Last words before he was strangled:

What I've done?

Pavel I

Amsterdam, year 1717

Ruysch decided to sell the collection only in 1717, when Peter I came to Amsterdam again, nineteen years after the first negotiations with the Russian Tsar began.

Peter was no longer that young inquisitive and trusting young man. It was a sovereign, commander, king of a mighty state. All negotiations and bargaining for the sale of the collection were conducted in advance with Dr. Areskin, and when Peter arrived in Amsterdam, the issue had already been resolved. Ruysch was already 79 years old by that time, but he was still full of strength and energy. At first, it was only about selling a collection of freaks. But Ruysch agreed to sell only the entire collection at once, and after long negotiations, the collection was finally bought for 30,000 guilders, which at that time was a huge amount for which a warship with full equipment could be built.

Dr. Areskin insisted on Ruysch's discovery of this secret of embalming corpses. But Ruysch demanded an exorbitant price for his secret, and his secret was not acquired.

Here is what Frederic Ruysch himself wrote about the sale of the collection and the secret of embalming to his friend: “As for the price, I was very mistaken in the amount due to my collection and even acted unreasonably, demanding only 30,000 guilders. If I had first asked for 60,000 guilders (which everyone values ​​my assembly), they would at least give me 40,000. given word I do not renounce. Moreover, Mr. Areskin demands that I reveal to him the secret known only to me of preparing and preserving anatomical things and anointing dead bodies. For from whom I have not asked about this and no matter how much I have found out, no one truly understands it. Mr. Dr. Blumentros, who recently arrived from Paris and lived there with Mr. anatomist du Vernoy, says that all this glorious man's knowledge in this matter is of little importance because all his preparations are unreliable. I am not ashamed to say: even if someone, instead of all good things, had only my knowledge of this, he would, in my opinion, be quite rich and could live his life in peace. So, if Mr. Areskin cancels this one demand, I agree to everything else. I, despite my old age, will agree to teach this one secret for at least 50,000 guilders. Do not think that I have found all this without long labors. I got up every morning at 4 o’clock, spent all my income on it and, for all that, often despaired of success, I used more than one thousand corpses, not only fresh ones, but also those that the worms had already got for turning, and through that many I exposed myself dangerous diseases. Let Mr. Areskin buy whatever he pleases from others; only after that he will begin to repent utterly about this, if the preservation was not done according to my method, on the search for which I spent almost my whole life, not tasting any of the gaiety of this world, and even now I still work day and night. The Roman emperor Leopold of blessed memory offered me 20,000 guilders for discovering the secret of anointing dead bodies, and we almost agreed, but our agreement was cut short by his death. However, I wish his royal majesty, more than any other sovereign, to rule over my collection, because zeal has long continued between his majesty and me; for, as I had the honor to see his majesty in my house, he deigned to give me his hand and say, “you are still my old teacher.”

Due to the mysterious and sudden death Dr. Areskin to Russia to deliver the Ruysch collection, which consisted of more than two thousand exhibits with detailed descriptions in ten catalogues, was entrusted to Archpriest Blumentrost - in the future the first president Russian Academy Sciences. In the same year, she was transferred to St. Petersburg.

After selling his collection, which he collected all his life, the seventy-nine-year-old Frederick Ruysch felt homesick. By that time, son Heinrich had already died, daughter Rachel became a famous artist, a member of the Academy in The Hague, and Ruysch felt lonely. His whole life, his whole meaning, sailed away on a ship to Russia. He wandered around the empty rooms in despondency, looking around at the empty shelves. Did he need this huge amount of money now? He did not like noisy balls, the joys and pleasures that money promised. Now he could live out the rest of his days in luxury ... But this was not what he needed: he loved work, he adored the collection of freaks that he had collected all his life. It was the final and, as it turned out, the collapse of the life of the great anatomist Frederick Ruysch. Then the rest of the days he was haunted by failure. He was forced to protect the most precious thing he had left in this life - his secret.

Taking up the production of a new collection in 1724, Frederick Ruysch publishes a new eleventh catalog and dedicates it to Peter I in the hope that the Russian monarch will not be stingy and buy new exhibits. But Ruysch continues to pursue failures - in 1725 the Russian tsar dies. Ruysch desperately grabs what he has left, and in the ninetieth year of his life he publishes another, twelfth, catalog and dedicates it to the Paris Academy. But again, failure - the Paris Academy refuses to buy his new collection. Ruysch goes out of fashion. For him, this is a hard blow.

It was believed that this collection, created at the end of his life, Ruysch sold to the Polish king Stanislaw, who donated it to the University of Wittenberg. There was also an assumption that the collection was allegedly bought by the Polish king Augustus, who gave 20,000 guilders for it. But this is far from reality. In the collection, described in two catalogs, there were only 59 drugs for which such a huge amount could not be paid. Most likely, in desperation, Ruysch himself spread rumors about his dizzying success, although it was clear to all of Holland that the popularity of Frederick Ruysch was already in the past.

In fact, after the death of the greatest embalmer of all times and peoples, the remains of his preparations were sold at auction and went to private collections. All his life, Frederick Ruysch was forced to guard his secret, which, having lived to the age of ninety-three, he never passed on to anyone.

It was his strength, his wealth, his glory.

Ruysch was buried in the city cemetery with honors equal only to the offspring of royal blood. But even in the cemetery, his body did not find peace. That same night, three unknown men in black cloaks and hats dug up the body of Ruysch and ransacked the deceased. Thus, refuting all future claims of descendants that Frederick Ruysch took the secret of embalming corpses with him to the grave. No secrets were found in the grave.

The secret that Ruysch possessed was sought by many. Everyone understood that owning it was tantamount to owning a philosopher's stone. Giuseppe Balsamo, better known as Count Cagliostro, traveled around Europe for half his life in search of the secret of Frederic Ruysch.

In his dreams, he painted a castle full of amazing creatures that could bring a lot of money and glorify him, Count Cagliostro ... And one day this secret was almost in his hands ... But Count Cagliostro was arrested and sent to prison.

Ruysch's daughter Rachel, the only one who could possess this secret, outlived her father by nineteen years, but did not reveal the secret. And although almost three centuries have passed, none of the anatomists has come even a centimeter closer to revealing this great secret.

All these three hundred years and still there is a legend among anatomists that this secret, contrary to the assertion of historians, has survived to this day. Here and there, the mummy of a dead man suddenly appeared, embalmed in some way unknown to science. But no one really knows about this.

As for the anatomical collection of Frederic Ruysch, bought by Peter the Great, it died like that. As the anatomist Cuvier wrote in the book "History of the Natural Sciences", and then the famous physician Girtl in the historical sketch of his famous anatomy textbook, part of the Ruysch collection died already during the trip to St. Petersburg, because the sailors drank the alcohol in which the preparations were stored. So, according to them, the great collection of the ingenious father of monsters, Frederic Ruysch, perished.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The souls of the believers are inside the green birds on the trees of Paradise until Allah returns them to their bodies on the Day of Resurrection” (Sahih at-Tabarani). Also, according to him, “the grave is the first halt on the way to the afterlife, and for those who will be saved in it, the future will be easier. And if not, then the future will be more difficult ”(Hasan, at-Tirmizi, Ibn Maaja, al-Hakim according to Usman).

