Does the Belief of "Punishment of the Grave" Contradict the Qur'an?
The Qur’anists and quasi hadeeth rejection modernists of today deny the notion of the punishment of the grave, and they claim that it contradicts the Qur’an. Below I list 11 arguments I came across and provide short responses to each of them. Before getting into the rebuttals to their arguments, I will attempt to provide a short summary of some of the evidence that orthodox scholars use to identify that the notion of the punishment of the grave does indeed have a basis in the Qur’an. For a fuller treatment of this topic, please check out this article: Belief in the Punishment of the Grave: A Response to Those Who Deny It: by ‘Alā’ Ibrāhīm ‘Abd ar-Raḥīm
Before that, I believe an important clarification must be made. When Muslims say “punishment of the grave,” what they really intend by it is “punishment in the stage of barzakh.” We say “grave” because the vast majority of people do tend to be buried; however, that does not mean that we believe that punishment in barzakh only occurs in the grave (one may want to skip to the very end and see the links I provided in response to Argument no. 11 in order to get more elaboration).
Now, let us begin with the scriptural proof texts for the notion of the punishment of the grave in the Qur’an.
First Proof Text:
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.” [Surah 3, Ayah 185]
The emphasis is on the word “full.”. It will only be on the Day of Judgment that “full” recompense shall be made; however, we infer from this that partial recompense (i.e., rewarding and punishing for deeds) has already occurred. When did it occur? Well, when we read Surah 6, Ayah 93, which talks about the time of death, it states:
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, “It has been inspired to me,” while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, “I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed.” And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], “Discharge your souls!Todayyou will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant.”
“Today” refers to their day of death, and on that day, they are getting awarded their punishment. So this shows that the notion of punishment during barzakh exists in the Qur’an.
Second Proof Text:
Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs? [Surah 47, Ayah 27]
So here we see that the angels will strike them on their faces and backs after they take them in death. This is likely before they are buried, but still during the time of barzakh.
Third Proof Text:
The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour appears [it will be said], “Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment.” [Surah 40, Ayah 46]
However, Ibn Kathir does point out that this verse does not explicitly show evidence of the body also getting punished (where the proof for this is found in other scriptural texts) and one would mainly derive punishment of the soul Barzakh from this verse.
Fourth Proof Text:
This reinforces the previously mentioned proof text. We read in Surah 71, Ayah 25:
Because of their sins they were drowned and put into the Fire, and they found not for themselves besides Allah [any] helpers.
Since they were put into the fire right after they drowned, this cannot refer to the eternal fire of the Hereafter.
When read in light of 40:46, it makes sense to conclude that it is referring to the punishment of the grave.
Now we move on to addressing the arguments...
Argument no. 1:
The following set of verses discuss different phases of a human life. It starts from the person’s birth in this Earth and ends up with the Resurrection on the Day of Judgment. After death, no mention of life in the grave is there:
And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, 23:12.
Then We made him a small seed in a firm resting-place, 23:13.
Then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators. 23:14.
Then after that you will most surely die. 23:15.
Then surely on the day of resurrection you shall be raised. 23:16.
Of a small seed; He created him, then He made him according to a measure, 80:19.
Then (as for) the way-- He has made it easy (for him) 80:20.
Then He causes him to die, then assigns to him a grave, 80:21.
Then when He pleases, He will raise him to life again. 80:22.
This confirms that there is no punishment, nor reward in the grave. When a man dies and is put in the grave, the whole period in the grave will go blank until s/he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment .
Response:
These are selective citations. Just because the Qur’an does not mention all phases in these passages, that does not mean that it denies the existence of others.
Even Qur’anists affirm the reality of “barzakh”, a state after our death in this world and before the Day of Resurrection, yet “barzakh” is not alluded to in the aforementioned passages. So why the inconsistency?
Argument no. 2:
According to the traditional beliefs generated from several Saheeh Ahadeeth, the wrong doers will be confronted by the angels in the grave and will be asked several questions and as a result of failing to answer them they will be punished by some terrible looking angels. But the following verse clearly says that they will see the angels for the very first time only on the Day of Judgment:
On the day when they shall see the angels, there shall be no joy on that day for the guilty, and they shall say: It is a forbidden thing totally prohibited. 25:22.
Response:
This verse does not say that the angels will “first” be seen on the Day of Judgment. It simply states that they will be seen on that Day, and the disbelievers will not have glad tidings.
Also, even if it said that the angels would first be seen on that day, it does not indicate which day. It could indicate the day of the person’s death.
