Grave as a Garden or a Pit: An Ethnographic Study of Adhaab al-Kabr Among Somali Muslims in Eastleigh, Nairobi

Abstract

The concept of adhaab al-kabr (punishment of the grave) occupies a crucial place in Islamic eschatology. Yet, empirical research on how this belief is understood and experienced within specific Muslim communities remains limited. This study explored the theological understanding and lived experience of adhaab al-kabr among the Somali Muslim community in Eastleigh, Nairobi County, Kenya. Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions with 48 participants, including community members, religious teachers, and leaders. The study utilized the Synthetic Triangular Approach to integrate textual analysis of Islamic sources with ethnographic fieldwork. The Push-Pull Theory of Religious Mobility provided an interpretive framework for understanding how beliefs about the afterlife influence community behavior. Findings reveal that adhaab al-kabr is understood through a structured process involving angelic questioning (Munkar and Nakir), three core questions about faith, and consequences ranging from grave-squeezing for the sinful to spaciousness and visions of paradise for the righteous. The belief serves as a powerful moral motivator, shaping daily practices such as prayer, hygiene, charity, and repentance. The grave is perceived not merely as a physical resting place but as the first station of the afterlife, a transitional space (barzakh) where the soul’s fate is sealed until the Day of Judgment. The study contributes to the anthropology of Islamic eschatology by providing rich ethnographic data on how a classical theological doctrine is internalized, practiced, and transmitted within a contemporary diasporic Muslim community.