Accusations Without Basis
Commentary by Sayyid Qutb


In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent.

The unbelievers say: ‘This (Qur’an) is nothing but a lie
which he has devised with the help of other people. In
truth, it is they who have perpetrated an inequity and a
falsehood.

And they say: “Fables of ancient times which he has caused
to be written down, so that they might be read out to him
morning and evening.”

Say: “This (Qur’an) is bestowed from on high by Him who
knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. He is
indeed Much-Forgiving, Merciful.”

They also say: “What sort of messenger is this, who eats
food and goes about in the market places? Why has not an
angel been sent down to him to give warning alongside him?”
(The Standard, Al-Furqan: 25: 4-7)

The first verse in the present passage refers to one of the
accusations the unbelievers in Makkah used to make against
the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an he recited.
Confounded by the remarkable nature of the Qur’an and
stubbornly refusing to acknowledge its divine source, those
unbelievers insisted that it was invented by Muhammad
(peace be upon him), and that he was helped in producing it
by some other people. But they knew, deep at heart, that
such assertions they were keen to repeat were false. Hence,
they were always shifting their grounds and making new
accusations. The Qur’an gives us examples of these.

“And they say: Fables of ancient times which he has caused
to be written down, so that they might be read out to him
morning and evening.” The Qur’an gives accounts of the
history of past communities so that they serve as a lesson
and admonition for people, and to provide guidance for
them. The unbelievers, however, label such true accounts of
history as “fables of ancient times”, alleging that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) sought such fables to be
written down so that they could be read out to him, because
he was unlettered, unable to read. When they are read to
him every morning and evening, he would be able to recite
them to people claiming that they were revealed to him by
God. This is a mere development of their unfounded
allegations that cannot stand to any examination. We need
only to look at the logical sequence of the historical
accounts given in the Qur’an, the relevance of each story
to the context in which it is placed, and the perfect
balance and harmony between the objectives of each story
and the surah in which it occurs. All this confirm the
deliberate choice and meticulous presentation of the
Qur’anic historical accounts. Nothing of this is found in
legends and fables that are related for entertainment. They
hardly ever serve a basic theme or support a particular
idea.

Their allegation that these accounts were fables of ancient
communities indicates that they speak of ancient times.
This means that Muhammad (peace be upon him) could not have
known them without being taught by some of those who
circulate such fables, generation after generation. Hence,
the surah replies that the One who reveals them to Muhammad
is the One whose knowledge is absolute. It is He who knows
all secrets everywhere in the universe. Indeed, no
situation, past present or future, is unknown to Him: “Say:
This (Qur’an) is bestowed from on high by Him who knows the
secrets of the heavens and the earth.” How could the
knowledge of legend reciters be compared with God’s perfect
knowledge? How could legends and fables be compared to the
secrets of the heavens and the earth, which are perfectly
known to God? This is no more than comparing a mere drop of
water to an endless ocean.

When they make such an absurd allegation against the
Prophet they commit a gross error, which is added to their
persistent attitude of associating partners with God, their
Creator. Nevertheless, the door of repentance remains open,
if they wish to desist from their sinful ways. God, who is
fully aware of their fabrications and all their schemes,
will extend mercy and forgiveness to them: “He is indeed
Much-Forgiving, Merciful.”

The surah then examines their false accusations against the
Prophet, their absurd objections to his being human, and
their unreasonable suggestions about his message: “They
also say: ‘What sort of messenger is this, who eats food
and goes about in the market-places? Why has not an angel
been sent down to him to give warning alongside him? Or why
has not a treasure been granted to him? Or he should have a
garden to provide his sustenance.’

The wrongdoers say: ‘The man you follow is certainly
bewitched.’ See to what they liken you. They have certainly
gone astray and are unable to find a way back. Blessed is
He who, if it be His will, shall give you better things
than these; gardens through which running waters flow, and
shall give you palaces too.”

The first point they make concerns Muhammad’s status: They
wonder why he eats food and goes about in the streets and
market places. Why is he an ordinary human being, doing
what humans do? This is an objection all communities made
against every messenger God chose to send them. How could
such a person, raised by such a family, living with them
and behaving like them in all respects, be a messenger from
God, receiving revelations from on high? How could he have
contacts with another world, receiving knowledge that is
unavailable to them when he is just one of them, while they
receive no such revelations and know nothing about this
other world?

From this angle, the whole idea seems unlikely. However,
taken from another angle, it seems perfectly natural. God
has breathed of His own spirit in man, and with this breath
man has become distinguished among all God’s creation, and
placed in charge of the earth. Yet human knowledge,
experience, and abilities remain limited and inadequate.
God would not leave him without support and guidance to
show him the way to fulfill his trust. Hence, He has given
him the potential to be in contact with Him through the
breath of the divine spirit that distinguishes him. It is
no wonder that God should choose a human being who has the
spiritual potential to receive His message and impart to
him what guides him and his fellow humans along the right
way whenever they are lost, giving them the support they
need.


A Son’s/daughter's Prayer for Deceased Parent.