Argument no. 3:
As per the Qur’an, on the Day of Judgment people will receive results as per their deeds on this Earth. The good doers will be rewarded by the blessings of paradise, whereas the wrong doers will be punished in the torment of hell. The following are a few from a plenty of verses mentioned very frequently in the Qur’an in this regard:
On the day when Allah will raise them all together and inform them of what they did. Allah hath kept account of it while they forgot it. And Allah is Witness over all things. 58:6
On the day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done of evil (every soul) will long that there might be a mighty apace of distance between it and that (evil). Allah biddeth you beware of Him. And Allah is full of pity for (His) bondmen. 3:30
Every soul will taste of death. And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter Paradise, he indeed is triumphant. The life of this world is but comfort of illusion. 3:185
Hence according to the above verses, there would be no punishment or reward for the dead before the Day of Judgment. That means punishment in grave does not exist at all.
Response:
This is not true; there are passages such as 9:101 which make mention of punishment before the final eternal one:
Also, 6:93 says during the time of death:
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, “It has been inspired to me,” while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, “I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed.” And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], “Discharge your souls!Todayyou will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant.”
Argument no. 4:
Please observe the following verses :
[036:051] And the trumpet shall be blown, when lo ! from their graves they shall hasten on to their Lord.
[036:052] They shall say: O woe to us! who has raised us up from our sleeping-place ( مرقدنا)? This is what the Beneficent God promised and the apostles told the truth.
[036:053] There would be naught but a single cry, when lo ! they shall all be brought before Us;
[036:054] So this day no soul shall be dealt with unjustly in the least; and you shall not be rewarded aught but that which you did.
The above verses gave us the scenario of what is going to happen to us when the Day of Judgement will be proclaimed. In the scope, Almighty ALLAH defines the grave as a sleeping place. The Arabic word مرقدنا is a noun of place. The root of this noun is ra qaf dal , which also be found in verse 18:18 :
[018:018] And you might think them awake while they were asleep (رقود) and We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog (lay) outstretching its paws at the entrance; if you looked at them you would certainly turn back from them in flight, and you would certainly be filled with awe because of them.
We know that the companions of cave slept in the cave for three hundred and added another nine years with peace and tranquility. According to verse 36.52, people who were resurrected from the grave had the similar phase of sleeping state while they were in the grave. Hence the whole period of corpse in the grave will go blank and quiet as it was the case for the people of the cave. If there could be severe punishment for them in that period, they could not comment to have a peaceful sleep.
Response:
As for why those who resurrect say, “Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?,” there are a number of proposed explanations.
One states the punishment of the grave is like a stage of sleeping compared to the pain and torment that would soon follow (See Tafsir Ibn Kathir).
Another states that their minds got so confused by the terror they witnessed that they thought it was all a big nightmare (See ash-Shawkani’s Fathul Qadeer).
Another states that there is no punishment of the grave between the first trumpet bringing terror and death and the second trumpet when people will resurrect. (This opinion is reported by several of the Salaf in various Qur’anic commentaries).
The opinion which I (Bassam Zawadi) personally ascribe to is that the word translated as “sleeping place” (marqadena) was only used expressively to denote their places of death, for it is more communicative to say that than rather say “from our death.” Al-Ruqad (which means sleep and from where we derive marqadena) was used to refer to death and graves due to the similarities it has with sleep and lying down while sleeping. (See as-Saabooni's Safwat at-Tafseer and Ibn 'Ashur's at-Tahreer wat-Tanweer).
Linguist extraordinaire Ibn Mandhur, in his famous Lisaan al-'Arab said regarding the word marqad:
ويحتمل أَن يكون موضعاً وهو القبر، والنوم أَخو الموت
And it is possible that it is a spot, and that is the grave. Sleep is the sister of death.
Argument no. 5:
The Quran 30:55
On the Day that the Hour (of reckoning) will be established, the transgressors will swear that they tarried not but an hour: thus were they used to being deluded!
[30:55] indicates that, the criminals will swear that they did not stay in this world more than an hour another word it was very short however this also indicate that they did not find anything terrified as what now they are facing so that also prove they did not received any punishment while in the grave.
Response:
A number of explanations have been proposed as to why the transgressors would say this.
One explanation for why they shortened their life span on Earth is that they threw away their lives on Earth and pretended as if their presence on it never occurred. Or they would likely say that due to how long they would have been standing on the Day of Judgment and the short period they spent on Earth in comparison would be like an hour. (See ash-Shawkani’s Fathul Qadeer, commentary on 10:45).
Another explanation is that the mentioning of this is like the mentioning in Surah 46:35:
So be patient, [O Muhammad], as were those of determination among the messengers and do not be impatient for them. It will be - on the Day they see that which they are promised - as though they had not remained [in the world] except an hour of a day. [This is] notification. And will [any] be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people? (also see 79:46)
Wherein it is as if they were resurrected exactly as they were in their bodies in this lifetime. What further reinforces their misled belief is their denial of the resurrection on the basis that bodies get corruptible in the graves and the minds of the dead are forever extinguished. (See Ibn’ Ashur’s at-Tahreer wat-Tanweer, commentary on 10:45)
We also read in Surah 17:52:
On the Day He will call you and you will respond with praise of Him and think that you had not remained [in the world] except for a little.”
