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Questioning In The Grave
Concept of Light in Islam
Like death, the questioning of the grave is unavoidable. Every-
Time is one of the most complex, known and yet unsolved phenome- one who has passed away is actually alive in the grave but the
non in the universe. There is no way it can be changed or blocked or true nature of this life is beyond the realm of human comprehen-
reversed or stopped. Time is explained as a dimension in science. What sion, and while in that grave, each and every person will be inter-
is time? Is it the same complex known but unexplainable phenomenon rogated about his faith. No one will be able to abscond. For the
in Islam as it is known? Before going into further detail of concept of transgressor and the disbeliever, it will be a testing, traumatic ex-
time, first see what Allah (S.W.T) has called time in Quran: perience about which the Prophet (sall Allāhu alayhi wa sallam)
[103:001] “By (the Token of) Time (through the ages)”, said,
In this verse, Allah (S.W.T) has sworn on time. This means that time has
huge importance. It is not simply passing minutes but it contains a lot “It has been revealed to me that you will be tried in the grave; in
in it. Since the birth of Adam (A.S), we know that shaitan has taken it his severity, it will resemble the trial of al-Masī al-Dajjāl.”
task to distract humans from the path they are supposed to choose. We
are given a small part of life to spend in this world. This small part of life The interrogation of the grave is something terrifying to behold,
is influenced by time. History shows that what human’s did the most “[In this world], I have not seen a sight more harrowing than the
was waste of time. grave” and our Messenger (sall Allāhu alayhi wa sallam) was so
[054:003] “They reject (the warning) and follow their (own) lusts but ev- apprehensive of it and what comes after that one time. He stood
ery matter has its appointed time”. by the side of a grave as a burial was happening, weeping and
That is, everything that is going to happen has been recorded. We do counselled his Companions,
not know it, but it is known to Him. So, everything has its appointed time
and nothing can happen before or after the point when it is bound to “My brothers! Prepare yourself for this day!”. After burying the de-
happen. The following hadith explains it in best possible way; ceased, he would say, “Ask for forgiveness and firmness for your
The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “Take advantage of five matters before five brother, because he is now being questioned.”
other matters: your youth before you become old; your health, before
you fall sick; your wealth, before you become poor; your free time be- “The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. If a person succeeds
fore you become preoccupied, and your life, before your death.”(Nar- there, what comes after will be easier; but if he fails, what comes
rated by Ibn Abbas in Mustadrak of Hakim and Musnad Ahmad, Sahih) after will be much harder.” Success and failure will be determined
“There is no free time. Time is simply an opportunity to get the benefits entirely by the faith of a person and what they did during their
of the hereafter”. life. In order for us to know how to pass this most important of
“The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use tests, we first need to know what questions will be asked. Once
it not to misuse it”. we know what they are, we can determine what steps need to be
“Time and Tide wait for no man”. taken, what preparation needs to done, in order to succeed
PHOENIX 2018-19 45
