'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (saws) as saying on the day of Battle of Khandaq (Trench). They (the unbelievers) prevented us from offering the middle prayer i.e. 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their houses and their graves with Hell-fire.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Perform some of your prayer in your houses, and do not turn them into graves.”* * This is most probably a figurative expression indicating that a house in which prayer is not offered is like a grave, as God is not worshipped there. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ata’ b. Yasar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “O God, do not let my grave become an idol which is worshipped. God’s anger is severe against people who take the graves of their prophets as mosques.” Malik transmitted it in mursal form.

When 'Uthman would stop at a grave he would cry until his beard was soaked (in tears). It was said to him: 'The Paradise and the Fire were mentioned and you did not cry, yet you cry because of this?' So he said: 'Indeed the Messenger of Allah said: "Indeed the grave is the first stage among the stages of the Hereafter. So if one is saved from it, then what comes after it is easier than it. And if one is not saved from it, then what comes after it is worse than it." And the Messenger of Allah said: "I have not seen any sight except that the grave is more horrible than it."

The Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him) entered the garden of the palm trees of Banu al-Najjar. He heard a voice and was terrified. He asked: Who are the people buried in these graves? The people replied: Messenger of Allah! These are some people who died in the pre-Islamic times. He said: Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the fire, and the trail of Antichrist. They asked: Why is it that, Messenger of Allah? He said: When a man is placed in his grave, an angel comes to him and says to him: Whom did you worship? Allah then guides him and he says: I worshiped Allah. He is then asked: What was your opinion of this man? He replies: He is Allah’s servant and His Apostle. He will not then be asked about anything else. He will then be taken to his abode in Hell and will be told: This was your abode in Hell, but Allah protected you and had mercy on you substituted for you an abode in Paradise for it. He will say: Leave me so that I may go and give glad tidings to my family. He will be told: Dwell. When an infidel is placed in his grave, an angel comes to him, reprimands him and asks him: Whom did you worship? He replies: I do not know. He will be told: You neither knew nor did you follow(the believers). He is then asked: What was your opinion on this man? He replies: I held the opinion that the other people held. He will then give him a blow between his ears with an iron hammer and will utter a shout which will be heard by all the creatures(near him) with the exception of men and jinn.

‘Urwa b. az-Zubair said there were two men in Medina, one of whom made a niche when digging a grave, the other of whom did not. The people said that the one who came first should do as he was accustomed to do, and the one who made a niche came and made one for God’s messenger. [Baghawi] transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Uthman told that when he stood over a grave he would weep so sorely that the tears moistened his beard. Someone said to him, “You remember paradise and hell, without weeping, yet you are weeping over this." He replied that God’s messenger said, “The grave is the first stage of the next world ; if one escapes from it what follows is easier than it, but if one does not escape from it what follows is more severe than it." He further quoted God’s messenger as saying, “I have never seen a sight as horrible as the grave." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “The niche in the side of the grave is for us and the excavation in the middle is for others.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from Jarir b. ‘Abdallah.

"A red velvet cloth was placed in the grave of the Prophet."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Sasaca that he had heard that Amr ibn al-Jamuh al-Ansari and Abdullah ibn Umar al-Ansari, both of the tribe of Banu Salami, had their grave uncovered by a flood. Their grave was part of what was left after the flood. They were in the same grave, and they were among those martyred at Uhud. They were dug up so that they might be moved. They were found unchanged. It was as if they had died only the day before. One of them had been wounded, and he had put his hand over his wound and had been buried like that. His hand was pulled away from his wound and released, and it returned to where it had been. It was forty-six years between Uhud and the day they were dug up.

Malik said, "There is no harm in burying two or three men in the same grave due to necessity. The oldest one is put next to the qibla."

"I heard Sa'eed bin Jubair say: 'I was asked about the two who engage in Li'an during the governorship of Ibn Az-Zubair - should they be separated? I did not know what to say, so I got up and went to the house of Ibn 'Umar and said: "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman, should the two who engage in Li'an be separated?" He said: "Yes, Subhan Allah! The first one who asked about that was so-and-so the son of so-and-so who said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what do you think if a man among us sees his wife committing immoral actions, and if he speaks of it, he will be speaking of a grave matter, but if he keeps quiet, he will be keeping quiet about a grave matter?' He did not answer him, then after that, he came to him and said: 'I was tried with the matter that I asked you about, so Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed these Verses in Surat An-Nur.: 'And for those who accuse their wives' until he reached: 'And the fifth (testimony) should be that the Wrath of Allah be upon her if he (her husband) speaks the truth.' So he started with the man, exhorting him, reminding him, and telling him that the punishment in this world was less severe than the punishment in the Hereafter. He said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, I am not lying.' Then he turned to the woman and exhorted her and reminded her. She said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, he is lying.' So he started with the man, and he bore witness four times by Allah that he was telling the truth, and the fifth time (he invoked) the curse of Allah upon himself if he was lying. Then he turned to the woman and she bore witness four times by Allah that he was lying, and the fifth time (she invoked) the wrath of Allah upon herself if he was telling the truth. Then he separated them."'"

