Admonition (Questioning in the Grave by Munkir and Nakeer.)

by Shiabelievers Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:00 am

Admonition (Questioning in the Grave by Munkir and Nakeer.)
A person may ask the question as to what
is the benefit of reciting the 'Talqeen', when the spirit has already
left the body. The answer to this question is that (as related in
traditions), the spirit (Rooh) of the dead man remains present at that
moment, and hears and observes more clearly than us. It also
understands all languages whether Arabic, Persian, or any other.
Because limitation is the outcome of this materialistic world. In `Man
La Yahzaruhul Faqeeh' it is narrated, that when Abu Zarr Ghaffari's Son
Zarr died' Abu Zarr buried him. Then he sat near the head of the grave
and put his hand on it and said, "Oh Zarr! May Allah bless you. Verily
you were more virtuous than me, and accomplished all responsibilities
due to a son. And now when you have been seperated from me, I bear
witness that I am pleased with you. By Allah! I do not grieve on
account of your death, and do not wish anything from anyone except
Allah. If I would not fear the after effects of death, I would surely
have accepted death instead of you. But I wish to remain alive for some
more time so as to ask forgiveness for my sins, and prepare myself for
the last journey. Surely I have performed such acts on your behalf
which may be useful for you in your journey, and have not confined
myself to just weeping and wailing for you, and hence this has kept me
away from drooping myself in your separation. By Allah! I do not grieve
on account of your death, nor because of your separation, but I lament
thinking about what might have befallen you after your death, and
wonder in what state you are. I wish I knew what you said and what was
said unto you. 0 my Lord! I excuse all my rights due upon him, and I
request You to forgive all your rights due upon him, for You are more
liable than me to forgive and pardon".
<img>
Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says, that when a believer is laid to rest
in his grave, Prayers (Namaz, which he offered) remains on his right
side, Zakat on his left side, and acts of goodness & kindness
(towards others) gives shelter on his head, and patience (shown at the
time of distress) remains near him. When 'Munkir & Nakeer' come to
question him, patience requests Namaz, Zakat, and goodness to surround
him from all sides and give him refuge, and says that whenever troubles
and calamities befell this man, I was always there with him (i.e he
bore it patiently).
<img> Allamah Majlisi in his `Mahasin' quotes Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A
.S.) and Imam Ja'far- as-Sadiq (A.S.) as saying that when a believer
(mo'min) dies, six faces enter his grave along with him. Out of these,
one is more illuminated, chaste and more scented than others. One
stands on the right side, the second on the left, third in front, the
fourth near the head, fifth near the legs, and the one more illuminated
shelters on the head. From whichever side the wrath of Allah comes, the
face on that side defends the dead body. The one who is more
illuminated asks these other faces: May Allah bless you all, who are
you"? The one on the right side says "I am the Prayers (Namaz) which he
recited in his life time". The one on the left side says "I am the
Zakat which he gave while alive" The one standing in the front says "I
am his fasts". The one near the head says "I am the Haj & Umrah
which he performed in his life". While the one standing near the legs
says "I am the kindness (Ehsan) which he performed with his brother
believer". Then all these faces turn towards the more illuminated one
and ask him as to who he is. It replies "I am the Love of Ahlulbait".
<img> Shaikh Sadooq in the chapter on the importance of fasting in the
month of Sha'ban says that whoever fasts for nine days in this month,
`Munkir and Nakeer' will deal with him gently and courteously during
questioning. Many benefits have been narrated by Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir
(A.S.) for a person who remains awake on the night of 23rd of the month
of Ramazan and offers one hundred units (Rak'at) Namaz. One of these
benefits is that Allah removes fear from his heart during the
questioning by `Munkir and Nakeer' and a light shines forth from his
grave, which illuminates the whole world. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.)
says, that applying dye has four benefits, one of them is that Munkir
& Nakeer' shy away from him in the grave. And as stated earlier
that a person who is buried in Najaf, is exempted from the questioning
in the grave.

