Hadeeth Questions
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Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Question:
What is the explanation of the hadeeth of Zayd bin Thaabit - may Allaah be pleased with him?
Answer:
The hadeeth of Zayd bin Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) is indeed a beautiful hadeeth with many benefits. The discussion of this hadeeth is as follows inshaAllaah.
Hadeeth of Zayd bin Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said:
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in a garden belonging to Banu’l-Najjaar on a mule of his and we were with him, it stumbled and nearly threw him. There he saw some graves, six or five or four. He said: “Who knows the occupants of these graves?” A man said: I do.” He said: “When did these people die?” He said: “They died in shirk.” He said: “This ummah will be punished in their graves. Were it not that you would not bury one another, I would pray to Allaah to make you hear what I hear of the torment in the grave.” Then he turned to us and said: “Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the Fire,” and they said, “We seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the Fire.” He said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave,” and they said, “We seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave.”
[Reported by Muslim]
Benefit 1 - This hadeeth proves the punishment of the grave as it discusses the torment of the grave to people who used to commit shirk with Allaah. This hadeeth is just one of the many evidences to prove the torment and punishment of the grave. Other evidences include:
Allaahs statement concerning the people of Pharaoh:
“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’”
[Surah al-Ghaafir 40:46]
Allaah states here that the people of Pharaoh are exposed to torment morning and afternoon even though they are dead. From this aayah, the scholars affirmed that the torment of the grave is real.
Ibn Katheer said:
This aayah is the main basis of the belief of Ahlus Sunnah in the torment of al-barzakh, as Allaah says: “The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon.”
[Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
This is benefit number one.
Benefit 2 - Shirk is a reason why people are punished in the grave.
The words in the hadeeth being discussed, “they died in shirk,” indicate that shirk is a cause of the punishment in the grave.
This is benefit number two.
Benefit 3 - The punishment and torment of the grave can also take place if the person is not buried.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Were it not that you would not bury one another, I would have asked Allaah to make you hear the torment of the grave.”
[Reported by Muslim - Hadeeth of Zayd being discussed]
Here the Prophet is telling us that the torment of the grave begins when the person is placed in the grave. And the Prophet would have asked Allaah to allow the people to hear this torment but he didnt because he thought that the people would stop burying their dead thinking that if they do not bury their dead they wont be tormented. However, what the people do not know is, that although the punishment and torment of the grave is specific to the grave, it can also take place out of the grave if the person is not buried.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen - may Allaah have mercy on him - said regarding this statement of the Prophet:
“This indicates that burial might become too difficult and people would not do it, if a person deserves to be punished he will be punished even if he is lying on the surface of the earth. But people might imagine that the torment only takes place when the person is buried, so they would not bury one another.”
This is why the Messenger of Allaah said did not ask Allaah to permit the people to hear the torment of the grave. For he feared that the people would have stopped burying their dead.
This is benefit number three.
Benefit 4 - No person, man or woman, scholar or layman, can see, or hear the dead being tormented in their graves or even speak to them.
With regards to seeing and hearing the dead being tormented in their graves:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Were it not that you would not bury one another, I would have asked Allaah to make you hear the torment of the grave.”
[Reported by Muslim - Hadeeth of Zayd being discussed]
This statement implies that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not ask Allaah to grant permission for the believers to hear the torment of the grave.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“The torment of the grave is one of the matters of the unseen. How many people in these graves are being tormented but we do not realize it, and how many of their neighbours are being blessed with a door opened for them to Paradise, but we do not realize it? What is beneath the graves is known only to the Knower of the Unseen. The torment of the grave is one of the matters of the unseen, and were it not for the revelation that came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), we would not know anything about it.”
With regards to speaking with the dead in their graves:
Allaah says:
“but you cannot make hear those who are in graves”
[Surah Faatir 35:22]
And Allaah says:
“So verily, you (O Muhammad) cannot make the dead to hear”
[Surah al-Room 30:52]
This is benefit number four.
Benefit 5 - The animals can hear the torment of the grave
Zayd bin Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
“When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in a garden belonging to Banu’l-Najjaar on a mule of his and we were with him, it stumbled and nearly threw him. There he saw some graves, six or five or four.”
[Reported by Muslim - Hadeeth of Zayd being discussed]
It is reported that the animal was so frightened and the manner in which it reacted indicated it had seen or heard something terrible.
Moreover, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
There came to me two old women from the old Jews of Medina and said: The people of the grave are tormented in their graves. I contradicted them and I did not deem it proper to agree with them. They went away and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to me and I said to him: Messenger of Allah! there came to me two old women from the old Jews of Medina and asserted that the people of the grave would be tormented therein. He (the Prophet) said: They told you the truth; they would be tormented (so much) that the animals would listen to it. She (’A’ishah) said: Never did I see him (the Holy Prophet) afterwards but seeking refuge from the torment of the grave in his Prayer.
[Reported by Muslim]
This is benefit number five.
Benefit 6 - The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would always seek refuge with Allaah from the punishment of the grave.
Then he turned to us and said: “Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the Fire,” and they said, “We seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the Fire.” He said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave,” and they said, “We seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave.”
[Reported by Muslim - Hadeeth of Zayd being discussed]
According to the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray in his salaah:
“Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min ‘adhaab il-qabr, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-mahyaa wa fitnat il-mamaat, Allaahumma ini a’oodhu bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram.”
(O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave, I seek refuge in You from the tribulation of the Dajjaal, I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death, O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from sin and loss).
[Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
This is benefit number six.
I hope this answers the question inshaAllaah.
And Allaah knows best.
Wassalaamu ‘Alaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh
Saleh
At an event this week and at other classes elsewhere, I have seen students stand up when the Shaykh enters the room (I guess out of respect for the teacher?). Masha’Allaah …But, I remember reading some ahadeeth (which I cannot recall exactly) indicating that it’s not from the sunnah to stand for a teacher when he arrives. Is this understanding correct?
And I have a follow up question: does respect for the Sunnah *always* take precedence over respect for the Shaykh?
JazakAllaah khayr
Assalaamu’aleykum
can someone please chek the authenticity of this hadith as i have been search for quite a while now and cant seem to locate it in the hadith books JazakuAllaahu khairen
This hadith is from Ibn Mardawayh (ra) and was related by Umar (ra)
Jibril (as) descended on earth looking pale. The Prophet (saw) enquired as to his condition. Jibril (as) answered: “O Muhammad (saw)! Allah has commanded that the Fires of Hell be bellowed!”
The Prophet (saw) then asked: “Describe it so.”
Jibril (as) replied: “The Fire was burning for a thousand years till it turned red. Then it continued burning for another thousand years till it turned white. And again it burnt for another thousand years till it turned black. It is now as black as the blackest night.”
The Prophet (saw) said: “Enough O Jibril (as)! Do not break my heart!”
The Prophet (saw) then noticed Jibril weeping. “Why do you weep?” the Prophet (saw) asked.
Jibril (as) answered: “I do not know my position with Allah. He knows what I do not know about myself. Even Iblis was among the angels. Harut and Marut were also angels.”
Upon hearing that, the Prophet (saw) also wept.
At both their weeping, a voice called out: “O Jibril (as)! O Muhammad (saw)! Allah has caused the both of you to be among the saved ones.”
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Regarding the Fiqh of Salaah course this wednesday, could you please restate the hadiths concerning the covering of the awrah in salaah? (i.e. ensuring the colour of your skin cannot be seen, covering the thighs and the awrah of men and slave women).
Jazakallahu khair
Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh