How people tell stories about someones life after death

Question

I am from India and here in India I have heard people telling stories about someone who was a sinner and Allah sent him to hell or given him very tough punishment. I beleive in Allah and the judgement day and heavens and hell, but in Quran it is mentioned that everyone will be raised again from their graves at the day of judgement and will be decided about the rewards or punishments.

For instance, I have heard a story of a person who committed all the sins in his entire life and has been ignorant but when he was weak and old he realized all this and got scared of Allah so much that he asked his people to burn him and throw his ashes on separate places, when he dies people did as he asked, Allah resurrected him and asked why did you do that, he replied that he got so scared of Allah that he thought if he wont be in actual shape and body he cant be punished(something like that) hearing that Allah granted him Jannah.

Second instance, there were two ladies living in a town as neighbors, one of them was into wrong affairs (men used to visit her) and second one was saint kind of lady, the lady who was saint was sent into hell fire just because anytime a men visited her neighbor she used to count the number.

Then whom these people are quoting?

Answer 1

It is not possible to know who is being quoted without knowing the actual stories.

The first story you heard about a person who committed all the sins in his entire life comes from a hadith mutawātir:

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم:‏ أَنَّ رَجُلاً كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَغَسَهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَقَالَ لِبَنِيهِ لَمَّا حُضِرَ أَىَّ أَبٍ كُنْتُ لَكُمْ قَالُوا خَيْرَ أَبٍ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ، فَإِذَا مُتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ ذَرُّونِي فِي يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ‏.‏ فَفَعَلُوا، فَجَمَعَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَقَالَ مَا حَمَلَكَ قَالَ مَخَافَتُكَ‏.‏ فَتَلَقَّاهُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ

Narrated Abu Sa'id: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Amongst the people preceding your age, there was a man whom Allah had given a lot of money. While he was in his death-bed, he called his sons and said, 'What type of father have I been to you? They replied, 'You have been a good father.' He said, 'I have never done a single good deed; so when I die, burn me, crush my body, and scatter the resulting ashes on a windy day.' His sons did accordingly, but Allah gathered his particles and asked (him), 'What made you do so?' He replied, "Fear of you.' So Allah bestowed His Mercy upon him (forgave him).

_{— Sahih al-Bukhariو Book 60, Hadith 145}

This authentic hadith, in particular, does not have any mention of the person being in Jannah now, or that this is where he will end up in the hereafter after his account is established. Only Allah knows.

I have not found any reference to the second story.

In general, the final destination for all of us is indeed on the Day of Judgment, but this does not mean there is no reward or punishment before. There are numerous stories in the Qur'an of punishment taking place in this life, in the grave and in there hereafter.

It is to be noted, however, that a common instrument in the Arabic language is the use of the past tense about future events to indicate that the event in question is so close:

أَتَىٰ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

Allah's commandment has come, therefore do not desire to hasten it; glory be to Him, and highly exalted be He above what they associate (with Him).

_{— Surat An-Nahl 16:1}

In this verse, Allah is telling us about a future event (the Hour) that it has already come upon us, and that we should not hasten it. We know the Hour has not yet arrived, but the use of the past tense is to indicate it is close. So one may hear stories referring to reward or punishment already taking place to indicate it is near, and not necessarily that it has taken place.

One final point, it is always advisable to check the reference of stories one hear to validate their authenticity.

Answer 2

Have a look:

God Said:

Verily, with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come: and He [it is who] sends down rain; and He [alone] knows what is in the wombs: whereas no one knows what he will reap tomorrow, and no one knows in what land he will die, Verily. God [alone] is all-knowing, all-aware.

Lo! Allah! With Him is knowledge of the Hour. He sendeth down the rain, and knoweth that which is in the wombs. No soul knoweth what it will earn to-morrow, and no soul knoweth in what land it will die. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.

So, in other words, no one does know if this person will end up somewhere, because this is only the Creator Himself knows.