Relationship Between the Soul and the Human Body in Light of Qur’an and Hadith
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, p.202
❖ Question
How is the soul connected with the human being? Please explain this reality in detail.
❖ Connection Between Soul and Body
Analogy:
- Just as the human body is wrapped in clothing, likewise the soul is concealed within the body.
- Just as garments cover the body, this earthly body covers the soul.
Reality of the Soul:
- The soul is not merely air; it is a subtle, delicate, yet real entity.
- It has a form resembling the physical body.
❖ Proofs from Qur’an and Hadith
① Soul Wrapped in Shrouds
- Qur’an and hadith state that angels seize the soul and wrap it in the shrouds of Paradise or Hell.
- Conclusion: If the soul were not an existent entity, wrapping it in heavenly or hellish garments would be meaningless.
② The Human Eye Following the Soul
- Hadith describes that at death, the human eye follows the departing soul.
- Conclusion: If the soul were intangible and without form, what would the eye be following?
③ Souls Meeting in Barzakh
- Hadith narrates that souls meet one another in the realm of Barzakh.
- Souls already present question the newly arrived soul about the people of the world.
- Conclusion: If souls were formless, they could not recognize each other as relatives and friends. Recognition requires identifiable form.
④ Souls of the Martyrs in Paradise
- The souls of martyrs reside in green birds in Paradise, eating from the sustenance Allah provides.
⑤ Souls of the Prophets
- The bodies of the prophets remain in their graves.
- Their purified souls are granted specific forms and reside in the heavens at their designated stations.
- Event of Miʿrāj:
- The Prophet ﷺ met these prophets in those very forms.
- With ʿĪsā عليه السلام, the meeting was with his body, as he was raised bodily to the heavens.
⑥ Souls of the Believers
- Ordinary believers also meet after death and inquire about one another.
- If this is possible for general believers, then the prophets’ souls are even more worthy of such distinction.
- Conclusion: The meeting and conversation of the prophets’ souls is a natural, true, and entirely possible matter, with nothing strange or impossible in it. Allah is capable of all things.
⑦ Miʿrāj and Presence of Souls in Bayt al-Maqdis
- Similarly, the souls of the prophets were brought to Bayt al-Maqdis, where they all prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ, as reported in authentic ahadith.
❖ Final Word
- The soul is a real, subtle entity with form.
- It has a natural connection with the body in life and continues to exist after death.
- In Barzakh and the Hereafter, souls have the ability to meet, converse, and be recognized.
- The events of Miʿrāj and Barzakh affirm this reality.
ھذا ما عندی واللہ أعلم بالصواب
