The Barzakh
What happens to a believer’s soul after it is taken by the Angel of Death, before it is returned to the body?
It is shrouded and perfumed with items from Paradise, then carried up through the heavens.
What are the names of the two angels who question the deceased in the grave?
Munkar and Nakir
Name one of the two sins mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ when he passed by two graves and said their inhabitants were being punished.
Not properly protecting oneself from drops of urine, or slandering people.
According to the Hadith, what three things continue to benefit a person after death?
Beneficial knowledge, Sadaqah Jariyah, and a pious child who prays for them.
Name one thing the living can do to benefit someone who has passed away.
Make dua, ask forgiveness, or give charity on their behalf.
Between which two stages of life does the Barzakh exist?
Between the Dunya and the Day of Judgement.
What are the three questions asked to the deceased in the grave?
Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is the man who was sent among you?
What is one punishment described in the notes involving the physical surroundings of the grave?
The grave becomes compressed and constricts around the deceased.
What happens to the believer's grave in terms of its size and light?
It expands by seventy cubits and becomes illuminated like the full moon.
What did Sa'd ibn Ubada do on behalf of his deceased mother after asking the Prophet ﷺ whether charity would benefit her?
He dug a well so people could benefit from its water.
When does the Barzakh begin and when does it end?
It begins when a person dies and ends when they are resurrected at the blowing of the horn.
According to the narration in Abu Dawud, what does a deceased person hear immediately before being questioned in the grave?
The footsteps of the people attending the funeral as they walk away.
According to the notes, what happens to the believer's grave after he correctly answers the angels' questions?
A bed from Paradise is spread for him, a door to Paradise is opened, and he is dressed in garments from Paradise.
When the believer is approached by something harmful from his head, right side, left side, and feet, which four good deeds defend him?
Prayer, Zakah, fasting, and good actions/social conduct, respectively.
According to the Prophet ﷺ, what four things can a person do to continue showing goodness to their deceased parents?
Pray and ask forgiveness for them, fulfill their promises, be good to their friends, and maintain the family ties they would have maintained.
Which Surah provides Quranic proof for the existence of the Barzakh?
Surah Al-Mu'minun, verse 100
What happens to the soul of a wicked person when the angels attempt to ascend through the heavens with it?
The gates of heaven are not opened for it, and its record is placed in Sijjin.
In the narration of the Prophet's ﷺ night vision, what punishment was given to the person who spread lies that reached as far as the horizons?
His jaws were repeatedly torn apart with an iron hook.
In the narration of Bara ibn Azib, a handsome man wearing fine clothes approaches the believer in the grave. Who is this man?
His good deeds.
According to the notes, what Surah is recommended to be recited eleven times and gifted to the deceased?
Surah Al-Ikhlas.
What is the one part of the human body that does not decay, from which mankind will be recreated?
The ʿAjb adh-Dhanab (the lowermost tip of the spine/tailbone).
After the believing soul reaches the seventh heaven, what does Allah command regarding the servant's record, and what happens next?
Allah commands that the record be placed in Illiyyin and that the soul be returned to the earth, where the person experiences the questioning of the grave.
In the narration describing the different punishments witnessed by the Prophet ﷺ, identify the sins associated with these three punishments: (1) Having one's head crushed by a boulder, (2) Being thrown into a furnace-like hole, and (3) Being unable to leave a river of blood.
(1) Neglecting the Quran by not reciting it at night and not acting upon it during the day. (2) Fornication. (3) Consuming usury (Riba).
According to the narration about Thabit al-Bunani, what special act was he witnessed performing inside his grave, and what had he regularly done during his lifetime?
He was witnessed performing prayer in his grave. During his lifetime, he had stood in prayer at night for fifty years and regularly supplicated to Allah to allow him to pray in his grave.
In the narration about the deceased man who initially appeared to be among the people of the Fire in a dream, what changed his situation several days later?
A righteous man was buried among his neighbours and interceded for forty of them, including him.