Are the prophets questioned in their graves? Is it permissible to ask such a question?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

According to the sound opinion of scholars, the Prophets are not questioned in their graves. This was the opinion of the Hanafi jurist Al-Haskafi and Ash-Shihaab Ar-Ramli who mentioned that the Prophets are not questioned in their graves because everyone else will be asked about the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so how could he then be asked about himself? He added that the one who dies in battle as a martyr is also not questioned in his grave. This is, furthermore, supported by what Shihaab Ad-Deen An-Nafraawi, the Azhari Maaliki scholar mentioned about his belief that all believers are questioned in their graves except the Prophets.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said that there are two opinions about this issue in the School of Fiqh (Islamic Law) of Imaam Ahmad and in the others.

However, the predominant opinion is that the Prophets are not questioned in their graves, which is in accord with their high status and infallibility. If the person who dies as a martyr in battle is spared the trial of the grave as mentioned in the authentic Hadeeth, then the Prophets are even more entitled to be spared that trial.

There is no objection to asking this question, provided that the questioner’s intention is good, for the Imaams were asked about this, as we have mentioned, and they replied without rebuking the questioners.

Allaah Knows best.