Lesson 9 : Believing in what the Prophet Conveyed (Part 1)
The Torture and Enjoyment in the Grave and The Questioning by the Two Angels: Munkar and Nakir
Allah, ta^ala, said in the Qur’an:
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إِنْ هُوَ إِلا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى
Wa ma yantiqu ^anil-hawa. In huwa illa wahyuy yuha.
Ayahs 3-4 of Suratun-Najm mean: {He (Prophet Muhammad) does not convey to the people out of his own inclinations. Rather, he conveys what Allah reveals to him.}
Allah, ta^ala, sent Prophet Muhammad, the son of ^Abdullah, the son of ^Abdul-Muttalib, with the true Religion. Allah ordered Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, to convey the message to the people, which he fulfilled. He conveyed the message truthfully and bravely.
Everything that the Prophet told is true and right, whether it is among the issues of halal or haram, the stories of the prophets, or matters that will happen in the future during this life and in the Hereafter.
Among the matters that the Prophet informed about are: the torture in the grave and the enjoyment therein, and the questioning by the two angels: Munkar and Nakir.
The torture in the grave: It is obligatory to believe that Allah tortures all the accountable blasphemers in their graves. Allah orders the harmful insects of the Earth to eat their bodies. Also, He orders the Earth to close in on them. Other types of torture will also be inflicted on them. Their graves will become like ditches of Hell. On the other hand, the Muslims who are major sinners, and died without repenting are of two groups:
Those tortured in their graves.
Others forgiven by Allah from being tortured therein.
The enjoyment in the grave: It is obligatory to believe that Allah endows his pious Muslim slaves with enjoyment in their graves. Among the enjoyment is for their graves to be lit up like the light of a full moon, and to be widened seventy (70) cubits [1] by seventy (70) cubits. There are also other types of enjoyment.
The questioning of the two angels Munkar and Nakir: It is obligatory to believe in the two angels Munkar and Nakir. They are navy blue and they ask the dead person in his grave: "What did you say about this man Muhammad?" If the dead was Muslim he will say: I bear witness that he is the slave of Allah and His Messenger. If he was among the blasphemers, he will not say the Two Testifications of Faith. The angels will hit him with a hammer between his ears. Had the mountains been hit with this hammer, they would have melted away.
The questioning by the two angels happens to the Muslim and the blasphemer alike. However, the perfect Muslim will not be frightened or bothered by the questioning, because Allah will make his heart steadfast. The prophets, martyrs, and children (who died before pubescence) are exempted from the questioning in the grave.
Questions:
- State an ayah from the Qur’an that indicates the truthfulness of what the Prophet conveyed about Allah.
- List some of what the Prophet has conveyed.
- Who will be tortured in the grave?
- What is the condition in the graves of the Muslims who are major sinners?
- Who gets the enjoyment of the grave?
- What are the names of the two angels of questioning?
- Give an example of the questioning of the dead person.
- Are all buried people questioned in their graves? Who is exempt from the questioning?
