What is the Punishment of the Grave? (ʿAdhāb al-Qabr)

In summary, Sunni Islam holds that:

• The soul is questioned in the grave by two angels: Munkar and Nakīr.

• The person is asked about their Lord, religion, and Prophet.

• The answers and one’s deeds determine whether the grave becomes a garden from Paradise or a pit from Hell.
  
  

Evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah

Qur’anic Evidence

While the Qur'an does not detail the punishment of the grave explicitly, it gives strong indications:

• Surah Al-Mu’minoon (23:99–100):
  
  “Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.’ No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier [barzakh] until the Day they are resurrected.”
  (Qur’an 23:99–100)

• Surah Ghafir (40:46) – Concerning Pharaoh’s people:
  
  “The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour will be established [it will be said], ‘Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment.’”

This indicates punishment before the Day of Judgment—i.e., in the Barzakh.

Hadith Evidence

Sahih al-Bukhari (1369), Sahih Muslim, and other authentic collections include many hadiths:

1. Hadith of the two angels:
   
   “When a person is buried, two black and blue Angels come to him, one called Munkar and the other Nakīr... If he was a believer... a door to Paradise is opened for him. If he was a disbeliever... a door to Hell is opened for him.”
   
   (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 1071; Sahih al-Jami‘, authentic)
   
   

2. Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ seeking refuge from grave punishment:
   
   The Prophet ﷺ regularly sought refuge in Allah from: "the punishment of the grave."
   
   (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1377; Sahih Muslim)

3. Hadith of the Prophet passing by two graves:
   
   “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for something that was difficult to avoid... One of them used to walk about spreading gossip, and the other used not to take precautions to avoid urine.”
   (Sahih al-Bukhari, 218)

And Allah know best.

Written by Meurad Osman

May 1, 2025

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