house, and we offered them condolences for their deceased.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Perhaps you went with them as far as al-kudā? Indeed, had you gone with them as far as al-kudā, you would not see Paradise until your father’s grandfather sees it.’”

This was related by the compilers of the Sunan collections and by Abū Hātim in his Sahīh. Al-kudā has been explained as referring to graves. And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah have mercy upon him—was also asked:

Does the deceased hear his visitor’s speech and see him in person? Is his soul returned to his body at that time, or does it hover over his grave then and at other times? Do Quran recitation and charity offered by his benefactors and others benefit him, whether funded from wealth inherited from him or from other sources? Is his soul brought together with the souls of his family members and relatives who died before him, whether he is buried near them or far away? Is his soul transferred to his body at that time? Or, if he dies in a distant land and is buried there, is his body transferred to the land where he was born? Is he distressed by his family’s weeping over him?

The scholars—may Allah be pleased with them—are requested to answer these questions individually, clearly and comprehensively, covering what has been reported concerning them in the Quran and Sunnah and transmitted from the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them. They are also requested to explain the positions of the imams and scholars of the various schools, their disagreements, and which of their views carries the greater weight. May you be rewarded, if Allah Most High wills.