Kinds of Torments in the Grave;
The Quran itself gives very brief references about the period between death and the resurrection. It makes no mention of any kind of reward or punishment being given to the deceased/dead in the grave. However, it mentions that certain individuals, such as martyrs, are alive and not dead in:
"Never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead—in fact, they are alive! But you do not perceive it."— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[Surah Al Baqarah: Ayat154]
So because of their sins, they were drowned, then admitted into the Fire. And they found none to help them against Allah.— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[Surah Nuh: Ayat 25]
After burial, each person is interrogated in the grave by two angels, called Munkar and Nakir, appointed by God to question the dead to test their faith. The righteous believers answer correctly and live in peace and comfort, while the sinners and disbelievers fail and punishments ensue. In the life of Barzakh, the souls of the sinners and disbelievers are kept and punished in a place called Sijjin, which is said to be located at the lowest level of the earth (traditionally hell, before the Day of Resurrection or underworld). The books containing the full records of their deeds are also kept here. On the other hand, the souls of the righteous believers are kept in a place called Illiyin. Their books of deeds are also kept here. According to some accounts, Illiyin is located in heaven. There is the belief that the fire, which represents the own bad deeds, can already be seen during the Punishment of the Grave, and that the spiritual pain caused by this can lead to purification of the soul.
Saurah b. Jundub رضي الله عنه is reported to have said that the Prophet, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, often used to ask his companions whether or not they had a dream. One day early in the morning, he volunteered that at night, he saw two men come towards him, who led him to the temple of Jerusalem. On the way, we passed by a man who was lying down and another man who was battering his head with a stone.
When he hit the latter on the head, the stone, after crushing his head, rebounded and fell a distance. No sooner did he go to pick up the stone again than the crushed head came back to its former condition. Returning, he again assaulted his victim. He went on hitting him on the head. Exclaiming that Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, enquired who those men were. His companion informed him that there was something more to be seen.
They resumed their journey. They had gone not very far when he saw a man ripping open the corners of the mouth of the other man, who had fallen flat on a cushion with a hooked iron rod. At first, he rent one side right from the corner of the mouth to the nape, but when he started tearing the other side, the injured side healed up. He went on doing so. As soon as he started to rip open the other corner of the mouth, the first injured side came back to its former condition.
Exclaiming that God be praised, Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, enquired who those men were. His companion informed him that there was something more to be seen. Again, they resumed their journey. They reached a place where there was an oven. He heard screams coming from the direction of the oven. He stopped and peeped into the oven and saw a multitude of naked men and women under whom burning flames leapt. The flames burnt their skins, and the pain so inflicted caused them to cry bitterly.
The foul smell that came out of the oven was unbearable. He enquired who those men were. His companion informed him that there was something more to be seen. Again, they resumed their journey. They came to stream. It was as red as blood. A man was swimming in the stream while the other one, who was carrying many stones, was standing on the bank. As soon as the swimmer swam to the bank, the other man would put the stone into his mouth as a morsel. They went on doing so. He enquired who those men were. His companion informed him that there was something more to be seen.
They resumed their journey. On his way, he saw that an ugly man would kindle fire and go round and round it. He enquired who the man was. His companion. Informed that there was something more to be seen, they resumed their journey,..and came to a verdant garden. He saw such a tall man standing in the middle of the garden that his head was not visible to him. The man was surrounded by many children whom the Holy Prophet had never seen before. He enquired who they were.
He was informed that there was something more to be seen. They resumed their journey. They reached a big and spacious garden that he had never seen before. With the permission of his companion, he entered the garden and saw a populated city in it. Its buildings were constructed with bricks made of gold and silver. They went to the gate of the city, got it opened, and entered the city. Hardly had they entered when some men, whose bodies were partly beautiful and partly ugly, approached them. His companion commanded them to lunge into the stream flowing nearby.
They jumped into it, but when they came out, the ugliness of their bodies had vanishe,d and their persons turned beautiful from head to foot. His h companion informed him that that was the Garden of Eden and that was his abode. He looked up and saw a silvery parlor. His companion further informed him that that was also his abode.
He prayed that God might bless him and asked if he could enter his dwelling place. He did not give him permission to enter, but assured that he would get his place at the appointed time. Then he requested his companion to unravel all the experiences of his journey. He disclosed that the first man, whose head was being crushed, was one who had received education in the Holy Qur’an but had forgotten it afterwards. He dreamed away his time
and neglected the performance of obligatory prayers. This hardship would be borne by him till the Last Day. Secondly, the man whose corners of the mouth were being ripped open was one who was in the habit of telling lies all day. That hardship would be borne by him till the Last Day. Thirdly, men and women who were being roasted in the burning fire were adulterers. Fourthly, the swimmer who was being given morsels of stone on the bank of the stream was a usurer.
