The Sayings of the Salaf in Affirmation of the Punishment of the Grave

1)Sufyan ibn 'Uyainah(d.197H)(rh) said: "The Sunnah is ten. Whosoever accepts them has completed the Sunnah and whoever abandons anything from them has abandoned the Sunnah; affirming al-Qadr (predestination ),giving precedence to AbuBakr and Umar, the Pond in Paradise, Shafaa (Intercession), the Scales, the Bridge over Hellfire, Emaan is statement and action, the Qur'ân is the speech of Allaah, Punishment in the Grave, being raised up on the day of Judgement and not testifying that any Muslim will definitely be in Paradise or Hell" (Sharh Usool Itiqaah Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah(no.312) of al-Laalikaee.)

2)Imaaam ash-Shafiee(d.204H)(rh) said: "Indeed al-Qadr (predestination): both the good and evil consequences are from Allaah -the Mighty and Majestic. Indeed Punishment of the Grave is a true fact, the questioning of those in the graves is a true fact, the Resurrection is a true fact, the Accountability is a true fact, Paradise and Hellfire are true facts. Whatever else is related in the Sunnah and so mentioned by the scholars and their followers throughout the lands of the Muslims is also true" (Manaaqibush-Shafiee(1/415) of al-Bayhaqee)

3)Imaaam Ahmad (d.241H)(rh) said: "From the essential Sunnah ,which if a person leaves anyone of its points-not accepting it and not having eemaan in it-then he will not be from its people are: (he then mentions ) eemaan in the Punishment of the Grave"(Usoolus-Sunnah(no.8) of Imaam Ahmad.) He also said: "Punishment of the Grave is a true fact. The servant will be questioned about his Religion and his Lord. Munkir and Nakeer and Paradise and Hellfire are also true facts" (Risaalatus-Sunnah(p.72) of Imaam Ahmad.)

4)Abu Dawood (d.275H)(rh) said: "Chapter: Questioning in the Grave and the Punishment of the Grave"(Kitaabus-Sunnah(p.900) part of Sunan Abee Dawood.)

5)Ibn Qutaybah(d.278H)(rh) said: "Ashaabul-Hadeeth are united upon the fact that whatever Allaah wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen ;that He is the creator of good and evil; that the Quraan is the speech of Allaah, uncreated, that Allaah will be seen on the Day of Judgement, giving precedence to Abu Bakr and 'Umar, upon eemaan in the punishment of the Grave. They do not differ in these fundamentals. Whosoever opposes them in any of these matters then they reject, hate and declare such a one an innovator and cut themselves off from him" (Taweel Mukhtaaliful-Hadeeth(p.18)

6)Imaam at-Tahaawee(d.321H)(rh) said: "This is an explanation of the 'Aqeedah' of Ahlus-Sunnaj wal-Jamaah upon the way of scholars of this religion; Abu Haneefah an-Nauman ibn Thaabit al-Kofee, Abu Yousuf Yaqoob ibn Ibraheem al-Ansaree and Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn al-Hasanash ash-Shaybanee-may Allaah be pleased with them all-and the beliefs they held concerning the fundamentals of of the deen and their Aqeedah in the Lord of the worlds. "Up until when he said: "We have eemaan in the Angel of Death who is charged with taking the souls of all the worlds; and in the 'Punishment of the Grave for those who deserve it "('Aqeedatut-Taahaawiyah(nos 79-80)

7)Abdul-Hasan al-Asharee(d.324H)(rh) -said:  "The Mutazilah denied Punishment in the grave. It has been related from the Prophet (saw) by many ways and by his Companions (rta). Nothing has been related from a single one of them denying or negating this, to the point when there is ijmaa (comcensus) from the Companions of the Prophet (saw) "(Al-Ibaanah'an Usoolid-Diyaamah(p.201)He also said: "There is consensus that the Punishment of the grave is a true fact, and that people will be tested and questioned in their graves. So may Allaah, establish us with what He loves'( Risaalah ilaa Ahlith-Thaghr (p.279) of Abul-hasan al-Asharee.)

8)Imaam al-Aajuree(d.360H)(rh) said: "Chapter: tasdeeq (affirmation) and eemaan in the punishment of the Grave "In which he brings many of the ahaadeeth related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim and ends the chapter by saying: "So what is the condition of those who deny these ahaadeeth except that they have deviated very far and are in a huge loss"(Ash-Shareaah(pp.358-364) of al-Aajuree.)

9)Ibn Abee Haatim (d.327H)(rh) said: "Our chosen way is to follow the Messenger of Allah (saw), the sahaabah, the Tabieen and all those who followed them in goodness, along with abandoning looking into the innovated matters, to hold fast to the way of the Ahlul-Athar (People of narrations), such as Abu 'Abdullah Ahmad bin Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Ibraheem, Abu 'Abdullah Ahmad bin Hanbal,Ishaaq ibn Ibraheem ,Abu 'Ubayd al-Qaasim ibn Salaam and ash-Shafiee, to hold fast to the Book, the Sunnah and the way of the Imaams who follow the narrations of the Salaf ,adopting what was adopted by Ahlus-sunnah from the various cities" Up until his saying: "Faith increases and decreases and we have eemaan in the Punishment of the grave "(Ahlus-Sunnah waI'tiqaadud-Deen (no.14)

10)Imaam al-Barbaharee(d.329H)(rh)-said: "Eemaan in the punishment of the grave and Munkir and Nakeer" (Sharhus-Sunnah(no.18)

11)Al-Ismaeelee(d.371H)(rh)said: "Know -may Allaah have mercy upon us and you-that the way of Ahlul-Hadeeth ,Ahlus-sunnah wal-Jamaah is to affirm belief in Allaah, His angels, His messengers and to accept whatever is recorded in the Book of Allaah-the Most high-and what is authentically related from the Messenger of Allaah (saw) until he said: "Punishment in the Grave is a true fact" (Itiqaad A'immatul-Hadeeth(no.22)

12)Al-Qayrawaanee(d.386H) (rh) said: Under the chapter: "What is related in the Sunnah about the Aqeedah of the heart from the obligatory matters of the Deen. From this is: Eemaan in the heart and pronouncing with the tongue that Allaah is the only deity worthy of worship, none has the right to be worshipped except Him" Up until his saying: "And punishment in the Grave is a true fact and the Believers will be tested in their graves" (Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in Ijtimaa 'ul-Juyooshil-Islmaayihah(p.152)

13)Ibn Abee Aamneen(d.399H)(rh) said:  "Ahlus-Sunnah have eemaan in the Punishment of the Grave, may Allaah protect us and you from this"(Usoolus-Sunnah(Q.7)

14)Imaam al-Laalikaaee(d.418H)-(rh) said: "Chapter: a report of what is related from the Prophet(saw) with regards to the fact that when the Muslims are lowered into their graves,they will be questioned by Munkar and Nakeer, and that Punishment in the grave is a true fact and eemaan in it is obligatory" (Sharh Usool Itiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah (6/1127) of al-Laaliaaee.)

15)Imaam al-Bayhaqee(d.458H)(rh) said: "Chapter:eemaan in the punishment of the Grave"(Al-Itiqaad(p.107) of al-Bayhaqee.)

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