Unbelievers will see the Divine Punishment and the Beginning of their Pains

Whereas the questioning in grave will make a believer happy, as it will herald an era of eternal happiness for him, the same questioning will for the faithless turn out to be the start of misfortune and torture. The very arrival of angels will terrorize the unbelievers. It is mentioned in narrations that the frightening angels will threaten the infidels in a terribly harsh tone. Flames will be leaping out from their eyes. Their hair will be very long, dragging on the ground. These are the angels who will approach the unbeliever and this is why they are named 'Munkar and Nakeer' (the abhorring ones). The Disbeliever will Fail to Reply all Questions A man who had passed his entire life without any thought of God and who never cared to know his Lord Creator. It can be well imagined what he will face. He will be asked about his God. But he had worshipped (was mad after) only money and wealth. He was devoted only to name and fame. He only longed for power. He had nothing to do with the Lord of the worlds. So he will tremble and shiver in such a way that he will not be able to reply any question. Some of such fellows will reply rightly about God but they will fail to reply regarding the Holy Prophet. Some will be unable to reply rightly about all the true beliefs. Some who will reply rightly about beliefs will fail in the questioning about their deeds and actions. There will be Questioning about Deeds too It is mentioned in Biharul Anwar, vol. 3 that a man was questioned about his beliefs in the grave. He gave correct replies. Then only one question was put to him, "Do you remember that on such day you had seen that a person was being oppressed but you did not go to help him? You saw that his honour was being trampled upon and his

wealth was being grabbed. You were in a position to help him but you did not do so?" That fellow did not give any reply. (Do remember that it is one of the obligatory duties of every faithful to help the oppressed). As he failed in fulfilling his responsibility in this respect, the angels told him, "A punishment of a hundred lashes has been ordered for you." Then they inflicted the first lash, which filled his grave with fire. Yes, this is the punishment of giving up an obligatory duty or deed. The aim is that you should not say that all your deeds are good and that there is no risk or danger. Suppose your beliefs are true and you leave the world with the same beliefs in your heart. But then, what about your deeds? Can you say that you have committed no mistake? The Infallible complains, "I am weeping remembering the questioning by Munkar and Nakeer in the grave." Then who are we? Deeds are the Companions in Grave It is agreed that, in the grave, everyone's companions will be their deed as specifically stated in the Quran and traditions. Sadooq (a.r.) has in Khisaal, Amali and Maniul Akhbar, narrated from Qais bin Asim that once he went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) along with a group of people from the tribe of Tameem. He submitted, "O Messenger of God! Give us some admonition by which we may benefit, because, most of the time we roam in wilderness and deserts (and have few chances of visiting your honour)." The Holy Prophet gave them a number of admonitions. One of them is: O Qais! It is necessary for you to have a companion to be buried in the grave. That companion will be alive whereas you will be dead. So if that companion (you will necessarily have) is a nice and kind person, he will keep you in a respectable condition. If he is a bad fellow he will leave you there in your grave in total solitude without any help or assistance. (Also remember that) that companion will be necessarily with you in the grand gathering (Hashr) on the Day of Judgement. You will also be asked only about him. So it is very essential for you to select a good companion. If he is a good person he will make you happy. But if he is a corrupt fellow he will frighten you terribly and that companion is your deeds.

Qais instantly turned this admonition into a poem of advice in Arabic language: Select a companion from your deeds because, in the grave, the only companion of a man will be his deed. It is essential for you to reserve a companion for life after death, for the Day when man will be called and he will attend at once the Grand Gathering. So if you are busy in any deed then beware and never engage yourself in any deed disliked by God. Be it before death or after death, man will have nothing with him except his deeds. Beware! Man is only a guest among his family members in this world. He stays with them only for a few days and then marches off. The Lord of the World Warns There are many Quranic verses showing that after a man dies his companion will be his deeds, that is, the result of the deeds done by him in the world. Here we suffice with only one verse. The Almighty God says, On the day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it shall wish that between it and that (evil) there were a long duration of time; and Allah makes you to be cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and Allah is Compassionate to the servants. (3:30) It is God's Mercy that He has conveyed innumerable admonitions and warnings to mankind through His Messengers. The Disbeliever will be accompanied by a Fearsome Face His honour, Qazi Saeed Qummi, in his book Arbaeen, quotes Shaykh Bahai (a.r.)thus: A friend of mine was living in the graveyard of Isfahan. He used to remain busy praying near a tomb. I used to visit him frequently. Once I asked him, "Have you ever, during your stay in the graveyard, observed any astonishing thing?" He said, "Yes.

Only the other day people brought here a body, buried it in this corner and went away. After sunset, a very foul smell spread, the like of which I had never known. Then all of a sudden I saw a terribly horrifying form of a black dog. The foul smell was emanating from its body. That fearsome form came nearer and disappeared after approaching the aforesaid new grave. After a little while, a very sweet and pleasing fragrance began to spread around the like of which also I had never felt in my life. In the meantime, I observed a very handsome form, which also approached the aforesaid grave and disappeared. (All these are the wonders of the world of spirits, which appear in such forms). Anyway, after a few moments, that beautiful shape (form) emerged out of that grave but in a wounded and bloodstained condition. I exclaimed, 'My Lord! Explain to me what is this all that I am observing? Who are these two forms?' (In my sleep) I was informed that the good-looking form was that of the good deeds done by the dead person and the ugly form was of his evil deeds. As the bad deeds were more than the good ones, the latter (bad deeds) remained with him as his companion in the grave. Only God knows when this fellow will become clean of his sins! Who knows when he will have a good companion in the form of that handsome being?"