by sins committed at their graves is like their being tormented by the wailing of those who mourn them. Wailing is a cause of torment, but the effect of a cause may be prevented by something that counteracts it. The deceased may have been granted such great honor that it wards off torment, just as some people possess enough strength to withstand the harm of terrifying sounds, foul odors, and ugly sights.

The hadiths containing warnings mention the cause, but its consequence may fail to occur because of something that prevents it: accepted repentance, good deeds that erase sins, afflictions that expiate them, the intercession of an intercessor whose plea is accepted, or Allah’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. For He “does not forgive associating partners with Him, but forgives anything less than that for whomever He wills.”

Whatever pain—which is torment—a believer experiences in this world, in the intermediate life after death, or at the Resurrection, Allah makes it an expiation for his sins. It is established in the two Sahīh collections that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“No illness, fatigue, anxiety, grief, or harm afflicts a believer—not even the prick of a thorn—without Allah thereby expiating some of his sins.”

In al-Musnad:

“When this verse was revealed: ‘Whoever does evil will be recompensed for it,’ Abū Bakr said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is a back-breaking blow! Which of us has not done evil?’