Hearing Power of the Dead in graves

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

And Salutations upon Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)

There are several proofs from Quran and authentic hadiths that those muslims who are in graves and Prophets [Peace be upon them] can not only hear but even reply from the grave and also become a Waseela. It is  proven from  authentic hadiths that even Non muslims can hear in graves but do not have capability to reply.

Proof from Al Quran # 1

Quran states: So Salih left them, saying: "O my people! I did indeed convey to you the message for which I was sent by my Lord: I gave you good counsel, but ye love not good counselors!"(Quran 7:79)

Here Salih (a.s) is addressing his dead people who had already been destroyed, had dead not heard then Nauzobillah this ayah of Quran would have been illogical, secondly what is the meaning of Salih (a.s)'s address? Do these rejecters of Sama al Mawta (i.e. hearing of dead) say that the great Prophet practiced polytheism by addressing the dead? Now this is established right from Quran itself that the dead do hear, the dead did hear the call of Salih but they could not be guided anymore!

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 Tafsir Ibn Kathir states under this ayah

هذا تقريع من صالح عليه السلام لقومه، لما أهلكهم الله بمخالفتهم إياه، وتمردهم على الله، وإبائهم عن قبول الحق، وإعراضهم عن الهدى إلى العمى، قال لهم صالح ذلك بعد هلاكهم، تقريعاً وتوبيخاً، وهم يسمعون ذلك، كما ثبت في الصحيحين: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما ظهر على أهل بدر،

Translation: These were the words of admonishment which Salih exchanged with his nation after “ALLAH HAD DESTROYED THEM” for denying Him and also becoming renegades against Him, rejecting to accept the Haqq (truth) plus giving preference to misguidance over guidance. Hadrat Salih (a.s) said these words after they were “DESTROYED AND THEY HEARD THE WORDS TOO” In relevance to this It is narrated in the 2 books of Sahih (i.e. Bukhari and Muslim) that the Messenger (saw) defeated the kufaar in Badr … [then Imam Ibn Kathir mentions the sahih hadith in which Prophet clearly said that they (dead) hear better than you (alive) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir under 7:79].

Proof # 2 from Quran 

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Quran states: Lo! those who ward off (evil), when a glamour from the devil troubleth them, they do but remember (Allah's Guidance) and behold them seers! (7:201)

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 Imam Ibn Kathir (rah) narrates under this ayah:

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  أن شاباً كان يتعبد في المسجد، فهويته امرأة، فدعته إلى نفسها، فما زالت به حتى كاد يدخل معها المنزل، فذكر هذه الآية: { إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْاْ إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَـٰئِفٌ مِّنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ تَذَكَّرُواْ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ } فخر مغشياً عليه، ثم أفاق فأعادها، فمات، فجاء عمر، فعزى فيه أباه، وكان قد دفن ليلاً، فذهب فصلى على قبره بمن معه، ثم ناداه عمر فقال: يا فتى
{ وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ }
فأجابه الفتى من داخل القبر: يا عمر قد أعطانيهما ربي عز وجل في الجنة مرتين.

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 Translation: A young boy used to do (a lot) of worship in Masjid, however one woman fell in love with him and she started to attract him towards herself until one day he got persuaded and came to her house, but he recalled this ayah: { Lo! those who ward off (evil), when a glamour from the devil troubleth them, they do but remember (Allah's Guidance) and behold them seers}, he fainted right over there, when he recovered he remembered the ayah again and fainted once again but this time he passed away. After his death Sayyidna Umar (ra) met his father being saddened at his death, (the boy) was buried during night, Umar (ra) took his companions along and visited his grave, he prayed there and “CALLED THE BOY” saying: Whosoever feared to stand in front of his Lord then there are 2 gardens for him! Voice “CAME FROM THE GRAVE” O Umar (ra) Allah has granted me both the gardens [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Volume No. 3, Page No. 269, Under 7:201] 

 

Proofs from Authentic Hadiths :