`Uthman (رضي الله عنه) used to stand by a grave and weep until his beard became wet. It was said to him: You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but you weep for this? He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `The grave is the first stage of the hereafter. If one is saved from it (i.e., its torments), then what comes after it is easier than it. But if one is not saved from it {i.e. its torments), then what comes after it is worse.` And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: By Allah, I have never seen any frightening scene but the grave is more frightening than it.`

"When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to Al-Madinah, he alighted in the upper part of Al-Madinah among the tribe called Banu 'Amr bin 'Awf and he stayed with them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and they came with their swords by their sides. It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on his she-camel with Abu Bakr riding behind him (on the same camel) and the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. The Prophet (PBUH) used to offer the prayer wherever he was when the time for prayer came, and he would pray even in sheepfolds. Then he ordered that the Masjid be built. He sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and when they came, he said: 'O Banu An-Najjar, name me a price for this grove of yours.' They said: 'By Allah, we will not ask for its price except from Allah.'" Anas said: "In (that grove) there were graves of idolators, ruins and date-palm trees. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordered that the graves of the idolators be dug up, the ruins be leveled and the date-palm trees be cut down. The trunks of the trees were arranged so as to form the walls facing the Qiblah. The stone pillars were built at the sides of its gate. They started to move the stones, reciting some lines of verse, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was with them when they were saying: 'O Allah! There is no good except the good of the Hereafter. So bestow victory on the Ansar and the Muhajirin.'"

Sufyan at-Tammar said he saw the grave of the Prophet humped. Bukhari transmitted it.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to teach us this supplication as he taught us the surah from the Qur'an. He would say: O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge from You from the trails of Al-Masihid-Dajjal, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death.

His father said: "The one who made the Lahd in the grave of the Messenger of Allah was Abu Talhah. And the one who placed the velvet cloth under him was Shuqran a freed slave of Messenger of Allah."

Jundub told of his hearing the Prophet say, “Those who preceded you used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as mosques, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that.” Muslim transmitted it.

Aishah told him that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to say the following supplication in his prayer: Allahumma inni audhu bika min 'adhab ilqabri wa 'audhu bika min fitnatil-masihid-dajjal, wa 'audhu bika min fitnatil-mahya walmamati, Allahumma inni 'audhu bika min al-ma'thami wal-maghram ( O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave, and I seek refuge in You from the tribulation of the Al-Masihid-Dajjal, and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin and debt.) Someone said to him: "How often you seek refuge from debt!" He said: "If a man gets into debt, when he speaks lies, and when he makes a promise, he betrays it."

"When 'Abdullah bin Ubayy died, his son came to the Prophet and said: 'Give me your shirt so that I may shroud him in it, and (some and) offer the (funeral) prayer for him, and pray for forgiveness for him'. So he gave him his shirt then he said: 'When you have finished, inform me and I will offer the (funeral) prayer for him.' But 'Umar stopped him and said: 'Hasn't Allah forbidden you to offer the (funeral) prayer for the hypocrites?' He said: 'I have two options. Whether you ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites) or ask no forgiveness for them." So he offered the (funeral) prayer for him. Then Allah, Most High, revealed: 'And never pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave.' So he stopped offering the (funeral) prayer for them."

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, the world will not come to an end until a man passes by a grave and will lie over it saying, 'Would that I were in this grave (i.e., dead)!' Not he will say so because of religious reasons but because of widespread mischief and severe trials of this world."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn ‘Abbās said that one of the Prophet's companions set up his tent over a grave without realising that it was a grave, and it contained a man who was reciting the sūra, “Blessed is He in whose hand is the kingdom,” up to the end. He went and told the Prophet, who said, “It is the defender; it is the protector which is protecting him from God's punishment.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, .saying this is a gharīb tradition.

That he was in a gathering where the Messenger of Allah was present and he said: "I used to forbid you to eat the sacrificial mea for more than three days, but now eat it, give it to others and store it for as long as you want. And I told you not to make Nabidh in these containers: Ad-Dubba', Al-Muzaqqat, An-Naqir, and Al-Hantam. But now make Nabidh in whatever you want, but avoid everything that intoxicates. And I forbade you to visit graves, but now whoever want to visit them, let him do so, but do not utter anything which is not suitable."

