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Narrated By Masruq: 'Aisha said that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the punishment in the grave, saying to her, "May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave." 'Aisha then asked Allah's Apostle about the punishment of the grave. He said, "Ye
Fadalah bin 'Ubaid (RA) reported that The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "The actions of every dead person come to a halt with his death except the one who is on the frontier in Allah's way (i.e., observing Ribat). This latter's deeds will be made to go on increasing for him till the Day of Resurrection, and he will be secure from the trials in the grave." [Sunan Tirmidhs, (there is) punishment in the grave." 'Aisha added, "After that I never saw Allah's Apostle but seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave in every prayer he prayed." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Book 23, Hadith #454]

i (4/165) No. 1621 and Sunan Abu Dawud (3/9) No. 2500]

Salman (RA) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) as saying, "Observing Ribat in the way of Allah for a day and a night is far better than observing Saum (fasting) for a whole month and standing in Salat (prayer) in all its nights. If a person dies (while performing this duty), he will go on receiving his reward for his meritorious deeds perpetually, and he will be saved from Al-Fattan." [Sahih Muslim (3/1520) No. 1913]

Narrated By Ibn Abbas: The Prophet once passed by two graves, and those two persons (in the graves) were being tortured. He said, "They are being tortured not for a great thing (to avoid). One of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine, while the other was going about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends). He then took a green leaf of a date-palm tree split it into two pieces and fixed one on each grave. The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Why have you done so?" He replied, "I hope that their punishment may be lessened till they (the leaf) become dry." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Book 23, Hadith #443]

The grave is the first stopping over
-and if it is pleasant, what will come after it will be pleasant
-and vice versa

It was narrated that Hani' the freed slave of 'Uthman bin 'Affan, said: "When 'Uthman bin 'Affan stood beside a grave, he would weep until his beard became wet. It was said to him: 'You remember Paradise and Hell, and you do not weep, but you weep for this?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. Whoever is delivered from it, what comes after it is easier. If he is not delivered from it, then what comes after it is harder."' He said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "I have never seen any horrible scene but the grave is more horrible." [Sunan Tirmidhi (4/553) No. 2308 and Sunan Ibn Majah (5/333) No. 4267]

Abu Sa'eed narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) entered his Musalla and saw the people who looked as if they were smiling. So he said: 'Indeed, if you were to increase in remembrance of the severer of pleasures, then you would find yourselves too busy for what I see. So increase in remembrance of death, the severer of pleasures. For indeed there is no day that comes upon the grave except that it speaks, saying: "I am thee house of the estranged, I am the house of the solitude, I am the house of dust, and I am the house of the worm-eaten." When the believing worshipper is buried, the grave says to him: "Welcome, make yourself comfortable. Indeed, to me, you are the most beloved of those who walked upon me. Since you have been entrusted to me and delivered to me today, you shall see what I have arranged for you." It will then widen for him so that his sight extends, and the door to Paradise is opened for him. And when the wicked worshipper or the disbeliever is buried , the grave says to him: "You are not welcome, do not get comfortable. Indeed, to me, you are the most hated of those who walked upon me. Since you have been entrusted to me and delivered to me today, you shall see what I have arranged for you.'" He said: 'It will begin closing in on him (squeezing him) until his ribs are crushing each other.'" He said: " The Messenger of Allah (SAW) clasped some of his fingers between others and said: 'Seventy giant serpents will constrict him, if even one of them were to hiss on the earth, nothing upon it would grow as long as it remained. They will chew on him and bite him until he is brought to the Reckoning.'" He said: " The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'The grave is but a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of the Fire.'" [Sunan Tirmidhi (4/639) No. 2460]

Ali (RA) narrated: We did not cease to doubt punishment in the grave till the surah was revealed: Your rivalry in the accumulation of wealth diverts your minds. (102:1 etc.) [Sunan Tirmidhi (Vol. 5 pg. 447) No. 3355]

If something is mentioned in the Qur'an you are not allowed to doubt it
-so we are not allowed to doubt in the punishment of the grave

So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted (against him), while an evil torment encompassed Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people. (Ghafir 40:45)

The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon, and on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!" (Ghafir 40:46)

Ibn Kathir said in his tafseer for (Ghafir 40:45-46) - "This Ayah contains one of the major proofs used by the Ahlus-Sunnah to prove that there will be torment in the grave during the period of Al-Barzakh"

WHAT DID THE 4 GREAT IMAMS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE PUNISHMENT OF THE GRAVE?

اثبات عذاب القبر
قال ابو حنيفة من قال لا اعرف عذاب القبر فهو من الجهمية الهالكة لأنه انكر قوله تعالى {سنعذبهم مرتين} يعني عذاب القبر
وقوله تعالى {وإن للذين ظلموا عذابا دون ذلك} يعني في القبر فإن قال أؤمن بالآية ولا أؤمن بتأويلها وتفسيرها قال هو كافر لأن من القرآن ما هو تنزيله تأويله فإن جحد بها فقد كفر
قال ابو حنيفة رحمه الله حدثني عن المنهال بن عمرو عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (شرار أمتى يقولون أنا في الجنة دون النار)

