Tafsir of Ibraheem 14:27

Allah keeps the Believers Firm in This Life and in the Hereafter with a Word that stands Firm Allah says;

يثبت الله الذين آمنوا بالقول الثابت في الحياة الدنيا وفي اﻻخرة ويضل الله الظالمين ويفعل الله ما يشاء

Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world, and in the Hereafter. And Allah will cause the wrongdoers to go astray, and Allah does what He wills. Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said,

المسلم إذا سيل في القبر شهد أن ﻻ إله إﻻ الله وأن محمدا رسول الله فذلك قوله

يثبت الله الذين آمنوا بالقول الثابت في الحياة الدنيا وفي اﻻخرة

When the Muslim is questioned in the grave, he will testify that, `La ilaha illallah', and that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger, hence Allah's statement, Allah will keep firm those who believe, with word that stands firm in this world, and in the Hereafter. Muslim and the rest of the Group recorded it. Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Bara bin Azib said, "We went with the Messenger of Allah to attend a funeral procession of an Ansari man. We reached the grave site when it had not yet been completed. The Messenger of Allah sat, and we sat all around him, as if there were birds hovering above our heads. The Prophet was holding a piece of wood in his hand, poking the ground with it. He next raised his head and said twice or thrice,

استعيذوا بالله من عذاب القبر

Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave. He said next,

إن العبد المومن إذا كان في انقطاع من الدنيا وإقبال من اﻻخرة نزل إليه مﻼيكة من السماء بيض الوجوه كٲن وجوههم الشمس معهم كفن من أكفان الجنة

When a believing slave is reaching the end of his term in the life of this world and the beginning of his term in the Hereafter, a group of angels, whose faces are white and as radiant as the sun, will descend onto him from heaven

وحنوط من حنوط الجنة حتى يجلسوا منه مد البصر ثم يجيء ملك الموت حتى يجلس عند رأسه فيقول أيتها النفس الطيبة اخرجي إلى مغفرة من الله ورضوان

They will carry with them white shroud from Paradise, and fragrance for enshrouding from Paradise. They will sit as far from him as the sight goes. Then, the angel of death, will come until he sits right next to his head, saying, "O, good and pure soul! Depart (your body) to Allah's forgiveness and pleasure.''

قال فتخرج تسيل كما تسيل القطرة من في السقاء فيٲخذها

So the soul flows (out of its body), just as the drop flows out from the tip of the jug, and the angel of death captures it

فٳذا أخذها لم يدعوها في يده طرفة عين حتى يٲخذوها فيجعلوها في ذلك الكفن وفي ذلك الحنوط ويخرج منها كٲطيب نفحة مسك وجدت على وجه اﻻإرض فيصعدون بها فﻼإ يمرون بها

When he captures the soul, they (the group of angels) will not leave it with him for more than an instance, and they will seize it and wrap it in that shroud, and in that fragrance. A most pleasant musk scent ever found on the earth, will flow out of the soul, and the angels will ascend it (to heaven)

يعني على مﻼ من المﻼيكة إﻻ قالوا ما هذه الروح الطيبة

They will not pass by, but they will say, "Whose is this Tayyib (good) soul?''

فيقولون فﻼن بن فﻼن بٲحسن أسمايه التي كانوا يسمونه بها في الدنيا

They (the angels who are ascending the soul) will reply, "Such person, the son of such and such person,'' -- calling him by the best names that he used to be called in the world

حتى ينتهوا به إلى السماء الدنيا فيستفتحون له فيفتح له فيشيعه من كل سماء مقربوها إلى السماء التي تليها حتى ينتهى بها إلى السماء السابعة

They will reach the lower heaven and will ask that its door be opened for him, and it will be opened for them. The best residents of every heaven will then see him to the next heaven, until he is brought to the seventh heaven

فيقول الله اكتبوا كتاب عبدي في عليين وأعيدوه إلى اﻻرض فٳني منها خلقتهم وفيها أعيدهم ومنها أخرجهم تارة أخرى

Allah, the Exalted and Ever High, will say, "List my servants record in `Illiyyin and send him back to earth, for I have created them from it, and into it I shall return them, and from it I shall bring them out once again.''

قال فتعاد روحه في جسده فيٲتيه ملكان فيجلسانه فيقوﻻن له من ربك

The soul will be joined with its body, and two angels will come to him, sit him up and ask him, "Who is your Lord?''

فيقول ربي الله

He will say, "Allah is my Lord.''

فيقوﻻن له ما دينك

They will ask him, "What is your religion?''

فيقول ديني اﻻسﻼم

He will say, "My religion is Islam.''

فيقوﻻن له ما هذا الرجل الذي بعث فيكم

They will say to him, "What do you say about this man (Prophet Muhammad) who was sent to you?''