I was present when the daughter of God’s messenger was being buried. He was sitting beside the grave and I saw his eyes shedding tears. He then asked, “Is there any of you who did not have sexual intercourse last night?” Abu Talha replied that he had not, so he told him to go down into her grave, and he did so. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abdallah b. `Amr reported God's messenger as saying, "Jesus, son of Mary will descend to the earth, will marry, have children, and remain forty-five years, after which he will die and be buried along with me in my grave. Then Jesus, son of Mary and I shall arise from one grave between Abu Bakr and 'Umar." Ibn al-jauzi transmitted it in Kitab al-wafa'

Hisham b. ‘Amir told that the Prophet said on the day of Uhud, “Dig graves, make them wide, deep and beautiful, bury two or three together in a single grave, and put first the one who knew most of the Qur’an.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted up to “beautiful”.

Salman al-Fairisi told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Being stationed for a day and a night on the frontier in God’s path is better than fasting a month and spending its nights in prayer. If one dies he will be rewarded for the deeds he was doing, he will be given his provision, and will be safe from him who tests him.”* * Al-fattan. There is some doubt as to the reference here. It may be the devil, this name being used because he tempts people to sin; or it may mean the one who examines men in the grave. Munkar and Nakir are called fattana'l-qabr, the two who test men in the grave. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Al Darda said “The Apostle of Allaah(saws) was in a battle. He saw a woman who was nearing the time when she was to deliver a child. “He said “Perhaps the master has intercourse with her.”. They(the people) said “Yes”. He said “I am inclined to invoke a curse on him which will enter his grave with him. How can he make it (the child) an heir when it is not lawful for him? How can he take it into his service when that is not lawful for him?”

Ibn ‘Abbas said that a piece of red stuff was put in God’s messenger’s grave. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn 'Abbas said God’s messenger was lowered gently into the grave head first. Shafi'i transmitted it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Allah! Do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. The anger on those who took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration was terrible."

Al-Qasim b. Muhammad told of his going to visit ‘A’isha and saying, “Mother, show me the grave of the Prophet and his two companions.” She showed him three graves which were neither high nor low, but were spread over with soft red pebbles in an open space. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

ahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that AIi ibn Abi Talib used to rest his head on graves and lie on them.

Malik said, "As far as we can see ,it is only forbidden to sit on graves to relieve oneself."

While we were accompanying God’s messenger who was riding a she-mule in a garden belonging to the B. an-Najjar, the animal shied and almost unseated him. It happened that there were five or six graves there, so he asked if anyone knew who were buried in them. A man replied that he did, and on being asked when they died said it was in the period when the people were polytheists. The Prophet then said, “These people are being afflicted in their graves, and were it not that you would cease to bury, I would ask God to let you hear the punishment in the grave which I am hearing.” Then he turned facing us and said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment of the fire.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the punishment of the fire.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment in the grave.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the punishment in the grave.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from trials both open and secret.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from trials both open and secret.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from the trial of ad-Dajjal!” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the trial of ad-Dajjal.” Muslim transmitted it.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting by a grave which was being dug at Madina. A man looked into the grave and said, 'An awful bed for the mumin. 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, 'Evil? What you have said is absolutely wrong.'

The man said, 'I didn't mean that, Messenger of Allah. I meant being killed in the way of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Being killed in the way of Allah has no like! There is no place on the earth which I would prefer my grave to be than here (meaning Madina). He repeated it three times.' "

Abu Huraira said God's messenger cursed women who visited graves. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition. He added that some learned men consider this was before the Prophet gave licence to visit graves, and when he gave it both men and women were included. But some hold that he disapproved of women visiting graves because of the small amount of self-control they possess and their tendency to be greatly upset. The quotation from him ends here.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: `The deceased is tormented in his grave because of the wailing for him.`

‘Amir b. Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas told that Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said during his illness of which he died, “Make a niche for me in the side of the grave, and set up bricks over me as was done with God’s messenger.” Muslim transmitted it.

“O Allah, indeed, I seek refuge in You from the trial of the Fire, and the punishment of the Fire, and the punishment of the grave, and the trial of the grave, and from the evil of the trial of the grave, and from the evil of the trials of riches, and from the evils of the trials of poverty, and from the evil of the trial of the false Masih. O Allah, wash my sins with water of ice and hail, and cleanse my heart of sins, as You cleansed a white garment of filth, and distance me and my sins as You distanced between the east and the west. O Allah, indeed, I seek refuge in You from laziness, senility, sin and debt. (Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min fitnatin-nār, wa `adhābin-nār, wa `adhābil-qabr, wa fitnatil-qabr, wa min sharri fitnatil-ghinā, wa min sharri fitnatil-faqr, wa min sharri fitnatil- masīḥid-dajjāl. Allāhummaghsil khaṭāyāya bi-mā’ith-thalji wal-bardi, wa anqi qalbī minal-khaṭāyā kamā anqaitath-thawbal-abyaḍa minad-danas, wa bā`id bainī wa baina khaṭāyāya kama bā`adta bainal-mashriqi wal maghrib, Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min al-kasali wal-harami wal-ma’thami wal-maghram).”

