Knowing the Condition of a Person in the Grave

27-7-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

What is the concept of Ahl al-Sunnah about "Kashf-al-Quboor"? We know that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) once came upon two graves and described that the persons lying in them were been punished. Can pious Muslims /Awlia-ullah be informed through Allah Ta'alaah about the condition of a certain grave (i.e. the person buried in it)? Specifically, is it possible to know the condition of a buried person apart from seeing him in a dream? Do we have methods by which we may recite something from Qur'an and pray to Allah to open the present condition of a certain buried person before us?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is possible that Allah may breach customs and norms of normal life, such as briefing one of His Slaves about some conditions of the dead, comfort, or torture.

Such things may happen with righteous or wicked people. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “By Allah's Might, it is possible to become uncovered to some people so that they hear voices of those who undergo torture in their graves, and even to see how they are tortured in their graves. This is proved in many narrations.”

Ibn Rajab mentioned a similar narration while commenting on the same subject in his book “Tadhkirat Ahwaal al-Mawta”.

More information on the same subject is available in the book entitled Al-Qiyaamah as-Sughra by 'Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar.

All scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah have mentioned and stated such things while discussing those who deny the torture of the grave.

Therefore, we reassure that the above statement does not apply to Allah's friends only. We do not know any special Du'aa’ or form of Thikr in this concern.

Allah knows best.