Punishment of Grave: Is there punishment in the grave?

ِAnswer: Praise be to Allah! Yes, the Punishment of Grave (azaab qabar) is true and is proven by Quran & Hadith. The belief of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaat is that there is torment and punishment in the grave and life in Al-Barzakh (the interval between death and the Day of Resurrection). There is also blessing and pleasure, according to the status of the deceased.

Evidence from:

1) Quran:

The aayah “The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour appears [it will be said], “Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment.” [Surah Ghaafir 40:46]

(سورة غافر) النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا ۖ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ

Allah says here that the people of Pharaoh are exposed to torment morning and afternoon even though they are dead.

Ibn Katheer said: This aayah is the main basis of the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah in the torment of al-barzakh, as Allah says: “The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening…”. ¹

2) Hadith – Dua related to punishment of grave:

According to the hadith of Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray in his salaah (prayer), “Allahumma inni a’oodhu bika min ‘adhaab il-qabr, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-mahyaa wa fitnat il-mamaat, Allahumma ini a’oodhu bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave, I seek refuge in You from the tribulation of the Dajjaal, I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death, O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin and loss).” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari & Muslim]

وفي حديث عائشة زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يدعو في الصلاة : ” اللهم إني أعوذ بك من عذاب القبر وأعوذ بك من فتنة المسيح الدجال وأعوذ بك من فتنة المحيا وفتنة الممات اللهم إني أعوذ بك من المأثم والمغرم (رواه البخاري  ومسلم)

The relevant point in this hadith is that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek refuge with Allah from the Punishment of grave. This is one of the pieces of evidence that confirm the punishment in the grave. No one disputed the Punishment of grave apart from the Mu’tazilah and some other groups who are not worth paying attention to.

Wallahu’alam (and Allah knows best)!

Footnotes:

1. Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/82 (Link)