Reasons for the Squeeze in the Grave.
Laziness in purifying oneself after urinating, creating mischief amongst people, backbiting (ghibat), and severing relation with kith & kin are some of the reasons for this punishment.
Sa'ad bin Ma'az was one of the noble men of Ansars. He was held dear by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) Himself and His companions, to the extent that whenever he came to meet the Prophet, He used to instruct His companions to welcome him with honour. The Prophet Himself stood up to welcome him. Sa'ad was wounded in a battle fought against the jews of Qurayza, and later succumbed to the injuries. When he died, seventy thousand Angels attended his funeral. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) was present bare feet till the end, and gave shoulder to his bier, and said that the Angels had come to recite the funeral prayers (Namaze Mayyit), and Jibraeel and Mikaeel were also present alongside him. The Holy prophet loved him so much that He Himself buried him. Seeing these, the mother of Sa'ad remarked, “O my son, rejoice at the attainment of Paradise”. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) says that, if a believer (Mo'min) does not help his believer brother even after having capacity to do so, Allah will send a large serpent named ‘Shaja’ in his grave, who will keep biting at his fingers”. In another narration it is stated that the serpent will keep on biting his fingers even though his sin will have been forgiven.
Do people who are drowned or are hanged have to face the Squeeze in the Grave?
Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Yunus who says that once Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) was asked whether a person who is hanged also faces squeezing. (In the olden days it was a custom that when a person was hanged, his body was not brought down from the gallows, but was kept hanging there. As in the case of Zaid bin Ali bin Husain (A.S.), he lay in that manner for three years). Imam Reza (A.S.) answered, “Yes, they too shall face it, because Allah A(who has power over all things) orders the wind to squeeze him, as the earth does”. Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says that, “Verily the Lord of the earth and the wind is One and the same, He commands the wind to squeeze the dead man, and this squeezing is more painful than the squeezing by the earth”. In the same manner those who are drowned or are killed and eaten up by the beasts have to face the squeezing. Not offering thanks to Allah for His blessings and denying them, is also one of the causes of the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr).
Those A'mal which saves one from the Squeeze in the Grave.
There are many acts (A'amal) to save one from the squeeze in the grave, but for brevity's sake, I state here only seventeen of them.
(1) Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) says, that a person who recites Surah-an-Nisa on every Friday will remain safe from the squeeze in the grave.
(2) It is narrated that if a person recites Surah-az-Zukhruf, Allah will save him from the reptiles of the earth, and the squeeze in the grave.
(3) A person who recites Surah-al-Qalam in Obligatory Prayers (Wajib Namaz) or Supererogatory Prayers (Nafela), will remain safe from this punishment.
(4) Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says, that if a person dies between the sunset of thrusday and the sunset of friday, Allah will exempt him from this punishment.
(5) Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) says, that the Midnight Prayers (Namaze Shab) is recommended (sunnat) for you. So if a person gets up in the last part of the night and recites Namaze Shab, Allah will save him from the squeeze in the grave and grant him immunity from the fire of hell, and will increase his age and sustenance.
(6) The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, that if a person recites Surah-at-Takasur before going to bed, Allah will grant him freedom from this punishment.
(7) If a person recites this supplication (dua') ten times daily will be saved from this punishment.
(The du'a has already been quoted in Chapter - I under “Those A'mal which prove beneficial during death and eases it's tribulations”).
(8) A person who is buried in Najafe Ashraf. Because the earth of that place has got the speciality, that a person buried there will be saved from the punishment in the grave, and will be exempted from the questioning by Munkir & Nakeer.
(9) To put Jareedatayn (two wet sticks or branches) alongwith the dead body in the grave. It is narrated that so long as the sticks remain wet, the dead person is saved from chastisement. It is related that once the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) was passing by a grave on which Allah's wrath was descending. He called for a leafless branch. He cut it from between,wetted it with water, and kept one on the head of the grave and the other on the feet. It is also related that to sprinkle water on the grave is also beneficial, for so long as the mud of the grave remains wet, the dead person remains safe from the punishment in the grave.
