The Essence of the Grave Pilgrimage
By Ustadzah Nur Hamidah, Lc., M.Ag.
Presented at the Online Study of Halaqoh Mothers of Hong Kong Expats, Tuesday, December 8, 2020
DDHK.ORG - Man, when given the opportunity by God to live, actually he will live the 4 realms of life. We need to know, what period we are living in and what period the grave is in.
The essence of the grave pilgrimage, we don't just visit it to commemorate the families who have died. But in essence, the grave pilgrimage is beneficial for those of us who do it. Among other things, we know that each of us will live the 4 realms of life, where each world has its characteristics and life with a different nature of responsibility.
First, the realm of the womb. Life in the womb is mentioned in QS. Al-Hajj verse 5.
يا أيها الناس إن كنتم في ريب من البعث فإنا خلقناكم من تراب ثم من نطفة ثم من علقة ثم من مضغة مخلقة وغير مخلقة لنبين لكم ونقر في الأرحام ما نشاء إلى أجل مسمى ثم نخرجكم طفلا ثم لتبلغوا أشدكم ومنكم من يتوفى ومنكم من يرد إلى أرذل العمر لكيلا يعلم من بعد علم شيئا وترى الأرض هامدة فإذا أنزلنا عليها الماء اهتزت وربت وأنبتت من كل زوج بهيج
"O people, if you are in doubt about the resurrection (from the grave), then (know) indeed We have made you from the ground, then from a drop of semen, then from a clot of blood, then from a lump of flesh which is perfect and imperfect, that We explain to you and We determine in the womb what We want until the appointed time, then We send you out as babies, then (gradually) you come to maturity, and some of you are treated and (there are) among you who lengthen his age until he becomes senile, so that he may not know anything that he previously knew. And you see that the earth is dry, then when We have sent water on it, the earth will live and be fertile and grow all kinds of beautiful plants. "
After the human body is blown by the spirit in the womb at the age of 120 days before destiny is determined, there is an agreement with Allah SWT. We can read the sound of the agreement in QS. Al-A'raf: 172.
وإذ أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم ذريتهم وأشهدهم على أنفسهم ألست بربكم قالوا بلى شهدنا أن تقولوا يوم القيامة إنا كنا عن هذا غافلين
"And (remember), when your Lord brought out the descendants of the children of Adam from their sulbi and Allah took a testimony against their souls (saying):" Am I not your Lord? " They answered: "Yes (You are our Lord), we are witnesses". (We do that) so that on the Day of Resurrection you will not say: "Surely we (the children of Adam) are the ones who have been careless about this (oneness of God)."
Allah Ordains Destiny
When in the womb, the one who makes the agreement and confession is the spirit and body. So after that Allah determines destiny, good and bad, destiny qadla and destiny qadar.
Destiny qadla, means when Allah wrote down this destiny, with the attributes of Allah, Al-Qadli. That way, the destiny of qadla is destiny that cannot be contested. All can only accept and live it. Namely, death (when we die), body (male or female), and lineage (this will be related to the legal status of humans: such as the law of inheritance and marriage).
The destiny of qadar, everything has been determined since humans were 120 days old in the womb, but the process of determining it is with the nature of Allah, Al-Qadir. All of them are the same decrees of Allah, but there are provisions based on decisions, there are provisions based on provisions.
With the destiny of qadar, Allah makes provisions and policies (SOP). Humans are the ones who choose whether to follow the SOP or not. Among them, fortune, lowered or detained, depending on how human behavior, whether to pick up his fortune or not, whether he takes the path to get fortune blessedly or not.
Another qadar destiny, mate. The SOP is that everyone has a match, but there is a process to go through. Likewise fate, whether good or bad.
Including, heaven and hell. God gives you a choice. Stay, humans choose which destiny. It all depends on human choice.
After the birth of the mother, the life span of a human being in the womb ends and enters the world world. Once in the realm of the world, humans live in different realms. The spirits and bodies that live in this world are spirits and bodies that have made a covenant with Allah while still in the womb. Whether humans are committed or not by that agreement can be proven in the natural world.
This is like Allah said in QS. Al-Mulk verse 2:
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ
"Who makes death and life, so that He might test you, which of you is better at charity. And He is Mighty, Most Forgiving. "
So if there are joys and sorrows, sickness and health, poor and rich in the natural world, it is only a process of competition, to show whether humans are still committed to being governed by God or not. But whatever the conditions are, all have a clue, it's up to humans to follow it or not.
The realm of the world has limits. It will end marked by the angel Izrail giving the life of a human to the angel Munkar and Nakir. Since then humans have entered the realm of the barzakh or the realm of the grave and will no longer be able to live in the realm of the world, regardless of the negotiation, even if they promise to do good. That way, who believes that there are people who are suspended animation, wandering spirits, are classified as infidels, because they deny the angels Mukar and Nakir, and deny the Koran and even deny Allah.
