Reconciling the Almighty’S Saying (They Said, “Woe to Us! Who Has Raised Us From Our Beds_”) and The

Our honorable Sheikh, I have a question that has been confusing me for a while. I read the noble verse from Surah Yaseen {They said, ” Woe to us! Who has raised us from our beds? This is what the Most Gracious promised, and the messengers spoke the truth.”} It appears from the verse that they had awakened as if they were in a state of slumber or deep sleep. But on the other hand, there is a verse about the family of Pharaoh in Surah Ghafir {The Fire will be exposed to them morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour will appear, [it will be said], “Admit the family of Pharaoh to the severest punishment.”} … We should not forget the authentic hadiths of the Prophet about the torment of the grave for the disobedient and wrongdoers, and on the other hand, the bliss of the grave for the truthful and pious believers.

Could you please explain to me how to connect the noble verse in Surah Yaseen with the noble verse in Surah Ghafir and the authentic hadiths about the torment of the grave - we seek refuge in Allah from it - and the bliss of the grave - we ask Allah that we be among the pious so that we attain it; and thus remove my confusion? May Allah reward you and do good to you.

Answer:

Praise be to God, and may God’s prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God, his family and his companions. As for what follows:

The bliss and torment of the grave are proven by the Book and the Sunnah. We have explained this in detail and with evidence in Fatwa No. 2112 , 10565. We hope you will review them.

Regarding the mentioned noble verse and the texts mentioned about the torment of the grave, there is no contradiction between them.

The explanation for this is that the disbelievers will say when they are raised from their graves for the gathering: Woe to us! Who raised us from our sleeping places? They only say this because God Almighty lifts the punishment from them between the two blasts and they sleep. Then, when they are raised after the final blast for the gathering and witness the Day of Resurrection and its horrors, they will cry out in woe and say: Who raised us?

This is what the scholars of interpretation have mentioned. Some of them said: When the infidels see Hell and its various types of torment, the torment of the grave will be like sleep and rest in their side.

For more information and details, see Fatwa No. 33587 .

And Allah knows best.