Munkar-Wa-Nakir مُنْكَر وَ نَكِير Name of two angels who descend into the grave (an unknown world) to interrogate the dead, perhaps so named because of aversion that is felt on their account. The Prophet has informed the Muslim that when a believer is about to leave this world and enter into the next, bright-faced angels come down from the heavens. Their faces as radiant as the sun. They carry a shroud with them from Paradise covered with a perfume from Paradise. They sit down in front of him. They are followed by the Angel of Death, who sits down at his head. He says, ‘O good soul, come out to Allah’s forgiveness and His Approval.’ It flows out, as water flows out from the mouth of a water bag. He collects it and he has hardly collected it when the others take it away from him enwrapping him in the shroud and the perfume. It emits the best of fragrance. Then they ascend to the heavens along with it and do not pass by any group of angels, but they exclaim, ‘What Good soul is this?’ They reply, ‘So and so, son of so and so,’ naming him by the best of names that he was known by in the world, until they arrive at the heaven nearest to the earth. They seek the opening of its door. In every heaven those of its inhabitants that are the closest (to Allah) greet him and see him up to the next heaven until he reaches the seventh heaven. There, Allah says, ‘Place My slave’s book (of deeds) in the ‘Illiyyun (a place somewhere in the cosmos) and return him to the earth, for, therewith I have created them, thereunto I shall return them and therefrom I shall resurrect them a second time.’ So his soul is returned to his body. “Then two angels (Munkar wa Nakir )arrive and sit him up in the grave. They ask him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘Allah is my Lord.’ They ask, ‘What’s your religion?’ He replies, ‘Islam is my religion.’ They ask him, ‘What have you to say about this man who was sent to you?’ He replies, ‘He is Allah’s Messenger.’ Then they ask, ‘What’s your knowledge?’ He replies, ‘I read Allah’s book and believed in it.’ At that a caller calls out from the heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth. So spread out a bed for him from Paradise, give him a dress from Paradise, and open up for him a door of Paradise.’ So, (when the door is opened) tranquility and perfumes come to him from Paradise and his grave is expanded to the reach of sight. Then comes to him a man: of beautiful face, beautiful dress, and carrying good fragrance. He says, ‘Receive the glad tidings. This is the day you were being promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you? Your face is the kind that cannot but bring good.’ He replies, ‘I’m your good deeds.’ He begins to say, ‘My Lord, call the Hour, call the Hour, so that I can return to my kinsfolk and my property.’ “In contrast, when an evil person is about to leave the world, and enter into the Hereafter, Allah sends to him angels from the heaven, of dark faces, with coarse leather (sheet) in their hands. They sit down in front of him. They are followed by the Angel of Death who sits down at his head. He says, ‘Come out you, filthy soul. Come out to Allah’s anger and displeasure.’ The soul spreads itself out in the body (in resisting). So he pulls it out like a thorny branch (entangled) in a (ball) of wet wool. He takes it but not a minute is wasted before they place it in that thick leather piece. It leaves the body covered in a filthy smell. They ascend to the heavens with it. They do not pass by a group of angels but they remark, ‘Whose stinking soul is this?’ They reply, ‘It is that of so and so, son of so and so,’ naming it by the worst of names that he was known by in the life of this world. Until, when they reach the heaven nearest to the earth, they seek the door to be opened, but they are refused entry.” Then his soul is returned to the body. After that two angels go to him. They sit him up and ask, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘Ah, ah, I have no idea.’ They ask, ‘What’s your religion?’ He answers, ‘Ah, ah, I have no idea.’ They ask, ‘Who is the man who was sent to you?’ He replies, ‘Ah, ah. I have no idea.’ Then a voice cries out from the heaven, ‘My slave has lied. So spread out a bed for him from the Fire, and open a door on him from the Fire.’ Its heat and poison reach him and his grave is squeezed on him until his ribs cross each other. Then a man with a dreadful face, in dreadful attire, and horribly stinking, arrives. He says, ‘Be of good cheer about something that will prove evil to you. This is the day you were warned of.’ He asks, ‘And who are you. The face you have can only bring evil.’ He replies, ‘I am your evil deeds.’ The man cries out, ‘My Lord, don’t call for the Hour.’ But there were men of confidence among the believers. `Umar was one of them. . When he learnt of the Munkar and Nakir , he wished to know whether he will be able to use his mind. When told yes, he said, “I’ll know how to deal with them.” The story goes around that a pious man Sahar b. ‘Ammar said: “I saw Yazid b. Harun after his death. I asked him, ‘How did Allah treat you?’ He replied, ‘Two tough looking, tough acting angels came to me. They asked, “What’s your religion, who is your lord and who is your Prophet?” I held my white beard in my hand and said, “Is that what you ask of a man of my kind? Noting that I had been teaching people answers to your questions for eighty years.” So they went away.’” `A’isha asked the Prophet, “How can I deal with them, Messenger of Allah, seeing that I am after all a woman? He replied with a Qur’anic verse, يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِينَ ۚ وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ “Allah makes firm those who believe, by the firm Word in the life of this world as well as in the Next. And Allah leads the evildoers to error. Allah does what He will.” (14:27)
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 20:09:46 +0000
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