In this regard, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised: “Seek the protection of Allah from the punishment of the grave, for this is the truth” ( Sahih at-Tabarani ).

“When the dead is being buried, two blue-black angels come to him, one of whom is called al-Munkar, and the other is an-Nakir,” says the hadith, “and they say to him: “What did you usually say (about Muhammad)?” And he repeats what he used to say: “The servant of Allah and His Messenger; I swear that none is worthy of praise except Allah, and that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger.” Then they say: "Indeed, we knew that you would say this." Then the grave expands for him, and light appears in it, and they say to him: "Sleep." He says, "I'll go to my family and tell them." They say: “Sleep like a young husband who will not be awakened by anyone except his beloved wife” (that is, until Allah wakes him up from his place of sleep). But if he is a hypocrite (munafiq), he says: “I heard people say so-and-so, and I said the same thing (I don’t know).” They say, "We knew you'd say that." Then the earth is commanded: “Squeeze him,” and he is squeezed, and he is in such a painful position until Allah raises him from the place where he is ”( Hasan, at-Tirmidhi according to Abu Hurairah ).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a person is put in a grave and his companions return, so that he even hears their footsteps, two angels approach him, make him sit down and ask him:“ What did you used to say about this man, Muhammad? He will say: “I testify that he is the servant of Allah and his Prophet.” Then he will be told: “Look at this place in Hell. Allah has replaced it for you with a place in Paradise.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) added: “The dead will see both places of his possible stay after death. However, if an unbeliever or a hypocrite answers the angels: “I don’t know, but I used to say the same thing that people used to say!”, He will be told: “You neither received knowledge nor followed the guidance (reading the Qur'an).” Then he will be beaten with an iron hammer between his ears, and he will weep and weep, and this cry will be heard by all who approach him, except for people and jinn. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/422, Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i according to Anas ).

Al-Baraa bin Azib said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), accompanying a stretcher with the body of one dead Ansar. When we came to the place where his grave was supposed to be, it had not yet been dug. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat down, and we sat around him as if there were birds over our heads. In his hand was a staff with which he scratched the ground. Then he raised his head and said, "Seek protection from Allah from the punishment of the grave." He repeated this two or three times." In his version of the story, Jarir adds here: “He hears the sound of their (his friends) sandals as they walk away, and at that moment he is asked: “Oh so-and-so! Who is your Lord, what is your religion, and who is your prophet? According to Hannad's version: "Two angels will approach him, make him sit down, and ask him, 'Who is your Lord?' He will answer: "My Lord is Allah." They will ask him, "What is your religion?" He will answer: "My religion is Islam." They will ask him, "What do you think of the man who was sent on a mission among you?" He will answer: "He is the Messenger of Allah." They will ask: "Who let you know about this?" He will answer: “I read the book of Allah, believed in it and considered it to be true ...” Then a voice will be heard from heaven: “My servant told the truth, so spread a heavenly bed for him, dress him in heavenly clothes and open the door to Paradise for him.” And he will smell the fragrance of Paradise, and (the grave) will be made for him as spacious as the eye can see. He also mentioned the death of an infidel, saying: his spirit will return to his body, two angels will approach him, make him sit down and ask: "Who is your Lord?" He will answer: “Alas, alas! I dont know". Then they will ask: "What is your religion?" He will answer: “Alas, alas! I dont know". They will ask, "Who is this man who was sent on a mission among you?" He will answer: “Alas, alas! I dont know". Then a voice will be heard from heaven: "He lied, so spread out a hellish bed for him, dress him in hellish clothes and open the door to Hell for him." Then he will feel some of the hellfire and the scorching wind, and his grave will shrink so that his ribs will press against each other. In his version, Jarir adds: “Then a blind and dumb man will be placed in front of him with such a sledgehammer that if you hit a mountain with it, the mountain will turn to dust. He will be hit with this sledgehammer, and the sound of the blow will be heard by everyone from east to west, except for people and jinn, and he will turn into dust. Then his spirit will return to him" ( Sahih: Ahmad, Abu Dawud (3/4735) Ibn Khuzayma, al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqi, ad-Diya from al-Baraa ).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “... a righteous person sits in his grave and does not feel anxiety or fear, and they say (the angels):“ In what (state) were you? And he says: "In the (state of) Islam." They say to him: "Who is this man?" He says: "Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, who came to us with clear signs from Allah, and we believed him." Then they ask him: “Have you seen Allah?” He says: "No man can see Allah." Then a gap is made for him in the direction of the Fire, so that he sees (the Fire), and they say to him: "Look, from what Allah Almighty has saved you." Then a gap is made for him in the direction of Paradise, so that he can see its splendor and what is there, and he is told: "Here is your place." And they say to him: "You were in the right faith and died in this faith, and you will be resurrected in this faith, by the will of Allah." But the sinner sits in his grave, alarmed and frightened, and they ask him: “What state were you in?” He replies, "I don't know." He is asked: "Who is this man?" He replies: "I heard people say something, and I repeated after them!" Then a gap is made for him in the direction of Paradise, and he sees its splendor and what is there, and they say to him: “Look what Allah denied you.” Then a gap is made for him in the direction of Hell, so that he sees flames rising up there, and he is told: “This is your place, you lived in doubts and died in them, and you will be resurrected in them by the will of Allah” ( Ibn Maja according to Abu Hurairah ).

A selection of the hadiths of Sheikh Abu Muntasir

“It's even God's grace to dig a grave in which you yourself will lie down ...” Father Peter thought, piercing the earthly flesh with a shovel. - “We will create the earth from the earth, and we will go to the earth there, as you commanded, Who created me and the river of me: as if the earth were and you will go to the earth, or else all people will go. ... ”- he recalled the words from the service of the memorial service.

“Thou art the earth, and thou shalt return to the earth,” repeated the priest, digging the grave.

The February earth was surprisingly warm and supple. Her sweet scent tickled my nostrils. It smells like spring, blood and new life. “Yes, that’s right: the earth smells like life, and life smells like earth. - the priest's thoughts flowed one into another. “If you bring a newborn baby to your face, it will smell of plowed virgin soil.”

Once upon a time, in his youth, Father Peter had twenty acres of land. At the time of plowing on the field, the peasants were drunk from the air, saturated with the vapors of freshly turned black soil. The earth stirred the blood, like a good wife promising to be a fertile mother. She took the seed into herself and grew bread with her juices in order to nourish man. The earth is a mother, a nurse, and she is the womb into which we will all return. Each in his own time.

"Come on, come on, come on!" - shouted the guard, nervously pacing with a cigarette in his teeth between the trees. The guard was young and inexperienced. His stomach churned at the thought of what he had to do soon. From the growing anxiety weakening his intestines, he became angry, smoked and cursed at the silent trees and the gentle almost spring sun. The second guard was sitting on the ground by a tree, his leather jacket spread under him, and waiting. He, forty or forty-five years old, had worked in prison for a long time, and therefore today he was, as always, calm and gloomy.

Father Peter shook his head. In these last moments of his life, he would like to pray and think about something lofty, but something important, necessary, but the most ordinary, most insignificant thoughts climbed into his head - plowing, women in childbirth, peasants ... He suddenly remembered the sour taste of just baked rye bread, and sucked under the spoon.