Allah says in QS. Al-Mu'minun verses 99-100:
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرْجِعُونِ
"(Such is the condition of the disbelievers), until when death comes to someone from them, he says:" O my Lord, return me (to the world), "
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَنَ َ وَمِنْ عُن
"So that I do righteous deeds against those I have left. Of course not. Truly those are the words he utters only. And before them there is a wall until the day they will be resurrected. ”
In the realm of the grave (barzakh), humans live their souls and bodies, still the same as the spirits and bodies that live in the world and the womb. But here is a khilafiyah. There are also those who think only the spirit.
Regarding the meaning of barzakh, we can see it in QS. Ar-Rahman, verses 19-20:
لْبَحْرَيْنِ لْتَقِيَانِ
"He let the two seas flow which the two later met,"
بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ
"Between the two there is a boundary which neither one crosses."
The parable in this verse was given by Allah, so that humans understand that we can see the bodies of people who have died, like the bodies of Pharaoh, but the sight of humans living in the world cannot penetrate what is experienced by these bodies. The spirits and bodies that live in the barzakh realm will experience a life that is different from the life of spirits and bodies in the natural world. Including, when they are still in the womb, they experience life, can feel happiness and sadness.
The realm of Barzakh is also impermanent. It will end when the angel Israfil blows the second trumpet. Then humans, with the same spirit and body, will be resurrected and gathered in the mahsyar field.
Allah says in QS. Fushshilat verses 19-22:
وَيَوْمَ يُحْشَرُ أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ إِلَى النَّارِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
"And (remember) the day (when) the enemies of Allah were led to hell, then they were all gathered together."
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا مَا جَاءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُنَ
"So that when they get to hell, their hearing, sight and skin will testify against them of what they have done."
وقالوا لجلودهم لم شهدتم علينا قالوا أنطقنا الله الذي أنطق كل شيء وهو خلقكم أول مرة وإليه ترجعون
"And they said to their skin:" Why are you a witness against us? " Their skin replied: "Allah who made everything clever said that he made us smart (also) said, and it is He who created you in the first time and only to Him will you be returned". "
وما كنتم تستترون أن يشهد عليكم سمعكم ولا أبصاركم ولا جلودكم ولكن ظننتم أن الله لا يعلم كثيرا مما تعملون
"You can't hide from your hearing, sight and skin witness to you now and then, even if you think that Allah doesn't know most of what you do."
This verse is the argument that when a human being experiences torment in the grave, he is still with the same spirit and body.
Benefits of Pilgrimage for Whom?
So the pilgrimage to the grave is not simply sending prayers for the deceased. Because even without the grave pilgrimage, sending prayers is possible. Nor is the pilgrimage to the grave the standard of filial piety or disobedience by children to their parents. This is because many people have died and where their graves are not known.
Praying for the deceased and visiting the grave are two different things. Prayers for burial experts, can be done anytime and anywhere. That way, the grave pilgrimage is essentially beneficial for those of us who do it. To remember that it is our home and life in the future, after death.
The clothes that were stripped from the body were replaced with several shrouds, without accessories. And, whether in the grave one day we will be given beautiful clothes and accompanied by beautiful friends, it all depends on life in the world, depending on our preparation while still living in the natural world.
So, the pilgrimage to the grave is not for the people who died, but for those of us who are still alive in the world.
Whether we are going to husnul-khotimah or su-ul-khotimah, it all depends on our choice, we like to do good or do immoral. Which angel will come to execute our death depends on our death status.
The names of the angels are in the An-Nazi'at letter. Nazi'at is the name of the angel of death who violently took the life of humans who like to commit immorality. Meanwhile, the gentle angel of death was named Nasyitot.
This choice of death also concerns what human life will be like in the grave.
Allah reminds us that sometimes people who are still alive can interact and communicate with people who have passed away. When did that happen?
Allah says in QS Az-Zumar verse 42:
الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها والتي لم تمت في منامها فيمسك التي قضى عليها الموت ويرسل الأخرى إلى أجل مسمى إن في ذلك لآيات لقوم يتفكرون
"Allah holds the soul (person) when he dies and (holds) the soul (person) who has not died in his sleep; then He endures the soul (person) whom He has ordained death and He releases another soul until the appointed time. Indeed, in this there are signs of God's power for people who think. "
This means that the interaction occurs through dreams during sleep. That also means, if we who are still alive see a person who has died while not sleeping, it means that it is the appearance of a jinn or demon.
So, don't make the grave pilgrimage an obligation. The Messenger of Allah (saw) once said that his people should not prohibit people from performing the grave pilgrimage. However, he also did not order to do so. Which then becomes a consideration for whether or not to make a pilgrimage to the grave, the benefits and harms. [DDHK News]
