This Ummah will be tested in their graves. Were it not that you would not bury one another, I would supplicate Allah to make you hear what I hear of the torment of the grave
Authentic hadithعن أبي سعيد رضي الله عنه قال: ولم أشهده من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ولكن حدَّثنيه زيد بن ثابت، قال: بينما النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في حائط لبني النَّجَّار، على بَغْلة له ونحن معه، إذ حادَت به فكادت تُلْقيه، وإذا أقبُر ستة أو خمسة أو أربعة -قال: كذا كان يقول الجريري- فقال: «مَن يعرف أصحاب هذه الأقبُر؟» فقال رجل: أنا، قال: فمتى مات هؤلاء؟ قال: ماتوا في الإشراك، فقال: «إن هذه الأمة تُبْتَلى في قبورها، فلولا أن لا تَدَافنوا لدعوتُ اللهَ أنْ يُسْمِعَكم من عذاب القبر الذي أسمع منه» ثم أقبل علينا بوجهه، فقال: «تعوَّذوا بالله من عذاب النار» قالوا: نعوذ بالله من عذاب النار، فقال: «تعوَّذوا بالله من عذاب القبر» قالوا: نعوذ بالله من عذاب القبر، قال: «تعوَّذوا بالله من الفتن، ما ظهر منها وما بَطَن» قالوا: نعوذ بالله من الفتن ما ظهر منها وما بَطَن، قال: «تعوَّذوا بالله من فتنة الدَّجَّال» قالوا: نعوذ بالله من فتنة الدَّجَّال.
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I did not hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) but Zayd ibn Thābit reported it to me, as he said: "We were with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in a garden belonging to Banu An-Najjār and he was riding his mule, when suddenly it swerved and almost dropped him off its back. Then he saw some graves; six, five, or four (This is what Al-Jarīri used to say) and asked: 'Who knows the buried people of these graves?' A man said: 'I do.' He said: 'When did these people die?' The man said: 'They died in the era of polytheism.' He said: 'This Ummah will be tested in their graves. Were it not that you would not bury one another, I would supplicate Allah to make you hear what I hear of the torment of the grave.' Then he turned to us and said: 'Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.' They said: 'We see refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Fire.' Then he said: 'Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.' They said: 'We seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.' Then he said: 'Seek refuge with Allah from trials, the apparent and the hidden thereof.' They said: 'We seek refuge with Allah from trials, the apparent and the hidden thereof.' He said: 'Seek refuge with Allah from the trial of the Anti-Christ.' They said: 'We seek refuge with Allah from the trial of the Anti-Christ.'"
Explanation
Zayd ibn Thābit relates that while they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in a garden belonging to an Ansāri tribe called Banu An-Najjār, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was riding his mule when it suddenly swerved from the path, startled and almost dropped him off its back. In that place there were four, five, or six graves, so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Who knows the buried people in these graves? A man replied: I know them. So he said: If you know them then when did they die? The man answered: They died in the days of polytheism. Then he said: This nation will be tested in their graves, then they will receive either bliss or torment; and if it was not for the fear that you would not bury your dead, I would invoke Allah to let hear some of the punishment of the grave that I hear, for if you hear it, you will cease burying your dead, due to the fear that the screams of the dead would pluck out your hearts, or the fear of exposing your relatives, that their affairs be known. Then he turned to his Companions and said: Ask Allah to protect you from the punishment of the Fire. They said: We seek Allah's protection from the punishment of the Fire. Then he said: Ask Allah to protect you from the punishment of the grave. They said: We seek protection and refuge of Allah from being afflicted with the punishment of the grave. Then he said: Ask Allah to protect you from trials, the apparent and the hidden thereof. They said: We seek protection of Allah from the apparent and hidden trials. Then he said: Ask Allah to protect you from the trial of the Anti-Christ, as he is the greatest trial that will lead to disbelief resulting in eternal punishment in the Fire. They said: We seek protection of Allah from the trial of the Anti-Christ.
Source · Narrated by Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).