After a month's stay in the damp and dull walls of the prison, digging in the forest on this fresh morning invigorated and even brought joy to the body, yearning for movement and work. The work filled the body with strength, life, the desire to eat, pleasantly kneaded the muscles and joints. Silly body! It did not know that this work was the last. And in this grave he will have to lie until the Resurrection of the Dead, in order to then be reunited with the soul. The soul, in anticipation of the outcome, was already beating in the chest and moaning.

Father Peter thought that today is Sunday. In the last eight years, after accepting the priesthood, he performed the Proskomidia precisely in these early Sunday hours. An offering to God. Here is his last Liturgy. How quickly life has passed. How imperceptible. And it seems now that there is nothing more important in life than the moment of death. All life is just a path to this moment.

He was arrested at Christmas time, in mid-January. For anti-Soviet agitation. At first, Father Peter believed that he would soon be released. What a mistake. Misunderstanding. He had nothing against the Soviet regime. On the contrary, communist ideals attracted him. In the equality of people, in brotherhood, in the eradication of class prejudices, he also saw Christian values. He was never an enemy of the Soviet regime.

And only then did he realize that the arrest was not accidental, when during the interrogation the bald-headed investigator suddenly smiled and said insinuatingly: “Pyotr Feofilovich, you are a respectable person, why did you accept the priesthood? You were in the State Duma. You were respected. And you intoxicated yourself with a religious stench, and moreover, you were ordained. This is your mistake, Pyotr Feofilovich…. Take off your dignity and serve your homeland as a Soviet citizen ... No, no, I understand that you are a man of your word and honor, and therefore do not answer anything now. Just think... Think about it... Dying at fifty-three is too early... By the way, here's a letter from your wife to you."

Methodical swings of the shovel soothed the longing soul. Sweat ran down his hot back, so that his undershirt was soaked. The hair on the back of his head was stuck together, and his neck was frozen from the February wind. So it doesn't take long to get sick. However, this is no longer important. Doesn't matter. Father Peter nevertheless raised the collar and fastened the top button of the prison padded jacket. Looked around. More than half have already been excavated.

There were two in the grave. Two priests sentenced to death. In order not to interfere with each other, they dug, turning away from each other, each thinking about his own, and all the same, they were invisibly connected together by the narrow track of the grave ditch and the inevitable future. Ignoring the shouts of the junior escort, they dug smoothly, without delay, but not in a hurry. Like an hourglass, losing grains of sand, counting down the time, so two prisoners with each shovel of earth came closer to their deadline.

Father Peter did not open his wife's letter in front of the investigator. He put the cherished envelope in a pocket on his chest, and only in the evening, secluded in a corner of his cell, did he open it.

In her native wide handwriting with rounded letters, without a greeting and the usual questions in correspondence about her well-being and being, she wrote:

“I beg you, Petrok, if you feel sorry for me, give up your nothing-giving convictions. I have asked you about this many times before. During these eight years, remember how many, almost daily, there were scandals between us on the basis of religion! For you, I lied, put on a mask because of my attachment to you. Now I don’t have the strength anymore, I’m tired of enduring because of what I don’t believe in. And I ask you for the last time: who do you prefer, me, the existing one, to your, as you say, idea?! If you agree with me, I will go with you even to the ends of the world, without fear of need. But at the thought of continuing to be a priest, I shudder all over - I can’t. Answer me how to be?
I.G.”

After reading, he, almost without realizing what he was doing, folded the pieces of paper and put them back in the envelope. For a while, he sat in his secluded corner, as if stunned, feeling only his heart crushing on his eardrums. Slowly, the sounds of the outside world returned and the heartbeat subsided. And then he suddenly clearly felt that this was the end. He won't get out of prison. He won't come out alive. And despite the bitterness and pain, he somehow felt strangely light in his soul, as if the burden of decision had now been lifted from him. There was no way back home.

“Lord, Jesus Christ the Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” - Barely audible whispered father Valerian - his partner in the grave. He, white-faced, with translucent delicate skin, was much younger than Father Peter, and now inspired the priest with paternal feelings of care and warmth, mixed with respect for the determination of this brother who had lived so little in the world. “But we are companions. - this word warmed the soul of Father Peter. We will die together." And his lips also whispered the Jesus Prayer.

But thoughts again returned to the letter.

He didn't answer right away. All night and all the next day he composed in himself the lines that he wanted to say. But when he sat down to write, all the words flew out of him, leaving a strange void inside.

"Dear Ira, Father Peter began. -

your letter stunned me more than an arrest, and only the realization that it was dictated by grief and need calmed me somewhat. We have been living together for 24 years now, and you, my dear, had the opportunity to make sure that I always tried to be honest and fair, that I never made deals with my conscience. You know very well that I have never been an enemy of the Soviet regime ... and I do not consider myself a criminal in any way. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about. If fate wants to send me a test, then one way or another you need to submit to it.

I never embarrassed my conscience, why are you, taking advantage of difficult circumstances, pushing me to dishonorable act, knowing my religiosity, not pretentious, but internal?! Renounce faith in Christ, Who is the meaning of my whole life, from Whom I have seen so many benefits, and leave Him at a time when I am approaching the grave?! I cannot and will not do this even for you, whom I have always loved and love.

My dear, pull yourself together and do not give way to black thoughts. I really wish that at this time one of your own would be with you, and I ask you to invite Shura or Nil Vladimirovich, who will calm you down and help you ... Send me a comb, it is in a warm cassock. I myself am healthy, I feel good and only often think about you, that it is so difficult for you. I hug you tightly, kiss you and pray that the Lord will strengthen you, save you from evil.
Your Petya.

"Everything. Pretty digging. Get out!” - commanded the senior escort.

Both fathers shuddered in surprise. And they looked at each other with wide eyes. Really - everything?

The grave was ready.

Overcoming the trembling that appeared in their hands, they threw the shovels out of the ditch. Then, helping one another, they climbed out themselves.

It turned out to be much colder in the forest than in the earthly womb.

The junior guard, red-faced, waited until the prisoners shook off the earth (as if neatness had any significance before death!) and stood up with their hands clasped behind their backs. Now that the hour of his duties had at last arrived, he had overcome his fear by letting go of his hamstrings, and something hard had appeared in the creases between his brows and at the corners of his mouth. Shooting at people is not so scary, if you do not consider them people, he decided for himself and calmed down.

“You have the last opportunity to change the measure of punishment,” the escort continued, following the instructions. - for this you just need to give up your dignity ... "

A cold wind blew Father Peter's collar. It was chilly and uncomfortable. Dirt was clogged in his left boot and pressed painfully on his toes. Batiushka felt mortal fatigue overwhelm his body. Probably, and it now understood what awaits it. And desperately protested.

For some reason he thought how, having finished writing a letter to his wife the day before and already folding the sheet, he stopped, unfolded the paper and quickly added:

“If I agreed and fulfilled your request, then you yourself would soon hate me.”

A new day was beginning in the forest. Birds sang. It smelled of spring, earth and life. Life Eternal.

With the name of Allah the Merciful, the Merciful

Praise be to Allah - the Lord of the worlds, peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, members of his family and all his companions!

One of the main views of the adherents of the Sunnah and the united community (ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama'a) is the belief in bliss and torment in the grave.

However, some people think: “If the body of the deceased was not buried, for example, he was eaten by a predatory beast, does he experience the torment of the grave?”

