❖ Introduction
This article is derived from the book Tuhfa Hanafiya by Maulana Abu Sohaib Dawood Arshad ḥafiẓahullāh. It serves as a reasoned rebuttal to the Deobandi scholar Abu Bilal Jhangvi's book Tuhfa Ahl-e-Hadith.❖ Are Ahl al-Sunnah United on the Belief in the Prophet’s ﷺ Life After Death?
Jhangvi Sahib asserts that Ahl al-Sunnah affirm the life of the Prophet ﷺ after death, whereas Ghair Muqallid (non-conformist) do not.(Tuhfa Ahl-e-Hadith, p. 54)
❖ Firstly: Understanding the Deobandi Position
To begin, it is essential to understand the viewpoint of the Deobandi scholars regarding the life of the Prophet ﷺ.Deobandi Sheikh al-Hadith Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani states:
“The Prophet’s life is not merely spiritual (as it is granted to martyrs), but also physical, and of the worldly kind—rather, it is even stronger in many aspects.”
(Maktubat Shaykh al-Islam p. 130 v. 1 | Taskīn al-Ṣudūr p. 275 | Khayr al-Fatāwā p. 113 v. 1)
Maulana Qasim Ali Nanotwi writes:
“We consider the Prophets to be alive in terms of worldly bodies.”
(Laṭāʾif Qāsimiyyah p. 4 | Taskīn al-Ṣudūr p. 275 | Khayr al-Fatāwā p. 114 v. 1)
Comment:
No Qur’anic verse or authentic, connected, elevated Hadith, nor any statement from the Companions proves such a belief. This view appears influenced by the Barelwi creed and lacks any credible proof.
❖ Secondly: Contradiction Among Deobandi Scholars
Jhangvi Sahib should clarify: does he endorse the position of his teacher, Maulana Sarfraz Khan Safdar, who tried to prove that Ahl-e-Hadith scholars believe in the Prophet’s ﷺ life after death?(Taskīn al-Ṣudūr p. 264)
❖ The Qur’anic View on the Death of Prophets
The general Qur'anic principle includes the Prophets in the rule of death, like all other humans:(كل من عليها فان ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والاكرام)
“Everyone on it will perish, and only the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honor, will remain.”
(Surah al-Rahman: 26-27)
Hence, eternal life belongs only to Allah. Additionally, the Qur'an explicitly declares the death of Prophets:
(ما المسيح ابن مريم الا رسول قد خلت من قبله الرسل)
“The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; messengers have passed away before him.”
(Surah al-Ma’idah: 75)
(وما محمد الا رسول قد خلت من قبله الرسل)
“Muhammad is but a Messenger; Messengers have passed away before him.”
(Surah Aal-e-Imran: 144)
These verses affirm that all previous Messengers completed their natural lives and died. As for Jesus عليه السلام, he was raised alive and will return to earth before the Day of Judgement, after which he too will die.
(Mishkat al-Masabih, Chapter on the Descent of ʿIsa ibn Maryam)
❖ Specific Mentions of the Death of Prophets
✔ Yaʿqūb عليه السلام:(ام كنتم شهداء اذ حضر يعقوب الموت)
“Were you witnesses when death approached Jacob?”
(Surah al-Baqarah: 133)
✔ Yūsuf عليه السلام:
(حتى اذا هلك)
“When Joseph perished.”
(Surah al-Mu’min: 34)
✔ Sulaimān عليه السلام:
(فلما قضينا عليه الموت...)
“When We decreed death for him...”
(Surah Saba: 14)
✔ ʿĪsā عليه السلام:
(والسلام على يوم ولدت ويوم اموت)
“Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die...”
(Surah Maryam: 23)
✔ Ibrāhīm عليه السلام:
(والذى يميتنى ثم يحيين)
“It is He who causes me to die and then gives me life.”
(Surah al-Shuʿarā: 81)
❖ The Death of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Alongside other Prophets, the Qur'an also confirms the death of the Prophet ﷺ:(وما جعلنا لبشر من قبلك الخلد...)
“We did not grant immortality to any human before you...”
(Surah al-Anbiya: 34)
(انك ميت وانهم ميتون)
“Indeed, you will die and they will die.”
(Surah al-Zumar: 30)
(قل ان صلاتي ونسكي ومحياي ومماتي لله...)
“Say: Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah...”
(Surah al-Anʿām: 163)
❖ The Event of the Prophet’s ﷺ Death
After returning from his farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet ﷺ fell ill. As his condition worsened, he placed his blessed head in the lap of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, dipped his hand in water, and wiped it over his face, saying:(لا اله الا الله ان للموت سكرات)
“There is no deity but Allah; indeed, death has its agonies.”
Eventually, he passed away with his hand raised, uttering:
(في الرفيق الأعلى)
Then his hand fell.
(Bukhari p. 640 v. 2)
The city of Madinah was engulfed in sorrow. Anas رضي الله عنه stated:
“The day of the Prophet’s ﷺ arrival lit up Madinah, and the day he passed away, everything in Madinah darkened.”
(Tirmidhi p. 203 v. 2)
❖ Abu Bakr's رضي الله عنه Sermon and the Consensus of the Companions
In the state of grief, ʿUmar رضي الله عنه declared he would slay anyone who claimed the Prophet ﷺ had died. But then, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه entered, uncovered the Prophet’s ﷺ face, kissed him, and declared:“Allah will not combine two deaths upon you. The death that was written for you has occurred.”
He then addressed the people:
(من كان يعبد محمد فان محمد قد مات...)
“Whoever worshipped Muhammad ﷺ should know that he has died. But whoever worships Allah, He is Ever-Living.”
Then he recited:
(وما محمد الا رسول قد خلت من قبله الرسل)
“Muhammad is but a Messenger; Messengers have passed away before him.”
(Bukhari p. 166 v. 1)
All the Companions affirmed the death of the Prophet ﷺ. No one denied it. There was consensus on this matter.
❖ The Legacy of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه
Despite his deep love, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه expressed the truth without hesitation. He led the Ummah with clarity, anchoring the belief in the Prophet’s ﷺ passing firmly in Qur’an and Sunnah. His conviction crushed any later innovations concerning “Hayat al-Nabi.”Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه's insight, spiritual strength, and fidelity to Qur'anic teachings became a beacon for the Ummah, and his actions firmly established the belief in the Prophet’s ﷺ natural death.
❖ Attempts to Alter Reality
Despite these clear texts and the consensus of the Companions, the Jhangvi faction attempts to uphold fabricated narratives of deceitful narrators like Suddī. They label themselves Ahl al-Sunnah without shame.(Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiʿun)
Even Deobandi factions portraying themselves as Hanafis—regarding the belief in Hayat al-Nabi—face serious scholarly objections.
Maulana Ismail Salafi once remarked:
“It’s not even appropriate to call such whims ‘belief.’ These are not mentioned in classical creed texts such as Sharḥ ʿAqāʾid Nasafī, ʿAqīdah Ṭaḥāwiyyah, Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Aṣfahāniyyah, or ʿAqīdah al-Ṣābūniyyah—even the contents of such texts are not universally accepted as core beliefs. Belief requires decisive (qaṭʿī) evidence according to the scholars of kalām.”
“The narrations on the life of Prophets after death are, based on their chains, even less than the level of authentic aḥād.”
(Taḥrīk Āzādī Fikr p. 389, Maktabah Nazīriyyah, Lahore)
