Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: "The Messenger
of Allah, may Allah's peace
and blessings be upon him, said: 'When
the deceased – or one
of you – is buried, there come to him two black
and blue angels; one
of whom is called Al-Munkar
and the other An-Nakeer. They say: "What did you say about this man?" So, he says what he used to say about him: "He is
the slave
of Allah
and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy
of worship except Allah
and that Muhammad is His slave
and messenger." They say: "We knew that you would say that." Then his grave is made spacious for him, seventy cubits by seventy, then it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him: "Sleep,"
and he says: "May I go back to my family
and tell them?" They say: "Sleep like
the bridegroom who will be woken by none but
the dearest
of his family to him," until Allah raises him from that resting place
of his. But if he is a hypocrite he says: "I heard
the people say something so I said something like what they said. I do not know." They say: "We knew that you would say that." Then it is said to
the earth: "Tighten your sides around him," so it tightens its sides around him until his ribs interlock,
and he continues to be tormented therein until Allah raises him from that resting place
of his.' "
Explanation
When
the deceased is buried, two black
and blue angels come to him; one named Al-Munkar
and the other An-Nakeer. They say to him: What did you use to say about this man? They mean
the Prophet, may Allah's peace
and blessings be upon him. He says: He is
the slave
of Allah
and His Messenger; I bear witness that there is no deity worthy
of worship except Allah,
and that Muhammad is His slave
and messenger. They say: We knew that you would say that; then his grave is widened for him seventy cubits by seventy, then it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him: Sleep;
and he will say: I wish to return to my family
and inform them
of my pleasant condition so that they would be happy
and not grieve over me. They will say: Sleep like
the sleep
of a bridegroom who will not be awakened except by
the most beloved
of his family to him. Then, he will sleep peacefully until Allah resurrects him on
the day of Resurrection. On
the other hand, if
the deceased is a hypocrite he will say: I heard people saying something, i.e. that Muhammad is
the Messenger
of Allah, so I said as they were saying,
and I do not really know if he was a prophet or not. They will say: We knew that you would say that; then it will be said to
the earth: gather together
and tighten around him. Then its parts will gather around him tightly until his ribs will be no longer in
the normal arranged state as they used to be due to
the severity
of the pressure
and the squeezing
of his body parts, thereby
each of his two sides will cross over
the other. He will continue to be tormented in this condition until Allah
the Exalted resurrects him on
the day of Resurrection