Can they see us after they have left the dunya?

[Imraan]

Assalam Walaikum

After our friends and relatives (that we know / or know of) leave the dunya their souls remain in their grave or the realm known as barzakh with the rest of the souls where they await the day of judgement.

Whilst in the barzakh, can they visit us and see us?

Is there any saheeh hadith around this?

During my childhood days I was often told that as part of our belief system, we should accept and believe that the soul of a family member that had passed can come and visit us and that they would come and visit us around maghrib time.

I guess the main questions are:

Can they come and visit us and see what we are doing?
Do their souls come at specific times?

Any saheeh hadeeth supporting the fact that souls do visit us to check up on us....? or is it a case of once they are gone into the barzakh, we will only meet them once we go too?

When i pray for my family members and muslims (i feel that my family members know that I am praying for them and that my prayer for them benefits them a great deal) that is the feeling I get everytime. Even more so after I learned about what happens after death. Punishment in the grave is harsh, very harsh, can you imagine...? not everyone understands and not everyone strives to avoid it because they don't know the harshness of it! No one knows because it is something yet to be experienced to be told in detail with proof to realise the fullest magnitude of it. Instead we choose to believe with conviction the genuine narrations of our prophet pbuh. If some people did know about it and chose to believe it they wouldn't do half the stuff they do now!

I am someone that has undergone some really unpleasant tests in this life, still do sadly and actually have suffered quite a bit, i hope my sins are expiated so I don't need to face the punishment in the grave or the hellfire itself.

 

[moinudin]

و عليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

I have never heard that about souls visiting their relatives, and a brief search brings nothing up (which I would expect if the specific but about Maghrib time was widely accepted). What I have heard is that the deceased hears those visiting them in the graveyard, and replies to your salutations. https://www.dar-alifta.org/Foreign/ViewFatwa.aspx?ID=8105 had more on this.

Regarding the punishment of the grave, this is the main reason I wanted to reply. I have heard horrifying stories. Allah knows best as to what's true. I recommend reciting Surah Mulk daily after sunset. It is said that it will protect you from the punishment of the grave.

May Allah forgive your deceased relatives without accountability, forgive you for all your sins and ease your difficulties.

 

[Caplets]

:wasalam:

During my childhood days I was often told that as part of our belief system, we should accept and believe that the soul of a family member that had passed can come and visit us and that they would come and visit us around maghrib time.

Seems very similar to the pagan belief surrounding 'Halloween'. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica:

"...Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland. On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin. That date was considered the beginning of the winter period, the date on which the herds were returned from pasture and land tenures were renewed. During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the otherworld..."


Souls Coming Back To Visit

"...Praise be to Allaah.

When a person dies, he moves from this world to another realm, and his soul does not come back to his family and they do not feel anything of him. What is mentioned (in the question) about the soul coming back for forty days is a myth that has no foundation. Similarly the dead person does not know anything about the circumstances of his family, because he is absent from them, in a state of bliss or torment. But Allaah may inform some of the dead of some of the circumstances of their families, but this is not necessarily so. There are some reports, which cannot be relied upon, that say that the deceased may know something about his family’s circumstances...."


Souls Visiting Each Other

"... Ibn al-Qayyim said:

The second issue is whether the souls of the dead meet one another, visit one another and talk to one another.


This is a good question. The answer is that souls are of two types: those that are punished and those that are blessed. Those that are punished are too preoccupied with the torment that they are facing to visit and meet one another, but the souls that are blessed are free and are not detained, so they meet one another, visit one another and talk about what they used to do in this world and what happened to the people of this world. So each soul will be with its friends who did similar good deeds. The soul of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is with the highest companions. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):


“And whoever obeys Allaah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.” [al-Nisaa’ 4:69]


This togetherness is confirmed in this world, in al-Barzakh and in the abode of reward (Paradise), and “A man will be with those whom he loves” in these three realms… Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):


“(It will be said to the pious — believers of Islamic Monotheism): ‘O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction!

28. ‘Come back to your Lord,— well‑pleased (yourself) and well‑pleasing (unto Him)!

29. ‘Enter you then among My (honoured) slaves,

30. ‘And enter you My Paradise!’”

[al-Fajr 89:27-30]

i.e., enter among them and be one of them. This is said to the soul at the time of death… And Allaah has told us that the martyrs are: “are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:169]; they “rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:170] and “They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allaah” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:171]. This indicates that they will meet one another in three ways: (1) they are with their Lord and are given provision, and if they are alive then they meet one another; (2) they rejoice at the arrival of their brothers and their meeting with them; and (3) the word yastabshiroon (translated as “rejoice”) implies that they pass the good news to one another. ( Al-Rooh, p. 17, 18.)


Punishment of The Grave

"...With regard to what was narrated about the punishment of some Muslims in their graves, this applies to the sinners who mixed righteous deeds with bad deeds. Allah may punish them in their graves for their sins, and in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection until, when they have been cleansed and purified, He will grant permission for them to enter Paradise, as is proven in Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 7047, from the hadeeth of Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), that the punishment of the grave will be for many of the sinners among those who affirmed the Oneness of Allah, such as those who slept and missed obligatory prayers, or those who committed zina, consumed riba (usury) and liars whose lies spread far and wide..."


"It was reported in the hadeeth of al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karb that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The martyr (shaheed) has seven blessings from Allaah: he is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed; he will be shown his place in Paradise; he will be spared the trial of the grave; and he will be secure on the Day of the Greatest Terror (the Day of Judgement); there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it; he will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn; and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.”

May Allaah save us from the torment of the grave.



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Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Halloween

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/131...does-not-come-back-to-his-family-or-his-house

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/20820/do-the-dead-visit-or-feel-or-see-one-another-in-their-graves

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/175...queezing-in-the-grave-will-happen-to-everyone

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/8511/the-six-blessings-of-the-martyrs

 

[IslamLife00]

As far as I know, souls that are in barzakh are not able to leave it and enter world of the living. I was told this is the Islamic perspective.
I have read a hadith about this as well. I will post it later inshaAllah

There are muslims who believe what you have said, that sometimes the souls are still around (their homes, or their deathbeds) for a certain period of time after death and sometimes visit their living family, loved ones.



You can read the hadiths on this page : https://islamqa.info/en/answers/200...ter-a-person-has-died-and-before-he-is-buried

About the dead visiting the living : https://islamqa.info/en/answers/131...does-not-come-back-to-his-family-or-his-house

Barzakh as barrier is mentioned in the Qur'an, so there is barrier between the world of the dead and the living, that the souls cannot pass

[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."
No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.(Al Muminun 99-100)

And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, "They are dead." Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not. (Al Baqarah 154)