[Maymayfor]

Bismilla The Dragons of The grave
Prohet (SAS) ; اَحبِب ما اَحبَبت فَاِنِّك مُفارِقه
(Love anything that you like, know that you will be separated from object of your love)

Punishment of grave It’s reality and it’s degree
You should know that the essence of the punishment of Grave is the love and friendship with this dunya(world).That is why the punishment of grave for different people will be in different degrees of their attachment and detachment to this Dunya. Punishment of a person who has only one attachment will be different from the one who has attached himself to many worldly things such as; family, wealth, cloth, power, and other worldly blessings that Allah (SWT) has bestowed on him.
Prohet (SAS) said; اَحبِب ما اَحبَبت فَاِنِّك مُفارِقه
(Love anything that you like know that you will be separated from that love)
Imam (RA) explains the attachment issue with a very beautiful example; He (RA) say, If some one give you bad news that, one of your ten horses is stolen. Naturally you will be sad hearing that news. But if he had told you that all ten of your horses were stolen you will be a lot more sad. How about if they come and tell you , your horses, your house, your wealth, your children, your wife, your gardens are all gone. That is the meaning of death. Ones reaction to that loss depends to the extend of ones attachment and detachment to his material wealth.
Allah (SWT) says; ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ”
ٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ‘This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject Faith”
The dragons

Once prophet (SAS) asked sahabi(companion) do you know for what purpose Allah (SWT) has send this Ayah (20/124)
وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُ ۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا وَنَحۡشُرُهُ ۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ
"But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment." (124)
The Sahabah (RA) said, Allah and his messenger knows. Prophet SAS said,” it means the punishment of a kafir in grave will be ninety nine dragons. These dragons are similar to snake and each one has nine heads. They will, bite the kafir, leak him and blow on him until the day of mahshar(gyamah)”. naudubillah!
Imam (RA) farther explains that many saintly men of basira(who has vision of unseen) have seen these dragons. Only a stupid person who only rely on his five senses denies them. The ignorant person argues; I peeked into the grave I did not see any snake or dragon there.

Dragons of ones soul

Imam (RA)argues that these stupid persons who deny the existence of the dragon inside the grave should know that before the death the dragons were within the essence of that dead person’s spirit, though he was ignorant of it. dragons are in fact attributes of his nafs and its heads are his different kholog (character) that were dominant within the persons nafs. The essence of these dragons are from love of dunya(world). And its head are the bad characters that form within the soul of the person due to hobb(love) of dunya. Examples of these bad kholog are; hate, jealousy, show off, pride, lust, plots, animosity, love of power, love of wealth, popularity, ostentation, arrogance, etc. only with the light of basirah (eye of heart)one can see the heads of these dragons. Imam(RA) explain that the light of a nobowwah (prophts) encompass all of the bad characters within the humans soul. Nevertheless that comprehensive knowledge is not available for anyone else other than prophets. It is important to note that, these dragon have settled within the soul of the kafir not because he does not believe in Allah (SWT) and his prophet(SAS) but because he has given all of himself to dunya.
Allah (SWT) say ; This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject Faith (16/107)
ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

Also Allah (SWT) mentions in another ayah (46/20)
أَذۡهَبۡتُمۡ طَيِّبَـٰتِكُمۡ فِى حَيَاتِكُمُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱسۡتَمۡتَعۡتُم بِہَا فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُجۡزَوۡنَ عَذَابَ ٱلۡهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَفۡسُقُونَ
And on the Day that the Unbelievers will be placed before the Fire, (it will be said to them): "Ye received your good things in the life of the world, and ye took your pleasure out of them: but today shall ye be recompensed with a Penalty of humiliation: for that ye were arrogant on earth without just cause, and that ye (ever) transgressed."

