these graves?” A man said: I do.” He said: “When did these people die?”
He said: “They died in shirk.” He said: “This ummah will be punished in
their graves. Were it not that you would not bury one another, I would
pray to Allaah to make you hear what I hear of the torment in the
grave.” Then he turned to us and said: “Seek refuge with Allaah from the punishment of Hellfire…” Narrated by Muslim 2867.
The words in this hadeeth, “They died in shirk,” indicate that shirk is a cause of the punishment in the grave.
Hypocrisy is one of the causes of the punishment in the grave
The hypocrites are those who most deserve to be punished in the
grave. How can it be otherwise when they are the ones who will occupy
the lowest level of Hell?
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And among the bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are
some among the people of Al‑Madinah who persist in hypocrisy; you (O
Muhammad) know them not, We know them. We shall punish them twice, and
thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment”
[al-Tawbah 9:101]
Qataadah and al-Rabee’ ibn Anas said concerning the phrase “We shall
punish them twice”: once in this world, and the second is the punishment
in the grave.
In the hadeeth about the questioning of the two angels and the
torment of the grave, the word hypocrite (munaafiq), or skeptic
(murtaab) in many reports, is clearly mentioned, as in the report
narrated by al-Bukhaari (1374) from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with
him): “… as for the kaafir and the hypocrite, it will be said to him…”.
And in al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Asma’ (may Allaah be pleased
with her): “As for the hypocrite or the skeptic…”
Changing the religion of Allaah, by forbidding that which Allaah has permitted or permitting that which He has forbidden
The evidence that this changing of the religion of Allaah is one of
the causes of punishment in the grave is the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “I saw ‘Amr ibn ‘Aamir
al-Khuzaa’i dragging his intestines in Hell. He was the first one to
introduce the institution of al-saa’ibah.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
4623.
The saa’ibah was a she-camel, cow or sheep which they would leave to
graze for the sake of the false gods, and it would not be ridden, eaten
or used for carrying burdens. Some of them would make vows to make part
of their wealth a saa’ibah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The
Arabs, from among the sons of Ismaa’eel and others, who lived in the
environs of the Ancient House that had been built by Ibraaheem and
Ismaa’eel, were haneefs (monotheists) who followed the religion of
Ibraaheem, until one of the leaders of Khuzaa’ah, namely ‘Amr ibn
Luhayy, changed his religion. He was the first one to change the
religion of Ibraaheem to shirk and forbid things that Allaah had not
forbidden. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “I saw ‘Amr ibn Luhayy dragging his intestines.”
Daqaa’iq al-Tafseer, 2/71
Not taking care to avoid getting urine on oneself, and spreading malicious gossip among people
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by two graves and said,
“They are being punished, but they are not being punished for something
that was difficult to avoid. One of them used to walk about spreading
nameemah (malicious gossip) and the other used not to take care to avoid
getting urine on himself.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (218) and Muslim
(292).
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Most
of the torment of the grave is because of urine, so be careful to avoid
it.” Narrated by al-Daaraqutni and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Targheeb (1/152).
Gheebah (backbiting)
Based on that, al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) included a
chapter in Kitaab al-Janaa’iz (the Book of Funerals) called: “Punishment
of the grave because of backbiting and urine.” Then he narrated therein
the hadeeth about the two graves quoted above, except that the version
of al-Bukhaari does not mention backbiting, rather it speaks of nameemah
(malicious gossip), but as was his wont, he referred to what was
narrated in some versions of the hadeeth: “As for the other, he is being
punished for backbiting.”
Narrated by Ahmad (5/35); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb (1/66)
Lying
According to the hadeeth of Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allaah be pleased
with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said:
“… We came to a man who was lying flat on his back, with another man
standing over him, holding an iron hook. He put the hook in the man’s
mouth and tore off that side of his face to the back (of his neck), and
he tore his nose and his eye from front to back in a similar manner.
Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did likewise. No
sooner had he finished the second side but the first side was restored
to its former state, then he went back and did the same thing again. I
said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’
At the end of the hadeeth, he said concerning this one who was being
punished: “is the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells
a lie that is so serious that it spreads all over the world”. Narrated
by al-Bukhaari (7074).
Forsaking the Qur’aan after having learned it, sleeping and missing an obligatory prayer
In the hadeeth of Samurah ibn Jundub he said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “… we came across a
man who was lying down, with another man standing over him, holding a
big rock. He threw the rock at the man’s head, smashing it. The rock
rolled away, and the one who had thrown it followed it, and picked it
up. By the time he came back to the man, his head had been restored to
its former state. Then he (the one who had thrown the rock) did the same
as he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah!
Who are these two persons?’ … ‘The one whom you saw with his head being
smashed with the rock, is the man who studies the Qur’aan then he
neither recites it nor acts upon it, and he goes to sleep, neglecting
the obligatory prayers.’
According to another version: “As for the man whom you saw with his
head being crushed by a rock, he is a man who learned the Qur’aan then
abandoned it and he slept and missed the obligatory prayer.” Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (7076).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said that this
report is clearer than the first one. The apparent meaning of the first
one is that he is being punished for not reading Qur’aan at night,
whereas the second report indicates that he is punished for sleeping and
missing the obligatory prayer. He said: It may be that the punishment
is for both, not reading and not acting upon it.