(10) A person who recites ten units (Rak'at) of Namaz on the 1st of Rajab, such that in every Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recites three times Surah-at-Tawheed, will be saved from the squeeze in the grave. To recite twenty Rak'at Namaz on the night of 1st Rajab, such that in every Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite once Surah-at-Tawheed is beneficial to save oneself from the punishment in the grave.
(11) To fast for four days in the month of Rajab or twelve days in the month of Sha'ban is also beneficial.
(12) To recite Surah-al-Mulk on the grave is an act which saves the dead man from the punishment in the grave. Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi relates from Ibne Abbas, who says that once a person pitched a tent on a ground not knowing that there was a grave beneath. Thereafter he started reciting Surah-al-Mulk. Suddenly he heard a voice saying that the Surah gives salvation. He related this incident to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.), who replied that, “Verily this Surah frees a person from the punishment in the grave”. Shaikh Kulanini also narrates from Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) who said that the recitation of Surah-al-Mulk saves one from the punishment in the grave.
(13) It is related from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) in “Da'waat” of Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi that, when a person is being buried and someone recites this supplication (du'a) thrice, the corpse will remain safe from the punishment in the grave till the day of Qayamat:
اللّهُمَّ إنّي أسأَلُكَ بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ أنْ لا تُعذِّبَ هذا المَيِّت.
(14) Shaikh Toosi in his ‘Misbahul Mutahajjid’ relates the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) as saying that, if a person recites the following two Rak'at Namaz on friday night, Allah will free him from the punishment in the grave, and save him from fear on the day of Qayamat. In each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite fifteen times Surah-az-Zilzal.
(15) To recite thirty Rak'at Namaz in the middle part of the month of Rajab, such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times Srah-at-Tawheed is beneficial to ward off punishment in the grave. In the same manner to recite the above Namaz on the night of 16th and 17th Rajab and the 1st of Sha'ban is also beneficial. On the night of the 1st of Sha'ban to recite 100 Rak'at Nasmaz, such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite once Surah-at-Tawheed, after ending the Namaz recite fifty times Surah-at-Tawheed. On the night of 24th Sha'ban recite one hundred Rak'at Namaz, such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times Surah-an-Nasr. Also to recite fifty Rak'at Namaz such that in each Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite fifty times Surah-at-Tawheed, fifty times Surah-al-Falaq, and 50 tiems Surah-an-Naas saves one from the punishment in the grave. To recite the same Namaz on the night of ‘Ashoora’ (10th of Moharram) is also beneficial.
(16) To keep ‘Khake Shifa’ (the mud of the grave of Imam Husain A.S.) in the shroud (kafan), or to rub it on the parts of prostration (Sajdah).
(17) It is narrated from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) in “Anware No'maniyah” that if forty persons gather near the body and recite:
اللّهُمَّ إنّا لا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إلاّ خَيراً وأنْتَ أعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنّا فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ .
Allah will safeguard the dead man from the punishment in the grave.
It is related from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that there was a virtuous man in Bani Israil, regarding whom it was revealed to Prophet Dawood (A.S.) that he was a hypocrite (riyakar). When he died, Hazrat Dawood refrained from attending his funeral. But forty other people attended his funeral and said:
اللّهُمَّ إنّا لا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إلاّ خَيراً وأنْتَ أعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنّا فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ .
Then another forty came and repeated the same, for they were not aware of the hidden reality. Allah then revealed to Dawood (A.S.) and asked him as to why did he not attend his funeral? Hazret Dawood answered, “O Lord! You said that the man was a hypocrite, and so I avoided his funeral”. Allah said, “Verily it was true, but because forty persons bore witness to his goodness, I forgave his sins”. It is Allah's mercy and beneficence who thus forgave His servant with any trial or tribulation.
It is for this reason that the believers (mo'meneen) in the olden days kept their shrouds (kafan) with them, and would request other believers to write down their testimonies on it. The sight of the shroud made them remember death and increase the fear of the hereafter. We too should follow this example and request other mo'meneen to write down their testimonies on our shrouds, and preserve it with us, so that we are always reminded of the hereafter.