Incident - 1
<img>
Allamah Majlisi quotes in his `Tohfatuz Zaereen' from `Irshadul Quloob'
and `Farhatul Uzza' that a virtuous man from Kufa relates that, "Once
on a rainy night I was seated in the Masjid of Kufa when some people
entered the Mosque from the door near the shrine of Muslim bin Aqeel
carrying a bier with them. They kept the bier on a mound. One of the
persons accompanying the funeral felt asleep. He dreamt that two
persons came near the bier, and one said to the other that "I will
settle his account fast before he is taken to Najaf, because then I
will not be able to go near him". The person got up from his dream and
narrated it to others who understood the whole situation (that the two
men were Munkir and Nakeer who had to question the dead man), and
lifted the bier and proceeded towards Najaf to save the dead man from
chastisement and the questioning".
<img> Allamah Behbahani says that once I saw Imam Husain (A.S.) in a
dream and asked him, "O my Master ! Will the one buried near your grave
also be questioned"? Imam Husain (A.S.) replied, "Which one of the
Angels have got the nerve to question him who is buried near my grave".

Incident - 2
<img> It is written in 'Jillul Mateen' that Meer
Mu'inuddin Ashraf who was one of the virtuous attendants of the shrine
of Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) says that "Once I dreamt that I was in the
shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) and was coming out to perform ablution
(wuzu). When I came near the mound of Ameer Ali Sher, I saw a group of
people entering the shrine. An eminent personality was leading them,
and they all carried spades in their hands. As soon as they entered the
shrine, the eminent personality pointed towards a particular grave and
said, "Dig out the wretched fellow from his grave". Hearing his command
they started digging the grave. I asked one of those men as to who that
man was. He replied that He was the Commander of the faithful Ali
(A.S.). Suddenly I saw that Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) came out of His
shrine and greeted Imam Ali (A.S.). Hazrat Ali (A.S.) answered His
greeting. Imam Reza (A.S.) said,

"O my Respected Grandfather! I request you, and have faith, that
you will forgive this person on my behalf who lies buried here under
the shelter of my shrine". Amirul Mo'meneen (A.S.) answered, "O my dear
son! Do you know that he was a mischief-creator, an adulterer, and a
drunkard"? Imam (A.S.) replied, "I do know, but when his last moment
neared he willed to be buried under the shelter of my shrine, so I
request you to forgive him on my behalf." Hazrat Ali (A.S.) forgave him
and left. I awoke from my sleep in awe and woke up the other attendants
and related to them my dream. We all went to the place which I had seen
in my dream, and found a newly constructed grave, whose mud was
scattered. After inquiry we learnt that a turkish man who had died was
buried there the day before".
<img>
Haji Ali Baghdadi had the honour of meeting Imam Mahdi (A.T.F.S.) and
ask him some questions. One of the questions put forward by him was
that "Is it true that a person who goes for the pilgrimage (Ziarat) to
the shrine of Imam Husain (A.S.) on friday night receives salvation"?
Imam (A.S.) replied, "Yes, by Allah". Haji Ali Baghdadi says that I saw
tears in the eyes of Imam (A.S.). Then I asked him another question,
"In the year 1269 A.H. when we went for the pilgrimage (Ziarat) to the
shrine of Imam
Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.), we met a nomadic Arab who was a native of Najaf. We
invited him for a meal and asked him his views regarding the reward of
the love of Imam Reza (A.S.). He replied, "Paradise", and said, "Since
the past fifteen days I have been from the wealth of Imam Reza (A.S.),
do Munkir & Nakeer' have the nerve to come near me. The food which
I consumed from the table of Imam Reza (A.S.) has turned into flesh and
blood". I asked Imam Mahdi (A.T.F.S.) whether his claim was true. Imam
(A.S.) replied, "Yes it is true. Imam Reza (A.S.) himself will come and
save him from the questioning in the grave. For verily by Allah! My
Grandfather is a Zamin (surety) Imam'.

Ref: Manasabe Akherah