Advice for the Muslim

We have written above that the deeds of the living people are
shown to the dead. They would not be shown the deeds if they did
not have any sense of sight. Because, as it is understood, ‘they are
shown the deeds’ means that they are shown the things recorded
by the kirâman kâtibîn angels on either shoulder. And this shows
that the dead see. We, therefore, after explaining the fact that the
dead see, deemed it proper to note the hadîths documenting that
the deeds of the living people are shown to the dead.
Ignoramuses do not understand these teachings. It is because
they have not heard Rasûlullâh’s (sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam) sunna and hadîths about this sujbect. These men, who
take themselves to be scholars, are so ignorant and so stupid that
they ask, “How do prophets and awliyâ’ know those who visit heir
graves and ask for intercession and entreat them?” We say,
“Many things were made known to those great men when they
were alive. Why should they not be made known after they die?”
Or, we may say, “They hear and know by Allâhu ta’âlâ’s grace
and benevolence outside of His usual custom.” It was told in
hadîths that the deeds of living people were shown to the dead.
We have quoted these hadîths for the ones who do not believe it.
If a person who reads but does not understand these hadîths says,
“The dead know and hear only the people whom they have
known in this world,” we say, “The hadîths do not differentiate
acquintances from strangers.” The lâ-madhhabî behave
stubbornly. They will not believe until they die and all these things
befall them.
There are a great many hadîths which state that the deeds of
the Umma are shown to Rasûlullâh. The hadîth ash-sharîf
transmitted by Bazzâz from reliable narrators and on the authority
of Hadrat ’Abdullâh ibn Mas’ûd declares: “My life is beneficial
for you; you will tell it to me, and I will tell it to you. [The time
after] my death, too, will be beneficial for you after I die; your
deeds will be shown to me. I thank Allâhu ta’âlâ when I see
your good deeds. And I ask for forgiveness and absolute remission
for you when I see your bad deeds.” This hadîth ash-sharîf was
reported with the affirmation, ‘I heard Rasûlullâh say...’ Some
other trustworthy narrators transmitted this hadîth as “mursal.”
As for the hadîth ash-sharîf which states that one’s deeds and
actions are shown to one’s acquaintances, it declares, “Your
deeds are made known to your dead relatives and acquaintances.
They become happy when they see your good deeds. Upon seeing
your bad deeds, they say, ‘Oh our Rabb! Help this brother attain
– 150 –