Another explanation offered for why they think like this is that they would view their life on Earth to be so short in comparison to the everlasting life they are about to live in the Hereafter. (See Tafsir Al-Jazaairi, where he attributes this opinion to Hassan al-Basri).
Ibn Kathir commenting on 30:55-56 offers an interesting explanation, and that is that the transgressors will say “that they did not stay in this world more than an hour” in order to make an excuse that they did not have enough time to be presented with the evidence for Islam and were not give a fair chance.
So clearly, after all this, we see that these transgressors are either liars or are deluded (see 20:102-104 & 30:55). Regardless, their statements cannot be taken to verify anything. Even if they were punished in the grave, they could have still been deluded into thinking it was a short span due to the immense terror they would face on the Day of Judgment.
Argument no. 6:
The Quran 52:47
And verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment besides this: But most of them understand not.
[52:47] Indicate also two punishment which more likely one in this world and in hell.
Response:
I have already alluded to 9:101, which mentions two punishments before the ultimate one (i.e., everlasting hell):
And among those around you of the bedouins are hypocrites, and [also] from the people of Madinah. They have become accustomed to hypocrisy. You, [O Muhammad], do not know them, [but] We know them. We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a great punishment.
Argument no. 7:
What would be the purpose of an appointed Day of Judgment if after death, one were to receive their punishment in their graves before the trial had even taken place? Conviction before trial is not a concept of justice and God is the most Just. In effect, this would render the Day of Judgment meaningless, a fundamental belief posited by the Quran underscored by numerous Surahs and verses. God repeatedly informs His creation that He will never be unjust to his slaves and not an atom’s weight of injustice will take place. All actions will be recorded in a clear record (10:61; 34:3; 99:7-8; 4:40)
Response:
We cannot compare human courts and trials to God’s Judgments. God does not have to hold any trial in order to punish someone. He already knows “all the evidence” and takes appropriate measures whenever He Wills.
Also, the person raising this argument himself would admit that God has punished people in this life for their sins, as is clear in the Qur’an (e.g., how He punished the people of Prophets Noah, Lot, Salih, etc.). So does he also object to those Qur’anic passages by saying, “It’s not fair for Allah to punish them before the Day of Judgment”? I doubt he would.
So why then when it comes to the punishment of the grave? There appear to be double standards at play here.
Argument no. 8:
The Quran 45:27
To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the Earth, and the Day that the Hour of Judgment is established― that Day will the dealers in Falsehood perish!
Several verses like [45:27] indicate ALLAH has ALL Power over everything & on that Day the falsifiers will lose. Again if they get punishment before that day [save on this world] then they are already lose before the hour establish.
Response:
The verse does not say that they would only lose on that Day; it says that they will lose that Day. Full stop. Again, just as in the previous response, Allah may punish people in this life even and that doesn’t contradict this verse. If that is the case, then the same could be said about the punishment in the grave.
Argument no. 9:
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT IS ONLY A BLINKING OF AN EYE AWAY
In the context of the above verses, it becomes clear what is meant by the following verse which completely resonates with the theme of the Quran. At the point of death (which can come upon any of us at a stroke) and till the Day of raising, it is but a blink of an eye.
016:077
“And to God belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the Earth, and the matter of the Hour (of Doom) is but as a twinkling of the eye, or it is nearer still. Indeed! God is Able to do all things”
Response:
Nowhere does this verse say that right after we die, the Day of Judgment would come after a twinkling of an eye’s time span. Rather, the verse emphasizes Allah’s Power and that it is easy for Him to command the matter of the Hour, for just by saying “Be” could He do it.
Argument no. 10:
If there was such an unjust concept of grave punishment, how could one reconcile the period of the Azaab (punishment) of someone who died as a disbeliever 5000 years ago and one that dies 2 minutes before the Day of Resurrection? It seems awfully unjust that someone who dies 5000 years ago should receive a greater period of punishment in the grave than someone who died moments before the Day of Resurrection and who may actually be a greater sinner. In parallel, it seems equally unfair to the individual born 5000 years ago that due to his period of birth, his punishment would be prolonged.
Response:
Simple, Allah may either intensify the punishment greatly for the person who died 2 minutes ago in the grave or intensify it for him more in the Hereafter in order to make up for it. This, of course, assumes that both people are equally evil and unforgiven.
Argument no. 11:
Not everyone is buried in a grave, some are cremated, some are frozen on the tips of mountains (e.g. unsuccessful climbs), some die in aviation accidents and of course in many others ways.
Response:
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan beautifully addresses this here.
Also, read the statements of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibnul Qayyim and an-Nawawi over here.
In conclusion, we can see that no explicit evidence has been provided from the Qur’an demonstrating that the belief in the punishment of the grave contradicts it.