This question was asked to the Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him, with His widest Grace), and this is what he replied: “Yes, the soul will experience torment, since the body is absent, it has decayed, deteriorated. This question is from the section of secret knowledge, and I cannot assert that the torment of the grave will not touch the body at all, due to the fact that it has decayed or burned, since a person cannot compare cases related to Last life with what happens in this worldly life” See Majmu' Fataawa wa Rasail al-Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih al-'Uthaymeen 2/29.

And the true knowledge is with Allah Almighty, and I conclude my speech with the words: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and his brothers and greet them many times until the Day of Retribution!

Translated from Arabic: Abu Idar ash-Sharqasi _________________________________________________________________________

1“When one of you dies, every morning and afternoon he is shown his place. If he is one of the inhabitants of Paradise, then his place is among the inhabitants of Paradise; if he belongs to the inhabitants of the Fire, then his place is among the inhabitants of the Fire. They say to him: “This is your place until Allah raises you on the Day of Resurrection.” al-Bukhari No. 1379, Muslim No. 2866.

And in conclusion, praise be to Allah - the Lord of the worlds!

16:45 2012

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

"Indeed, the grave is the first seat of the Day of Judgment. And if a person is among the saved in it, then everything that follows will be easier. If he is not among the saved in the grave, then it will be even more terrible!"(Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn-Maja, Al-Hakim).

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merciful! Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds and the best, worthy greeting and peace to our Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions and all Muslims until the Day of Judgment!

At the basis of the depravity and corruption of any business lies the contradiction of the truth, and at the basis of the prosperity and success of any business lies the following of the truth and the recognition of its purity.

The key to human success in life depends on the correct understanding of the truth and its recognition, and the depravity of his life is the result of a misunderstanding of the truth, especially its denial. And since the existence of Allah, the One, Knowing and Wise Creator, is the truth, and his creation, care and control are the truth, then a person spoils his life by not recognizing the Lord, or not recognizing the supervision and control of the Lord. Thus, the happiness and success of a person in this life depends on a deep and convinced faith in Allah, and in what He sent down to people. Almighty Allah said in the Qur'an: "And whoever turns away from the remembrance of Me, he will truly have a cramped life and on the Day of Resurrection We will gather him blind, He says, Lord, why did You gather me blind, and before I was sighted? He will say to him: So they came My signs come to you, and you forgot them - so today you will be forgotten" (Sura 20, ayat 124-126)

Therefore, the best knowledge achieved by a Muslim is the knowledge of his faith, covering all the nuances relating to it. And in this brochure we will touch on the evidence of part of one pillar of the pillars of faith (belief in the Day of Judgment), and this part is called life in the grave, where we will cite verses from the Koran, reliable sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and welcome, and the words of authoritative Sharia scholars concerning the test of a person in the grave.

One of the Pillars of Faith: Faith in the Last Day

Belief in the Last Day implies belief in everything that, in connection with this, the Qur'an and the Sunnah indicate, namely, in everything that is connected with death and what will follow it.

Belief in regards to death includes the following:

1. I believe that in this world death is inevitable for all living things.

Allah Almighty said: "Every soul will taste death, and then you will be returned to Us"(Sura 29, verse 57).

Allah Almighty also said: "All that exists is perishable, except for His Face. It is up to Him to decide, and to Him you will be returned"(Sura 28, verse 88).

2. I believe that the term of each is precisely defined and no one can either delay or get ahead of it. This term is known to Allah, who not only established it, but also determined the cause of death for everyone.

Allah Almighty said: "No man dies, except by the permission of Allah, in the time prescribed by Him"(Sura 3, verse 145).

Allah Almighty also said: "And for each community - its own time. When their time comes, they can neither delay it for an hour, nor get ahead of it" (Sura 7, ayat 34).

3. I believe that only Allah knows about this period.

Allah Almighty said: "No one knows what will happen to him tomorrow, and no one knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is Knowing, All-Knowing" (Sura 31, verse 34).

4. I believe that before death happens what Allah Almighty spoke about: "... Until death comes to one of you, and then Our messengers will put him to rest, and they do not miss anything"(Sura 6, verse 61).

Allah Almighty also said: “When the spirit of one of you rises to the throat, and you see it with your own eyes, then We are closer to him than you, although you do not see it ...” (Sura 56, ayat 83-85 ).

Here we are talking that when the spirit of a dying person approaches his throat, agony ensues. At this time, those present look at him, as for Allah Almighty, He knows more about the dying than people and angels. He is closer to him than they are, but they don't see it.

When a sinful and unjust person dies, he regrets everything he did and wants to return back to this world.

Allah Almighty said:

“When death comes before any of them, he will pray: “Lord! Bring me back, perhaps I will do a righteous deed in what I neglected! "No! What he says is just words, and behind those who leave the world is a barrier that will remain until they are gone resurrect" (Sura 23, verse 99-100).

As for the removal of the unfaithful spirit from the body, Allah Almighty said about this: “Oh, if you saw how sinners are in the abyss of death, and the angels stretch out their hands and say: “Part now with your souls! Today you will be rewarded with a humiliating punishment because you fabricated a lie against Allah and neglected His signs! ”(Sura 6, verse 93).

This means that the angels stretch out their hands to the sinner, striking him and torturing him.

GRAVE

Every human mind is full of hope and ambition. Every person has a dream, the realization of which he cannot but think. But death puts an end to all these hopes and dreams and shows a person that he traveled in the world of Allah, and not in the world of his own fantasies.

The journey of his life does not end in this world. It is meant for eternity.

Just think how ignorant a person is in relation to his destiny?!

“And when death comes to one of them, he will say: “Lord, return me: maybe I will do good in what I left.” But no! This is the word that he says, and behind them is a barrier before day when they are resurrected" (Sura 23, verses 99-100).

Death awaits every soul. When death overcomes us, we leave this world and enter another world. We leave this world, never to return, and enter a world in which we will remain forever.
In fact, we are closer to death than to life. People think that they are alive, but it would be more correct to say that they are dead, because no one knows when death will come. Each of us is steadily moving towards death.

Those who live following the commands of Allah are prosperous, and those who are guided by their own whims destroy themselves. But after the onset of an unknown terrible moment of death, Judgment, Paradise or Hell awaits us.

The grave separates this life from the afterlife. The path to the future life runs through this great line. Today we are on this side of the line, tomorrow we will cross it...

All living people know death, no one is able to avoid it. But very often a person forgets about death - the true reality.

We know that people who go to the grave never return, but not everyone understands that we will also have to face our fate. As long as we live, the door of the grave is open for us, but soon it will be closed forever.

It is strange that a person constantly sees the death of others, but excludes himself from the list of the dead. He acts as if he is not going to face Allah at His Judgment.

If we could understand that we are closer to death than to life, then perhaps we could look at the death of another person as our own. Imagine that we are being carried to the grave when we see the funeral of others.

FEAR OF THE GRAVE

Hani, a servant of Osman bin Affan, reported that when Osman, may Allah be pleased with him, stood near any grave, he wept until his beard became wet. He was asked: "Why don't you cry when you remember Heaven and Hell, but when you remember the grave, do you cry?" Then Osman replied: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The grave is the first seat of the Day of Judgment. Whoever is saved from the torment in the grave, it will be easier for him to go further. And whoever does not escape from torment, after that it will be much worse"(At-Tirmizi).

