Does Good deeds appear in the form of a man in the grave

Praise be to Allaah.

What is narrated in the saheeh Sunnah about one’s good deeds taking a physical form and appearing in the form of a handsome man in the grave, including the deed of reciting the Holy Qur’aan, is as follows:

It was narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise…” until he said, describing the state of the believer in the grave:

“Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.’”

Narrated by Ahmad (4/362); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz (156).

It was narrated that Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say:

“The Qur’aan will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when his grave is opened for him, in the form of a pale man. It will say to him, ‘Do you recognize me?’ He will say: ‘I do not recognize you.’ It will say: ‘I am your companion the Qur’aan, who kept you thirsty on hot days and kept you awake at night. Every merchant benefits from his business and today you will benefit from your good deeds.’ He will be given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, and his parents will be clothed with priceless garments the like of which have never been seen in this world. They will say: ‘Why have we been clothed with this?’ It will be said: ‘Because your son used to recite Qur’aan.’ Then it will be said to him: ‘Recite and ascend in the degrees of Paradise,’ and he will continue to ascend so long as he recites, either at a fast pace or a slow pace .”

Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad (394) and Ibn Maajah in al-Sunan (3781); classed as hasan by al-Busayri in al-Zawaa’id and by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2829).

Al-Suyooti said in his commentary on the hadeeth (2/1242):

“In the form of a pale man”. Al-Suyooti said: This is the one whose colour has changed. It is as if he comes in this form so as to resemble his companion in this world, or to draw attention to the fact that just as his colour changed in this world because of staying up at night to read Qur’aan, the Qur’aan will appear in a similar form because of its striving on the Day of Resurrection until its companion attains the ultimate goal in the Hereafter. End quote.

I have not found anything in the saheeh Sunnah to suggest that a man’s righteous deeds will appear in the form of a man in the grave except in these two hadeeths.

And Allaah knows best.

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