When the servant is placed in his grave, his companions retrace their steps, and he hears the noise of their footsteps, two angels come to him and make him sit and say to him: What you have to say about this person (the Prophet)? If he is a believer, he would say: I bear testimony to the fact that he is a servant of Allah and His Messenger. Then it would be said to him: Look to your seat in the Hellfire, for Allah has substituted (the seat of yours) with a seat in Paradise. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: He would be shown both the seats. Qatada said: It was mentioned to us that his grave (the grave of a believer) expands to seventy cubits and is full with verdure until the Day when they would be resurrected.
The Book of Paradise, its Description, its Bounties and its Inhabitants
Sahih Muslim - Hadith 2870a
The Trial of the Grave
This narration describes the first trial after death - the questioning in the grave by two angels, Munkar and Nakir. When the deceased's companions depart, the reality of the afterlife begins immediately for the soul.
The Believer's Testimony
The angels question the deceased about the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The believer, by divine grace, affirms the testimony of faith: "I bear witness that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger." This demonstrates that true faith persists beyond death.
Divine Substitution
Allah replaces what was destined as a seat in Hellfire with a seat in Paradise. The believer is shown both positions - his original deserving punishment and the granted mercy - so he appreciates Allah's boundless favor.
Expansion of the Grave
As mentioned by Qatada, the believer's grave expands seventy cubits and fills with greenery until Resurrection. This symbolizes the comfort and spaciousness granted to the faithful, contrasting with the constriction for disbelievers.
Scholarly Insights
This hadith confirms the reality of the grave's trial (fitnat al-qabr) and the intermediate state (barzakh). The expansion represents spiritual illumination, while the verdure signifies the blessings and tranquility bestowed upon the believer.
The questioning focuses on the Prophet (ﷺ) because acceptance of his message is fundamental to Islamic faith. The believer's correct response comes through divine assistance (tawfiq), not mere personal ability.