In this series we have been looking at life and death. Where did our souls come from before we were born, where will they go after we die, and what were they made to do in between those two times?

In part-1 we looked at the “lives of mankind”, not just this present life we are experiencing, but the lives before and the lives that comes later. Exploring the complete journey of our souls from their creation through to their final abode.

In part-2 we examined this present life and how a person can prepare their legacy to best serve them in the hereafter. What does that look like? What happens to a person after they have passed away?

In this third part we will look at the journey to the grave. We will examine the process of the burial and praying for our loved ones that have already passed on.

The Final Washing

After a person passes away, their family should wash, shroud and bury them as soon as possible; all while praying for them abundantly.

“The dead person perceives and is aware of those who wash, shroud and bury him. It has been said that his spirit is held by an angel who stands near him and walks with it in his funeral so that he hears all that is said about him, whether good or evil.” — Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man

The Funeral Prayer – The Janazah

The janazah prayer is simple, it takes a few minutes and it consists of standing for four takbeers. One “takbeer” is pronouncing Allah’s greatness:  ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ  – Allāhu ʾakbar – God is The Greatest.

After each time the Imam says this ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ (Allāhu ʾakbar) a different prayer follows. Each prayer brings its own significance and meaning.

The First Exaltation

For the first takbeer, the imam pronounces ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ  – Allāhu ʾakbar – God is The Greatest — the congregation then follows in pronouncing the takbeer and raising our hands. We then supplicate for the deceased by reading Surah al Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Qur’an:

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ١

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٢

ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٣

مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٤

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٥

ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ٦

صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٧

“In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy!

Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds,

the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy,

Master of the Day of Judgement.

It is You we worship; it is You we ask for help.

Guide us to the straight path: the path of those You have blessed, those who incur no anger and who have not gone astray.”

— Qur’an 1:1-7

This beautiful Surah is a means of praising God, showing our gratitude to him before seeking his guidance and mercy.

It outlines the archetype for all supplication (dua), firstly we glorify God and acknowledge his magnificence. We then confess our gratitude to him for all of his favours upon us — while acknowledging our own lack of real power and our reliance on him alone.

Having expressed the basis of faith we finally ask God for the most important thing of all which is: guidance to the straight path; before we ask him for anything else we desire.

The Second Takbeer

After the second takbeer, the imam pronounces ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ  – Allāhu ʾakbar – God is The Greatest — we then beseech Allah to send his blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) – just as we do in our prayer (salat):

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in), kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a), innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in), kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a), innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd

‘O Allāh send ṣalawāt (blessings) upon Muḥammad and upon Muḥammad’s family as You have sent ṣalawāt (blessings) upon Ibrāhīm’s family; Indeed You are worthy of all praise and glory. O Allāh bless Muḥammad and Muḥammad’s family as You have blessed Ibrāhīm’s family; You are worthy of all praise and glory.’

This powerful prayer shows our thanks to our beloved Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) who brought us the deen, guiding us to the best way of life. We thank him as much as we can for all he (ﷺ) sacrificed for us, in his journey to bring us right guidance and the best way of life.

The Third Takbeer

After the third takbeer, when the imam pronounces again ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ  – Allāhu ʾakbar – God is The Greatest, we supplicate for the deceased with the janazah-dua (funeral prayer):

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ

Oh Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whomever of us You cause to live, let him live in Islam, and whomever of us You cause to die, let him die in (a state of) faith. Oh Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him.

This is our chance to pray for the deceased, we pray that God grants them a good end and an even better hereafter. We ask that similarly we may have a good end, we ask for our deeds to be accepted and for right guidance to the best of ways.

The Fourth Takbeer

After the fourth and final takbeer as the imam pronounces ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ  – Allāhu ʾakbar – God is The Greatest — we continue to make general supplications and prayers.

We supplicate for those left behind we make general prayers (dua) for ourselves, the family of the deceased and the whole Muslim community worldwide (the ummah).

The Final Salaams

The imam then says his final salaams (sending of peace) and ends the prayer. This process brings the community together to pray for the deceased one last time before they are buried.

Burial

After the janazah prayer the body is carried to the grave by the funeral procession. These moments in the funeral procession are an important time to supplicate for the deceased for those attending the funeral procession.

“The dead person perceives and is aware of those who wash, shroud and bury him. It has been said that his spirit is held by an angel who stands near him and walks with it in his funeral so that he hears all that is said about him, whether good or evil.” — Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man

For the deceased the life in the grave is the bridge between this worldly life and the afterlife. It has more in common with the afterlife.

“[The life of the grave] is a place where spirits and spiritual things are predominant, while physical bodies are secondary, but share with the spirit and their experiences, whether felicity and joy or torment and grief.”— Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man

As soon as the person is buried, the family and people present should remain for a while reading Qu’ran and asking for forgiveness for the deceased.

