The 4 signs of protection from Allaah's punishment

The 4 signs of protection from Allaah's punishment:

Makhool رحمه الله said: “Four things, whoever has them, they are for his own advantage; and three things, whoever has them, they will be against him (and will be for his own disadvantage). The four things are: الشكر (Shukr - thankfulness), الإيمان (Imaan - Faith), الدعاء (al-Du`aa’ - supplication) and الاستغفار (al-Istighfaar - seeking forgiveness). Allaah تعالى says:
{ما يفعل الله بعذابكم إن شكرتم وآمنتم}

{Why should Allaah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him?}

And Allaah تعالى says:

{وما كان الله ليعذبهم وأنت فيهم وما كان الله معذبهم وهم يستغفرون} [الأنفال : 33]

{And Allaah would not punish them while you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allaah's) forgiveness.} [Surah al-Anfaal (8): 33]

And Allaah تعالى says:
{قل ما يعبأ بكم ربي لولا دعاؤكم} [الفرقان : 77]

{Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to the disbelievers): “My Lord pays attention to you only because of your invocation to Him. But now you have indeed denied (Him). So the torment will be yours forever (inseparable, permanent punishment).”} [Surah al-Furqaan (25): 77]

As for the three, then they are the following: المكر (al-Makar – slyness/evil plotting), البغي (al-Baghi - transgression), النكث (al-Nakath – breaking the commitments). Allaah تعالى says:

{فمن نكث فإنما ينكث على نفسه} [الفتح : 10]

{Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm} [Surah al-Fath (48): 10]

And Allaah تعالى says:
{ولا يحيق المكر السيئ إلا بأهله} [فاطر : 43]

{But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it.} [Surah al-Faatir (35): 43]

And Allaah تعالى says:
{إنما بغيكم على أنفسكم} [يونس : 23]

{O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allaah) is only against your own selves} [Surah Yunus (10): 23]”

[Tafseer al-Qurtubee]

The punishment of the grave is for both the disbeliever and the sinful believer

Question: Does the punishment of the grave include the disobedient believer or is it specific for the disbeliever?

Answer: The ceaseless punishment of the grave is for the munaafiq (hypocrite) and for the kaafir (disbeliever). As for the disobedient mu’min (believer) then he may be punished in the grave because it is established in the Saheehain (the two Saheehs) from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (رضى الله عنهما) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) while passing by two graves said: “They (their occupants) are being tormented, but they are not tormented for a grievous sin. One of them did not keep himself safe from being defiled by urine and the other carried tales (nameemah).” [1] And it is well known that they (the occupants of the graves) were Muslims. NOTES (1) Reported in Saheeh Bukhaari and Muslim. Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas: The Prophet once passed by two graves and said, “These two persons are being tortured not for a major sin (to avoid). One of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine, while the other used to go about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends).” The Prophet then took a green leaf of a date-palm tree, split it into (pieces) and fixed one on each grave. They said, “O Allaah’s Apostle! Why have you done so?” He replied, “I hope that their punishment might be lessened till these (the pieces of the leaf) become dry.”

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasa'il - Volume Two, Number 154

Some of the Sins For Which The Disobedient Will Be Punished


Chapter 5 of the book:The Grave (Its Punishment & Reward)
By Hussain al-Awayshah


It is necessary to bring this issue to the Muslims, as the grave, its punishment and its reward, is o­ne of the topics related to the aqeedah which o­ne must know of.

1) The punishment for those who had taken the Qur'aan and then ignored it and for the o­ne who sleeps through the time of the prescribed prayer.

We related the complete hadeeth o­n page 36 which was narrated by Samurah bin Jundub* and in it was...We came upon a man who was lying down, and another standing over him with a rock. He then hit him with the rock, split his head and the rock rolled away. So he followed the rock and retrieved it. When he returned to him his head had returned to how it was previously.The explanation came at the end of the hadeeth by the statement of the two angels to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam): As for the first man that you came upon whose head was being split with a rock; this was a man who had taken the qur'aan and then ignored it, and had slept through the time of the prescribed prayers. In another narration, he said:....So this will continue to be done to him until the Day of Resurrection.

2) The punishment of the liar

We also find in the hadeeth of Samurah bin Jundub:...We departed until we came upon another man who was lying flat o­n his back, while another stood over him with an iron hook.He approached the o­ne who was miserable looking. He faced him and ripped open his mouth up to his neck, and his nose up to his neck, and his eye up to his neck. He then went over to the other side and did the same as he had done to the first side. He had hardly completed this side when the other sidereturned to its normal state. He then returned to it and did what he done the first time.at the end of the hadeeth he said:...As for the man that you came upon who had his mouth ripped up to his neck, his nose ripped up to his neck, and his eyes ripped up to his neck; this was a man who used to leave his house, spreading lies and circulating them everywhere. In another narration it says: So this will continue to be done to him until the Day of Resurrection.

3) The punishment of the adulterer and the adulteress.

In the same hadeeth we also find mentioned: ...We departed until we came upon a clay lined pit. I think he said: There was much noise and clamour. We looked into it and saw naked men and women, and a flame was flaring from beneath them. Whenever that flame reached them, they screamed.The explanation about them came in the hadeeth: ...As for the naked men and women who were in the clay lined pit; they were men and women who committed adultery.

4) The punishment for the o­ne who consumes interest.

In the previous hadeeth this is also explained: ...We departed until we reached a river. (I think he said: It was red like blood). In this river a man was swimming and o­n the bank of the river there was a man who had gathered around him many rocks. The o­ne who who was swimming in the river, swam as much as he could, then he came to the o­ne who had all the rocks gathered around him.He opened his mouth for him, and the other man threw a rock into it. He left, and continued to swim. Then he returned to him; and every time he returned to him, he opened his mouth for him and the other man threw a rock into it.at the end of the hadeeth it said: ...As for the man whom you came upon swimming in the river, who had rocks thrown into his mouth; he was of those who consumed usury.*The hadeeth of Samurah bin Jundub being referanced is found in sahih Bukhari volume 2, Book 23, Number 468

5) The punishment for the o­ne who does not protect himself from urine.

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) said: The most prevalent punishment of the grave is due to urine. [It is in Saheeh al-Jaami' (3866)]

6) The punishment is increased for the unbeliever because of the weeping of his family over him.

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) said: "Allah increases the punishment for the unbeliever because of the weeping of his family over him." [Related by an-Nisaa'ee. It is in Saheeh al-Jaami (18930]

7) The dead is punished because of lamentation over him.

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) said: "The dead is punished in his grave because of lamentation over him." [Related by Bukhari and Muslim. However if he advised them not to lament over him then he is not punished.]

8) The dead is punished because of what some of his family say about him.

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) said: "There is no single person who dies and among his mourners o­ne stands up and cries: O you who we used to rely o­n! O you who used to support us! Except that two angels will be assigned to him saying: Were you like this." [Related by Tirmidhee. It is in Saheeh al-Jaami' (5664)]

9) The punishment for the o­ne who used to carry tales.

It was related from Ibn Abbaas that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) passed by two graves and he said: "Indeed these two are being punished; and they are not being punished for something major. No, o­n the contrary it is something very major. As for o­ne of them; he used to carry tales. As for the other, he never guarded himself from his urine." [Related by Bukhaaree and Muslim]