Question:

Dear Brother,

I have a few questions in relation to a comment someone made as follows;

"no such thing as munkar naqeer- this is pure fabrication . No sawal jawab in the material grave. After death our soul leaves the body and the soul goes to a spiritual grave (Barzak) Finito .Only on the day of judgment we will rise from this slumber and your fate will then be decided by Allah Subhanatalla. What form one takes on this day is all metaphorical to explain to people that each ones fate will be decided on their  individual deeds/merits and till today no one has gone through this fallacy about Sawal and Jawab in t he material grave"

What are your thoughts about this comment and also on the topic of "Barzak"?

What does the Quran say on life after death?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:

AlhamduLillah, thank you for your question and may Allah reward you for your quest to acquire and spread correct understanding of our Deen, Aa’meen. I sincerely apologize to you for this belated response.

Let us clearly understand that all of us have a right to deny anything. Our denial does not mean that things do not exists and book is closed on the reality because we denied it. Furthermore, the reality or truth does not change because of our denial either. In case of religious matters in Islam, if someone has doubts about what is proven through authentic ahadith, then he/she has two choices; either educate and correct him/herself or find another shelter.

If we deny any matter that is decided in the Glorious Qura’n and or the practices of the Prophet (peace be upon him) then our denial only proves our negligence, arrogance and lack of understanding of our Deen. To simply call Munkar – Nakeer or questioning in the grave (Ayadhu Billah) “a pure fabrication” is evident of the ignorance and arrogance of what Allah has taught all His Prophets to preach. Prophets (may Allah’s peace and mercy be upon them all) never taught anything other than what Allah ordered them to say. In Surah An-Najm (53:1-5), Allah The Almighty says;

“By the star when it goes down (or vanishes). Your companion (Mohammed, peace be upon him) has neither gone astray nor has erred. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired (to him). He has been taught (this Quran) by one mighty in power (Jibrael AS).”

My brother, I do not have an opinion when it comes to the matters clearly stated in the Glorious Qura’n, authentic ahadith and the writings of the pious predecessors. I am just a simple sinful followers as Allah The Almighty has orders us in the Surah Al-Hashr (59:7);

“And whatsoever the Messenger (peace be upon him) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it and fear (and obey) Allah.”

In another ayah Allah The Almighty says in Surah Al-Ahzab (33:36);

“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.”

Having said that, the Glorious Qura’n and many ahadith tell us that the Life has at least five stages:

a) Non-existence in bodily form, just the soul (before our birth)

b) Creation and then sould is put into the body “life inhere” (mother’s womb and then from birth to death)

c) Death and burial of body in grave, the soul is brought back for questioning and then returned to Barzakh where the positioning depend upon the answers given in the grave

d) Resurrection and brought for justice in front of the Creator, and then

e) Reside in place where the Creator sends us with His mercy or result of our misdeeds and we seek His forgiveness and mercy. Allah The Almighty says in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:28);

“How can you disbelieve in Allah? (Seeing, knowing) that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.”

Brother, Masha’ Allah, your question is very important and many volumes would not suffice as answer. May Allah help me to try to address it briefly and categorically as follows:

Munkar – Nakeer

Imam Abdullah Ibn Kathir Ad-Damishqi (RAA) and many other pious predecessors wrote that; “When the son of Adam dies and his soul departs and he is placed in his grave, then his soul is brought back to his body for initial questioning, because the grave is the first of the stages of the Hereafter.”

It is proven from the Glorious Qura’n and numerous Ahadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the two angels Munkar and Nakeer are charged with questioning everyone about his/her believe in this world, who is your Lord, what was your religion and who was your Prophet. If the deceased was one of the righteous, angels with glowing white face would come, but if he/she was one of the evildoers, angels with dark face come to him/her.

Saheeh Al-Bukhari narrated from Ummul Mumineen Sayedah Ayesha’ (RA) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say, “O Allah! I seek refuge with You from laziness and old age, and from debts and sins; from the torment of the Fire and from the tribulation of the Fire, and from the tribulation of the grave and the torment of the grave, and from the evil of the tribulation of wealth, and from the evil of the tribulation of poverty, and from the evil of the tribulation of the Dajjaal (Antichrist). O Allah! Wash away my sins with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart from sin as a white garment is cleansed from filth, and put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West.”

At-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majjah narrate from Sayedina Haani (RA) that whenever Sayedina Othman Ibn Affan (RA) stood by a grave he would cry until his beard became wet. He was asked; “You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not cry, but you cry when you visit the graves?” He said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The grave is the first stages of the Hereafter; whoever is saved from it, what comes afterwards will be easier for him, but if he is not saved from it, what comes afterwards will be worse for him. I have never seen any scene than the grave that is more frightening.”

