In this article, I am trying to find out what will happen after death. There are three source of information present now a days.
1. The Quran- The command of Allah
2. The hadith- The supposed saying of prophet
3. Tradition- derived from manmade practice/belief
Since, Allah’s command supersede each and everything, and free of corruption and contradiction, I will try to examine the issue in light of Quran alone. Quran is fully explained, details and easy to understood as Allah claims it.

What is the difference between life and death?
In general the difference is the attachment of soul. When the soul is attached in the body, we call it life and when the soul is departed from the body, it is called death. It is as simple as that.

What happens to the soul after death?
The soul stays at behind a barrier- in Arabic it is called “Barzakh”. Allah says:

“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.” (23:100)[/s

]“And We have put before them a barrier and behind them a barrier and covered them, so they do not see. “ (36:9)


From Quran's perspective, the evidence seems overwhelming that at the point of death one will enter ‘Barzakh’, a quintessential state of ‘sleep’ where all concept of time will be lost. When one finally awakes, they will be confronting the Day of Judgment. The time lapse will feel as if one had only slept for a small part of the day when in truth, they would have tarried all the way to the Day of Judgment.


What happens to earthly grave?
Your body remains in earthly grave and perished as natural way. Some popular belief from hadith and traditions are that the souls is returned to the grave and joined to the body and asked questions by two angels and reward or punishment starts. But, this is directly contradicts to the Quran:

How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return. (2:28)


If not for the favor of my Lord, I would have been of those brought in [to Hell]. Then, are we not to die, Except for our first death, and we will not be punished?" (37:57-59)


So, you will die only once, and you will be raised on the Day of Judgment. So, how come you will be given back life at the earthly grave and again be given life on the Day of Judgment? So, there is no importance of earthly grave whatsoever in Quran.

Do dead people hear?
Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating. (27:80, 30:52)

And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves. (35:22)


These verse mention above clearly indicates you cannot make hear the dead. Why? The answer is that the soul- the real you are not in the grave, instead your soul is in barzakha, where there is a barrier of any kind of communication with earthly world (Explained in What happens to the soul after death?- see above)

These verse 27:80, 30:52, 35:22, also reject any form of grave worship, majar, wasila. Those who believe and asking things from dead sain’t beside Allah in majar, grave , and believe the intersession (Wasila) clearly reject these verse of the Quran.

Will there be any punishment or reward in grave?
Before we take a look at the verses, an immediate question should arise:

What would be the purpose of an appointed Day of Judgment if after death, one were to receive their punishment in their graves before the trial had even taken place?

Conviction before trial is not a concept of justice and God is the most Just. In effect, this would render the Day of Judgment meaningless, a fundamental belief posited by the Quran underscored by numerous Surahs and verses. God repeatedly informs His creation that He will never be unjust to his slaves and not an atom's weight of injustice will take place. All actions will be recorded in a clear record (10:61; 34:3; 99:7-8; 4:40)

Furthermore, we note the following from the Quran.
On the Day He will call you and you will respond with praise of Him and think that you had not remained (in the world) except for a little." (17:52)

And the Day the Hour appears the criminals will swear they had remained but an hour. Thus they were deluded. But those who were given knowledge and faith will say, "You remained the extent of Allah 's decree until the Day of Resurrection, and this is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not used to know." (30:55-56)


And on the Day when He will gather them, (it will be) as if they had not remained (in the world)but an hour of the day, [and] they will know each other. Those will have lost who denied the meeting with Allah and were not guided (10:45)

So be patient, (O Muhammad), as were those of determination among the messengers and do not be impatient for them. It will be - on the Day they see that which they are promised - as though they had not remained (in the world) except an hour of a day. (This is) notification. And will (any) be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people? (46:35)

The bewilderment of disbelievers raised from their graves indicates that they did not experience anything in their graves. If they were experiencing punishment in their graves, they would not be bewildered by their restored state of living. They would also not be shocked by the realization that Allah's religion is the truth:

"The Trumpet will be blown and at once they will be rushing out from their graves towards their Lord. They will say, 'Ahh! That is it for us! Who has raised us from our sleeping-place? This is what the All-Merciful promised us. The Messengers were telling the truth.' " ( 36:51-52)


A misquoted verse:
To support the punishment/reward in grave, besides numerous man made hadith people quote the following verse with regards the example of Pharaoh, to justify the concept of ‘punishment in the grave’
“In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening: and (the sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: "Cast ye the People of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty” (40:46)


The word “yuʿ'raḍūna” =will be presented / exposed/shown], so even if we take this is NOT taking about this life and it is taking about after death [even though there is no “mwath /death” word used in the verse] still the verse do not say they are getting any punishment, In-fact it only say they will be shown the hell/ Punishment

Furthermore, If read in context, it becomes absolutely clear that this is a reference to the Day of Judgment.

“And when they shall contend one with another in the fire, then the weak shall say to those who were proud: Surely we were your followers; will you then avert from us a portion of the fire?”( 40:047)


For this reason given the context, it is difficult to accept 40:46 as a reference to a ‘punishment in the grave’. Mutual disputes between the people of Pharaoh in the fire clearly indicate a state of communal punishment and not a punishment in separate graves.

The very next verse provides further clarity:

“Those who were proud shall say: Surely we are all in it: surely God has judged between the servants” (40:048)

This judgment can only be one made on the Day of Judgment.


Some Questions who supports grave punishment:
1. How can a body experience a punishment when the soul is not attached to it
2. How come the soul is returned to the body in grave when Allah clearly says you die only once and raised on the day of judgement
3. Many people’s body are not put in the grave. For example in many cases the dead body is not found or eaten by animal or burned. What is the rule for them?
4. Our Hindu brothers burn their dead body? How they experience the question/answer session, reward punishment in grave?
5. If someone was buried one million years ago and the person was buried 1 minutes ago and they both committed the same sin, how come the former one getting punishment from 1 million years with the same sin?
6. If you say the grave means the condition of Barzakh place, the problem remain same. How can the soul get punished when the body is non existed, as all the tradition says the physical punishment? Will the soul get a new body in Barzakh? How funny?
7. There are many kind of punishment mentioned in Quran, but nowhere in Quran mention anything called “Azab-e-kabar”- Grave Punishment. Why?

Conclusion:
Let’s summarize it. The reference mentioned here is quoted above. You can check it for you for your own interest.

1. When people die, the soul enter a place called barzakh, a barrier. So, the soul become kind of state of non-existence. No time space concept apply (23:100, 36:9)
2. The body that is buried in the grave decay naturally
3. Since, the soul not stay in grave and lives in Barzakh, the dead cannot hear (27:80, 30:52, 35:22)
4. On the day of Judgment they will be raised. And the resurrected person thought he was in the grave in a very short period of time. (17:52, 30:55-56, 10:45, 46:35)
5. The verse 36:51-52 clearly indicates the resurrected person did not know /realize/ experience anything about the grave punishment

A final word from God:
"Do you have another book which you study? In it you find whatever you wish to find?" ( 68:37-38)