Is this incident authentic?
Whenever he passed by a graveyard, Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) always wept so bitterly that his beard would get wet.
Someone asked, “Why is it that you do not weep as much when mention is made of Jannah and Jahannam?” He replied, “I have heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say, “The grave is the first of the many stages of the Hereafter. Whoever fails to succeed in the grave will find the stages thereafter to be even more difficult.”
Answer
Imam Tirmidhi and Imam Ibn Majah (rahimahumallah) have recorded this Hadith. Imam Tirmidhi has graded the narration sound (hasanun gharib).
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2308, Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 4267)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar