How can the torment of the grave and the dead hearing the Prophet's address be reconciled with the death of the body and its inability to benefit, and with what is mentioned in the Qur'an about the life of martyrs?
The deceased do not hear the speech of the living, based on the Almighty's saying: "And you cannot make hear those in the graves" (Fatir/22), and His saying: "Indeed, you will not make the dead hear" (Ar-Rum/52). The Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah (People of the Sunnah and the Community) have affirmed the torment and bliss of the grave in the Barzakh (interim period). Among the evidences for this is the Almighty's saying about the people of Pharaoh: "The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and afternoon. And the Day the Hour is established [it will be said], 'Admit the people of Pharaoh to the severest punishment!'" (Ghafir/46), and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) seeking refuge from the torment of the grave in his supplications. As for the Prophet's address to the people of the well on the day of Badr, it was specific to them, as Allah brought them back to life so they could hear his words as a reprimand to them. It should not be used as evidence for the general hearing of the dead. The torment and bliss of the grave affect both the soul and the body together, by agreement of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah. Sometimes, the torment or bliss may be connected to the body, an example of which is what a sleeping person sees and feels of pleasure or pain, which indicates the possibility of this in the grave, while emphasizing that the bliss and torment of the grave are real and more complete than what is experienced in a dream.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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