The believer will see that Allah has prepared for him bliss and will say: "Lord, hasten the coming of the Day of Resurrection so that I can return to my family and my property"(Abu Dawud, Imam Ahmad, Al-Baykhaki, Al-Hakim, Ibn Khuzayma).

The unbelieving and wicked sinner will see that Allah has prepared for him suffering and will ask: "Lord! Do not hasten the coming of the day of Resurrection"(Abu Dawud, Imam Ahmad, Al-Bayhaki, Al-Hakim, Ibn Khuzayma), because it will be harder and more terrible (an excerpt from the words of Al-Bara bin Azib).

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE GRAVE?

Al-Bara bin Azeeb, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Once we, together with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, took part in the funeral of one of the Ansar and reached the very grave. The man had not yet been buried, the Messenger of Allah sat down, and we sat around him and sat completely still. For some time the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam was picking the ground with a stick that was in his hand, and then he raised his head and exclaimed: "Ask Allah for protection from the torment of the grave." He repeated these words several times and after that said: "Indeed, when a believing slave leaves this world and goes to another world, angels descend from heaven to him with dazzling white faces, shining like the sun. They carry with them shrouds from Paradise and incense from the incense of Paradise, and sit down so that a person can see them. Then the angel of death appears to him, sits down at his head and says: "O good soul, come to the forgiveness and favor of Allah!"

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued: "And she leaves (from the body), flowing out, just as a drop flows out of the hole of a wineskin. He takes it. But after he takes the soul, the angels do not leave it in his hands for a moment. They take it away, wrapped in this shroud and in these incense, after which a smell begins to emanate from her, like the fragrance of the best musk that is on earth. And then they go up with her and everyone they pass by ask: "What is this soul?" And they answer: "This is such and such, the son of such and such," pronouncing it best names by which he was called in this world. This continues until they reach the lower sky. They ask to open (his gate) for him and they open it, then angels gather from all this heaven, who accompany him to the next heaven. This continues until this soul is brought to the seventh heaven, and then Allah says: "Enter the record of My servant in" illiyun "and return him to the earth, for, verily, from it I created them, and into it I will return them and I will draw them out of it again!

"And his spirit will be returned to his body, after which two angels will appear to him, sit him down and ask: "Who is your Lord?" He will answer: "My Lord is Allah." They will ask him: "What is your religion?" He will answer : “My religion is Islam.” They will ask him again: “Who is the man who was sent to you?” He will answer: “He is the Messenger of Allah.” They will ask him: “How do you know this?” He will answer: “I read the Book of Allah, believed in him and recognized it. "And then it will be proclaimed from heaven:" My servant recognized, make (a bed) for him from Paradise, and dress him (in clothes) from Paradise and open the gates to Paradise for him !"

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued: "And he will be seized with the joy and bliss of Paradise, the place in the grave will be made spacious for him, as far as the eye can see. A man will come to him with pretty face, dressed in beautiful clothes, from which a pleasant smell will come. He will say, "I will announce what will make you happy on this day that you were promised!" The man asks: "Who are you? your face- this is a person that brings good!" He will answer: "I am your good deeds." And then the person will exclaim: "Lord, appoint this Hour so that I return to my family and to my property!"

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “And when the unfaithful slave leaves this world, leaving for another world, angels with black faces will descend to him from heaven, who will bring sackcloth with them and sit down so that a person can see them. Then an angel of death will come to him, sit down at his head and say: "O filthy soul, go to the Fury and Wrath of Allah!"

The Prophet continued: "And the soul will feel the strongest fear, and he (the angel of death) will tear it out of the body, just as they tear out jagged iron from wet wool and take it. After he takes her, the angels will not leave her in his arms for a moment. They will immediately wrap it in coarse sackcloth, and it will emit a smell like the most disgusting smell of carrion that exists on earth. And then they will rise with it and everyone they pass by will exclaim: "What is this disgusting stench!?" The angels will answer: "This is such and such, the son of such and such," mentioning the most disgusting names that (the deceased) were called in this world. And when they ascend with him to the lower heaven and ask him to open (his gates), they will not open them". After that, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the verse: "... the gates of heaven will not be opened to them, and they will not enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle..."(Sura 7:40).

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

"And Allah commands: "Bring his book into the "Sijin" in the lower layer of the earth! And his spirit will be thrown there".

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited the following verse:

"... And whoever assigns partners to Allah, - as if he fell from the sky, and the birds will seize him, or the wind will carry him to a distant place" (Sura 22:31).

After that, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "And his spirit will be restored to his body, after which two angels will come to him, sit him down and ask: "Who is your Lord?" He will say: "Ah, I do not know." They will ask him: "What is your religion?" He will say: “Oh, I don’t know.” And they will ask him again: “Who is the man who was sent to you?” And he will say again: “Oh, I don’t know.” And then it will be proclaimed from heaven: considered mine to be a lie, so lay a bed of fire for him and open the gates of Hell in front of him! ”The heat and burning wind of Hell will begin to reach him, and his grave will become so narrow that his ribs will begin to mix with each other. A man will come to him with disgusting face, dressed in clothes of disgusting appearance and spreading a vile smell around him and will say: “I will tell you what will grieve you on this day that was promised to you!” He will ask: “Who are you? Your face portends evil!" To which he will answer: "I am your vile deeds!" And then the deceased will exclaim: "Lord, do not appoint this Hour!"(Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Imam Ahmad, Al-Baykhaki, Al-Hakim, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Maja and Ibn Khuzayma).

COMPRESSION IN THE GRAVE

After the deceased is placed in the grave, the grave compresses his body and this compression is inevitable for both a small and an adult person, righteous or sinful. Because in some sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) it was reported that the grave squeezed the companion of Saad ibn Muadh, to whom the gates of heaven were opened at death and who was accompanied by seventy thousand angels.

Narrated An-Nasai from the words of the son of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "He (that is, Saad ibn Muadh), to whom the gates of heaven were opened and who were accompanied by seventy thousand angels, shrank in the grave, and then relief was given to him. That is, even Saad ibn Muaz, for whom the gates of heaven were opened, could not avoid being squeezed into grave". (Reported by An-Nasai in Al-Janaiz).

In the Musnad (compilation) of Imam Ahmad, it is narrated from the words of the son of Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "The grave is squeezing, and if anyone was saved from this (compression), then Saad ibn Muaz would be saved"(narrated by Imam Ahmad in his musnad).

At-Tabarani reported in his collection from the words of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "If anyone was saved from being squeezed in the grave, then Saad bin Muadh would be saved. And verily, he was shrinking, and then relief was given to him." These Words of the Prophet testify that compression in the grave is inevitable for every person, even for a child, as it was transmitted in the collection of At-Tabarani from the words of Abu Ayub Al-Ansari with a good isnad, and also in the book of Al-Kamel ibn Adiyu, from the words of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, from the words of Anas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If anyone could avoid (according to Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari) being squeezed in the grave, then this boy would have avoided him ".

THE TEST OF THE GRAVE

HOW DOES THE TEST COME?