Hadith #1

"The Messenger of Allah spoke to the People (buried) in the Well saying: "Have you found out that what your Lord had promised you is true?" then someone exclaimed: "Are you calling out to the dead!" The Prophet replied: "You do not hear better than they do, except they do not respond."  (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 452)

Hadith #2

"On the day of Badr, the Prophet ordered that the corpses of twenty four leaders of Quraish should be thrown into one of the dirty dry wells of Badr. When he halted at the edge of the well, he addressed the corpses of the Quraish infidels by their names and their fathers' names, "O so-and-so, son of so-and-so and O so-and-so, son of so-and-so! Would it have pleased you if you had obeyed Allah and His Apostle? We have found true what our Lord promised us. Have you too found true what your Lord promised you? "'Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! You are speaking to bodies that have no souls!" Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, you do not hear, what I say better than they do."

Hadith #3

Narrated Ibn Shihab:
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These were the battles of Allah's Apostle (which he fought), and while mentioning (the Badr battle) he said, "While the corpses of the pagans were being thrown into the well, Allah's Apostle said (to them), 'Have you found what your Lord promised true?" 'Abdullah said, "Some of the Prophet's companions said, "O Allah's Apostle! You are addressing dead people.' Allah's Apostle replied, 'You do not hear what I am saying, better than they.' 

[Sahih Bukhari, Book 59, Number 360]

Hadith #4

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Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) let the dead bodies of the unbelievers who fought in Badr (lie unburied) for three days. He then came to them and sat by their side and called them and said: O Abu Jahl b. Hisham, O Umayya b. Khalaf, O Utba b. Rab'ila, O Shaiba b. Rabi'a, have you not found what your Lord had promised with you to be correct? As for me, I have found the promises of my Lord to be (perfectly) correct. Umar listened to the words of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, how do they listen and respond to you? They are dead and their bodies have decayed. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, what I am saying to them, even you cannot hear more distinctly than they, but they lack the power to reply. Then'he commanded that they should be buried in the well of Badr.


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Note
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Here the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said , even you cannot hear more distinctly than they , Hence it proves that even Kafirs who are Dead can hear more clearly then alive can or equally let alone be Muslims and Prophets (aleh islam)
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. Rasool Allah [saleh ala waalihi wasalam] says "O Abu Jahl..... O Umayya..... O Utba..." for Kafirs after they died, Then why cant we use "Ya Rasool Allah [saww] for our Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) after his passing away.

Hadith #5

Allah has declared it forbidden for the earth to eat the bodies of the prophets. So the prophets are living and they  receive their sustenance

References

►Ibn Majah narrated this sahih (sound) hadith in his Sunan, b. of jana'iz (funerals) ch.65 (1:524#1636-7), b. of iqamat-us-salat was-sunnah fiha (establishing prayer and its sunnahs) ch.79 (1:345#1085);

► Abu Dawud, Sunan, b. of salat (prayer) 1:275 (#1047);

►Nasa'i, Sunan, b. of jumu'ah (Friday prayer) 3:92;

►Ahmad bin Hambal Musnad (4:8);

► Ibn Hibban, as-Sahih (3:191#910);

►Darimi, Sunan (1:307#1580);

► Ibn Khuzaymah, as-Sahih (3:118#1733);

►Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Musannaf (2:516);

►Hakim, al-Mustadrak (1:278);

►Tabarani, al-Mu'jam-ul-kabir (1:217#589); and

► Bayhaqi in as-Sunan-ul-kubra (3:249).

Hadith #6 (Sahaba believed that they enjoyed the company of others after death)

Ibn Shamasah said: We went to Amr ibn al-'As and he was about to die. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) not give you tidings of this? Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) not give you tidings of this? He (the narrator) said: He turned his face (towards the audience) and said: The best thing which we can count upon is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah. Verily I have passed through three phases.
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When I die, let neither female mourner nor fire accompany me. When you bury me, fill my grave well with earth, then stand around it for a time which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy and (in your company) ascertain what answer I can give to the messengers (angels) of Allah.

► Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 0220:] Translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi


 There are several more Ahadith from Rasool Allah [saww] on the hearing of Dead in other sunan and sahah (Ahadith from only Bukhari and Muslim are taken above).

Interestingly, all of them are indicating that the Dead can hear. And not even a single hadith of them shows that Dead cannot hear.

And all of them show that the Dead hear regardless of being near or far away i.e. near or remote calls don't make any difference.)

Hadith #7,

Allah's Apostle said, "When the funeral is ready (for its burial) and the people lift it on their shoulders, then if deceased is a righteous person he says, 'Take me ahead,' and if he is not a righteous one then he says, 'Woe to it (me)! Where are you taking it (me)?' And his voice is audible to everything except human beings; and if they heard it they would fall down unconscious."

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This shows that the Dead can not only hear us, but they are also aware of what is happening in this world. And their voice is audible to everything except human beings.

Hadith #8

"My life is a great good for you, you will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a great good for you, your actions will be presented to me (in my grave) and if I see goodness I will praise Allah, and if see other than that I will ask forgiveness of him (for you)."

►Qadi `Iyad cites it in "al-Shifa" (1:56 of the Amman edition)

► Suyuti said in his "Manahil al-safa fi takhrij ahadith al-shifa" (Beirut 1988/1408) p. 31 (#8):

►"Ibn Abi Usama cites it in his Musnad from the hadith of Bakr ibn `Abd Allah al-Mazni,

►al-Bazzar from the hadith of Ibn Mas`ud with a sound (sahih) chain.

►It is cited in Subki's Shifa' al-siqâm fi ziyarat khayr al-anâm
[The Healing of the Sick Concerning the Visit of the Best of Creation], where he mentions that Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Mazini reported it, and Ibn al-Jawzi mentions it through Bakr and then again through Anas ibn Malik in the penultimate chapter of the penultimate section of al-Wafa, both huffaz without giving the isnad.

Ibn al-Jawzi statement on hadith 
However, Ibn al-Jawzi specifies in the introduction of al-Wafa that he only included sound traditions in his bûk.

He also mentions the version through Aws ibn Aws: "The actions of human beings are shown to me every Thursday on the night of (i.e. preceding) Friday." 

►See also FatH al-Bâri 10:415,

►al-Mundhiri's Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb 3:343,

►and Ahmad 4:484 

Another Proof that actions are presented to Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his Grave 

Hadith #9

The Prophet (salehalawaalihiwasalam) Said

"Whoever invokes blessings on me at my grave, I hear him, and whoever invokes blessings on me from afar, I am informed about it
►Ibn Hajar says in FatH al-Bâri 6:379:

►Abu al-Shaykh cites it with a good chain (sanad jayyid),

► Bayhaqi mentions it in Hayât al-anbiyâ with "ublightuhu" in the end

Hadith #10

Sahih Hadith states: 

قَالَ: مَرَّ رَسُولُ الله بِقُبُورِ الْمَدِينَةِ. فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِوَجْهِهِ فقَالَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ يَغْفِرُ الله لَنَا وَلَكُمْ. أنتمْ سَلَفُنَا وَنَحْنُ بِالأْثَرِ

Here prophet taught to say: As-Salamu Alaykum O People of the graves
Reference 

► Sunnan Tirimdhi, Volume No. 4, Page No. 109, Hadith #1047

 Will Wahabis [salafis] accuse our Prophet [salehalawaalihi wasalam] of teaching ummah shirk now ? 

