Turning of the Faces in the grave

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Turning of the Faces in the grave

It is necessary for us to understand that it is insufficient for us just to
perform our ṣalāh, fast in Ramaḍān, pay our zakāh and perform Ḥajj.
Friends, it is not like this at all. At all times our gaze should be focused on
the Prophet . If it does not stay like this, if we waver and our vision
and focus strays from the way of the Prophet , then regarding
this, I have been reading since my childhood that Quṭb al-Irshād Shaykh
Gangohī  used to say, “Whoever wishes should dig the graves and look at
those who moved away from the way of the sunna. Look at their faces and
appearances and see what they are like.”
I could not properly understand the meaning of the statement, “These
people’s position is turned in the grave.” Allāh Most High has explained
this in a verse of the Qur’ān. Allāh is رحيم (Merciful) كريم (Generous) and
Bountiful) at all times towards His believers, disbelievers, those that( منعم
love him, those who are His enemies – for all of them His mercy is ever
descending. In the same way that He is رحيم (Merciful) and كريم (Generous),
he is also جبار (Compeller) and قهار (Dominant), and has arranged various
forms of punishments. We are not even able to read the detail about the
many levels of Hellfire. May Allāh strengthen our īmān. As I mentioned
earlier, we are content with this world; may Allāh put an end to this
contentment.
One punishment mentioned in the Qur’ān is, “…We shall turn the faces
(of our enemies) towards the rear (4:47).” If a living person was to be held
by two enemies, who were then to turn his neck with force the other way,
his neck would break and subsequently he would die. It is said that their
necks (those who will be punished) will be turned the other way. Hands
and feet will be towards the front and the neck will be facing the other
way. So those who do not focus fully on the sunna and do not completely
follow in the footsteps of the Prophet , then in the grave their
appearances will be deformed in this manner. The body will be on the right 
side facing the qibla, the way you place it in the grave, with the hands and
feet facing the same way, but the angels will break the neck, making it turn
the other way.
What Shaykh Gangohī  has stated, he was not saying from himself; the
saints do not speak (of these things) by themselves, but he was narrating
verbatim what Imām Awzāʿī  had said. When did he (Awzāʿī ) say this?
He did so when the story of a person who used to steal kafan (shrouds) from
the graves was narrated to him. When this particular thief learned that
during the day someone had been buried, he would go to the graveyard at
night, dig up the soil and steal the shroud. Subsequent to his repentance
he stated, “What I used to see and observe was astonishing. I would see
that a lot of the deceased were facing towards the qiblah as they were laid
in the grave. However there were others whose bodies were facing the
qibla, but the peculiar thing about them was that their faces were turned
the other way. Their whole body was facing the qibla, and only their faces,
eyes, noses and mouths were facing the other way.”
May Allāh protect us from this state in the grave and may Allāh destine
for us a good death, in a good place, while doing good deeds. May He grant
us death when Allāh and His Messenger  are happy with us, and
before we die, may He destine for us the happiness and pleasure of our
Messenger . May He make us the beloved of the Leader of Both
Worlds , regarding whom it is said that the Prophet 
attends their funeral and awaits their burial. If only Allāh would grant
us the ability to perform such deeds that will make our Prophet 
happy with us to that extent.

 

“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him)

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