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Munkar and Nakir مُنْكَر وَنَكِير

In review — pending scholar verification

The two angels who question every soul in the grave about its Lord, religion, and prophet — establishing the Barzakh's preliminary judgement.

Overview

Munkar and Nakīr (Arabic: مُنْكَر وَنَكِير) are the two angels who question every soul in the grave about its Lord, religion, and prophet. They are mentioned in authentic hadith by these names (e.g., Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071, graded Hasan by al-Albani) and described — without naming — across many other narrations. Their questioning establishes the Barzakh's preliminary judgement, prefiguring the final reckoning on the Day of Judgement.

The questioning

According to a long hadith of al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib, when the deceased is placed in the grave and his companions leave, two angels come, sit him up, and ask three questions:

  1. "Who is your Lord?"
  2. "What is your religion?"
  3. "Who is this man who was sent among you?" — referring to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The believer answers: "Allah is my Lord; my religion is Islam; this man is the Messenger of Allah." A caller from the heavens then announces: "My servant has spoken truly. Spread for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise" — and Paradise's fragrance reaches him; the grave is widened. The disbeliever (or doubter) is unable to answer and his punishment begins.

Quranic references

The questioning is not directly referenced by name in the Quran, but Surah Ibrāhīm 14:27 is classically interpreted as a reference to the Barzakh's questioning: "Allah keeps firm those who believe with the firm word in worldly life and in the Hereafter."

Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib reported the Prophet ﷺ said: "This verse — ‘Allah keeps firm those who believe with the firm word in worldly life and in the Hereafter' — was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave. The deceased is questioned: Who is your Lord? He says: My Lord is Allah, and my Prophet is Muhammad." — Sahih al-Bukhari 4699; Sahih Muslim 2871

Hadith

Abu Hurayra reported the Prophet ﷺ said: "When the deceased is placed in his grave, two black-blue angels come to him, one named Munkar and the other Nakīr, and they ask him…" — Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071 (graded Hasan by al-Albani)

Significance

The questioning by Munkar and Nakīr is the gate of the Barzakh. Belief in it is part of standard Sunni creed. The standard supplication after every tashahhud in salah includes seeking refuge from "the punishment of the grave".

See also

References

  1. Sahih al-Bukhari 4699; Sahih Muslim 2871.
  2. Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071, graded Hasan by al-Albani.
  3. Sunan Abi Dawud 4753, graded Sahih by al-Albani.
  4. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, ar-Rūḥ, sections on the questioning.
  5. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar, al-Yawm al-Ākhir: al-Qiyāmah aṣ-Ṣughrā, sections on Munkar and Nakīr.