Specific reason for the punishment of the grave

Can the Muslim be punished in the grave? Yes. Al-Qurtubi says, “Realize that the punishment of the grave is not solely for the nonbelievers and is not only for the hypocrites. It could also happen to the believer for the shortcoming in their deeds.”

What are some of the reasons that could cause the punishment of the grave? The general reason is the shortcoming in deeds. There are some specific reasons:

1. Theft and stealing: 

Taking something that does not belong to you and cheating. There was a servant with RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. They were out in battle. This servant was preparing the saddle for the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and he was hit by a stray arrow. The sahabah began to say, “Congratulations for him! He has got jannah.” Because he died on the battlefield. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “No, in the Name of Allah! The cloak which he stole in khaybar is wrapped around him and is burning him in the grave.” It was just a piece of cloth; he took it without permission. SubhanAllah – for a cloak! What about the ones who steal millions of dollars? What about the ones who cheat and abuse the rights of the Muslims by cheating? What will happen to these people? It is for what – a temporary enjoyment in this life? Allah will inflict you with diseases and disasters which you will have to spend your money on, because that money has no barakah. Monetary transactions are something that can cause you something great reward or punishment; it depends on how you use it. It is a test and Allah subhaana wa ta’aala wants to see if you will be grateful or ungrateful.

2. Slander and neglecting tahaarah:

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passed by two graves and said that the two men in these graves were being punished. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said they are not suffering because of something major. One of them used to slander and the other would not purify and clean himself from urine (make taharaarah properly). And they were being punished in their graves for that. [Bukhari]

3. Neglecting Qur’aan, the Adulterers, Riba and Liars:

Narrated Samura bin Jundub:

Allah’s Apostle very often used to ask his companions, “Did anyone of you see a dream?” So dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allahwished to tell. One morning the Prophet said, “Last night two persons came to me (in a dream) [we know that the dreams of the ambiya are true] and woke me up and said to me, ‘Proceed!’

I set out with them and we came across a man lying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man’s head, injuring it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and took it back. By the time he reached the man, his head returned to the normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. 

I said to my two companions, ‘Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Proceed!’

So we proceeded and came to a man lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did just as he had done with the other side. He hardly completed this side when the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said to me, ‘Proceed!’

So we proceeded and came across something like a Tannur (a kind of baking oven, a pit usually clay-lined for baking bread).” I think the Prophet said, “In that oven  there was much noise and voices.” The Prophet added, “We looked into it and found naked men and women, and behold, a flame of fire was reaching to them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried loudly. [it was cone-shaped, and if they tried to escape, they would slide down because of the cone-shape] I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Proceed!’

And so we proceeded and came across a river.” I think he said, “…. red like blood.” The Prophet added, “And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth and the latter (on the bank) threw a stone into his mouth whereupon he went swimming again. He returned and every time the performance was repeated, I asked my two companions, ‘Who are these (two) persons?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

And we proceeded till we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance, you ever saw a man having! Beside him there was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, ‘Who is this (man)? They said to me, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colours. In the midst of the garden there was a very tall man and I could hardly see his head because of his great height, and around him there were children in such a large number as I have never seen. I said to my companions, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

So we proceeded till we came to a majestic huge garden, greater and better than I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, ‘Go up’ and I went up. The Prophet added, “So we ascended till we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks and we went to its gate and asked (the gatekeeper) to open the gate, and it was opened and we entered the city and found in it, men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the handsomest person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across (the city), and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness (of their bodies) had disappeared and they became in the best shape.”

The Prophet further added, “My two companions (angels) said to me, ‘This place is the Eden Paradise, and that is your place.’ I rose up my sight, and behold, there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, ‘That (palace) is your place.’ I said to them, ‘May Allah bless you both! Let me enter it.’ They replied, ‘As for now, you will not enter it, but you shall enter it (one day).’

I said to them, ‘I have seen many wonders tonight. What does all that mean which I have seen?’ 

They replied, ‘We will inform you: As for the first man you came upon whose head was being injured with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Quran and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps, neglecting the enjoined prayers. 

As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. 

And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses.

And the man whom you saw swimming in the river and given a stone to swallow, is the eater of usury (Riba) 

And the bad looking man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going round it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell 

And the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Abraham(AS) and the children around him are those children who die with Al-Fitra (the Islamic Faith) [children who died in young age].” 

The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet, “O Allah’s Apostle! What about the children of pagans?” The Prophet replied, “And also the children of pagans.” The Prophet added, “My two companions added, ‘The men you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them.’” (Bukhari 9/87/171)

4. Debt:

There are a few other things that can cause punishment of the grave, such as debts. There is a hadith in which one of the sahabah passed away. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told his brother, “Go and pay the debt of your brother because your brother is being held from Jannah [because of] his debt.” He couldn’t go to Jannah because of the debt.

5. Excessive Weeping:

If you pass away and your family weeps excessively on you, that can cause some pain to you. When ‘Umar ibn AlKhattab was injured and was passing away, Suhayb came and saw ‘Umar ibn AlKhattab and started crying. ‘Umar said, “The dead person would suffer because of the crying and weeping of his family.” He didn’t want anyone crying for him. Tears falling down and crying is ok, but you should not be excessive. Allah subhaana wa ta’aala wants us to be patient.

Tears would fall from the Prophet’s eyes when a loved one would pass away, but he wouldn’t allow himself or any of the Sahabah to cry excessively.