Hadith #11

Narrated Abu Hurayra I heard the Prophet say: "By the one in Whose hand is Abu al-Qasim's soul, `Isa ibn Maryam shall descend as a just and wise ruler. He shall destroy the cross, slay the swine, eradicate discord and grudges, and money shall be offered to him but he will not accept it. Then he shall stand at my grave side and say: Ya Muhammad! and I will answer him.
►Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani cites it in al-Matalib al-`aliya (Kuwait, 1393/1973)

►Abu Ya`la relates it with a sound (sahih) chain in his Musnad Volume No. 11, Page No. 462, Published by Dar ul Kutb al-iLmiyyah; 

Hadith #12

ضَرَبَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خِبَاءَهُ عَلَى قَبْرٍ وَهُوَ لَا يَحْسِبُ أَنَّهُ قَبْرٌ فَإِذَا فِيهِ إِنْسَانٌ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي ضَرَبْتُ خِبَائِي عَلَى قَبْرٍ وَأَنَا لَا أَحْسِبُ أَنَّهُ قَبْرٌ فَإِذَا فِيهِ إِنْسَانٌ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ تَبَارَكَ الْمُلْكِ حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هِيَ الْمَانِعَةُ هِيَ الْمُنْجِيَةُ تُنْجِيهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ
Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that one of the companions of the Prophet (SAW) pitched a tent on a grave. He did not know that there was grave. It was the grave of human beings, who recited surah al-Mulk (#67) to the end of it. He came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, “O Messenger of Allah (SAW), I pitched my tent over a grave without knowing that it was a grave. The man inside recited surah al-Mulk to its end.” The Prophet (SAW) said, “It is the rescuer. It rescues from punisment of the grave.”

► Chapter 9, Virtues of surah al-Mulk, Tirmidhi (2899)

Proofs from Classical Scholars

Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

حدثني محمد بن الحسين حدثنى يحيى بن أبى بكير حدثنى الفضل بن موفق ابن خال سفيان بن عيينة قال لما مات أبى جزعت عليه جزعا شديدا فكنت آتى قبره في كل يوم ثم قصرت عن ذلك ما شاء الله ثم انى اتيته يوما فبينا أنا جالس عند القبر غلبتنى عيناى فنمت فرأيت كأن قبر ابى قد انفرج وكأنه قاعد في قبره متوحشا أكفانه عليه سحنة الموتى قال فكأني بكيت لما رأيته قال يا بنى ما أبطأ بك عني قلت وإنك لتعلم بمجيئي قال ما جئت مرة إلا علمتها وقد كنت تأتينى فآنس بك وأسر بك ويسر من حولى بدعائك قال فكنت آتية بعد ذلك كثيرا

Translation: It is narrated from Ibn Uyaina (rah)’s meternal cousin Fudayl (rah) that he got very sad on death of his father and he used to do Ziyarah of his Qabr everyday, however by the will of Allah after sometime he did not visit it often.once when he came and sat near the grave he fell asleep and saw in the dream that his father’s grave has been opened and he is covered in a sheet with a look which is of dead people. Seeing this he started to cry. (His father) asked: My son why didn’t you visit me everyday? He replied: Are you aware of my visitation? (His father) said: I was aware of your arrival every time, your visitation and your Dua is source of happiness not only for me but also those who are buried near me. After this I (again) started to visit his Qabr very often. .[Kitab ar Ruh]

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya quoted, in his book Kitab ar-ruh and on the authority of Ibn Abi 'd-dunya, Sadaqat ibn Sulaiman al-Jafari as saying, "I was a man of bad habits. I repented of them after my father's death. I gave up my impetuosity. Once I committed a fault. Thereupon, I dreamt of my father saying, 'Oh my son! I have been feeling comfortable in my grave with your beautiful deeds. What you do is shown to us. Your deeds have been like those of the sulaha'. But I felt very sad and ashamed of what you did recently. Do not make me feel ashamed among the dead nearby."

Al-Hafidh Ibn Jawzi in Kitab al Wafa 

Abu Bakr al-Minqari said: I was with (al-hafiz) al-Tabarani and (al-hafiz) Abu al-Shaykh in the Prophet's Mosque, in some difficulty. We became very hungry. That day and the next we didn't eat. When it was time for `isha, I came to the Prophet's grave and I said: "O Messenger of Allah, we are hungry, we are hungry" (ya rasullallah al-ju` al-ju`)! Then I left. Abu al-Shaykh said to me: Sit. Either there will be food for us, or death. I slept and Abu al-Shaykh slept. al-Tabarani stayed awake, researching something. Then an `Alawi (a descendant of `Ali) came knocking at the door with two boys, each one carrying a palm-leaf basket filled with food. We sat up and ate. We thought that the children would take back the remainder but they left everything behind. When we finished, the `Alawi said: O people, did you complain to the Prophet? I saw him in my sleep and he ordered me to bring something to you.

