BARZAKH
One of the fearsome stages of the Hereafter is the grave, which calls out daily:
I am the abode of loneliness, I am the house of terror, I am the home of worms.
The darkness and loneliness, questioning by ‘Munkar and Nakeer’, Squeezing in the grave (Fishar), and the chastisement in hell are some of the frightful stages. Hence it is necessary for man to take lessons from a dead man’s state, and reflect upon it, because one day he himself will have to pass through these stages.
The following is narrated from Imam Ali 
“ O the servants of Allah! The state in the grave of a person whose sins are not forgiven is more horrifying than death itself. Fear its (grave’s) narrowness, its squeezing, its imprisonment, and its loneliness. Verily the grave calls out daily: I am the house of loneliness, of terror and worms. Grave is like a garden of Paradise for a good doer, while it is like a dungeon of hell for the evil doer. Allah tells His enemies that He will send ninety-nine serpents in their graves, who will tear their flesh and smash their bones, and this punishment will continue till the outbreak of Qiyamat. If one of the serpents exhales towards this earth, all plants and trees will be destroyed. O servants of Allah! Your souls are tender, and your bodies delicate, you cannot confront any ordinary serpent of this world, how then will you face them. ”
What is Barzakh
One of the dreaded stages of the Hereafter is ‘Barzakh’. ‘Barzakh’ literally means a curtain or a separator that lies between two things and does not allow them to meet each other.
But Barzakh in this context means that Allah has placed a curtain between this world and the hereafter. Imam Ja’far-as-Sadiq (a.s.) says,
“By Allah! I fear a lot for your state in Barzakh.”
The narrator asked Imam (a.s.) as to what was Barzakh? Imam Sadiq (a.s.) replied that, it is a period starting from death till Qiyamat.
Reference: Manazelul Akhreah
Various Chastisements in Barzakh
The traditions herein are taken from the book Hayat al Qulub Vol. 2, where the Meraj of Holy Prophet (saw) is discussed.
It is recommended that readers use their imagination while reading these traditions to actually feel their intensity and pain.
One who consumes Haraam (forbidden) food
I (Holy Prophet (saw)) came to a company seated at tables loaded with the delicious foods and with the most rotten flesh. However they were eating only from the rotten flesh without tasting what was delicious. Who are these? I inquired. Gibraeel said, They are those that eat forbidden things in preference to that which is lawful, and to your sect they belong.
Backbiters
Holy Prophet (saw) said: I saw a group of people that had lips like camel (large in size), and angels cut the flesh off their sides with scissors and threw it in their mouths, forcing them to eat it. At my inquiry, Gibraeel said, these ridiculed/backbited believers and sought out their faults.
Those who take the wealth of the orphan and the usurers
Holy Prophet (saw) said: Next I saw a group of people into whose mouths angels were pouring fire and it was coming out of thie rear-ends. They had unrighteously consumed the property of orphans.
Then I passed a crowd of people who could not rise on account of their large stomachs. These were usurers.
Adultery
Passing hence, I saw a party of women suspended by their bosoms. These had committed adultery, and palmed their illicit offspring upon their husbands and secured them an inheritance in their husbands’ property.
Neglecting Namaz
I saw another group of people whose skulls were being crushed with rocks and whose brains were flowing out. I asked, Who are these people? Gibraeel said, These are the people who would go to sleep without having prayed Salat al Isha.
Imam Baqir said: On the night of ascension Holy Prophet (saw) passed a company suspended by their feet on hooks of fire, because when the Most High had made them rich in lawful things, they desired what was unlawful.
Imam Baqir said: Another company were having their mouths sewed up with needles and threads of fire because they had accused virgins.
It is related from Imam Taqi that Ali and Lady Fatima (sa) one day visited the prophet and found him weeping profusely. May my father and mother be your sacrifice! Said Ali ; what is the cause if your grief, O Prophet of Allah?
