Can dead hear?

Question:

 I have a question pertaining to the dead. The question is, can the dead hear and see the visitors of the grave? I know the questions
 answer is debatable, but could u give me evidence or support to the differing sides of the matter.

Answer:

Salam alaikum wrb dear brother. I pray that Allah benefit you much with the beneficial knowledge, and give you much goodness always.

When one looks at an individual, the reality of the individual is the deeds that he or she has accumulated; this is the weight that will be on the scale on the day of judgement, and the person will be rewarded for those actions. Death is form of sleep, and whatsoever one does in one’s sleep is not counted. Regardless of what one does in the grave, it has no affect on the weight of deeds. Whether a person hears or not in the grave, will have no affect on his account.   

    What will have affect, however, are the deeds that person has sent forth for himself. Rasul Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said three things continue: A waqf (endowment), beneficial knowledge that continues to propogate, and a righteous son that prays on his behalf.       

     For the events that occur after death, we go by the sound texts, that have been verified as authentic by our noble  ulema. There are vast fields of research and study on this subject of authentication found in Islamic universities. One of the subject matters on this science of authentication, when the scholar looks at a particular text, is to see if it contradicts another authentic text that is authentic. If this is the case, the text would be considered “shaath”, and not acceptable. We should go by these scholars who have researched this issue in great detail and that will make the right determination, and avoid our personal judgements.

     In circumstances where there are differing texts, some people of knowledge go by the one that is the strongest in narration, maybe by considering the narration that has the soundest chain, or one that was more widespread. If a hadith was narrated by the seven (i.e. the seven known books of hadith, bukhari, muslim,…) it would be considered more authentic if found just in one book. Nevertheless, one should always be respectful of the views and opinion of other ulema, and avoid disputation.

     There are many books on the subject of the grave; one that is on this subject is “Bidaya wa Nihaya”, by Hafidh ibn Katheer.  

     May Allah reward you for asking , and I pray that Allah give you much goodness, and may peace and blessings be upon prophet Muahmmed. And Allah knows.    

Shaikh Sajid

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