Sunan Abi Dawood narrated a hadith by Sayedina Baraa’ Ibn Aa’zib (RA) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that; “the first stage of that reckoning is in the grave. There we will be asked: Who was your Lord? What is your religion? Who is this man who was sent amongst you?”

Prominent scholar Shaikh Saleh Al-Munajjid says; “The Day of Judgment is the second stage of the reckoning as At-Timidhi narrated from Sayedina Abdullah Mas’ood (RA) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it, and how he acted upon the knowledge he acquired.” These two ahadith clearly shows the different questioning patterns.”

There is a long hadith and I quote the shortened version, Sunan Abi Dawood and Masnad Abi Ahmad (RAA) narrated that Sayedina Baraa’ (RA) said: “We went with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for the funeral of a man. When the deceased was placed in it, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat down and we sat around him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the torment of the grave”, two or three times. Then he said, “When the believing servant is about to depart this world, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them shrouds and perfumes from Paradise. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O good soul, come forth to forgive ness from Allah and His pleasure.’ Then it comes out easily like a drop of water from the mouth of a water skin. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that shroud with that perfume, and there comes from it a fragrance like the finest musk on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and pass by group of angels and ask, ‘Who is this good soul?’ and they say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so, calling him by the best names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is opened, and the soul is welcomed and accompanied to the next heaven by those who are closest to Allah, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah says: ‘Record the book of My servant in ‘Illiyoon in the seventh heaven, and return him to the earth, as from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.’ So his soul is returned to his body and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Allah.’ They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They say, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ He says, ‘He is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).’ They say, ‘What did you do?’ He says, ‘I read the Book of Allah and I believed in it.’ Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.”

Barzakh

In Arabic language Barzakh means, “a limit or boundary separating two things.” There are many ahadith about Barzakh, it is meant to be the place where the souls are kept in between the period after their death until the Day of Resurrection. Whoever dies in the state of Eeman is kept in the state of blessing according to the level of their good deeds and the mercy of Allah The Almighty. Those who die in the state of disbelieve or committed major sins knowingly and did not seek repentance are kept in the state of punishment according the severity of their sins.

In Surah Al-Muminoon (23:99-103), Allah The Almighty describes;

“Until, when death comes to one of them, says: "My Lord! Send me back, So that I may do good in what I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when he will be resurrected. Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another. Then, those whose scales (good deeds) are heavy, are successful. And those whose scales (good deeds) are light, they are those who lose their own selves, in Hell will they abide.”

Life after Death

Believe on the life after death is one of the essential requirements to be a Muslim, and the denial is nothing but the disbelief, and a believer must seek refuge in Allah for it.

Quoting many ayat from the Glorious Qura’n, traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Tafasir of Qura’n, and the pious predecessors, the scholars of “Islam on line” provide a beautiful description as follows;

“Belief in life after death gives meaning to our life, it tells us that this life is only a test and preparation for an eternal life. Furthermore, we know that in the afterlife we will receive justice for all the wrongs we suffer here. It may seem that the sinful and corrupt are often happier or wealthier than the righteous, but that is only for a short time. In the afterlife they will get their due.

Belief in life after death encourages a person to lead a good life on earth, since he knows the fate that awaits him if he ignores the commands of Allah given in the Qur’an. In fact, belief in the afterlife is the strongest incentive for a person to lead a life of virtue here. The real road to a peaceful society can be paved only if people believe in an afterlife.

We know that we have no means of knowing life after death as a perceptual experience. But Allah has given us certain levels of consciousness that provide us with insight into realities not perceptible through the given senses. The Qur’an speaks to our rational mind when it answers the wrong doers who ask, “Who will give life to the dead bones?” The answer is, of course, the One Who created them.

Allah in the Holy Qur’an appeals to man’s reasoning and addresses his power of reflection and judgment by asking him to reflect on how rain revives the dead earth. This is something that is obvious to us; if so, how can we then deny the truth of the resurrection, when Almighty Allah can just as easily revive the dead bones as He revives the earth?” (End Quote)

For example, in Surah Fatir (35:9) Allah The Almighty says;

“And it is Allah Who sends the winds, so that they raise up the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land, and revive therewith the earth after its death. As such will be the (your) Resurrection!”

Those who made these comments need your help and I hope this reply satisfies your quest. I advise you to present the correct point of view in the light of Qura’n and Sunnah, fine if someone accepts the truth but if they continue to deny then they are responsible for their acts, denial and deviation.

I also advise you to avoid debates, even if titled as a “healthy debate” as “Healthy Eeman” is more important and rewarding than so called healthy debate, especially when the matters are already decided by Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him).

Jazak’Allah Kh’air to Br. Najam Najmi.