Is the deceased punished in the grave due to wailing over them?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Funerals
Primary text
The deceased is punished in the grave for the wailing directed towards them. This is supported by authentic narrations from the Prophet, peace be upon him, transmitted by companions such as Umar, his son, and Al-Mughirah. The literal meaning is held by some scholars, who assert that Allah acts upon His creation as He wills. They support this by the narration that if a mourner stands and cries out such as, 'Woe is my strong man! Woe is my support!' an angel is appointed to question the deceased, 'Was this your practice?' This narration is classified as Hasan (good) by Al-Tirmidhi. Another narration concerning Abdullah ibn Rawahah confirms that when his sister cried over him, he stated upon recovering from his faint that he was told, 'Is this what you said?'
Supporting text
Aisha and Ibn Abbas strongly rejected the literal interpretation. Aisha stated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, only said that Allah increases the punishment of the disbeliever due to the wailing of his family. She cited the Quranic verse stating that no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another (Quran 6:164). Ibn Abbas later stated, 'Allah makes one laugh and makes one weep.' This view regarding the disbeliever being punished for wailing is further supported by the general prohibition against wailing, as the wailing referred to in these hadiths must be the unlawful wailing that involves lamentation and excessive noise, based on preceding evidence.