Q. My father died recently. Could you please let me know
what should I do to increase his reward with God. When we
visit the grave of a deceased relative, and recite the
Qur’an, does the soul of that relative hear us or know what
we are doing? Do souls roam around to know what the living
are doing?

A. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has made it clear that
when a person dies, he can no longer do anything about his
future life except in one of three ways: “a continuous act
of charity, a useful contribution to knowledge, and a
dutiful child who prays for him.” This defines the way for
children to benefit their deceased parents. They should
pray for them as often as they can, requesting God to have
mercy on them. Hence, the Prophet’s Sunnah encourages us to
conclude every obligatory or voluntary prayer with the
supplication: ‘My Lord! Forgive me and my parents. Bestow
Your mercy on them as they took care of me when I was
young.’ This prayer reads in Arabic: “Rabbi-ghfir li wa
liwalidayy. Rabbi-rhamhuma kama rabbayani sagheera.” It is
strongly recommended to say this prayer just before we
finish any obligatory or voluntary prayer we offer, at the
end of the Tashahhud. A deceased man may find his position
with God improving, and he asks about the reason. He is
told by God that it is through his child’s prayer for him.
Needless to say, this applies to both mothers and fathers,
through the prayers of both their sons and daughters.

The best thing to do for a dead person is to offer the
pilgrimage and the Umrah on his or her behalf, or to spend
in charity on their behalf. We should also pray God to
forgive them and have mercy on them. We may also recite the
Qur’an and request God to credit the reward of our
recitation to them. All this counts in the same way as
prayer for them.

Visiting graveyards and praying for the dead is
recommended. They cannot hear us because God states clearly
in the Qur’an: “You cannot make those in the graves hear
you.” (35: 22) But God may inform a dead person of what is
being done on his behalf and by whom. As for the notion of
the soul roaming the earth, we can say that this is alien
to Islam. The Arabs held this notion in pre-Islamic days,
and it is found in some other cultures, but it is
un-Islamic. We have been told in the Qur’an not to enquire
about the soul, because its knowledge belongs to God alone
and He has not given us information on this issue.
Therefore, we do not speak about it without basis.


Question :
How should we respond to one who denies the torment of the
grave on the grounds that if he were to open a grave he
would not see any change or notice that it has been made
constricted or widened?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: One who denies the torment of the grave on the
grounds that if he were to open a grave he would not see
any change may be answered on several points, including the
following:

Firstly:

The torment of the grave is proven according to sharee’ah.
Allaah says concerning the people of Pharaoh
(interpretation of the meaning):

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon.
And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will
be said to the angels): ‘Cause Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh) people
to enter the severest torment!’”
[Ghaafir 40:46]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Were it not that you would not bury one another, I
would have asked Allaah to make you hear the torment of the
grave that I can hear.” Then he turned to us and said:
“Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the Fire,” and
they said, “We seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of
the Fire.” He said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from the
torment of the grave,” and they said, “We seek refuge with
Allaah from the torment of the grave.” Narrated by Muslim,
2867.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said concerning the believer: “His grave will be made
spacious for him, as far as the eye can see.” Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1374; Muslim, 2870.

And there are other texts too.

So it is not permissible to object to or reject these texts
because of our mistaken notions, rather we must believe
them and submit.

Secondly:

The torment of the grave happens to the soul, and it is not
something that has a physical effect. If it had a physical
effect it would not be the matter of belief in the unseen
and believing in it would not serve any purpose. But it is
one of the matters of the unseen, and the way things are in
al-Barzakh cannot be compared to the way things are in this
world.

Thirdly:

Torment and blessing, and whether the grave is widened or
constricted, are matters that the deceased feels but others
do not. A man may see in his dream, whilst he is lying on
his bed, that he is standing and coming and going, hitting
or being hit. He may see himself in a confined and
frightening place, or in a spacious and pleasant place, but
those around him cannot see or feel that.

What we are obliged to do regarding such matters is to say
“We hear and obey, and we believe and affirm.”
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him), 2/29.


Do the blessing and torment in the grave happen to both the
body and the soul or to one of them only?

Question :
if ur to be held accountable for ur deeds on the day of
judgement for ur deeds,then y u start getting punishment
before that in the grave.wot is the status of the SOUL at
that time.if azab e qabar is true,then does a man suffers
for his bad deeds inside a grave alongwith his soul.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

There is no doubt that the torment and blessing of the
grave are real, as is indicated by the verses of the
Qur’aan, the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and the consensus of the salaf
(early generations) of this ummah.

With regard to the question of whether the blessing and
torment in the grave happen to both the body and the soul
or to one of them only, the basic principle is that the
torment and blessing of the grave happen to the soul, and
the soul may connect with the body so that it will
experience something of the torment or blessing.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: It should be noted that the view of the salaf (early
generations) and imams of this ummah is that when a person
dies he will be in a state of bliss or torment and that
that will happen to both his soul and his body. After the
soul departs from the body it will remain in a state of
bliss or torment, and it may connect to the body sometimes,
so the body will experience the bliss or torment along with
it (at those times).  Then on the Day of Resurrection the
souls will be restored to their bodies and will be raised
up from their graves to meet the Lord of the Worlds. All of
this is unanimously agreed upon among the scholars of
al-hadeeth wa’l-Sunnah.

