The Affirmation of the Punishment of the Grave

Ithbāt ʿAdhāb al-Qabr (The Affirmation of the Punishment of the Grave) is Imām Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī’s (d. 458/1066) definitive classical treatise on the intermediate realm (al-Barzakh), systematically establishing orthodox Sunni creed concerning life after death. Comprising 240 chain-supported traditions across thirty-one thematic chapters, the monograph seamlessly synthesizes Qurʾānic exegesis, rigorous ḥadīth criticism, and Ashʿarī rational theology to demonstrate that consciousness, perception, and divine justice endure beyond physical bodily death. Al-Bayhaqī meticulously documents the descent of the angels of mercy and wrath, the interrogation by Munkar and Nakīr, the realities of post-mortem bliss and torment, and the specific moral failings—such as talebearing, unfulfilled debts, and carelessness in purification—that trigger the trials of the grave. Balancing stern warnings with divine mercies, the work details the righteous acts that secure protection—including martyrdom, guarding the frontier, and the regular recitation of Sūrat al-Mulk—while culminating in essential prophetic supplications and pastoral guidance for the living. Presented in a complete bilingual edition with fully vocalized Arabic text and comprehensive scholarly indices, this volume stands as an indispensable classical monument of Islamic eschatology and spiritual readiness.