Hanni’, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, narrated that whenever ‘Uthman raa stood over a grave he would weep until his beard would be wet. It was said to him, “You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but when you remember the grave you weep?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah pbuh say, ‘The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. Whoever passes through it safely, whatever comes after that will be easier for him, but if he does not pass through it safely, whatever comes after that will be harder for him.’ He said, “And I heard the Messenger of Allah pbuh say, ‘I have never seen any (disturbing) scene, more terrifying than the grave.'” (TIRMIDI AND IBN MAAJAH)
The Darkness of the Grave
At the time of the Messenger pbuh, a woman died who used to clean the mosqu. The Messenger pbuh noticed that she was not there. They told him that she died during the night and buried her. They did not like to wake him up. He asked his Companions to show him her grave, then he went to her grave and prayed for her. Then he said, “These graves are full of darkness, but Allah illuminates them for their occupants by virtue of my praying for them.” BUKHARI, MUSLIM, ABU DAWOOD, IBN MAAJH, AL BAYHAQI AND AHMAD.
The Squeezing of the Grave
When the deceased is placed in his/her grave, he/she is squeezed in a manner which no one can escape. ‘Umar raa related: “The Messenger pbuh said, ‘This one at whose death the Throne shook, for whom the gates of heaven were opened, and whose funeral was attended by seventy thousand angels, has been squeezed once, then relieved.'” conditions of MUSLIM as sahih.
‘Umar raa reported that the Messenger of Allah pbuh said, “There is squeezing in the grave; if anyone were to have been saved from it, it would have been Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh.” IMAAM AHMAD
Ibn ‘Abbaas raa narrated that the Messenger pbuh said, “If anyone were to have been saved from the squeezing of the grave, it would have been Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh. He was squeezed once then released.” SAHIH AL JAAMI SAHIH.
The Trial (FITNA) of the Grave
Narrated from Anas raa that the Messenger of Allah pbuh said, “When a person is placed in his grave, and his companions leave him, he can hear their footsteps. When they have left, two angels come to him, get him sit and say, ‘What did you say about this man, Muhammad?’ The believer says, ‘I bear witness that he is the slave of Allah and His Messenger…’ But the kaafir (disbeliever) or hypocrit says, ‘I don’t know. I used to say what the people were saying about him.’ It is said to him, ‘May you never know and may you never say what the people said!'” BUKHARI, MUSLIM, ABU DAWOOD, AND NASA’I
The prophet pbuh used to supplicate for protection of the grave.
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