Verily, the grave is the first stage of the stages of the Hereafter. If one is saved from it, what comes after it is easier, but if one is not saved from it, then what comes after it is harder

عَن هَانِئ مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُ قَالَ: كَانَ عُثْمَانُ إِذَا وَقَفَ عَلَى قَبْرٍ بَكَى حَتَّى يَبُلَّ لِحْيَتَهُ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: تُذْكَرُ الْجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ فَلَا تَبْكِي، وَتَبْكِي مِنْ هَذَا؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «إِنَّ الْقَبْرَ أَوَّلُ مَنْزِلٍ مِنْ مَنَازِلِ الْآخِرَةِ، فَإِنْ نَجَا مِنْهُ فَمَا بَعْدَهُ أَيْسَرُ مِنْهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْجُ مِنْهُ فَمَا بَعْدَهُ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ».

Hāni’, the freed slave of ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him), reported: Whenever ‘Uthmān stood by a grave, he would cry until he would wet his beard. It was said to him: You remember Paradise and Hellfire and you do not cry, and yet you cry because of this? So he said: Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, the grave is the first stage of the stages of the Hereafter. If one is saved from it, what comes after it is easier, but if one is not saved from it, then what comes after it is harder."

Source · Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Mājah

From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).