The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When a human being is laid in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their foot steps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask him: What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad ? He will say: I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle. Then it will be said to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell-Fire. Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' " The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "The dead person will see both his places. But a non-believer or a hypocrite will say to the angels, 'I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say! It will be said to him, 'Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Qur'an).' Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever approaches him except human beings and jinns."
Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz) - Sahih al-Bukhari 1338
This narration from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) describes the grave trial (fitnat al-qabr) that occurs after burial. When the deceased's companions depart, two angels named Munkar and Nakir question the soul about its belief in Allah's Messenger.
The Believer's Response
The true believer affirms the testimony of faith: "I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle." This correct 'aqidah (creed) demonstrates the person died upon tawhid and proper recognition of the Prophet's status as both servant and messenger.
Allah then shows the believer their designated place in Paradise while revealing what would have been their portion in Hellfire - a divine substitution demonstrating Allah's mercy for those who die upon correct belief.
The Disbeliever's Fate
The kaafir (disbeliever) or munafiq (hypocrite) responds with uncertainty, claiming mere conformity to popular opinion without genuine conviction. This reveals their lack of knowledge and failure to follow divine guidance.
Their punishment begins immediately with a severe strike between the ears with an iron hammer - a metaphysical punishment causing audible suffering heard by all creation except humans and jinn, indicating the hidden nature of the grave's realities from the living.
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith establishes several key Islamic doctrines: the reality of the grave questioning, the importance of dying upon correct belief, the consequences of hypocrisy, and the immediate commencement of afterlife rewards or punishments. The differentiation between the believer's firm conviction and the disbeliever's uncertainty highlights the essential nature of purposeful faith over mere social conformity in matters of 'aqidah.