Discussion
So, these dragons reside within the soul of a person. These dragons actually are the formation of his characteristics. That is why he can not run away from them. He is like a person that has sold a slave girl but he is deeply in love with her. that dragon within his soul is that love that was inside his heart before he sold the slave girl. It was hidden he did not know about the love. Once the girl is gone the pain is evident. While he was with his lover he was enjoying her ,once he separated the pain of separation become evident. If he did not have love then at time of separation he would not have had any pain.similarly the love of dunya is so comforting in a person’s earthly life but it becomes the source of pain later on. Each love has different representation within the human soul. For example, Love of position is like a dragon, love of wealth is like a snake, love of house is like a scorpion, and so on. So everyone in a sense carry his own punishment with himself to his grave. For this reason prophet (SAS) said
اِنّما هىَ اَعمالكم ترَدب الىكم “Every persons punishment will not be more than what he deserves”.

And Allah (SWT) said; if you had been given ilm yaqeen (certainty of heart) you would have seen the hell fire.(102/5,6,7,)
كَلَّا لَوۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ عِلۡمَ ٱلۡيَقِينِ (٥) لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ (٦) ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّہَا عَيۡنَ ٱلۡيَقِينِ (٧) ثُمَّ لَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ (٨)
Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (Ye would beware!) (5) Ye shall certainly see Hell Fire! (6) Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight! (7) Then shall ye be Questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in)! (8)
Also Allah SWT said;
وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَقُولُ ٱئۡذَن لِّى وَلَا تَفۡتِنِّىٓ*ۚ أَلَا فِى ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ سَقَطُواْ*ۗ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةُۢ بِٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ
Among them is (many) a man who says: "Grant me exemption and draw me not into trial." Have they not fallen into trial already? And indeed hell surrounds the Unbelievers (on all sides).
Please note that Allah SWT did not say the hell fire will encompass them. Allah swt say it is encompassing them.

[Catieliecutty]

This can be very depressing. So we cannot enjoy ourselves even alittle? No laughter no joy just fearing the grave and death? Or is it the case that this is to wean humans away from extreme love of this world and to bring the akhira into focus? I do wonder why Allah would make sexual pleasure something desirable if we are not meant to feel any joy...Is it not that we must procreate and have some joy within the ring fence of the halaal without making these our goal? Yes the punishment of the grave is a reality, but sometimes the fear of it makes people become hopeless.

Bismilla The Dragons of The grave
Prohet (SAS) ; اَحبِب ما اَحبَبت فَاِنِّك مُفارِقه
(Love anything that you like, know that you will be separated from object of your love)

Punishment of grave It’s reality and it’s degree
You should know that the essence of the punishment of Grave is the love and friendship with this dunya(world).That is why the punishment of grave for different people will be in different degrees of their attachment and detachment to this Dunya. Punishment of a person who has only one attachment will be different from the one who has attached himself to many worldly things such as; family, wealth, cloth, power, and other worldly blessings that Allah (SWT) has bestowed on him.
Prohet (SAS) said; اَحبِب ما اَحبَبت فَاِنِّك مُفارِقه
(Love anything that you like know that you will be separated from that love)
Imam (RA) explains the attachment issue with a very beautiful example; He (RA) say, If some one give you bad news that, one of your ten horses is stolen. Naturally you will be sad hearing that news. But if he had told you that all ten of your horses were stolen you will be a lot more sad. How about if they come and tell you , your horses, your house, your wealth, your children, your wife, your gardens are all gone. That is the meaning of death. Ones reaction to that loss depends to the extend of ones attachment and detachment to his material wealth.
Allah (SWT) says; ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ”
ٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ‘This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject Faith”
The dragons

Once prophet (SAS) asked sahabi(companion) do you know for what purpose Allah (SWT) has send this Ayah (20/124)
وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُ ۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا وَنَحۡشُرُهُ ۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ
"But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment." (124)
The Sahabah (RA) said, Allah and his messenger knows. Prophet SAS said,” it means the punishment of a kafir in grave will be ninety nine dragons. These dragons are similar to snake and each one has nine heads. They will, bite the kafir, leak him and blow on him until the day of mahshar(gyamah)”. naudubillah!
Imam (RA) farther explains that many saintly men of basira(who has vision of unseen) have seen these dragons. Only a stupid person who only rely on his five senses denies them. The ignorant person argues; I peeked into the grave I did not see any snake or dragon there.