Having being buried and their affairs laid to rest — a person’s soul will now be at rest in the grave. This is when their questioning begins.

The Questioning of the Grave

“All people are visited by two angels, Munkar and Nakir, to be asked about their beliefs and their actions, after which they receive a foretaste of their future experiences in the Garden or the Fire.” — Abdal-Hakim Murad in the Preface to “Lives of Man”

We will be asked three questions that we all need to prepare for:

• Who is your Lord?
• What is your religion?
• Who is your Prophet?

Those who were firm on their faith in this life will naturally acknowledge God as their lord and Muhammad (ﷺ) as the final Prophet who brought God’s noble message to us; accordingly they will testify Islam as their faith. The angels will then give them the good news, make their grave spacious and filled with light and tranquility.

“For the firm believer, who was established in faith and observance during his life, he will be given good tidings by angels, his grave will be spacious and filled with both light and delight.”— Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man

For a person who finds this pleasant end in their grave:

“His good works will surround him: his prayer, fasts, charity, recitations of Qur’an, and remembrance of God the Exalted, all these things will drive away any terrors or fears that may come near him.” — Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man

The Messenger of Allah said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم  ” إِذَا قُبِرَ الْمَيِّتُ – أَوْ قَالَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ أَسْوَدَانِ أَزْرَقَانِ يُقَالُ لأَحَدِهِمَا الْمُنْكَرُ وَالآخَرُ النَّكِيرُ فَيَقُولاَنِ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ مَا كَانَ يَقُولُ هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ . فَيَقُولاَنِ قَدْ كُنَّا نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ هَذَا . ثُمَّ يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فِي سَبْعِينَ ثُمَّ يُنَوَّرُ لَهُ فِيهِ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَمْ . فَيَقُولُ أَرْجِعُ إِلَى أَهْلِي فَأُخْبِرُهُمْ فَيَقُولاَنِ نَمْ كَنَوْمَةِ الْعَرُوسِ الَّذِي لاَ يُوقِظُهُ إِلاَّ أَحَبُّ أَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ . حَتَّى يَبْعَثَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ مَضْجَعِهِ ذَلِكَ . وَإِنْ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ فَقُلْتُ مِثْلَهُ لاَ أَدْرِي . فَيَقُولاَنِ قَدْ كُنَّا نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ . فَيُقَالُ لِلأَرْضِ الْتَئِمِي عَلَيْهِ . فَتَلْتَئِمُ عَلَيْهِ . فَتَخْتَلِفُ فِيهَا أَضْلاَعُهُ فَلاَ يَزَالُ فِيهَا مُعَذَّبًا حَتَّى يَبْعَثَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ مَضْجَعِهِ ذَلِكَ “

“When the deceased is buried, two angels, black and blue (eyed) come to him. One of them is called Al-Munkar, and the other An-Nakir.

They say: ‘What did you used to say about this man?’

So he (the deceased) says what he was saying (before death) ‘He is Allah’s slave and His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.’

So they say: ‘We knew that you would say this.’ Then his grave is expanded to seventy by seventy cubits, then it is illuminated for him.

Then it is said to him: ‘Sleep.’

So he (the deceased) said: ‘Can I return to my family to inform them?’

They say: ‘Sleep as a newlywed, whom none awakens but the dearest of his family.’ Until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.

If he was a hypocrite he would say: ‘I heard people saying something, so I said the same; I do not know.’

So they said: ‘We knew you would say that.’

So the earth is told: ‘Constrict him.’ So it constricts around him, squeezing his ribs together. He continues being punished like that until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.”

The Punishment of the Grave

Those who were far from God in this world or hesitant to accept him will likewise be hesitant and confused in the grave. Unfortunately they will not know the answers to the questions, as they hesitate and doubt just as they did in this life, their grave will be tightened around them and filled with punishment.

Spirits are subject to the grave’s bliss or torment much more than bodies. Although bodies share in it.

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ دُفِنَ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ قَالَ لَوْ نَجَاأَحَدٌ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ لَنَجَا سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ وَلَقَدْ ضُمَّ ضَمَّةً ثُمَّ رُخِّيَ عَنْهُ

On the day the Prophet(ﷺ) buried Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, he was sitting over his grave and he said, “If anyone were to be saved from the trial of the grave, it would have been Sa’d ibn Mu’adh. He was given a mighty squeezing, but then he was relaxed.” — Sahih from Tabarani

Conclusion

In the next part we will hopefully look at what we can do to help those that have passed on, in addition to what we can do to help ourselves before our ultimate demise.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ ١٨٥

“Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is spared from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have triumphed. Whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.” — Quran 3:185