This letter was sent to Hadrat Mîr Muhammad Nu’mân. It was written in order to remove the doubts of those who deny torment in the grave:
Thanks be to Allâhu ta’âlâ! Salâm upon His distinguished, beloved slaves! Despite the fact that it has been informed by sahîh, mashhûr hadîths, and even by âyats in the Qur’ân that there will be torment in the grave, it is seen that many people have been doubting it, even disbelieving it, and saying that it is impossible. Because they see that the dead are motionless and remain as they are put before they are interred, they doubt the fact that there is torment in the grave. They say that if a dead person were tormented and hurt, it would move, flutter as the alive do. In response we say that the dead’s state, which is called “life in grave” or “life in the âlam-i barzah,” is unlike the life of the living in the world.
As the world’s order and harmony require, life here contains both feelings, senses, and voluntary actions. But in the life of barzah, it is not necessary to move. In fact, the life of barzah should not contain movements. Senses are sufficient for those who are in that life for feeling the pains and torments. As it is seen, the life of barzah, that is, life in the grave, is sort of half the life in the world. The soul’s attachment to the body in the
grave is half its attachment when alive. Therefore, those dead people who have not been interred, being in the life of barzah, feel the pain and torment but cannot move or react. So it is understood that the Mukhbir-i sâdîq ‘sallallâhu alaihi wa sallam’, who always tells the truth, has told the truth.
Let us add this to eradicate the doubts: The rank of prophethood is beyond and above mind and thought. Many things which mind cannot grasp or understand are understood at the rank of prophethood. If everything could be comprehended through mind, prophets would not have been sent ‘sallawâtullâhi ta’âlâ wa taslîmâtuhu subhânahu ’alaihim ajma’în’. Torments in the next world would not have been communicated by sending prophets. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares in the fifteenth âyat of Isrâ Sûra: “We shall not torment before sending the Prophet and letting know.” Mind can comprehend many things. But not everything. And its comprehension is not perfect, without defects. It understands many things after
prophets’
communication. Prophets’ coming has prevented men from making up excuses or pretexts. It is purported in the hundred and sixty-fourth âyat of Nisâ Sûra: “I sent prophets in order to threaten and to give the glad tidings. Thus, men have been prevented from putting forth pretexts towards Allâhu ta’âlâ.” Mind errs so often even in worldly affairs. There is noone who does not know this fact. It could not be right to attempt to weigh the teachings of the Sharî’at with such a gauge as mind. To study the teachings of the Sharî’at with mind to see if they are suitable with mind means to trust mind like trusting something unerring and to disbelieve the rank of prophethood. May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us all from doing this corrupt deed! First, it is necessary
to believe the Prophet and to confirm that he is Allah’s Prophet. Thus, everything he has communicated will have been admitted to be true. One will have been blessed with the lot of getting rid of suspicions and doubts. Islam’s basis is belief in the Prophet. It is mind’s admitting the fact that the Prophet has been sent by Allah and he always says the truth. When mind accepts this basic information it has accepted also all of what the Prophet communicated. Unless mind accepted the fact that the Prophet had been sent by Allah and that he reported what Allah had declared, it would be impracticable to make it believe Islam’s teachings one by one.
The shortest way for mind’s believing the Prophet easily and to form of a perfect îmân in the heart is the dhikr of Allâhu ta’âlâ. The thirtieth âyat of Ra’d Sûra purports: “Be it known well that
hearts will attain serenity and ease with dhikr!” In other words, they will attain perfect îmân. It is difficult, very difficult to reach this high rank by thinking, by measuring with mind.
Couplet:
A rationalist’s feet are made of wood.
So, it is impossible to claim them to be sound.
I would like to add that a person who follows the Prophet’s way and adapts himself to the Prophet in everything he does by accepting and confirming the fact that the Prophet has been sent by Allah and is always true in his words after thinking over it for a long time has done everything thoughtfully, and he has followed mind in everything. His following each word of the Prophet means to follow mind. If the human mind understands and accepts the existence of something it has also understood and accepted the existence of the parts which issue from that thing and which make up that thing. It does not need to understand the existence of each of the parts by studying, thinking over them one by one. Since it has accepted the existence of that thing after observation, it will be deemed to have accepted all the parts after observation. Thanks be to Allâhu ta’âlâ, Who has blessed us with this right way! If he had not guided us to the right way, none of us could have attained to the right way. All prophets were sent by Allah. We believe that they all said the truth. Our salâm be upon those who are on the right way!