Prophets Praying in Their Graves and the Prophet ﷺ Responding to Salutations
Source: Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ al-Ḥadīth
Question
In Musnad Abī Yaʿlā, it is narrated that all the Prophets pray in their graves, even though they have passed away, as the Qur’an states:
﴿کُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ﴾
﴿أَمْوَاتٌ غَیْرُ أَحْیَاءٍ﴾
Outwardly, this appears to be a contradiction.
Similarly, in authentic ḥadīth, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went on the Miʿrāj, he saw Mūsā (ʿAlayhi al-Salām) praying in his grave.
Moreover, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When anyone says, al-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhā al-nabī wa raḥmatullāh wa barakātuh…”
In Abū Dāwūd, the narration is reported:
عن أبی ھریرة رضي الله عنه قال قَال رسول اللّٰہ ﷺ: «مَا مِنْ أحَد یسلم علیّ إلاَّ رد اللّٰہ علی روحي حتی أرد عليه السلام»
And it is recommended that a Muslim say upon the Prophet ﷺ:
al-salāmu ʿalayka yā nabiyya Allāh, al-salāmu ʿalayka yā khīrata Allāh min khalqih, al-salāmu ʿalayka yā sayyid al-mursalīn wa imām al-muttaqīn. Ashhadu annaka ballaghta al-risālah wa addayta al-amānah wa naṣaḥta al-ummah wa jāhadta fī Allāh ḥaqqa jihād.
This narration is mentioned in Abū Dāwūd.
The difficulty here is: If the Prophets (ʿAlayhim al-Salām) pray in their graves, or if the soul of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is returned so that he may respond to salutations — does this occur repeatedly, or is the soul always present? If it is always present, then what is the meaning of the wording “radd al-rūḥ” (the soul being returned)?
Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
✿ The narration, “All the Prophets pray in their graves,” is weak.
However, the prayer of Mūsā (ʿAlayhi al-Salām) in his grave is proven from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Īmān, Bāb al-Isrāʾ)
The Barzakh Life of the Prophets
The Barzakh life of all the Prophets (ʿAlayhim al-Salām) is established without doubt. Their worldly life, however, came to an end with their passing away or martyrdom.
The Ḥadīth in Abū Dāwūd
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ یُسَلِّمُ عَلَیَّ إِلاَّ رَدَّ اللّٰہُ عَلَیَّ رُوْحِیْ حَتَّی أَرُدَّ عَلَیه السَّلاَمَ»
(Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Manāsik, Bāb Ziyārat al-Qubūr)
Translation:
“Whenever someone sends salutations upon me, Allah returns my soul to me so that I may reply to his salutation.”
The words of this narration are ḥasan (sound) and authentic, and they are indeed present in Abū Dāwūd. However, the additional opening and closing wordings you cited are not part of Abū Dāwūd’s original narration.
The Issue of the Soul Being Returned
The soul of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was returned to his blessed body once.
There is no evidence for it being repeatedly taken out and then returned again and again.
Since salutations (ṣalawāt and salām) are continuously being offered upon the Prophet ﷺ, this does not mean the soul is constantly being removed and returned.
Rather, this is a Barzakh life, which is not like worldly life, nor are the rulings of worldly life applicable to it.