He (saw) replied, On the night I was carried to the heaven I saw a number of the women of my sect in great torment and it is for them I weep. I saw a woman suspended by her hair, and her brain was boiling from excessive heat. Another was suspended by her tongue and liquid flowing from the fountain of melted copper in hell was poured down her throat! And another was hung up by her breasts. I saw a woman eating the flesh of her own body, which fell from her, and fire meanwhile was flaming under her. I saw a woman bound hand and foot and assailed on all sides by serpents and scorpions. Another, blind, deaf and dumb, was incased in a coffin of fire, and her grain was dropping out at her nostrils, and her body was falling into pieces from gangrene and leprosy. I saw a woman suspended by her feet in a furnace of fire, the flesh of another was being cut off on all sides with scissors of fire. I saw a woman whose face and hands were burning, and who ate her own entrails, I saw a woman with the head of a hog and the body and the body of a donkey, tormented in a million ways. I saw a woman in the form of a dog, and fire was poured through her body, issuing her mouth, and the angels were beating her with the rod of fire.
Fatima (sa) exclaimed, what they had done that they had been Allah the Almighty inflicted them with such horrible torments.
The Prophet replied, the woman suspended by hair did not conceal it from the view of men. The one suspended by her tongue, tormented her husband with that member. The one hung up by her breasts would not acknowledge her husband’s conjugal rights. She suspended by her feet, was in the habit of gadding abroad without her husband’s consent. The one that ate her own flesh, adorned her person for the view of those who had no right to see her. The woman bound hand and foot, neglected to wash herself and cleanse her garments. She did not perform the necessary and obligatory ablutions, and held prayer (namaz) of light account. The one blind, deaf and dumb, bore children form adulterous intercourse, and caused her husband to bear the burden of their support. She whose flesh was cut off with the fiery scissors, showed herself to incite men to desire her. The woman who was burning and ate her own entrails, was a procuress, and brought together wicked men and women together. She with the head of a hog was a slanderer and liar; and the one in the form of a dog was a professed singer, mourner, and envier, whose practice was to excite discontent under the providence of Allah. Woe, said the prophet, to the woman that angers her husband, and happy she that contents him.
Reference: Hayat u Qulub Vol. 2. Under the topic ‘Meraj’.
From the book - Journey to the Unseen World.
Here onwards narrations are taken from the book Journey to the Unseen World written by Ayatullah Najafi Quchani.
1. I saw monkey-like creatures who, I realised were actually humans for they had no tails nor hair and walked on two legs. Pus and blood emitted from their private parts accompanied by a bad stink. “This is the land of Lust and Desire,” Haadi said, “These people were adulterers.
2. Next, I saw people resembling animals hanging from posts and their private parts had been nailed to the posts with big iron nails. Some were also being whipped and were screaming in pain. Haadi informed me that these people used to indulge in various forbidden sexual pleasures.
3. Ahead of us was another Land of Desire. Here were people who used to be heavy eaters. Those who used to overeat their food obtained by lawful means, had faces like donkeys and cows. Those who had obtained their food by unlawful means had faces of pigs and bears with huge bellies and thin legs! They were being severely punished. It was as if their bellies were full of fire.
4. On the way we saw various animals fighting with each other viciously, some even eating the flesh of the dead bodies. They were extremely thirsty and flames emerged from their mouth and ears. These are the back-biters and their audience, liars, fault finders and those who laughed and made fun of the faithful.”
5. After some time, we reached the land of Greed and Avarice. There we saw people with faces like dogs fighting among themselves. Some were eating dead bodies and fire was coming out from their behinds. Haadi informed me, “These people used to take bribes and embezzle or steal wealth belonging to orphans.”
The conditions of the Grave, the punishment meted out to the sinners for their wrong deeds, the fate of pride, and good deeds going waste due to certain sins, all these are occasions for awakening and reflection. One should try to prepare and stock deeds for the future because death is inevitable and it closes the door of action forever. If we fail to do good deeds our selves it is indeed foolishness to expect that our children will act on our behalf after our death.
We can only expect those deeds which we have managed to do, to come to our rescue and help, and cannot be certain of anything else.
These conditions describe the sufferings to be borne in Barzakh. The Day of Judgment will be even more severe and harsh.
May Allah help every body to atone and do good
All Praise is for Allah
Peace be upon Mohammed (saw) and his Progeny
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