1377 — “The punishment of the grave is real.”

Ahmad recorded it (6/174): Muhammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us: Shu‘bah narrated to us from al-Ash‘ath ibn Sulaym, from his father, from Masruq, from Aishah: A Jewish woman entered upon her and mentioned the punishment of the grave, saying to her, “May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave.” Aishah then asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about the punishment of the grave, and he said, “Yes, the punishment of the grave is real.” Aishah said, “Thereafter, I never saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, perform any prayer without seeking refuge from the punishment of the grave.”

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Bukhari also recorded it (1/345) through another route from Shu‘bah, with the same wording. Hashim ibn al-Qasim corroborated him, narrating it from Shu‘bah as a brief report attributed to the Prophet, without the story. Al-Khatib recorded it in al-Tarikh (5/64).

Hashim ibn al-Qasim also has another chain for it. Ahmad said (6/81): Hashim narrated to us: Ishaq ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Sa‘id narrated to us from Aishah that a Jewish woman used to serve her. Whenever Aishah did her an act of kindness, the Jewish woman would say to her, “May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave ...” The hadith is similar, though more complete, and includes the wording of the heading.

I say: This chain too is authentic according to their criteria. Sa‘id was Sa‘id ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id ibn al-‘As al-Umawi al-Kufi, the father of Ishaq, who narrated from him.

It also has another chain from her, narrated by ‘Asim ibn Bahdalah from Abu Wa’il, from Masruq, from Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The punishment of the grave is real.” She said, “I asked, ‘Does no one hear it?’ He said, ‘Neither jinn nor human beings hear it; others hear it—or he said: creeping creatures hear it.’”

Abu al-Shaykh recorded it in his Aḥādīth (folio 7/1).

I say: This is a good chain of transmission.