Fifthly, the man who was kindling fire was the guardian of hell. Sixthly, the tall man who was standing in the middle of the garden was Hadrat Ibrahim (blessings of Allah be upon him), and the children who had gathered round him were those whose death had occurred according to nature, viz. Islam. Seventhly, the men whose bodies were partly beautiful and partly ugly were those who had done good as well as bad deeds, but when they were submerged in God’s mercy, they were absolved from the sins committed by them. Then Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, said: Then both of his companions introduced themselves to him. They were Gabriel and Michael.
(Bukhart, Bathaqt).
The learned say that the tradition mentioned above is authentic in regard to torments of Barzakh, because the dream of the prophets is always true and is indicative of actual happenings. The words, “that hardship would be borne till the Last Day,” occurring in the tradition bear testimony to the fact that these happenings essentially relate to Barzakh.
Referring to the above tradition, Saiyidina Ali رضي الله عنه is also reported to have said that the man who kindled fire and went round and round it was the guardian of hell. The guardian of hell seizes those who try to escape from fire and throws them back into the fire. The naked man and woman were adulterers, and the foul smell emitted from the private parts of their bodies. The corpulent persons, whose anuses were being filled with fire to be drawn from their mouths, were sodomists. The stream containing milky water was the stream of paradise called Kauthar.
(Ibn Asakir).
Abu Sa‘id Khudri رضي الله عنه is reported to have said that Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, saw a dining table on which dishes of fresh and roasted meat were displayed, but no guest was present to dine. He also saw a dining table on which dishes of stale meat were placed, and there were a few guests who had gathered around the table. He disclosed that they were people who preferred unlawful earnings to lawful earnings.
Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, saw some ®men whose bellies were swollen, looking like a dome. Whenever they tried to rise to their feet, they fell down. ‘They wept bitterly and prayed to God not to establish the Day of Resurrection. He was informed that they were his disciples living on usury. He also came in contact with men whose lips bore resemblance to those of a caniel and who were given morsels of stone which discharged from their anuses.
He was informed that they were the men who used to misappropriate the money of the orphans. He also saw some men who were being given the flesh of their own ribs. They were forced to eat it just as they used to eat the flesh of their brothers. He was informed that they were fault-finders and back-biters. That hardship would be borne by them till the Last Day.
(Bathagi, Dala’il-e-Nubawwat).
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, saw on the night of his ascension to Heaven that the heads of some men were being crushed. Soon after, their heads came back to the former condition but were again crushed. This was done repeatedly. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Gabriel who those men were. The latter disclosed that they were those men who used to feel giddy at the time of saying prayers—they said prayers not to discharge an obligation but to cast off a burden.
Either they said prayers as they pleased or totally neglected saying prayers. He also saw some men who had covered the private parts of their bodies with rags. They grazed like animals and ate thorny herbs or burning stones. He was informed that they were those men who neither gave the poor due nor charity. Again, he saw some men and women who had kept before them roasted as well as putrid meat, but instead of eating roasted meat, they ate putrid meat. He was informed that they were those men who neglected their lawful wives and developed illicit relations with whores. The women were those who neglected their husbands and comforted the beds of other men.
He also saw a man groan under the heavy weight of a bundle, but he was burdened with more load. He was informed that he held the properties of others in trust but was guilty of breach of trust. Then Muhammad, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, saw some men whose tongues and lips were being cut off with iron scissors. The moment they were cut off, they came back to the former condition and were again clipped. He was informed that they were the preachers and orators who sowed the seed of discord.
(Ibn ‘Adi Bathaq1).
Referring to the above dream of Muhammad Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم Umamah (Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) told him that he | had s€n a dream which was quite true. And narrating that dream, he said: I saw a man approach me and seize my hand to lead me to an unknown place. On the way, I saw a high mountain. That man asked me to climb up the mountain.
I told him that I could not ascend that high mountain. He said that he would remove all obstacles that could hinder me from ascending the mountain. The moment I stepped forward, I found a foothold. I went on ascending and at every step I found a foothold. At last, we climbed up the mountain. We had gone not very far when we saw several men and women who had the corners of their mouths ripped open. I enquired who those people were. I was told that they were the people whose actions did not correspond with their words. Then we resumed our journey.
On our way, we saw some men and women in whose ears and eyes nails had been driven. I was told that those were the people who used to listen to obscene calls and see forbidden things. Again, we resume our journey. We had gone not very far when we saw some women who were hanging upside down, and snakes were biting their breasts. I was told that they were the women who discouraged their infants from suckling. Again, we resumed our journey. We reached a place where we saw many men and women who were hanging upside down and were licking mud. I was told that they were the people who used to break their fasts before the appointed time.
Again, we resumed our journey. On our way, we saw three men drinking pure wine and singing joyful songs. I was told that they were Zaid b. Harithaرضي الله عنه, Jaffar Tayyarرضي الله عنه and ‘Abdullah bin Rahawah رضي الله عنه. (Lbn Khuzaima, Ibn Hibbanرضي الله عنه).
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