Strong tension, fearful thoughts, and questions accompany a person on his journey from the present life to the life to come. During this period, the person will be questioned by the two angels Munkar and Nakir, as was narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Future life man depends on his answers to the questions of the angels. The Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The grave is either a garden from among the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from among the pits of Hell"(At-Tirmizi, At-Tabarani). At-Tirmidhi narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “After the deceased is laid (in the grave), two black angels, whose names are Munkar and Nakir, will appear to him. They will ask the person:“ How did you testify about this person before? (that is, about Muhammad)" He will answer: "He is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. I testified that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger." If a person was a hypocrite or an infidel, he will answer this question as follows: "I heard from people that they said something about him, and I said this as they said"(Reported by At-Tirmidhi).

In another hadith, Al-Bara bin Azeeb reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "His spirit (of the deceased) returns to his body, after which two angels appear to him, seat him and ask:" Who is your Lord? "He will answer:" My Lord is Allah. "They again ask:" What is your religion? He will answer: “My religion is Islam.” They will again ask: “Who is the person who was sent to you?” He will answer: “This is the Messenger of Allah - Muhammad.” And then it will be proclaimed from heaven: “My servant recognized ... " This, of course, applies only to a person who believes and observes Islam. Regarding the sinner (infidel, wicked), the Messenger of Allah says: "His spirit (of the deceased) returns to his body, after which two angels appear to him, seat him and ask: "Who is thy Lord?" He will say, "Oh, I don't know." They ask again, "What is your religion?" He will say, "Oh, I don't know." They will ask again: "Who is the man who was sent for you?" He will say, "Oh, I don't know." And then it will be proclaimed from heaven: "My servant considered it a lie, so lay a bed of fire for him and open the gates of Hell before him!" The heat and the burning wind of Hell will begin to reach him, and his grave will become so narrow that his ribs will begin to mix with each other. A man with a disgusting face, dressed in clothes of a disgusting appearance and spreading a vile smell around him, will come to him and say: "I will tell you what will grieve you on this day that was promised to you!" He will ask: "Who are you? Your face portends evil!" To which he will answer: "I am your vile deeds!" And then the deceased will exclaim: "Lord, do not appoint this Hour!"(Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Imam Ahmad, Al-Baykhaki, Al-Hakim, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Maja and Ibn Khuzayma). Authentic hadith, part of the hadith from the words of Al-Bara bin Azeeb.

In both collections of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, there is a hadith transmitted from the words of Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "After the servant of Allah is put in the grave, those who buried him will leave, and he will hear the sound of their sandals. Two angels will come to him, sit him down and ask:" What can you say about the person who is called Muhammad? "He will answer:" I do not know , I said what other people said. "Then they will say:" You did not know and did not read. "And they will strike him with iron hammers. And he will scream so that everyone around him, except people and genies, will hear his cry". (Reported by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasai). And how we are all convinced that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not know about the fact that people are tested in the grave until Allah made him aware of this and the existence of this, since the companion of Urua Bin Az-Zubayr reported from the words of his aunt Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: “Once the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to me while a Jewish woman was sitting with me and said: “Don’t you know that you are being tested in (your) graves?” Aisha said: "The Prophet (hearing this) was surprised and said: "In fact, the Jews are being tested!" Aisha says: “Several days passed, then the Prophet said (to Aisha): “You did not notice how a suggestion (revelation) came to me about what (you) are being tested in the graves.” Then Aisha says, after that I began to hear how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked for protection from the torment of the grave". (Narrated in the collection of Muslim).

Ayats, hadiths and the words of scholars, which are proof of the existence of trials and torments of the grave.

In the Holy Quran, references were made to the onset of trials in the grave. Imam al-Bukhari pointed them out in his book "Sahih al-Bukhari" in the section "Al-Janaiz" and explained them.

Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an: "Who is more unjust than the one who invented a lie against Allah or said:" It was sent down to me, "but nothing was sent down to him; or the one who said: "I will send down like that which Allah sent down"? If If only you could see how the unrighteous are in the abyss of death, and the angels stretch out their hands: “Destroy your souls, today you will be rewarded with the punishment of humiliation because you spoke falsehood against Allah and exalted yourself over His signs!” (Sura 6:93) .

Allah also said: "And among the Bedouins around you, and the inhabitants of Medina, there are hypocrites; they are stubborn in hypocrisy. You do not know them, We know them. We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment" (Sura 9 :101).

Allah said: "And Allah guarded him from the evil of what they arranged with cunning; and an evil punishment befell the family of Pharaoh - the fire into which they are plunged, morning and evening, and on the day when the Hour comes ... "Enter the generation Pharaoh in the strongest punishment!" (Surah 40:45-46).

The first verse mentioned by Al-Bukhari refers to the torture of the infidels by angels (in their death throes).
The second verse testifies to the subsequent torment that comprehends the infidels (sinners) before the onset of the torment of the Day of Judgment.

Unbelievers, sinners and hypocrites are still tormented in this world because of their sins and bad deeds. And the subsequent torment is the torment of the grave. On this occasion, Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "Allah Almighty said: "We will punish them twice..." This refers to the torment in this world and the torment of the grave. On this occasion, Imam At-Tabari said: "The first of the two torments mentioned is the torment of the grave, and the second, which occurs before the torment in the grave, is apparently expressed as the onset of hunger, humiliation, insult, or something else known to Allah".

The third verse, this verse is a convincing argument proving the existence of trials in the grave. Allah Almighty informs about the verdict on the family of Pharaoh: "The family of the Pharaoh is thrown into the fire in the morning and in the evening". Then the context follows: "Introduce the family of the Pharaoh into the greatest punishment". Ibn Kathir says: "This verse is one of the foundations of the Sunni scholars in confirming the concept of the intermediate test in the grave"(Ibn Kathir, volume: 3, p. 81).

Imam Al-Qurtubi confirmed that the scholars of Islam are unanimous in their opinion regarding the meaning of this verse. This verse clearly indicates that a person is going through trials in the grave. Al-Qurtubi says: "Scholars are unanimous that such a punishment occurs in al-barzakh (i.e. life in the grave) and this is an argument confirming the onset of the torment of the grave". (The book "Fath al-Bari", 3 volume, p. 180).

Imam Al-Qurtubi says (about the same verse): "Scholars agreed that torment begins with the onset of the intermediate life, that is, after death, the life of al-barzah, as Allah said in the previous verse. This is an argument and proof of the existence of trials in the grave".

Also, Allah Almighty says in the Quran the verse, which is an argument about the onset of torment in the grave, Allah says: "They will say:" Our Lord, You killed us twice and revived us twice, We admitted our sins, is there a way out? (Sura 40) , verse 11) Interpreting this verse, Imam Ar-Razi says: "Most of the scholars accepted this verse on the basis of the argument for confirming the existence of the grave torment, and this is confirmed by the fact that the unbelievers recognized for themselves two moments of death, since they said: "Our Lord, You killed us twice" means that once they experienced death in this life - and this indicates the onset of some kind of life in the grave after death, until a second death follows this period. And this is what affirms the existence of an intermediate life in the grave ". (The book of Imam Ar-Razi "At-Tafsir Al-Kabir", Volume 27, p. 39).

In the following hadeeth, narrated by Al-Bara bin Azeeb, may Allah be pleased with him, it is said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The believer will be seated in his grave, angels will come to him and he will testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, as indicated by the words of Allah Almighty: "Allah confirms those who believe with a firm word in the life of the near and in the life to come ..." (Sura 14:27) (Al-Bukhari in book "Al-Janaiz").

