Introduction
The original article by Ghulām Muṣṭafā Zaḥīr Amnpurī (ḥifẓahullāh) has been enhanced here with clear headings and structured formatting for ease of reading.1. Qur’ānic Foundations
{وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ…}(Sūrah Al-Anbiyāʾ 21:34–35)
Translation:
“We did not grant any human being before you eternal life. If You were to die, would they live forever? Every soul will taste death, and We test you with evil and good as a trial. Then to Us you will be returned.”
2. The Prophet ﷺ and the Reality of Death
- Tabarī’s Exegesis:
Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī explains that Allah addresses the Prophet ﷺ, reminding him that he, too, will taste death just as earlier messengers did. (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī 24/17)
{إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ مَّيِّتُونَ}
(Sūrah Az-Zumar 39:30)
Translation:
“Indeed, you [Prophet] will die, and indeed they will die.”
- Ibn Kathīr on the Prophet’s Passing:
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr notes this verse was recited by Abū Bakr as-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) at the time of the Prophet’s ﷺ death, to assure the people of its inevitability. He also cited:
{وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ…}
(Āl ʿImrān 3:144)
“Muhammad is only a messenger; messengers before him have passed away. If he were to die or be killed, would you then turn back on your heels?”
3. Life in the Grave and the Hereafter
- Onset of the Barzakhī Life:
These verses affirm that after death, the soul embarks on a distinct, otherworldly existence beginning in the grave—a realm entirely separate from worldly life. - Warnings Against Extremes:
◈ Denial of the grave life or equating it with worldly life both stray from sound doctrine.
◈ True Reality: Grave life is the first station of the Hereafter, with differing ranks for believers and disbelievers.
4. Scholarly Clarifications on Barzakhī Life
4.1 Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥādī (d. 744 AH)
① He emphasizes that temporary reunion of soul and body in Barzakh does not imply a continuation of worldly life.② The Arabic expression “returning to the body” in Barzakh denotes a unique afterlife state, not a second worldly existence.
③ He cites the ḥadīth where the Prophet ﷺ supplicates upon waking:
“All praise belongs to He who gave us life after death, and to Him is the return.” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4753)
4.2 Categories of Soul–Body Relation
① Worldly Life: Soul–body union in wakefulness and sleep.② Barzakhī Life: Soul–body union in the grave, with different stations for prophets, martyrs, and believers.
③ Resurrection Day: Final, irreversible reunion—distinct from earthly life.
5. The Erroneous “Ḥayāt al-Nabī” Doctrine
- False Claims: Some assert prophets enjoy a perpetual, worldly-like life in their graves.
- Rebuttal: Grave life is afterlife; it is neither worldly nor identical to worldly functions (eating, marriage, illness).
- Al-Albānī’s Warning: True Barzakhī life is unseen; one must believe in it without likening it to this world. (At-Tawassul: Anwāʿuhu wa Aḥkāmuh, p. 65)
6. The Special Station of Martyrs and Prophets
- Distinct, Not Worldly: The virtues of martyrs’ Barzakh life and prophets’ graves do not imply a worldly-type existence but indicate higher ranks in the hereafter.
- Uniform Reality: Every soul experiences Barzakh life; differences lie in the quality of that life.
7. Preservation of Prophetic Remains
- Hadith of Land’s Forbearance:
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of His prophets.” (Musnad Aḥmad 8/4; Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1047)
- Companions’ Testimony:
– ʿAnas ibn Mālik reported that when companions found a prophet’s body, ʿUmar affirmed, “This is one of Allah’s prophets; neither fire nor earth can harm him.” (Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 27/13)
– ʿAbū ʿAlīyah added that no creature can touch a prophet’s body. (Dalā’il an-Nubuwwah, al-Bayhaqī 1/382)
Clarification: Such reports confirm preserved dignity, not a worldly lifestyle in the grave.
Conclusion
The Barzakhī life is a distinct afterlife reality shared by all who die. Prophets and martyrs enjoy elevated stations, yet their grave life remains otherworldly, not a continuation of earthly existence. Believers are enjoined to affirm this doctrine without extremes of denial or anthropomorphism.May Allah grant us correct understanding based on Qur’ān and Sunnah.