Ibn Hajar said: Ibn Hubayrah said: Abandoning the Qur’aan after
learning it is a serious crime, because it may imply that he has seen in
it something that made him abandon it, and because he has abandoned the
noblest of things, namely the Qur’aan, he should be punished in the
noblest part of his body, which is the head. Fath al-Baari, 3/251
Consuming riba
In the hadeeth of Samurah (may Allaah be pleased with him) it says:
“… So we went on and came to a river – I think he said, red like
blood. – In the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there
was a man who had gathered many stones. Whilst the swimmer was swimming,
the man who had gathered the stones approached him. The swimmer opened
his mouth and the man on the bank threw a stone into it, then the
swimmer carried on swimming. Each time he came back, he opened his mouth
again, and the man on the bank threw another stone into his mouth. …
The man you saw swimming in the river with rocks being thrown into his
mouth is the one who consumed riba (usury).”
Zina (adultery, unlawful sexual relationships)
In the hadeeth of Samurah (may Allaah be pleased with him) it says:
“So we went on, and came to something like a tannoor (a kind of oven,
lined with clay, usually used for baking bread). – I think the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, in that oven there
was much noise and voices. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) added: – We looked into it and saw naked men and women. A
flame of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached
them, they cried out loudly. I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ … The naked
men and women whom you saw in a structure that resembled an oven are the
adulterers and adulteresses.”
Enjoining righteousness upon others and forgetting oneself
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “On
the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey (Isra’), I saw men
whose lips were being cut off with scissors of fire. I said: ‘Who are
these, O Jibreel?’ He said: ‘These are the khateebs from among your
ummah who used to enjoin righteousness on the people and forget
themselves, and they used to recite the Book but they did not
understand.’” Narrated by Ahmad, 3/120; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in al-Saheehah (291).
According to al-Bayhaqi: “On the night on which I was taken on the
night Journey, I came to some people whose lips were being cut off with
scissors of fire. Every time they were cut off, they were restored. I
said: ‘O Jibreel who are these?’ He said: ‘The khateebs of your ummah
who said what they did not do, and they recited the Book of Allaah but
they did not act upon it.’” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (128).
Breaking the fast in Ramadaan with no excuse
It was narrated that Abu Umaamah al-Baahili (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say: “Whilst I was sleeping, two men came to me and
took me by the arms, and they brought me to a mountain and said: ‘Climb
up.’ I said: ‘I cannot.’ They said: ‘We will make it easy for you.’ So I
climbed up until, when I was at the top of the mountain, I heard loud
voices. I said: ‘What are these voices?’ He said: ‘These are the cries
of the people of Hell.’ Then they took me on, and I saw some people
hanging by their heels, with the sides of their mouths torn, and the
sides of their mouths were flowing with blood. I said: ‘Who are these?’
He said: ‘They are the ones who broke the fast before it was permissible
for them to do so.’” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan and al-Haakim (1/210,
290); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah (3951).
Stealing from the war booty
This is indicated by the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) about the man who stole a garment from the war booty,
and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By
the One in Whose hand is my soul, the garment that he took from the
booty on the day of Khaybar when it had not yet been shared out is
burning him with fire.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4234) and Muslim (115).
Dragging one’s garment out of pride
This is indicated by the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Whilst a man was dragging his garment out of pride,
he was swallowed up by the earth and he will continue sinking into it
until the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3485) and
Muslim (2088).
Stealing from the pilgrims
This is indicated by the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased
with him) about the eclipse prayer, in which it says that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hell was brought and
that is when you saw me moving backwards for fear that its flames might
touch me. I saw therein the owner of the curved staff, dragging his
intestines in the Fire; he used to steal from the pilgrims with his
curved staff, and if he was discovered he would say, ‘It got caught on
my curved staff,’ but if he was not noticed then he would take it.”
Narrated by Muslim (904).
Detaining animals and tormenting them and not being compassionate towards them
According to the hadeeth of Jaabir about the eclipse prayer, the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “And I saw
therein the woman who had a cat which she tied up and did not feed, and
she did not let it eat from the vermin of the earth, until it died of
starvation.” Narrated by Muslim (904).
Al- Bayhaqi said in his book Ithbaat ‘Adhaab al-Qabr (p. 97):
When he offered the eclipse prayer, he saw the one who was dragging
his intestines in Hell, and the one who was being punished for stealing,
and the women who was being punished for a cat. They had become decayed
bones in their graves as far as the people of his time were concerned,
but those who were praying with him did not see what he saw. End quote.
Debt
One of the things that harm the deceased in his grave is debt that he
owes. It was narrated that Sa’d ibn al-Atwal said: My brother died and
left behind three hundred dinars, and he left behind young children. I
wanted to spend on them, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “Your brother is being
detained by his debt, so go and pay it off.” So I went and paid it off,
then I came and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I have paid it off for him,
and there is nothing left but a woman who is claiming two dinars, but
she does not have any proof. He said: “Give it to her, for she is
telling the truth.” Narrated by Ahmad (16776) and Ibn Maajah (2/82);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (1550).
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