فيقول هو رسول الله

He will say, "He is the Messenger of Allah.''

فيقوﻻن له وما علمك

They will ask him, "And what proof do you have about it?''

فيقول قرأت كتاب الله فامنت به وصدقت

He will say, "I read the Book of Allah (the Qur'an), and had faith and belief in him.''

فينادي مناد من السماء أن صدق عبدي فٲفرشوه من الجنة وألبسوه من الجنة وافتحوا له بابا إلى الجنة

Then, a caller (Allah) will herald from heaven, "My servant has said the truth. Therefore, furnish him from Paradise, and let him wear from (the clothes of) Paradise, and open a door for him to Paradise.''

قال فيٲتيه من روحها وطيبها ويفسح له في قبره مد بصره

So he is given from Paradise's tranquility and good scent, and his grave will be expanded for him as far as his sight can reach

ويٲتيه رجل حسن الوجه حسن الثياب طيب الريح فيقول أبشر بالذي يسرك هذا يومك الذي كنت توعد

Then, a man, with a handsome face and handsome clothes and whose scent is pleasant, will come to him, saying, "Receive the glad tidings with that which pleases you. This is the Day which you were promised.''

فيقول له من أنت فوجهك الوجه الذي يٲتي بالخير

He will ask him, "Who are you; for yours is the face that carries the good news''

فيقول أنا عملك الصالح

He will reply, "I am your good works.''

فيقول رب أقم الساعة رب أقم الساعة حتى أرجع إلى أهلي ومالي

He will say, "O Lord! Hurry up with the commencement of the Hour, hurry up with the commencement of the Hour, so I can return to my family and my wealth.''

قال وإن العبد الكافر إذا كان في انقطاع من الدنيا وإقبال من اﻻخرة نزل إليه مﻼيكة من السماء سود الوجوه معهم المسوح فجلسوا منه مد البصر

And when the disbelieving person is reaching the end of his term in the world and the beginning of his term in the Hereafter, there will descend onto him from heaven angels with dark faces. They will bring with them Musuh, and will sit as far from him as the sight reaches

ثم يجيء ملك الموت فيجلس عند رأسه فيقول أيتها النفس الخبيثة اخرجي إلى سخط من الله وغضب

Then the angel of death will come forward and sit right next to his head, saying, "O impure, evil soul! Depart (your body) to the anger of Allah and a wrath from Him.''

قال فتفرق في جسده فينتزعها كما ينتزع السفود من الصوف المبلول

The soul will scatter throughout his body, and the angel of death will seize it as when the thorny branch is removed from wet wool

فيٲخذها فٳذا أخذها لم يدعوها في يده طرفة عين حتى يجعلوها في تلك المسوح

The angel of death will seize the soul, and when he does, they (the group of angels) will not let it stay in his hand for more than an instance, and they will wrap it in the Musuh

فيخرج منها كٲنتن ريح جيفة وجدت على وجه اﻻرض فيصعدون بها

The most putrid smell a dead corpse can ever have on earth will emit from the soul, and the angels will ascend with it

فﻼ يمرون بها على مﻼ من المﻼيكة إﻻ قالوا ما هذه الروح الخبيثة

Whenever they pass by a group of angels, they will ask, "Whose is this evil soul?''

فيقولون فﻼن بن فﻼن بٲقبح أسمايه التي كان يسمى بها في الدنيا

The angels will respond, "He is such person son of such person,'' -- calling him by the worst names he was known by in the world

حتى ينتهى بها إلى السماء الدنيا فيستفتح له فﻼ يفتح له

When they reach the lowest heaven, they will request that its door be opened for him, and their request will be denied

ثم قرأ رسول الله

صلى الله عليه وسلم

Then the Prophet peace be upon him, recited:

ﻻ تفتح لهم أبوب السماء وﻻ يدخلون الجنة حتى يلج الجمل فى سم الخياط

"For them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle.'' (7:40) فَيَقُولُ اللهُ: اكْتُبُوا كِتَابَهُ فِي سِجِّينٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ السُّفْلَى Allah will declare, "List his record in Sijjin in the lowest earth.'' فَتُطْرَحُ رُوحُهُ طَرْحًا ثُمَّ قَرَأَ The wicked soul will then be thrown (from heaven)

ومن يشرك بالله فكٲنما خر من السماء فتخطفه الطير أو تهوى به الريح فى مكان سحيق

"And whoever assigns partners to Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had thrown him to a far off place.'' (22:31)

فتعاد روحه في جسده ويٲتيه ملكان فيجلسانه ويقوﻻن له من ربك

His soul will be returned to his body, and two angels will come to him, sit him up and ask him, "Who is your Lord?''

فيقول هاه هاه ﻻ أدري

He will say, "Oh, oh! I do not know.''