► Al-Hafidh Ibn Jawzi, Kitab al Wafa, Page No. 818, #1536

Objection # 1 

and Reply from Muhaditheen

Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti [rahimullah] Was Asked 

Do the Dead recognize their visitors and know their states in life?
Do the Dead hear what the living say?
Do the souls of the Dead meet and see each other?
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He replied to all Questions : "YES", and produced many Hadith in support.

which some people quote about the Dead not hearing, the learned Suyuti says that it is an allegorical statement (an-Nafi Ja'a ala m'ana al-Majaz). and the actual meaning of it is that "They cannot listen to Guidance (Ma'naha Sama` Huda) i.e. they are dead and they cannot be guided now".
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Reference ,
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► check al-Hawi lil Fatawa (vol.2 p.169-175) by Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti

Objection No:2 

 Regarding Quranic verse



Quran says Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear , nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs(27:80 and 30:52) 

Question :Does above verse mean that Dead (muslims and non muslims cannot hear) 

Answer : This verse has more of a methaphoric meaning, secondly it refers to the kufaar not muslims in this case
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Next verse says Nor can you lead the blind out of their error, you can only make to hear those who believe in Our Ayât, and who have submitted [Quran 27:81 and 30:53]

 this doesn't only refute the argument regarding first verse which some put forward that dead cannot hear in any circumstances but also makes it clear that muslims can hear as Allah says himself in the next verse , you can only make to hear those who believe in Our Ayât, 
now let us go and check various authentic tafsirs regarding this verse

Tafsir Ibn Kathir on this verse

for verse 27:80/1 and 30:52/3 The same applies to those over whose hearts is a veil and in whose ears is deafness of disbelief. Allah says:

(nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs. Nor can you lead the blind out of their error. You can only make to hear those who believe in Our Ayat, so they submit (became Muslims).) meaning, those who have hearing and insight will respond to you, those whose hearing and sight are of benefit to their hearts and who are humble towards Allah and to the Message that comes to them through the mouths of the Messengers, may peace be upon them.[end]

From above it seems these verse are not for those in Grave even , its talking about non muslims in the world who don't get hidaya and don't listen to word of Allah with an open heart, whos Hearts are dead,

People quote these verses out of context without going into Authentic tafsirs or reading the next verse even,peace

Objection No:3 : Regarding Quranic verse



Quran states: Nor are (alike) the living and the dead. Verily, Allâh makes whom He will hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves [quran 35:22] 
In above verse the first part is talking about Disbelievers and muslims when it comes to Nor are (alike) the living and the dead and Tafsirs will shortly prove it,

In the second part Allah says Verily, Allâh makes whom He will hear , this clearly indicated that whom Allah (swt) wills he can hear and its not impossible , its already proved from several hadiths that not only believers but even non muslims can hear better then living from the grave,

Tafsir Ibn Kathir on this verse

(Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear,) means. He guides them to listen to the proof and accept it and adhere it.

(but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.) means, `just as the dead as disbelievers and ended up in the graves, so too you cannot help these idolators who are decreed to be doomed, and you cannot guide them.'[end]
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The above Tafsir doesn't only seperat the hearing part of dead but says it explains that its talking about guidance and accepting the truth, not about hearing, its also an agreed and acceptable fact that dead cannot accept Islam once they are dead,

 http://mrehan.wapath.com/AULIYA%20ALLAH/ARTICLES%20ON%20IT/HEARING%20POWER%20OF%20THE%20DEAD%20IN%20GRAVES


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