If no one visits the qabr, who is at fault?

[armchair traveler]

This image was put in a social media talk thread for Muslims.  If deceased person was a believer earning the pleasure of Allah, that is the only important thing. There are many true believers who passed away lonely with no one to pray at their qabr, no one even to attend their janaza.  But so what ? .. as long as Allah is pleased with them.   It's not the fault of the soul that has passed if no one comes to pray at their qabr. The fault is of those insensitive and selfish people who don't come to pray there. They will have to answer to Allah for their callousness, not the deceased person.  Does that make sense?  I don't know why many of our people think weird.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Certainly, makes sense 100%.  In this image-caption, the author apparently means that not visiting the grave of the deceased is sad and distressing for the deceased person, therefore may Allah grant forgiveness to that person in lieu of the loneliness they suffered in the grave.   Needless to say, it’s a very incorrect concept as the soul or nafs of the person is in the custody of Allah, not in the qabr.  To presume that the deceased person in the qabr feels despondent and lonely if no one comes to visit them is not a Quranic concept at all.  The purpose of standing at the qabr is only to offer dua to Allah for the forgiveness of the deceased person’s soul, and the soul is with Allah.  "And never pray for one of them who dies, nor stand by his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger, and they died while they were evil-doers."  9:84 At Tawbah. What is buried in the qabr are only the lifeless physical remains that are dispersed with earth until the body and soul are reunited by Allah on the Day of Resurrection.

And [that they may know] that the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - and that Allah will resurrect those in the graves.   22:7  Al Hajj

Above Verse 22:7 alludes to the fact that the deceased in the grave will come to life again only after Resurrection.

And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.  35:22  Al Malaikah.

A lovely Verse 35:22 that makes it clear that the dead in the graves - until they rise during Resurrection – have no connections with those living in dunya.  You can't make them hear because they are in a lifeless state.


And the trumpet will be blown; and at once from the graves to their Rab they will hasten.   36:51 YaSin.
Crying: Woe upon us! Who has raised us from our place of sleep? …..  36:51  YaSin.

Above Verses 36:51-52 is the time of Resurrection, that’s when soul will reunite will physical body.  The grave is referred to as the ‘place of sleep’ indicating there are NO activities in the grave whatsoever.


O you who have believed, do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry. They have despaired of [reward in] the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of [meeting] the inhabitants of the graves.  60:13  Al Mumtahanah.

In this Verse 60:13 the reference to disbelievers despairing of meeting or seeing those in the grave implies to their disbelief in the Ressurrection and the Day of Judgement as that is the time when people will see or meet each other.


This notion of activities in the grave or qabr comes from the ahadith of the qabr (grave).  According to hadith traditionalists there are activities in the grave, a very un-Quranic concept as the Noble Quran gives no reasons to accept that. 

The illustration you posted shows the person sitting in the grave or their soul (nafs) sitting inside the grave. Allah has given no evidence in the Noble Quran to accept this view.  Activities in the grave are typically pre-Islamic notions that existed for centuries among polytheists in many parts of the world including pre-Islamic Arabia.   The hadith brought it back.

For more information please check the following related posts:

-  Hadith on punishments in the grave.
-  Hadith on punishments in the grave for wetting clothes.
-  Fitnah of the grave: beware, false hadith concept.

[N. Truth Seeker]

....    The hadith brought it back.

Exactly sister.  Hadith started that pagan idea again about the deceased living in the grave like it's their bedroom or living room.  After all, these folks Bukhari etc. were all recent Persian non-Muslims who converted to Islam superficially. 

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Unfortunately yes, that was the case.

[armchair traveler]

I thoroughly appreciate your in depth study sister Heba Huseyn.  Very helpful with direct Quran references.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

You're welcome brother.