Dragons of ones soul

Imam (RA)argues that these stupid persons who deny the existence of the dragon inside the grave should know that before the death the dragons were within the essence of that dead person’s spirit, though he was ignorant of it. dragons are in fact attributes of his nafs and its heads are his different kholog (character) that were dominant within the persons nafs. The essence of these dragons are from love of dunya(world). And its head are the bad characters that form within the soul of the person due to hobb(love) of dunya. Examples of these bad kholog are; hate, jealousy, show off, pride, lust, plots, animosity, love of power, love of wealth, popularity, ostentation, arrogance, etc. only with the light of basirah (eye of heart)one can see the heads of these dragons. Imam(RA) explain that the light of a nobowwah (prophts) encompass all of the bad characters within the humans soul. Nevertheless that comprehensive knowledge is not available for anyone else other than prophets. It is important to note that, these dragon have settled within the soul of the kafir not because he does not believe in Allah (SWT) and his prophet(SAS) but because he has given all of himself to dunya.
Allah (SWT) say ; This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject Faith (16/107)
ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

Also Allah (SWT) mentions in another ayah (46/20)
أَذۡهَبۡتُمۡ طَيِّبَـٰتِكُمۡ فِى حَيَاتِكُمُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱسۡتَمۡتَعۡتُم بِہَا فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُجۡزَوۡنَ عَذَابَ ٱلۡهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَفۡسُقُونَ
And on the Day that the Unbelievers will be placed before the Fire, (it will be said to them): "Ye received your good things in the life of the world, and ye took your pleasure out of them: but today shall ye be recompensed with a Penalty of humiliation: for that ye were arrogant on earth without just cause, and that ye (ever) transgressed."

Discussion
So, these dragons reside within the soul of a person. These dragons actually are the formation of his characteristics. That is why he can not run away from them. He is like a person that has sold a slave girl but he is deeply in love with her. that dragon within his soul is that love that was inside his heart before he sold the slave girl. It was hidden he did not know about the love. Once the girl is gone the pain is evident. While he was with his lover he was enjoying her ,once he separated the pain of separation become evident. If he did not have love then at time of separation he would not have had any pain.similarly the love of dunya is so comforting in a person’s earthly life but it becomes the source of pain later on. Each love has different representation within the human soul. For example, Love of position is like a dragon, love of wealth is like a snake, love of house is like a scorpion, and so on. So everyone in a sense carry his own punishment with himself to his grave. For this reason prophet (SAS) said
اِنّما هىَ اَعمالكم ترَدب الىكم “Every persons punishment will not be more than what he deserves”.

And Allah (SWT) said; if you had been given ilm yaqeen (certainty of heart) you would have seen the hell fire.(102/5,6,7,)
كَلَّا لَوۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ عِلۡمَ ٱلۡيَقِينِ (٥) لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ (٦) ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّہَا عَيۡنَ ٱلۡيَقِينِ (٧) ثُمَّ لَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ (٨)
Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (Ye would beware!) (5) Ye shall certainly see Hell Fire! (6) Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight! (7) Then shall ye be Questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in)! (8)
Also Allah SWT said;
وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَقُولُ ٱئۡذَن لِّى وَلَا تَفۡتِنِّىٓ*ۚ أَلَا فِى ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ سَقَطُواْ*ۗ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةُۢ بِٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ
Among them is (many) a man who says: "Grant me exemption and draw me not into trial." Have they not fallen into trial already? And indeed hell surrounds the Unbelievers (on all sides).
Please note that Allah SWT did not say the hell fire will encompass them. Allah swt say it is encompassing them.

