the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“The closest a servant is to his Lord is while he is prostrating.”

Likewise, the soul draws near to Allah at times other than prostration, even while remaining in the body. Hence some of the early generations said: “Hearts wander: one heart wanders around the Throne, while another wanders around the privy.”

When the soul is taken, it is raised to Allah in the briefest time, then returned to the body and questioned while within it. If it were the physical body that ascended and descended, this would take a long time. The same applies to what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, described concerning the state of the deceased in his grave and his questioning by Munkar and Nakīr. The hadiths concerning this are numerous. It is established in the two Sahīh collections, in a hadith narrated by al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“When the deceased is made to sit up in his grave, he is approached and then testifies that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. This is what His words mean: ‘Allah makes those who believe steadfast with the firm word, in the life of this world and in the Hereafter.’”

Likewise, in Sahīh al-Bukhārī and elsewhere, Qatādah narrates from Anas that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“When a servant is placed in his grave and his companions depart—he can even hear the sound of their sandals—two angels come to him and sit him up. They ask him, ‘What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad?’ He replies, ‘I bear witness that he is Allah’s servant and Messenger.’ He is then told, ‘Look at your place in the Fire. Allah has replaced it with a place in Paradise.’” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “He sees them both.