Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām - Abd Allah al-Bassam - (3/210)

Tawḍīḥ al-AḥkāmAbd Allah al-Bassam

The ḥadīth proves that praying for the deceased is obligatory. Dedicating the supplication to him alone is what is meant by “making the prayer sincere for him.” A generic, all-inclusive prayer does not suffice; yet any wording, even the briefest, fulfills the duty. Thus, were one simply to say during the prayer, “O Allah, forgive him,” the obligation would be met.
Every person is in need of supplication. Had anyone been above that need, it would have been the Companions—the people of lofty virtues and commendable deeds.
The Prophet ﷺ himself possesses no power to benefit or harm anyone. If he had such power, he would have granted benefit to whomever he wished without having to ask Allah for it.
The ḥadīth affirms recompense in the Hereafter, whether in Paradise or in Hell.
In the ḥadīth of ʿAwf there is confirmation of the punishment and bliss of the grave, derived from the words, “Honor his reception and widen his entrance.”
It also establishes the trial of the grave, namely the two angels’ questioning of the deceased. In Musnad Aḥmad (18063), Sunan Abū Dāwūd (4753) and elsewhere, al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib relates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Two angels come to him, seat him up, and ask, ‘Who is your Lord? What is your religion? And what do you say about this man who was sent among you?’ ” This is the last trial a believer will face.
Regarding the phrase, “and give him a family better than his family,” replacement is of two kinds. The first is the replacement of actual persons: the maidens of Paradise instead of the wife of this world. The second is the replacement of qualities: his worldly wife remains his wife in the Hereafter, but Allah exchanges her bad traits for virtuous ones and her physical form for perfect beauty. Allah granted Zechariah something similar when He said, “We set his wife right for him” (21:90). Ibn ʿAbbās and ʿAṭāʾ said she had been ill-tempered and sharp-tongued, so Allah reformed her and made her good-natured.
As for the plea, “and protect him from the trial of the grave,” what is meant is protection from its evil and its consequences, though some scholars made an exception

٣ - يدل الحديث على وجوب الدعاء للميت، وتخصيصه به هو معنى إخلاص الدعاء له، فلا يكفي الدعاء العام، ولكنه يكفي أي دعاء وأقل دعاء، فلو قيل في الصلاة: "اللهم اغفر له"، لحصل الواجب. ٤ - أنَّ كل أحد محتاج إلى الدعاء، ولو استغنى عنه أحد، لاستغنى عنه الصحابة، أصحاب الفضائل العالية، والأعمال الحميدة. ٥ - أنَّ النَّبيَّ ﷺ لا يملك لأحد نفعًا ولا ضراً، ولو كان له شيء من ذلك، لأعطاه لمن يريد نفعه، بدون طلب من الله تعالى. ٦ - إثبات الجزاء الأخروي في الجنة والنار. ٧ - في حديث عوف إثبات عذاب القبر ونعيمه، من قوله: "أكرم نُزُلَه، ووسِّع مدخلهُ". ٨ - إثبات فتنة القبر، وهو سؤال الملكين الميت في قبره، ففي مسند أحمد (١٨٠٦٣) وسنن أبي داود (٤٧٥٣) وغيرهما من حديث البراء بن عازب عن النبي ﷺ قال: "فيأتيه ملكان ويجلسانه، فيقولان له: من ربك؟ وما دينك؟ وما تقول في هذا الرجل الذي بُعث فيكم؟ ". وهي آخر فتنة تعرض على المؤمن. ٩ - قوله: "وأبدله أهلاً خيرًا من أهله" الإبدال نوعان: إما إبدال أعيان؛ وهذا يكون بالحور العين بدل زوجة الحياة الدنيا. والثاني: إبدال أوصاف؛ وذلك بأن تكون زوجة الدنيا هي زوجة الآخرة، إلاَّ أنَّ الله تعالى أبدل أخلاقها السيئة بأخلاق حسنة، وصفاتها الخَلْقية بالجمال والحسن التام؛ فإنَّ الله تعالى أبدل لزكريا صفات أكمل منها؛ فقال تعالى: ﴿وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ﴾ [الأنبياء: ٩٠]؛ قال ابن عباس وعطاء: كانت سيئة الخلق طويلة اللسان، فأصلحها فجعلها حسنة الخلق. ١٠ - وأما قوله: "وقِهِ فتنة القبر" فالمراد: منْ شرِّها وأثرها، واستثنى بعضهم