[stoneeZef]

This can be very depressing. So we cannot enjoy ourselves even alittle? No laughter no joy just fearing the grave and death? Or is it the case that this is to wean humans away from extreme love of this world and to bring the akhira into focus? I do wonder why Allah would make sexual pleasure something desirable if we are not meant to feel any joy...Is it not that we must procreate and have some joy within the ring fence of the halaal without making these our goal? Yes the punishment of the grave is a reality, but sometimes the fear of it makes people become hopeless.

Why should one become hopeless in this temporary life, when Allah promises us the HereAfter. Remembering death will actually put rest to our unnecessary love for this Dunya. http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...tness-of-Dunya

[ebBPxIai]

assalam alikum wa rahmat Allah

Dear brother please read the next discussion, I just posted. I hurridly translated the discussion #2 for similar thought like yours that I thought will come to readers mind. alhamdulillah

[Catieliecutty]

Hopeless because one has to refrain from so much. It becomes too much and one might be tempted to give thinking I can never live up to those strict standards I will fail...so I may as well give up. Yes this is shaitani...but it does happen, sometimes listening to high level ulama talk about tassawuf and shariah one can feel overwhelmed...there are just so many things to watch in oneself it is too much etc. Maybe this is just the nafs or shaitan trying to keep one from obedience I do not know.

Why should one become hopeless in this temporary life, when Allah promises us the HereAfter. Remembering death will actually put rest to our unnecessary love for this Dunya. http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...tness-of-Dunya

[Maymayfor]

Hopeless because one has to refrain from so much. It becomes too much and one might be tempted to give thinking I can never live up to those strict standards I will fail...so I may as well give up. Yes this is shaitani...but it does happen, sometimes listening to high level ulama talk about tassawuf and shariah one can feel overwhelmed...there are just so many things to watch in oneself it is too much etc. Maybe this is just the nafs or shaitan trying to keep one from obedience I do not know.

Assalaqm alikum wa rahmat Allah,

You have a good point brother. but what is the solution in your opinion. we live in a time that dunya has becom a lot alot more encompassing than any time in human history. In a way sheitan has won. The sunnah of allah is fight of truth with batil. Allah SWT has prescribed the same quran to both times. And It is his sunnah also to fight with batil with nothing less than sunnah and quran. He (SWT) does not like conformed solutions. The great Imam (RA) has amazing ability with mixing sunnah and quran to show the truth.
In a way the blessed imam showing to us that Alah (SWT)say All humans have to love me more than my creation if they want to come to me and be close to me.do. That is fair demand from insan isn't it? what other way you think there is dear brother?

[Catieliecutty]

I do not know, sometimes when I think about my own death I get very depressed and anxious with the thought of being in hospital and slowly dying, and the thought of suffering in the grave after death makes it even worse.

Assalaqm alikum wa rahmat Allah,

You have a good point brother. but what is the solution in your opinion. we live in a time that dunya has becom a lot alot more encompassing than any time in human history. In a way sheitan has won. The sunnah of allah is fight of truth with batil. Allah SWT has prescribed the same quran to both times. And It is his sunnah also to fight with batil with nothing less than sunnah and quran. He (SWT) does not like conformed solutions. The great Imam (RA) has amazing ability with mixing sunnah and quran to show the truth.
In a way the blessed imam showing to us that Alah (SWT)say All humans have to love me more than my creation if they want to come to me and be close to me.do. That is fair demand from insan isn't it? what other way you think there is dear brother?

[stoneeZef]

I do not know, sometimes when I think about my own death I get very depressed and anxious with the thought of being in hospital and slowly dying, and the thought of suffering in the grave after death makes it even worse.

Bro read this small book by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi(ra). It will help you with dealing with this problems. Yes ofcourse we all fear of death as we do not know our fate with Allah Ta'ala, but we should also long for Akhirah because its how we will be closer to our Allah the Almighty.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/agx3lx

[cbUDaNFRu]

the hadiths about dragons were taken from Miskat al Masabih......
ibn kathir tafseer offer different opinions