They, the people of the Scriptures, divided this Scripture into parts, believing in some portions of it and disbelieving the others. (See 15:91)

`Aisha said that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the punishment in the grave, saying to her, "May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave." `Aisha then asked Allah's Apostle about the punishment of the grave. He said, "Yes, (there is) punishment in the grave." `Aisha added, "After that I never saw Allah's Apostle but seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave in every prayer he prayed."

Those who have made their Scripture into parts are the people of the Scripture who divided it into portions and believed in a part of it and disbelieved the other.

Rabi'ah ibn al-Hudayr said: I did not hear Talhah ibn Ubaydullah narrating any tradition from the Messenger of Allah (saws) except one tradition. I (Rabi'ah ibn AbuAbdurRahman) asked: What is that? He said: We went out along with the Messenger of Allah (saws) who was going to visit the graves of the martyrs. When we ascended Harrah Waqim, and then descended from it, we found there some graves at the turning of the valley. We asked: Messenger of Allah, are these the graves of our brethren? He replied: Graves of our companions. When we came to the graves of martyrs, he said: These are the graves of our brethren.

I asked my father, "Was the Verse:-- 'Say: (O Muhammad) Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of their deeds?'(18.103) revealed regarding Al-Haruriyya?" He said, "No, but regarding the Jews and the Christians, for the Jews disbelieved Muhammad and the Christians disbelieved in Paradise and say that there are neither meals nor drinks therein. Al- Hururiyya are those people who break their pledge to Allah after they have confirmed that they will fulfill it, and Sa`d used to call them 'Al-Fasiqin (evildoers who forsake Allah's obedience).

The Prophet delivered to us a sermon on the Day of Nahr. He said, "Do you know what is the day today?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He remained silent till we thought that he might give that day another name. He said, "Isn't it the Day of Nahr?" We said, "It is." He further asked, "Which month is this?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He remained silent till we thought that he might give it another name. He then said, "Isn't it the month of Dhul-Hijja?" We replied: "Yes! It is." He further asked, "What town is this?" We replied, "Allah and His Apostle know it better." He remained silent till we thought that he might give it another name. He then said, "Isn't it the forbidden (Sacred) town (of Mecca)?" We said, "Yes. It is." He said, "No doubt, your blood and your properties are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this town of yours, till the day you meet your Lord. No doubt! Haven't I conveyed Allah's message to you? They said, "Yes." He said, "O Allah! Be witness. So it is incumbent upon those who are present to convey it (this information) to those who are absent because the informed one might comprehend it (what I have said) better than the present audience, who will convey it to him. Beware! Do not renegade (as) disbelievers after me by striking the necks (cutting the throats) of one another."

Abu `Abdur-Rahman who was one of the supporters of `Uthman said to Abu Talha who was one of the supporters of `Ali, "I perfectly know what encouraged your leader (i.e. `Ali) to shed blood. I heard him saying: Once the Prophet sent me and Az-Zubair saying, 'Proceed to such-and-such Ar-Roudah (place) where you will find a lady whom Hatib has given a letter. So when we arrived at Ar-Roudah, we requested the lady to hand over the letter to us. She said, 'Hatib has not given me any letter.' We said to her. 'Take out the letter or else we will strip off your clothes.' So she took it out of her braid. So the Prophet sent for Hatib, (who came) and said, 'Don't hurry in judging me, for, by Allah, I have not become a disbeliever, and my love to Islam is increasing. (The reason for writing this letter was) that there is none of your companions but has relatives in Mecca who look after their families and property, while I have nobody there, so I wanted to do them some favor (so that they might look after my family and property).' The Prophet believed him. `Umar said, 'Allow me to chop off his (i.e. Hatib's) neck as he has done hypocrisy.' The Prophet said, (to `Umar), 'Who knows, perhaps Allah has looked at the warriors of Badr and said (to them), 'Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you.' " `Abdur-Rahman added, "So this is what encouraged him (i.e. `Ali).

I was a blacksmith and Al-Asi Bin Wail owed me a debt, so I went to him to demand it. He said to me. "I will not pay you your debt till you disbelieve in Muhammad." I said, "I will not disbelieve in Muhammad till you die and then be resurrected." He said, "Will I be resurrected after my death? If so, I shall pay you (there) if I should find wealth and children." So there was revealed:-- 'Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Signs, and yet says: I shall certainly be given wealth and children? Has he, known to the unseen or has he taken a covenant from (Allah) the Beneficent? Nay ! We shall record what he says, and we shall add and add to his punishment. And We shall inherit from him all that he talks of, and he shall appear before Us alone.' (19.77-80)

"As We have sent down (the Scripture) on those who are divided (Jews and Christians)." (15.90) They believed in part of it and disbelieved in the other, (and they) are the Jews and the Christians.

Allah's Apostle in his fatal illness said, "Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians, for they built the places of worship at the graves of their prophets." And if that had not been the case, then the Prophet's grave would have been made prominent before the people. So (the Prophet ) was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship.

The Prophet (saws) said: There is no slaughtering (at the grave) in Islam.

'Abd al-Razzaq said: They used to slaughter cows or sheep at grave.

A black man or a black woman used to sweep the mosque and he or she died. The Prophet asked about her (or him). He was told that she (or he) had died. He said, "Why did you not inform me? Show me his grave (or her grave)." So he went to her (his) grave and offered her (his) funeral prayer."

