This is where it all starts. Once you are in your grave and the people have put the soil over you, the final test begins, and your results will be given to you then and there. May Allah give us a husn al-khatimah — a good end. Ameen.
The Narration the Book Is Built On
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "When a dead person is buried, two angels come to him: one of them is called Munkar and the other Nakeer." (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
And know that when death approaches you, it will be instant and least expected — just as the questioning of Munkar and Nakeer, the two angels whose task is to question you in your grave, will be.
The Three Questions
The narration continues, describing the one who has no answer:
"...And the two angels will come to him, sit him up and ask him: 'Who is your Lord?' He will say: 'Oh, oh! I don't know.' They will ask him: 'What is your religion?' and he will say: 'Oh, oh! I don't know.' They will ask him: 'What do you say about this man who was sent to you?' He will say: 'Oh, oh! I don't know!'"
Why These Questions Are Harder Than They Look
Because they are famously simple, and the difficulty is not their content but the state a person is in when they are asked. A person cannot rehearse the answers into his grave; what answers is what he actually lived by.
Its Sources
Taken from the work of Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan and Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq Al-Abbaad, including commentary by Shaykh Salih Al-'Uthaymeen.
Who It Is For
Any Muslim. This is a short book and deliberately so — meant to be read in one sitting and returned to.
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