Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,

In the beliefs of a Muslim, punishment in the grave is a reality. This is established in many different texts.

For example, in Sahih al-Bukhari v. 1, p. 66 #216, the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhie wa sallam) passed by the graves of two men who were being punished in their graves. The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhie wa sallam) mentioned that they were not being punished for major offenses. One did not protect himself from urine and the other was involved in tale-bearing. The Prophet called for a palm leaf which he broke into two and placed on the graves, informing the companions that it would lighten the punishment so long as it had not dried.

Also, again in Sahih al-Bukhari v. 1, p. 211 #832, it is reported that the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhie wa sallam) would supplicate and ask protection from the punishment in the grave.

Ibn Hajar al-Haytami was asked, in his Fatawa v. 2, p. 9, on if the punishment in the grave is on one’s body and soul or just one of them. To this, he replied that the punishment in the grave is on both the body and soul. This he mentions as the relied-upon opinion. In his commentary on Tirmidhi, Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri mentioned that Ahl al-Sunnah has two views on if the body and soul are body punished, or just the soul. The relied-upon view he stated to be the first, like Ibn Hajar.

Also, he stated that the hadiths on the topic are mutawatir, as did Shawkani in Nayl al-Awtar.

And Allah knows best.

Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.