“Once a Jewish woman came to Aisha and, mentioning the trials in the grave, said: “May Allah protect you from the torment of the grave.” After that, Aisha asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the torment of the grave. He replied: “Yes, (there is torment in the grave)". Aisha said: "After that, I noticed how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) resorted to Allah from the torment of the grave after each prayer". (Reported by Al-Bukhari in the book "Al-Janaiz", Muslim in the book "Al-Masajid").

In the collection of Muslim, it was narrated from the words of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: "Two old women who belonged to the Jews of Medina came to me and told me that the inhabitants of the grave are suffering in their graves. I did not want to believe them. They left. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came, I asked him: " O Messenger of Allah, two old women from Medina came to me and said that the inhabitants of the grave are tormented in their graves. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “They are right, indeed, they are tormented so that even animals hear their torment.” Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "After that, I noticed that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, after praying, asked Allah for protection from the torment of the grave"

Since this topic is very important for Muslims, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told and explained it to his companions many times. And once he even delivered a sermon to all Muslims. In the collection of Al-Bukhari it is transmitted from the words of Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both: "Once the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, read a sermon (khutba) and spoke about the trials of the grave that await each person. As soon as he mentioned this (about how the trials of the grave come), there was a great noise among the Muslims ( excitement)". (Al-Bukhari, An-Nasai).

Also from among the verses that mention the first meeting after death, where a person will feel the first results of his deeds committed in life before death. Allah Almighty also said: "And we will give them a taste of the nearest punishment, in addition to the greatest punishment - maybe they will return!"(Sura 32:21).

The interpretation of the book "At-Tahawiyya" says: "Reliable reports from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, testify to the onset of torment or bliss in the grave and the questioning of two angels. Everyone should believe in this. But do not try to find out how this happens, because the human mind cannot comprehend this truth... And know that the trials in the grave are intermediate trials.This is the life of al-barzakh, that is, the interval between life and the Day of Judgment.Everyone who dies will receive his inheritance, it does not matter how he dies: whether it be eaten by animals, whether it drowns or burns, and its ashes scatter in the air" .

People who deny the torment of the grave and do not accept the evidence of Islamic scholars say that when they open the grave, they do not find any traces reminiscent of the testing of the grave. These people reject what they cannot perceive with their senses. They think that their sight is able to see everything, and their hearing is able to perceive and hear everything. It should also be added that both the body and the soul are subjected to the torment of the grave. This is the unanimous opinion of the Islamic scholars of Ahl As-Sunna wal-Jamaa.

SURVEY IN THE GRAVE

All adherents of the Sunnah of the Messenger are unanimous that every person after death will have to answer questions in the grave (even if he was not buried), answer for his deeds, for which he will receive either reward or punishment. Bliss or torment will be experienced by both the soul and the body.

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "All our righteous ancestors and imams are unanimous in the fact that both the body and the soul experience bliss or torment. Truly, after the soul leaves the body, it is in bliss or torment, and it sometimes unites with the body".

Imam Ahmad and Imam Hatim reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Verily, when the deceased remains in his grave, he hears the sound of the feet of those people who depart from his grave. Verily, the believer will have salat at the head, fasting with right side, zakat on the left, and good and charitable deeds at his feet. When the angels approach the head, salat will say: “There is no entrance for you here”, on the right side they will be told the post: “There is no entrance here”, on the left side they will say zakat: “There is no entrance here”, from the side of the legs they will say good, charitable deeds : "There is no entrance here." Then the angels will seat the man so that he can see the sun, which will begin to set. The angels will ask him: "What do you say about the man who was among you? What is your testimony about him?" To which he will say: "Let me pray!" They will answer: "Truly, you will pray, but first answer the questions we asked you." He will answer: "This is Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he is the Messenger of Allah, he came with the truth from Allah Almighty." Then they will say to him: "You lived in accordance with this and died by the will of Allah." Then the door to Paradise will open, and they will say to him: "This is your place and what Allah has prepared for you in it." His tomb will be enlarged (up to seventy cubits) and illuminated. The body will return to what it came from (the earth), and the soul with a blessed spirit will be like a bird in a tree in Paradise".

The Almighty says: "Allah establishes those who believe with a firm word in the life of the near and in the life hereafter; and Allah leads the unrighteous astray, and Allah does what He wills" (Surah 14:27).

As for the unfaithful, everything will happen differently with him. His grave will become so narrow that his ribs will shrink. This is confirmed by the words of Allah Almighty: "And whoever turns away from the remembrance of Me, he will truly have a narrow life!"(Sura 20:124).

Do Muslims suffer in their graves?

Imam Al-Kurtubi cites the following in his book "Tazkirah": "... Imam Abu Muhammad Abdul-Haqq said: "And know that the torment in the grave is assigned not only to the unbelievers, and not only the hypocrites will be subjected to it, but also certain categories among the believers, since the lot of each depends on his deed, according to his sins!". And the proof is that the believer will receive his portion from torment as a result of his sins, and this will be set forth in the next chapter.

Reasons for the torment of the grave:

The reasons for the torment of the grave are different. In general, the torment of the grave is the result of not following the commands of Allah and disobeying the orders of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and committing those sins that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said that they are the causes of the torment of the grave.

1. Incomplete urination and gossip

It was narrated from the words of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that one day the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passed by two graves and said: "They are suffering, and they are suffering for no great reason, and then he said:" One of them was engaged in spreading gossip, and the second was not cleared of urine. "Then he picked up a fresh branch (of a tree), broke it in half and stuck one on each grave and said: "I hope they will be relieved until (twigs) dry". Narrated by Al-Bukhari in Fath Al-Bari (3:242), Muslim in Al-Iman (1:240), and An-Nasai (4:106).

An-Nasai also narrated from the words of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: "Once a Jewish woman came to me and said: "Truly, the cause of the torment of the grave is neglect of urine." Aisha said: "You are lying." She (i.e. the woman) said: "So in fact, we ) we clean our skin and our clothes from it. "And while the Prophet went out to prayer, our conversation went in a loud tone, and he asked:" What's the matter? "Then I (i.e. Aisha) told about what she said, and he replied: "She is right." Says Aisha: "After that, He did not miss the reading (of the following prayer) after each prayer:" O Lord of Jabrail and Mikail and Israfil, protect me from the heat of the fire of Hell and from the torment of the grave ". Narrated by An-Nasai in the book "Jami Al-Usul" (11; 167). Another message from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) transmitted by Anas bin Malik, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allaah said: "Purify yourself of urine, since this (i.e., not purification) is one of the causes of the torment of the grave". Narrated by Al-Hakim from the words of Abu Hurairah and Imam Ahmad with a reliable isnad.

2. Unpaid debts

Debts not repaid before the death of a person can be the reason for the severe punishment of the deceased in the grave. However, if he is a pious believer, he will not feel the bliss of the grave until his heirs pay off all his debts. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) once narrated about a companion who was not allowed into Paradise due to unpaid debts, as narrated by Samur bin Jundub that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) once performed a funeral prayer (janazah) for one Muslim and after they finished, the Prophet asked (of those present): "Are any of this man's relatives present?" Everyone was silent. The Prophet repeated the question several times and no one answered. But then one man from the last rows stood up, then the Prophet said to him: “What prevented you from answering my question when I repeated it twice? entry into Paradise because of his debts, (therefore) if you want, then sacrifice for him (i.e., try to pay his debts to people). If you want, then leave him so that he receives the punishment of Allah. Samura says: "Truly you should have seen how his relatives looked, trying to find out about his borrowers until they paid all his debts". (Narrated by An-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, Al-Hakim, Al-Bayhaqi).

