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Prepare Yourself For the Journey -
UNDERGROUND
As one passes away, breathes his last
and closes his eyes, his soul pays a visit either to the
'Illieen', a place for the righteous people or the 'Sijjeen'
where the sinners and bad people will go and his body enters
through a door, a door everyone will enter into; a room full of
darkness, surrounded by four walls and that is the grave, the
very first step.
Once Rasoolullah (SAW) entered the
mosque and saw that some people were laughing very loud. He
said, "If you had remembered death very often you would not
have laughed like this, not a day passes by when the grave does
not proclaim, 'I am the house of wilderness, the house of
loneliness and the place of worms and insects.' When a believer
is buried, it welcomes him, saying 'You are welcome. You have
done well to have come here. Of all the people walking upon the
earth, you were the dearest to me and now see how I entertain
you', and the grave expands and a door of paradise opens and
through this door comes the fragrance of paradise. But when a
non- believer is buried, there is no welcome for him and it
says, 'Of all the people walking upon the earth, I hated you
the most and now you will see how I treat you'. Then the grave
narrows down and squeezes him until his ribs collide with each
other, like how the fingers of two hands interlock each other.
Then ninety-nine serpents are set on him and they keep on
biting him till the day of Qiyamat (Judgement).
Whenever Hadhrat Uthman (RA) visited a
grave, he would weep so much that his beard would become wet
with tears. He would say that the grave is the very first stage
of the many stages of the Hereafter, he who is successful
during this stage, the later stages will be easy, while he who
is unsuccessful the later stages will be very difficult. He
also says that Rasoolullah (SAW) had said, "I have not come
across any site more terrifying than that of the
grave."
No Mercy: - The punishment of the grave
is severe and one can never bare its pain and torture, these
punishments are due to the amount of major sins we commit
daily. For example; Neglecting salaah, backbiting, lack of care
when urinating (which leaves ones self and his clothes unclean
- to be precautious at the time of urinating is
important).
Whilst in the grave Munkir and Nakir,
the two angels, come to question a person. Their eyes sparkle
like the lightening of thunder, their voice is like the roar of
thunder, their teeth like the horn of a bull sticking out with
flames of fire coming out of their mouth, the hair on their
body flowing down to their feet and they will be carrying a
very big hammer. According to other narrations, they will be
blind and deaf and they will ask three questions. If one
answers correctly he will receive glad tidings. However if a
person answers incorrectly he will be beaten severly. He will
start screaming and crying but they will not hear him nor will
they have any remorse for him.
On one occasion Hazrat Abu Zar Gifaari
(RA) in excitement said to the grave:
"O Grave! There is some news for you,
that we have come with the body of the daughter of the Prophet
(SAW); Hazrat Fatima, the Queen of Paradise."
A voice came from the grave saying: "O
Abu Zar! The grave is not a place for dynasty nor people of
high ranks, here I will only treat a person according to his
deeds."
From this we can clearly understand that
the grave will only treat us according to our deeds. May Allah
grant us the ability to do good deeds. (Ameen)
The Good News: - Just as there are sins
that become a means for a person to receive punishment in the
grave, similarly there are some good deeds a person can do
safeguard him from it.
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