John Abbot Williams writes:

>> While we are on erroneous doctrines, it is sometimes said that Hizb al-Tahrir
>> does not believe in the  punishment of the grave. Can some of our articulate
>> brethren enlighten us on this matter ?

This is a part of a larger package of lies spread in the late seventies by the Jordanian Intelligence Service as a way pre-empt the spread of Hizb ut-Tahreer there.

Hizb ut-Tahreer accepts the existence of the "punishment of the grave". Actually in his book "Ahkam Al Salah", the founder of Hizb ut-Tahreer, Taqee ud-Deen Al Nabhani, recommends the recitation of a Dua'a (prayer) narrated from Rasool Allah (after finishing the last tashahood and before tasleem) which includes: "O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the grave..."

(Ahkamu Al Salah, Du3a section).
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timur@straylight.tnc.AirTouch.COM

Indeed all praises are for allaah, may his peace and blessings be upon Muhammad

Well, well, well. first and foremost, hizbut-tahreer DO NOT believe in the punishment of the grave. (aaimmatu hizbit-tahreeri, laa yu'minoona bi athaab-il qubri)

I know this from personally asking the ameer of hizb-ut-tahreer in england, omar bakri muhammad, some time ago. and from my experience as a student at imperial college, and the other universities in London, this view has been pushed by hizb-ut-tahreer. so, no brother, this is not spread by the jordanian intelligence service - but in fact from the leaders of hizb-ut-tahreer - and fairly openly too.

Back in the first saturday of may 1992, after dhuhr, during my first year at university, I attended a lecture given by him at London central mosque at regents park. I also taped the lecture. during it, he said, and I quote:

"I encourage all of you an tusaddiqu [to trust] athaabal qubr [the punishment of the grave] .. but you ever believe on that he is sinful." So imagine it, brothers and sisters, there you are making duah, praying to seek refuge in the punishment of the grave [as is recommended by the hizb- ut-tahreer leaders] but you're sinful if you believe in it!

You see, hizb-ut-tahreer, I feel, know that what they are saying is obsurd, so they try to play with words - and end up saying ridiculous things. They say "nusaddiqu" [we trust - saddaqa] but they will never say "nu'minu" [we believe - aamana]. in fact a brother I know, who used to be very heavily involve with the party, was told that he could say anything he liked in English but if he ever said "nu'minu biathaab-il qubar" [I believe in the punishment of the grave] he would not be allowed to become a member of the party. and really, all those brothers in england who did not know this and are working to become party members of the hizb-ut-tahreer, ask omar bakri muhammad about this. in fact, say "u'minu biathaab-il qubri" [I believe in the punishment of the grave] - in Arabic, and ask him if you can still be a member. and just for the record allow me to mention some quotes from classical scholars of ahl-us-sunnati wal jamaa'ah concerning this:

in the classical work "al aqeedat-ut-tahaaweeyah" imaam tahaawee starts:

"this is an explanation of the Aqeedah [belief] of ahl-us-sunnati wal jamaa'ah upon the way of the scholars of this religion Abu Haneefah an-numaan ibn thaabit al koofee, abu yoosuf Yaqoob ibn ibraheem al ansaaree abd abu abdullaah muhammad ibn al hasan ash-shaybaanee - may Allaah be pleased with them all - and the beliefs they held concerning the fundamentals of the Deen [religion/way of life] and their belief in the lord of the worlds."

and later says

"we believe [nu'minu bi] in the angel of the death, who is charged to take the souls of the worlds and in the punishment of the grave [bi-athaabil- qubri] for those who deserve it, and the questioning in the grave by munkar and nakeer ..." [pp 390, 396 of `sharhul- aqeedat-it-tahaaweeyah' of ibn abeel 'izz al hanafee, pub. maktab-ul islaamee].

and imaam ahmad bin hambal said:

"we believe in the punishment of the grave [nu'minu bi athaab-il qubr] and in munkar and nakeer, and that the slave is asked in his grave." [see p 388, vol 1 of `fiqh-us-sunnah' by sayyid saabiq, pub. daar-ul fathi lili'laam-il-arabee].

Inshaallah, that should do. and i hope this doesn't end up as a debate about aahad and mutawaatir ahaadeeth - but if it does, then I am prepared.

and please forgive me if there's a tone of anger in my writing - but the belief held by the said group is absurd, and it's amazing how many people don't realise that.

glory be to Allaah and praise; i testify that none has the right to be worshipped but you; forgive me and to you do i repent.