Saad bin al-Atwal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that: "His brother died and left a legacy of 300 dirhams, and he had children, and I wanted this money to go to these children. After that, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me: "Your brother is detained, ( i.e. from bliss) for your debts! Go, pay your debts for him." Then I went and paid all his debts for him, then I returned to the Prophet and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, I paid all his debts, except for two dinars, one woman claims (that allegedly these two dinars she lent him) and she has no proof, the Prophet said, "Give it to her, she's right!" (and in another version: "She's telling the truth")(Reported by Imam Ahmad, Ibn Maja, Al-Baykhaki).

Do the dead suffer because their relatives cry over them?

Shari'ah scholars have some answers on this matter, and the best of them (in their opinion) is the one given by Imam al-Bukhari in his sahih titled: "The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) regarding the question whether the deceased is tormented by people crying over him if this is their habit?" And he quoted the saying of the Prophet, transmitted by Umar bin Al-Khattab: “When Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was stabbed, Suhayb came to him weeping, saying: “O my brother, my friend!” Then Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “O Suhayb! You are crying and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily, the deceased is tormented by those who mourn him.”. Narrated Al-Bukhari the book "Fath Al-Bari" (3; 151) Muslim book "Jami Al-Usul" (11: 92).

It is also narrated from the words of Al-Numan bin Bashir that he said: “Once Abdullah bin Rawaha, may Allah be pleased with him, fainted. His sister Amra began to mourn him, saying: “You were like mountains. You were so-and-so," listing his qualities. When he regained consciousness, he said to her: "About everything that you listed, they asked me (i.e. angels):" Are you like that?! And when he died , his sister no longer cried over him"(Al-Bukhari's book "Al-maghazi" in the Battle of Mutah section).

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When a person dies and the mourner starts to say: "O you are my (strong) like a mountain, O you are my lord, or something like that, then two angels will be sent to him with a reprimand: were you like that?"(At-Tirmidhi book "Al-Janaiz (3; 326)).

Imam An-Nawawi singled out a separate chapter on this issue: "The scholars of our Ummah are unanimous regarding the prohibition of mourning the deceased, because this is from the Jahili customs." As it was narrated in both sahihs from the words of Abdullah bin Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Truly, he who beats his cheeks and tears his clothes, acting according to Jahili customs"(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

And it was narrated from the words of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Two traits that turned out to be in people may be disbelief for them:" Insulting the family and sobbing over the deceased "(narrated by Muslim). Imam an-Nawawi said: "Unbelief, i.e., the manifestation of the qualities of the infidels and their characteristics. Sobbing here means loud crying over the deceased, praising him, with a clear exaggeration of his merits. Scholars have no disagreement that this custom is forbidden. But simply when a person cries over the dead and tears go without any loud voice, then there is nothing forbidden in this".

As was narrated in both sahihs by Osama bin Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was brought to his grandson, who was in agony, then the eyes of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) filled with tears. Saad told him: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with you?" To which the Prophet replied: "This is the mercy that Allah endowed the hearts of His slaves, and indeed Allah shows mercy to the merciful of His slaves.". (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

An appeal to Allah with a prayer for protection from the trials and torments of the grave

Since the trial in the grave is a terrible moment, the torment of the grave is even more terrible. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself asked Allah for protection from the torment of the grave during prayer and even outside prayer, and ordered his companions to do this. And this is another confirmation of the existence and onset of the grave trial and grave torment, whoever is worthy of it.

Al-Bukhari reports from the words of Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “Once a Jewish woman came to Aisha and, mentioning the trials of the grave, said: “May Allah protect you from the torment of the grave.” After that, Aisha asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about the torment of the grave. He replied: “Yes, there is torment in the grave." Aisha said: "After that, I noticed that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ended each prayer, resorting to Allah from the torment of the grave"(narrated by Al-Bukhari in the book "Al-Janaiz", Muslim in the book "Al-Masajid").

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say to his Companions many times: "Surrender to Allah from the torment of the grave!" And they answered: "We ask Allah for protection from the torment of the grave"(narrated by Muslim in Al-Jannah (4;2199)).

And from the words of Aisha, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "O Allah, I take refuge in you from avarice and decrepitude, from sin and damage, from the trials of the grave and the torment of the grave". (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmizi, An-Nasai).

Even the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught the companions and ordered them to say a prayer for protection from the torment of the grave in prayer after tashahud. It was narrated from the words of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "If one of you finishes reading tashahud (in prayer), then let him ask for protection from four things, and say:" O Allah, I truly resort to you from the torment of the grave, from the torment of fire, from the temptation of life and death, and from temptations of al-masih ad-dajjal"(Muslim).

And from the words of Ibn Abbas, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, taught them the following dua, as he taught them the suras of the Qur'an: "O Allah, verily I seek refuge in you from the torment of Hell, I seek refuge in you from the torment of the grave, from the temptation of al-Masih ad-Dajjal, and from the temptation of life and death."(Reported by Muslim in Al-Masajid).

Further, in both sahihs, it was narrated from the words of Aisha that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, recited the following prayer during prayer: "O Allah, verily I seek refuge in you from the torment of the grave, and I seek refuge in you from the temptation of the Antichrist, and I seek refuge in you from the temptation of life and death, O Allah, verily, I seek refuge in you from sin and harm"(Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nasai and Imam Ahmad).

Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicated to us what prayers should be remembered by Allah, saying them in the morning and in the evening. One of them: "O Allah, heal my body, O Allah, heal my hearing, O Allah, heal my sight, there is no deity but You! O Allah, verily, I seek refuge in You from unbelief and from poverty, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave there is no god but You!"(Al-Bukhari in the book "Al-Adab Al-Mufrad", Abu Dawud (4; 324), An-Nasa'i, Imam Ahmad (5; 42)).

In addition, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pointed out to us a surah, the recitation of which will save the grave from the torment. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "One of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set up his tent over some grave, not knowing that there was a grave in this place, and suddenly he realized that this was a grave from which the voice of some a man who recited Sura Al-Mulk (Sura 67 "The Authority") from beginning to end. Hearing this, he came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I pitched my tent over some then a grave, not knowing that there was a grave in this place, and suddenly a man began to read Surah Al-Mulk (“which begins with the word: “Tabarakya” until he finished it”). Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "She (i.e. Surah al-Mulk) is the protector and saver, because she saves him from the torment of the grave"(At-Tirmizi and At-Tabarani).

Fudala bin Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "For every dead person, the deeds stop, except for the one who died, being on the frontiers, among the defenders (Muslims and their lands) in the way of Allah. His deeds continue to grow (in reward) and he is protected from the trials of the grave"(At-Tirmidhi said that this hadith is good and authentic).

A book in which the good deeds of people and angels are recorded.

This refers to the recognition by the heart of "Tasdiq bil-Kalb" - inner conviction, deep consciousness.

Sijjin - A book that records the sins and bad deeds of people.