Category: Q n A

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) went out after sunset and heard a dreadful voice, and said, “The Jews are being
punished in their graves.”

Aisha narrated that she made a
will to `Abdullah bin Zubair, “Do not bury me with them (the Prophet (ﷺ) and his two companions) but
bury me with my companions (wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ) in Al-Baqi as I would not like to be
looked upon as better than I really am (by being buried near the Prophet).”

(From the daughter of Khalid bin Sa id bin Al-`Asi) who said that she had heard the Prophet (ﷺ) seeking
refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave.

I saw `Umar bin Al-Khattab (when he was stabbed) saying, “O `Abdullah bin `Umar! Go to the
mother of the believers Aisha and say, `Umar bin Al-Khattab sends his greetings to you,’ and request
her to allow me to be buried with my companions.” (So, Ibn `Umar conveyed the message to `Aisha.)
She said, “I had the idea of having this place for myself but today I prefer him (`Umar) to myself (and
allow him to be buried there).” When `Abdullah bin `Umar returned, `Umar asked him, “What (news)
do you have?” He replied, “O chief of the believers! She has allowed you (to be buried there).” On
that `Umar said, “Nothing was more important to me than to be buried in that (sacred) place. So, when
I expire, carry me there and pay my greetings to her (`Aisha ) and say, `Umar bin Al-Khattab asks
permission; and if she gives permission, then bury me (there) and if she does not, then take me to the
graveyard of the Muslims. I do not think any person has more right for the caliphate than those with
whom Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) was always pleased till his death. And whoever is chosen by the
people after me will be the caliph, and you people must listen to him and obey him,” and then he
mentioned the name of `Uthman, `Ali, Talha, Az-Zubair, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Sa`d bin Abi
Waqqas.
By this time a young man from Ansar came and said, “O chief of the believers! Be happy with Allah’s
glad tidings. The grade which you have in Islam is known to you, then you became the caliph and you
ruled with justice and then you have been awarded martyrdom after all this.” `Umar replied, “O son of
my brother! Would that all that privileges will counterbalance (my short comings), so that I neither
lose nor gain anything. I recommend my successor to be good to the early emigrants and realize their
rights and to protect their honor and sacred things. And I also recommend him to be good to the Ansar
who before them, had homes (in Medina) and had adopted the Faith. He should accept the good of the
righteous among them and should excuse their wrongdoers. I recommend him to abide by the rules
and regulations concerning the Dhimmis (protectees) of Allah and His Apostle, to fulfill their
contracts completely and fight for them and not to tax (overburden) them beyond their capabilities.”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to invoke (Allah): “Allahumma ini a`udhu bika min ‘adhabi-l-Qabr, wa min
‘adhabi-nnar, wa min fitnati-l-mahya wa-lmamat, wa min fitnati-l-masih ad-dajjal. (O Allah! I seek
refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire and from
the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal.”

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Don’t abuse the dead, because they have reached the result of what they
forwarded.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) once passed by two graves and said, “They (the deceased persons in those graves) are
being tortured not for a great thing to avoid.” And then added, “Yes, (they are being punished for a big
sin), for one of them used to go about with calumnies while the other never saved himself from being
soiled with his urine.” (Ibn `Abbas added): Then he took a green leaf of a date-palm) and split it into
two pieces and fixed one piece on each grave and said, “May their punishment be abated till these
(two pieces) get dry.”

Abu Lahab, may Allah curse him, once said to the Prophet (p.b.u.h), “Perish you all the day.”
Then the Divine Inspiration came: “Perish the hands of Abi Lahab! And perish he!” (111.1).

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When anyone of you dies, he is shown his place both in the morning and in the
evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise; he is shown his place in it, and if he is from the people
of the Hell-Fire; he is shown his place there-in. Then it is said to him, ‘This is your place till Allah
resurrect you on the Day of Resurrection.”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When the funeral is ready (for its burial) and the people lift it on their shoulders,
then if the deceased is a righteous person he says, ‘Take me ahead,’ and if he is not a righteous one
then he says, ‘Woe to it (me)! Where are you taking it (me)?’ And his voice is audible to everything
except human beings; and if they heard it they would fall down unconscious . ”