فيقوﻻن له ما دينك

They will ask him, "What is your religion?''

فيقول هاه هاه ﻻ أدري

and he will say, "Oh, oh! I do not know.''

فيقوﻻن له ما هذا الرجل الذي بعث فيكم

They will ask him, "What do you say about this man (Prophet Muhammad) who was sent to you?''

فيقول هاه هاه ﻻ أدري

He will say, "Oh, oh, I do not know!''

فينادي مناد من السماء أن كذب عبدي فٲفرشوه من النار وافتحوا له بابا إلى النار

A caller (Allah) will herald from heaven, "My servant has lied, so furnish him with the Fire and open a door for him to the Fire.''

فيٲتيه من حرها وسمومها ويضيق عليه قبره حتى تختلف فيه أضﻼعه

He will find its heat and fierce hot wind. And his grave will be reduced in size, until his bones crush each other

ويٲتيه رجل قبيح الوجه قبيح الثياب منتن الريح فيقول أبشر بالذي يسووك هذا يومك الذي كنت توعد

Then, a man with a dreadful face, wearing dreadful clothes and with a disgusting smell emitting from him will come to him, saying, "Receive the glad tidings with that which will displease you! This is the Day that you have been promised.''

فيقول ومن أنت فوجهك الوجه يجيء بالشر

He will ask that man, "And who are you, for yours is the face that brings about evil?'

فيقول أنا عملك الخبيث

He will say, "I am your evil work.''

فيقول رب ﻻ تقم الساعة

He will therefore cry, "O, my Lord! Do not commence the Hour!'' Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith. In his Musnad, Imam Abd bin Humayd recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إن العبد إذا وضع في قبره وتولى عنه أصحابه وإنه ليسمع قرع نعالهم فيٲتيه ملكان فيقعدانه فيقوﻻن له ما كنت تقول في هذا الرجل

قال فٲما المومن فيقول أشهد أنه عبدالله ورسوله

قال فيقال له انظر إلى مقعدك من النار قد أبدلك الله به مقعدا من الجنة

Verily, when the servant is placed in his grave and his friends (or family) depart, as he hears the sound of their shoes, two angels will come to him. They will sit him up and ask him, `What do you say about this man (Muhammad)?' As for the believer, he will say, `I bear witness that He is Allah's servant and Messenger.' He will be told, `Look at your seat in the Fire, Allah has replaced it for you with a seat in Paradise.' The Prophet said next,

فيراهما جميعا

So he will see both seats. Qatadah added, "We were told that his grave will be enlarged up to seventy forearms length and will be filled with greenery for him until the Day of Judgement.'' Muslim collected this Hadith also from Abd bin Humayd, while An-Nasa'i collected it from Yunus bin Muhammad bin Al-Mu'addah. Al-Hafiz Abu Isa At-Tirmidhi, may Allah grant him mercy, recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إذا قبر الميت أو قال أحدكم أتاه ملكان أسودان أزرقان يقال ﻻحدهما منكر واﻻخر نكير

When the dead - or one of you - is buried, two dark and blue angels will come to him; one is called `Munkir' and the other is called `Nakir'

فيقوﻻن ما كنت تقول في هذا الرجل

They will ask him, `What did you say about this man (Muhammad)?'

فيقول ما كان يقول هو عبدالله ورسوله أشهد أن ﻻ إله إﻻ الله وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله

He will reply, `What he used to say, that he is Allah's servant and Messenger. I bear witness that there is no true deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.'

فيقوﻻن قد كنا نعلم أنك تقول هذا ثم يفسح له في قبره سبعون ذراعا في سبعين وينور له فيه

They will say, `We know that you used to say that,' and his grave will be made larger for him to seventy forearms length by seventy forearms length and will be filled with light for him

ثم يقال له نم فيقول أرجع إلى أهلي فٲخبرهم

He will be told, `Sleep,' but he will reply, `Let me go back to my family in order that I tell them.'

فيقوﻻن نم نومة العروس الذي ﻻ يوقظه إﻻ أحب أهله إليه حتى يبعثه الله من مضجعه ذلك

They will say, `Sleep, just like the bridegroom who is awakened by the dearest of his family, until Allah resurrects him from that sleep.'

وإن كان منافقا قال سمعت الناس يقولون فقلت مثلهم ﻻإ أدري

If he was a hypocrite, his answer will be, `I do not know! I heard people say something, so I used to repeat what they were saying.'