There are many ahaadeeth which speak of this matter, such
as the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (4127) and classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, from al-Baraa’
ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: We
went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) to attend the funeral of a man from
among the Ansaar. When we reached the grave the lahd
(niche) had not yet been made, so the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat down and we sat around
him as if there were birds on our heads. In his hand was a
stick with which he scratched the ground. Then he raised
his head and said: “Seek refuge with Allaah from the
torment of the grave,” two or three times. Then he
described how the soul is taken and how it is taken up to
the heavens then brought back to (the body). Then he said:
“And he hears their footsteps when they leave. Then it is
said to him: ‘O So and so, who is your Lord? What is your
religion? Who is your Prophet?”

According to another version: “There come to him two angels
who make him sit up and say to him: ‘Who is your Lord?’ He
says: ‘My Lord is Allaah,’ They say: ‘What is your
religion?’ He says: ‘My religion is Islam.’ They say: ‘Who
is this man who was sent among you?’ He says: ‘He is the
Messenger of Allaah.’ They say: ‘How do you know?’ He says;
‘I read the Book of Allaah and believed in it (or in him).’
That is what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

‘Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word
that stands firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on
worshipping Allaah Alone and none else), and in the
Hereafter. And Allaah will cause to go astray those who are
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), and Allaah does
what He wills’

[Ibraaheem 14:27]

Then a caller calls out from heaven: ‘My slave has spoken
the truth. Provide him with furnishings from Paradise and
clothe him from Paradise and open to him a door to
Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its breezes and
fragrance, and (his grave) is expanded for him as far as
his eyes can see. But the kaafir …” And he mentioned how
the kaafir dies, and said: “His soul is returned to his
body and two angels come to him and sit him up, then they
say to him: ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says: ‘Oh, oh, I don’t
know.’ They say to him: ‘What is your religion?’ He says:
‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ Then a caller calls out from
heaven: ‘My slave is lying. Provide him with furnishings
from Hell and clothe him from Hell and open to him a door
from Hell.’ Then there comes to him some of its heat and
hot winds, and his grave compresses until his ribs
interlock. Then there appears to him a blind and dumb man
who has an iron mallet which, if he were to strike a
mountain with it, it would turn to dust. He strikes him
with it, giving a blow that is heard by everything that is
between the east and the west, except the two races (of
mankind and jinn) and he turns to dust, then his soul is
restored to him.”

This hadeeth clearly indicates that the soul is returned to
the body and that the ribs interlock. This clearly shows
that the torment befalls both the soul and the body.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “When the believer’s (soul) is taken,
the angels of mercy come to him with white silk and say:
‘Come out to the mercy of Allaah.’ So it comes out like the
best fragrance of musk and they pass it to one another and
smell it until they bring him to the gate of heaven. They
say: ‘What is this good smell that has come from the
earth?’… Then they bring him to the souls of the believers
who rejoice more than the family of an absent loved one
rejoices when he returns… As for the kaafir, there come to
him angels with a piece of sackcloth and say: ‘Come out to
the wrath and anger of Allaah,’ and it comes out like the
foulest stench of a corpse…”

Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan, 7/284; its narrator said: its
isnaad is saheeh.

This hadeeth and others like it indicate that the soul and
the body will both experience the bliss or torment of the
grave, and that the soul will experience bliss along with
the body that is in the grave – in sha Allaah.

With regard to the soul experiencing torment or bliss on
its own, we have quoted above a report which indicates
that. In Sunan al-Nasaa’i (2073) it is narrated from Ka’b
ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The soul of the believer is (like a bird) eating from the
trees of Paradise, until Allaah sends it back to his body
on the Day of Resurrection.” Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.

These ahaadeeth indicate that the bodies that are in the
graves will experience bliss or torment – if Allaah wills
that and as He wills it, and that the soul will experience
bliss in Paradise by itself. Both of them are true. The
ahaadeeth also indicate that the souls will continue to
experience bliss or torment after they leave their bodies.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
asked: Does the torment of the grave happen to the body or
to the soul?

He replied:

The basic principle is that it happens to the soul, because
the rulings after death apply to the soul, and the body
becomes a motionless corpse. Hence the body no longer needs
nourishment in order to be sustained, as it neither eats
nor drinks; rather it is eaten by the worms. So the basic
principle is that it happens to the soul. But Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said that the soul may be connected
to the body so that it experiences torment or bliss along
with it…. Based on that, the scholars said that the soul
may be in contact with the body so the torment happens to
both of them. Perhaps that may be indicated by the hadeeth
in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “The grave compresses for the
kaafir until his ribs interlock.” This indicates that the
torment will happen to the body because the ribs are part
of the body.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/25

And Allaah knows best.

See : Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, 4/282-299

Al-Qiyaamah al-Sughra by Shaykh ‘Umar al-Ashqar, 107

(This book is available in English under the title: The
Minor Resurrection, published by International Islamic
Publishing House, Riyadh).







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