because matters of the Hereafter cannot be measured against what is observable in this world.

The fourth issue: Is the punishment of the grave everlasting or temporary?

The answer: If a person is a disbeliever—may Allah protect us—there is never any way for bliss to reach him, and his punishment will be continuous. But if he is a sinful believer, then, if he is punished in his grave, he will be punished in proportion to his sins. His punishment for those sins may perhaps be less than the duration of the intermediate realm between his death and the coming of the Hour; in that case, it will come to an end.

The fifth issue: Is the punishment of the grave alleviated for the sinful believer?

The answer: Yes, it may be alleviated. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by two graves and said: “They are being punished, though they are not being punished for anything considered major. Rather, it is indeed major: one of them did not cleanse himself—or, he said, did not take care to avoid being soiled—from urine; and the other used to go about spreading malicious gossip.” Then he took a fresh palm stalk, split it into two halves, and planted one in each grave. He said: “Perhaps their punishment will be alleviated for them so long as they do not dry out.” (1)

This indicates that punishment may be alleviated. But what is the connection between these two palm stalks and the alleviation of punishment for these two people who were being punished?

The answer (2): It was said: because they glorify Allah so long as they have not dried out, and glorification