فيقوﻻن قد كنا نعلم أنك تقول هذا فيقال لﻼرض التيمي عليه فتلتيم عليه حتى تختلف أضﻼعه فﻼ يزال فيها معذبا حتى يبعثه الله من مضجعه ذلك

They will say, `We know that you used to say that.' The earth will be commanded, `Come closer all around him,' and it will come closer to him until his ribs cross each other. He will remain in this torment, until Allah resurrects him from his sleep. At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan, Gharib.'' Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,

يثبت الله الذين آمنوا بالقول الثابت في الحياة الدنيا وفي اﻻخرة

Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world, and in the Hereafter

ذلك إذا قيل له في القبر

من ربك

وما دينك

ومن نبيك

فيقول ربي الله وديني اﻻسﻼم ونبيي محمد جاءنا بالبينات من عند الله فامنت به وصدقت

فيقال له صدقت على هذا عشت وعليه مت وعليه تبعث

When he will be asked in the grave, `Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?' He will reply, `Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion and Muhammad is my Prophet who brought the clear proofs from Allah. I believed in him and had faith in him.' He will be told, `You have said the truth; you have lived on this, died on it and will be resurrected on it.' Ibn Jarir At-Tabari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

والذي نفسي بيده إن الميت ليسمع خفق نعالكم حين تولون عنه مدبرين

By He Who owns my life! The dead person hears the sound of your slippers (or shoes) when you depart and leave him

فٳن كان مومنا كانت الصﻼإة عند رأسه والزكاة عن يمينه والصوم عن يساره وكان فعل الخيرات من الصدقة والصلة والمعروف واﻻإحسان إلى الناس عند رجليه

If he is a believer, the prayer will stand by his head, Zakah to his right and the fast by his left; the righteous deeds, such as charity, keeping relations with kith and kin and acts of kindness to people will stand by his feet

فيوتى من قبل رأسه فتقول الصﻼة ما قبلي مدخل

He will be approached from his head, and the prayer will declare, `No entrance from my side.'

فيوتى عن يمينه فتقول الزكاة ما قبلي مدخل

He will be approached from his right, and Zakah will declare, `There is no entrance from my side.'

فيوتى عن يساره فيقول الصيام ما قبلي مدخل

He will be approached from his left, and the fast will declare, `There is no entrance from my side.'

فيوتى عند رجليه فيقول فعل الخيرات ما قبلي مدخل

He will be approached from his feet, and the acts of righteousness will declare, `There is no entrance from our side.'

فيقال له اجلس فيجلس قد مثلت له الشمس قد دنت للغروب

He will be commanded to sit up, and he will sit up while the sun appears to him just like when it is about to set

فيقال له أخبرنا عما نسٲلك

He will be told, `Tell us about what we are going to ask you.'

فيقول دعني حتى أصلي

He will say, `Leave me until I pray.'

فيقال له إنك ستفعل فٲخبرنا عما نسٲلك

He will be told, `You will pray, but first tell us what we want to know.'

فيقول وعم تسٲلوني

He will ask, `What are your questions?'

فيقال أرأيت هذا الرجل الذي كان فيكم ماذا تقول به وماذا تشهد به عليه

He will be told, `This man who was sent among you, what do you say about him and what is your testimony about him?'

فيقول أمحمد

He will ask, `Muhammad?'

فيقال له نعم فيقول أشهد أنه رسول الله وأنه جاءنا بالبينات من عند الله فصدقناه

He will be answered in the positive and he will reply, `I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah and that he has brought us the proofs from our Lord. We believed in him.'

فيقال له على ذلك حييت وعلى ذلك مت وعليه تبعث إن شاء الله

He will be told, `This is the way you lived and died and Allah willing, you will be resurrected on it.'

ثم يفسح له في قبره سبعون ذراعا وينور له فيه ويفتح له باب إلى الجنة

His grave will be made wider for him seventy forearms length, and it will be filled with light. A door will also be opened for him to Paradise

فيقال له انظر إلى ما أعد الله لك فيها

He will be told, `Look at what Allah has prepared for you in it.'

فيزداد غبطة وسرورا ثم تجعل نسمته في النسم الطيب وهي طير خضر تعلق بشجر الجنة ويعاد الجسد إلى ما بدء من التراب

He will increase in joy and delight and then his soul will be placed with the pure souls, inside green birds eating from the trees of Paradise. The body will be returned to its origin, dust. So Allah said,

يثبت الله الذين آمنوا بالقول الثابت في الحياة الدنيا وفي اﻻخرة

Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world, and in the Hereafter. Ibn Hibban collected this Hadith, and his narration added the disbeliever's answer and his torment. Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Tawus said,

يثبت الله الذين آمنوا بالقول الثابت في الحياة الدنيا

Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world, is in reference to La ilaha ilallah, while,

وفي اﻻخرة

and in the Hereafter is in reference to the questioning in the grave. Qatadah commented, "As for this life, Allah will make them firm on the way of righteousness and good deeds,

وفي اﻻخرة

(and in the Hereafter), in the grave.'' Several others among the Salaf said the same