THE AFFIRMATION OF THE PUNISHMENT OF THE GRAVE
Abu Hanifa said: Anyone who says "I do not acknowledge the punishment of the grave" then he is of the Jahmiyyah the losers, i.e. those who deny Allah's Names and Attributes. He is of the Jahmiyyah because he denies Allah's statement: ...We shall punish them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment. (At-Tawbah 9:101). Also he's guilty of denying Allah's words: And verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment (i.e. the torment in this world and in their graves) before this, but most of them know not. (At-Tur 52:47). This ayah is referring to the punishment of the grave. And if he says: I believe in the ayah but not its interpretation then he becomes an infidel because some verses of the Qur'an are self-explanatory and stands in no need of an interpretation. Hence the verse explains itself. Therefore if anyone denies any of these verses that are self-explanatory he becomes a kaafir.
On the authority of Abu Hanifa who heard from al-Minhaal ibn Amru who narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA) who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has said: The worst of my Ummah are those who claim I will be going to Paradise but definitely not the Hell-fire. [Abu Hanifah, al-Fiqh al-Akbar (pg. 137)]

Abu Hanifa used to make takfir on people
-who used to doubt in the punishment of the grave
-The Jahmiyya deny the punishment of the grave

...We shall punish them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment. (At-Tawbah 9:101)

حدثنا محمد بن إسحاق الصاغاني، ثنا أبو نوح، أنبأ شعبة عن قتادة في قوله: سنعذبهم مرتين قال: عذاب القبر وعذاب النار
On the authority of Qataada who said: Allah's words, "...We shall punish them twice..." (Surah 9:101) means the punishment of the grave then the torment of the Hell-fire.
[Tafseer Ibn Abi Hatim (6/1870) No. 10304]

حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قال: عذاب الدنيا، وعذاب القبر، = ثم يردون إلى عذاب النار
On the authority of Ibn Jareej who said: The ayah of Surah Taubah 9:101 means they shall receive a punishment in the dunya then in their graves and a final punishment in the Hell-fire. [Tafseer at-Tabari (14/444) No. 17133]

Imaam ash-Shafiee(d.204H)(rh) said: "Indeed al-Qadr (predestination): both the good and evil consequences are from Allaah -the Mighty and Majestic. Indeed Punishment of the Grave is a true fact, the questioning of those in the graves is a true fact, the Resurrection is a true fact, the Accountability is a true fact, Paradise and Hellfire are true facts. Whatever else is related in the Sunnah and so mentioned by the scholars and their followers throughout the lands of the Muslims is also true" (Manaaqibush-Shafiee(1/415) of al-Bayhaqee)

وقال المروذي قال: لنا أبو عبد الله عذاب القبر حق ما ينكره إلا ضال مضل
Murwadhi says: Abu 'Abdullah (Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (Allah have mercy on him)) told us; "The punishment of the grave is haqq and none deny it except a person who is deviated and one who deviates." [Tabaqat al-Hanabilah (1/62)]

Imaam Ahmad (d.241H)(rh) said: "From the essential Sunnah ,which if a person leaves anyone of its points-not accepting it and not having emaan in it-then he will not be from its people are: (he then mentions ) emaan in the Punishment of the Grave"(Usoolus-Sunnah(no.8) of Imaam Ahmad.) He also said: "Punishment of the Grave is a true fact. The servant will be questioned about his Religion and his Lord. Munkir and Nakeer and Paradise and Hellfire are also true facts" (Risaalatus-Sunnah(p.72) of Imaam Ahmad.)

Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab wrote the book 'Usool Thalatha'
-and he got this from the 3 questions we will be asked in the grave

Abu Sa'eed narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) entered his Musalla and saw the people who looked as if they were smiling. So he said: 'Indeed, if you were to increase in remembrance of the severer of pleasures, then you would find yourselves too busy for what I see. So increase in remembrance of death, the severer of pleasures. For indeed there is no day that comes upon the grave except that it speaks, saying: "I am thee house of the estranged, I am the house of the solitude, I am the house of dust, and I am the house of the worm-eaten." When the believing worshipper is buried, the grave says to him: "Welcome, make yourself comfortable. Indeed, to me, you are the most beloved of those who walked upon me. Since you have been entrusted to me and delivered to me today, you shall see what I have arranged for you." It will then widen for him so that his sight extends, and the door to Paradise is opened for him. And when the wicked worshipper or the disbeliever is buried , the grave says to him: "You are not welcome, do not get comfortable. Indeed, to me, you are the most hated of those who walked upon me. Since you have been entrusted to me and delivered to me today, you shall see what I have arranged for you.'" He said: 'It will begin closing in on him (squeezing him) until his ribs are crushing each other.'" He said: " The Messenger of Allah (SAW) clasped some of his fingers between others and said: 'Seventy giant serpents will constrict him, if even one of them were to hiss on the earth, nothing upon it would grow as long as it remained. They will chew on him and bite him until he is brought to the Reckoning.'" He said: " The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'The grave is but a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of the Fire.'" [Sunan Tirmidhi (4/639) No. 2460]

-It is your natural instinct to fear serpents
-when Musa (a.s) threw the stick and it became a snake he ran away without looking back
-think about being in the grave with all those serpents biting you

حدثنا محمد بن إسحاق الصاغاني، ثنا أبو نوح، أنبأ شعبة عن قتادة في قوله: سنعذبهم مرتين قال: عذاب القبر وعذاب النار
On the authority of Qataada who said: Allah's words, "...We shall punish them twice..." (Surah 9:101) means the punishment of the grave then the torment of the Hell-fire.
[Tafseer Ibn Abi Hatim (6/1870) No. 10304]