The Prophet (saws) used to supplicate, saying: “O Allah, indeed, I seek refuge in You from laziness, weakness of old age, cowardice, stinginess, the trial of Al-Masih, and the punishment of the grave (Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika minal-kasali wal-harami wal-jubni wal-bukhli wa fitnatil-masīḥi wa `adhabil-qabr).”

" The Messenger of Allah said: 'I used to forbid you from doing three things: to visit graves, but now visit three, for you may benefit from that. And I used to forbid you (from eating) the meat of sacrificial animals after three days but now eat it, and keep whatever you want. A and I forbade you to drink form (certain kinds of) vessels, but now drink form whatever kind of vessel you want but do not drink any kind of intoxicant." (Sahih ) Muhammad (one of the narrators) did not mention: "kept (whatever you want).

We went out with the Messenger of Allah (saws) to a funeral, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) at the grave giving this instruction to the grave-digger:

Make it wide on the side of his feet, and make it wide on the side of his head. When he came back, he was received by a man who conveyed an invitation from a woman. So he came (to her), to it food was brought, and he put his hand (i.e. took a morsel in his hand); the people did the same and they ate. Our fathers noticed that the Messenger of Allah (saws) was moving a morsel around his mouth.

He then said: I find the flesh of a sheep which has been taken without its owner's permission.

The woman sent a message to say: Messenger of Allah, I sent (someone) to an-Naqi' to have a sheep bought for me, but there was none; so I sent (a message) to my neighbour who had bought a sheep, asking him to send it to me for the price (he had paid), but he could not be found. I, therefore, sent (a message) to his wife and she sent it to me.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Give this food to the prisoners.

“The deceased is tormented in his grave because of the wailing over him.`

Abu Rafi‘ said that God's messenger lowered Sa‘d and sprinkled water over his grave. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

My father called me on the evening before (the battle of) Uhud and said: "I perceive that I shall be among the first from among the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) to be martyred, and after him you are the dearest to me. I am under the burden of debt. Pay it and treat your sisters well." Next morning he was among the first to be killed, so I buried him along with another in the same grave. Thereafter, I did not like that I should leave him with another in the grave. So I dug up his corpse after six months and he was in the same condition in which he was on the day when I buried him, except that there was a scratch on his ear. Then I buried him in a separate grave.

[Al- Bukhari].

`A'isha said that when the Negus died, they discussed the fact that a light continued to be seen over his grave. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

"I will not teach you anything but that which the Messenger of Allah [SAW] used to teach us. He said: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-'ajzi wal-kasali, wal-bukhli, wal-jubni, wal-harami, wa 'adhabil-qabri, Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha anta khairu min zakkaha, anta waliyyuha wa mawlaha. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min qalbin la yakhsha'u wa min nafsin la tashba'u wa 'ilmin la yanfa'u wa da'watin la yustajabu laha (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, miserliness, cowardice, old age, the torment of the grave. O Allah, make my soul obedient and purify it, for You are the best One to purify it, You are its Guardian and Lord. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from a heart that is not humble, a soul that is not satisfied, knowledge that is of no benefit and a supplication that is not answered.)"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day of Al-Ahzab. `They distracted us from the middle prayer until the sunset. May Allah fill their graves and houses - or stomachs - with fire.` He (the narrator) was not sure whether it was houses or stomachs. As for graves, there is no doubt about that.

`The deceased is tormented in his grave because of the wailing over him.”

‘Amr b. al-‘As said to his son when he was in the throes of death, “When I die let no wailing woman or fire accompany me, and when you bury me scatter earth lightly over me, then stand round my grave as long as it takes to sacrifice an animal and have its flesh distributed, so that I may feel you near and know what to answer my Lord’s messengers.”( i.e. Munkar and Naklr who examine the dead in the grave) Muslim transmitted it.

“We find that you have a hadeeth that we did not find with anyone else.” He said: “I have a lot of hadeeths, but Rabee`ah bin al Hudair - who used to stay close to Talhah bin `Ubaidullah - said that he did not hear Talhah narrate any hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) except one.” Rabee`ah bin Abi ‘Abdur-Rahman said: “I said to him: “What is it?” He said: “Talhah said to me: “We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) until we approached Harrat Waqim. When we drew close to it, we saw some graves at a turn in the valley and we said: “O Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), are these the graves of our brothers?” He said: “The graves of our companions.` Then he left and when we came to the graves of the martyrs, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `These are the graves of our Brothers.””