whereas whoever refuses to believe in this and instead relies on his own intellect and reasoning is in manifest error.

The torment and bliss of the grave are proven by evidences from the Quran and the Sunnah. Scholars have even declared that the hadiths on the subject are mutawatir—massively and unanimously transmitted; whoever denies a matter established by tawatur is deemed a disbeliever.

The Muʿtazilah do not believe in what occurs in the grave because they are rationalists. They build their creed upon unaided reason, calling the scriptural proofs “probable,” while, in their view, rational proofs are “certain.” Such is their claim. These are the rationalists—the Muʿtazilah and everyone in our own times who follows their path.

One of the Quranic proofs for the grave’s punishment is the Almighty’s statement about Pharaoh’s people: “The Fire—morning and evening they are exposed to it; and on the Day the Hour is established [it will be said], ‘Admit the people of Pharaoh to the most severe torment’” (Ghafir 40:46). His words “morning and evening they are exposed to it” refer to their condition in the grave.

Likewise, He says: “And for those who have wronged there is a punishment before that, but most of them do not know” (at-Tur 52:47). The phrase “a punishment before that,” they said, refers to the punishment of the grave.

Others held that it signifies worldly punishment—the killing, captivity, payment of tribute, and similar afflictions that befall them. The verse, however, carries both meanings, and His words