Munkar and Nakir, in Islamic
eschatology, are malaikah (angels) who test the faith of the dead
in their graves. After death, a person's soul passes through a
stage called barzakh, where it is stored near their grave. (Even
if the person's body was destroyed, the soul will still rest in
the earth near their place of death.) The Angels prop the deceased
soul upright in the grave and ask three questions, "Who is your
Lord? What is your way of life? Who is your Prophet?" A righteous
Muslim will respond correctly, saying that their Lord is Allah,
that their way of life is Islam, and depending on what time period
they live in, they will name their prophet is Muhammad. A voice
from God will resonate down into the grave, confirming that what
the person said was true. He or she will then be shown a window to
the place he or she could have had in Hell, but are then shown the
place that Allah has given for him or her in Paradise. Then there
comes to him some of heaven's breezes and fragrances, and the
grave will expand into a comfortable space as far as the eye can
see, and his grave will be lit up. The righteous believer will
then remain in a state of bliss until the Qiyamah (Day of
Resurrection).
A non-believer will respond incorrectly and the angels will rebuke
him: "Neither did you know nor did you seek guidance from those
who had knowledge (Islam)." They will then show the soul the place
he or she could have had in Paradise, and then show that person
his or her eternal place in Hell. Then he will be hit with an iron
hammer between his ears, and he will cry and that cry will be
heard by whatever living being approaches him except human beings
and Jinns. That person's grave is tightened until his ribs come
over each other like clasped hands, and he or she remains in a
state of torture until the Resurrection. |