I heard `Ali saying, "Allah's Apostle sent me, Az-Zubair and Al-Miqdad somewhere saying, 'Proceed till you reach Rawdat Khakh. There you will find a lady with a letter. Take the letter from her.' " So, we set out and our horses ran at full pace till we got at Ar-Rawda where we found the lady and said (to her). "Take out the letter." She replied, "I have no letter with me." We said, "Either you take out the letter or else we will take off your clothes." So, she took it out of her braid. We brought the letter to Allah's Apostle and it contained a statement from Hatib bin Abi Balta a to some of the Meccan pagans informing them of some of the intentions of Allah's Apostle. Then Allah's Apostle said, "O Hatib! What is this?" Hatib replied, "O Allah's Apostle! Don't hasten to give your judgment about me. I was a man closely connected with the Quraish, but I did not belong to this tribe, while the other emigrants with you, had their relatives in Mecca who would protect their dependents and property . So, I wanted to recompense for my lacking blood relation to them by doing them a favor so that they might protect my dependents. I did this neither because of disbelief not apostasy nor out of preferring Kufr (disbelief) to Islam." Allah's Apostle, said, "Hatib has told you the truth." `Umar said, O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop off the head of this hypocrite." Allah's Apostle said, "Hatib participated in the battle of Badr, and who knows, perhaps Allah has already looked at the Badr warriors and said, 'Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you."

(the wife of the Prophet) Once Allah's Apostle passed by (the grave of) a Jewess whose relatives were weeping over her. He said, "They are weeping over her and she is being tortured in her grave."

The Prophet (saws) said: Do not make your houses graves, and do not make my grave a place of festivity. But invoke blessings on me, for your blessings reach me wherever you may be.

We were (in the funeral procession) of one of the daughters of the Prophet and he was sitting by the side of the grave. I saw his eyes shedding tears. He said, "Is there anyone among you who did not have sexual relations with his wife last night?" Abu Talha replied in the affirmative. And so the Prophet told him to get down in the grave. And so he got down in her grave.

We were in the funeral procession of the daughter of Allah's Apostle and Allah's Apostle was sitting near the grave and I saw his eyes full of tears. He said, "Is there anyone amongst you who did not have sexual relations with his wife last night?" Abu Talha replied in the affirmative. And so Allah's Apostle told him to get down in her grave and he got down in her grave and buried her.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) as saying: The dead is punished because of his family's weeping for him. When this was mentioned to 'Aishah, she said: Ibn 'Umar forgot and made a mistake. The Prophet (saws) passed by grave and he said: The man in the grave is being punished while his family is weeping for him. She then recited: "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another."

The narrator Abu Mu'awiyyah said: (The Prophet passed) by the grave of a Jew.

When Ibn `Abbas heard:-- "Have you not seen those who have changed the favor of Allah into disbelief?" (14.28) he said, "Those were the disbelieving pagans of Mecca."

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."

The Prophet (saws) said: The niche in the side of the grave is for us and the excavation in the middle is for others.

I was a blacksmith In the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance, and 'Asi bin Wail owed me some money. I went to him to demand it, but he said to me, "I will not pay you unless you reject faith in Muhammad." I replied, "By Allah, I will never disbelieve Muhammad till Allah let you die and then resurrect you." He said, "Then wait till I die and come to life again, for then I will be given property and offspring and will pay your right." So, thus revelation came: "Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs and yet says, 'I will be given property and offspring?' " (19.77)

The Prophet once passed by two graves and said, "They (the deceased persons in those graves) are being tortured not for a great thing to avoid." And then added, "Yes, (they are being punished for a big sin), for one of them used to go about with calumnies while the other never saved himself from being soiled with his urine." (Ibn `Abbas added): Then he took a green leaf of a date-palm) and split it into two pieces and fixed one piece on each grave and said, "May their punishment be abated till these (two pieces) get dry."

Once the Prophet went through the grave-yards of Medina and heard the voices of two humans who were being tortured in their graves. The Prophet said, "They are being punished, but they are not being punished because of a major sin, yet their sins are great. One of them used not to save himself from (being soiled with) the urine, and the other used to go about with calumnies (Namima)." Then the Prophet asked for a green palm tree leaf and split it into two pieces and placed one piece on each grave, saying, "I hope that their punishment may be abated as long as these pieces of the leaf are not dried."

Jabir said that he was forbidden to plaster graves.

Aisha said, "The Prophet in his fatal illness said, 'Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as places for praying."' Aisha added, "Had it not been for that, the grave of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) would have been made prominent but I am afraid it might be taken (as a) place for praying.

Ash Shu`bi said, "I was informed by a man who had seen the Prophet going to a grave that was separate from the other graves and he aligned the people in rows and said four Takbir." I said, "O Abu `Amr! who narrated (that) to you"? He said, "Ibn `Abbas. "

`Aisha said, "The Prophet said during his fatal illness, "Allah cursed the Jews for they took the graves of their prophets as places for worship." `Aisha added, "Had it not been for that (statement of the Prophet ) his grave would have been made conspicuous. But he was afraid that it might be taken as a place for worship."

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."

I was a blacksmith and did some work for Al-`As bin Wail. When he owed me some money for my work, I went to him to ask for that amount. He said, "I will not pay you unless you disbelieve in Muhammad." I said, "By Allah! I will never do that till you die and be resurrected." He said, "Will I be dead and then resurrected after my death?" I said, "Yes." He said, "There I will have property and offspring and then I will pay you your due." Then Allah revealed. 'Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs, and yet says: I will be given property and offspring?' (19.77)

Ash-Shu`bi said, "Somebody who passed along with your Prophet (p.b.u.h) by a grave that was separate from the other graves informed me (saying), "The Prophet led us (in the prayer) and we aligned behind him." We said, "O Abu `Amr! Who told you this narration?" He replied, "Ibn `Abbas."

I heard Ash-Shu`bi saying, "I was told by a man who had passed with the Prophet (p.b.u.h) by a grave that was separate from the other graves that he (the Prophet ) led them in the prayer and they prayed behind him." I said, "O Abu `Amr! Who narrated that to you?" He replied, "Ibn `Abbas."