The Soul’s Journey: From Creation to the Grave and Beyond
Part 1 – Where does the soul come from?
1) Stages of the souls before this world
The soul of Adam was created and blown into him by Allāh the Most High: Allāh said:
ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِ ۖ
“Then, He fashioned him and blew into him from His [Allāh’s] spirit/soul.” Sūrah al-Sajdah (32): 8.
It is ascribed to Allāh [the Arabic texts refer to “His [Allāh’s] Rūh”] by way of honour.
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymīyyah said: Simply mentioning something in conjunction with Allāh does not mean that that thing is a Divine attribute, rather specific created things may be mentioned in conjunction with Allāh and their attributes are not divine attributes, according to scholarly consensus – as in the phrases, “the House of Allāh”, the “she-camel of Allāh”, the “slaves of Allāh”.
The same also applies to the phrase “the spirit (Rūh) of Allāh” according to the earliest generations of the Muslims and their Imāms and their common folk. But if something that is one of His attributes and is not an attribute shared by anyone else is mentioned in conjunction with Him, such as the Speech of Allāh, the Knowledge of Allāh, the Hand of Allāh, and so on, then this is one of His attributes.
See Al-Jawāb As-Sahīh (4/414).
The souls of mankind came out the back of Prophet Ādam (Alayhis Salām): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When Allāh created Adam He wiped his back and every person that He created among his offspring until the Day of Resurrection fell out of his back.”
Sunan At-Tirmdihī (no. 3076) and he said: This narration is Hasan-Sahīh.
Ādam (Alayhis-Salām) saw his offspring that was to come after him and Allāh placed between the eyes of each one of them a light as if he saw their lifespans written between their eyes.
The covenant with Allāh: The covenant that Allāh, may He be glorified and exalted, took from the progeny of Ādam in the previous life has not been erased from our memory and not one of the sons of Ādam has forgotten it. If you want to ask about it, then we say to you: It is the Fitrah (natural inclination/sound human nature) which is instilled in our souls and hearts, that drives us to believe in Allāh and long to know Him, may He be glorified.
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۛشَهِدْنَا
“And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed (or from Adam’s loins his offspring) and made them testify concerning themselves (saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes’” Sūrah A‘rāf (7): 172.
Imām Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله said:
The best way to interpret the meaning of this verse is by the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said:“Every child is born in a state of Fitrah, then his parents make him into a Jew or a Christian.” Sahīh Bukhārī (no. 1292).
The covenant that Allāh, may He be glorified, took from them and the testimony that He took from them concerning themselves, and the affirmation that they affirmed refers to the Fitrah or natural inclination that is instilled in them, because Allāh, may He be glorified, used that as evidence against them, and He does not use evidence against them that none of them recognises or remembers; rather it is something that is common knowledge among them and that they all affirm.
See Ahkam Ahl adh-Dhimmah (2/949).
Location of all the souls before they are blown into creation: We have no proof from the Qur’ān and Sunnah to mention where the souls of mankind are before they are blown into the womb.
Part 2 – The state of the soul in this world
The soul goes through different stages in this world. At times it leaves us even though we have not died.
- The soul first enters the body after four months (120 days) roughly in the womb:
The soul (Ruh) enters the foetus at around 120 days (4 months) from conception. They have based this duration upon a Qur’anic verse and a narration of the Prophet of Allāh ﷺ. Some scholars have differed due to their different understanding of the texts.
Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd narrates that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Each one of you is constituted in the womb of the mother for forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allāh sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him…” Sahīh Bukhārī (no. 3036).
- The soul leaves the body while asleep:
There is clear evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah which indicates that the soul is taken when one falls asleep, and that sleep is a kind of death
Allāh, may He be glorified and exalted, says, “It is Allāh Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.”
Sūrah Az-Zumar (39): 42.
Hāfidh Ibn Rajab said: The taking of the soul from the body does not necessarily mean that it has departed from the body altogether; rather it may be taken whilst some kind of connection is still present, as in the case of one who is sleeping.
See Fath al-Bāri (3/326) by Hāfidh Ibn Rajab.
- The soul can travel to other areas as a miracle from Allāh:
This happened with Umar Ibn Khattāb, a spiritual intuition. Nāfi’ said that ‘Umar sent out a military detachment and he appointed a man called Sāriyah in charge of them. Whilst ‘Umar was delivering the Khutbah one Friday, he said, “O Sāriyah, the mountain! O Sāriyah, the mountain!” And they found out that Sāriyah had moved towards the mountain at that moment on Friday even though there was the distance of a month’s journey between them.
See Ahmad in Fadā’il As-Sahābah (1/269). Classed as Sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in As-Silsilah As-Sahīhah (no. 1110).
What is Al-Kashf?
Al-Kashf is intuition, insight, finding out about things that are unseen that may happen to a person of several kinds.
Types of Kashf:
- One type is psychological, which both Muslims and disbelievers have in common.
- Spiritual type, which comes via revelation (only for the friends of Allāh).
- Satanic type, which comes via the jinn.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymīyyah said: We do not deny that people may experience some kind of Kashf, whether when awake or in their dreams when the soul is less connected to the body, either by means of spiritual practices or otherwise
See Al-Safadīyyah (p. 187-189).
Part 3 – The state of the soul in the Barzakh
Souls of the Prophets & Their Graves:
1) Souls of the Prophets: The Prophet ﷺ is alive in his grave in the sense of the life of Al-Barzakh, so he enjoys the blessings that Allāh has prepared for him as a reward for his great good actions that he did in this world. Imām al-Shawkānī states: The Prophet ﷺ is alive in his grave, as has been established in the Hadith The Prophets are alive in their graves.
See Nayl al-Awtār (5/101).
2) The Prophets pray in their graves: Anas ibn Mālik narrates that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “The Prophets are alive in their graves performing Salāh (Prayer).”
Recorded by Imām Al-Bayhaqi in his Hayāt al-Anbiyā’ and Abū Ya’la in his Musnad. It has been authenticated by many Hadith scholars, such as: Ibn Hajar, al-Haythami, al-Munawi, al-Shawkani and others.
Anas ibn Mālik narrates: “On the night of Isra, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ passed by the grave of Mūsa (Allāh bless him), and found him performing Salāh in his grave.” Sahīh Muslim (no. 2375).
3) Does the squeezing in the grave affect the Prophets?
- The answer to that is that there was nothing proven concerning that in the texts of Revelation, but we have come across comments of many scholars saying that the Prophets will be exempted from squeezing. This opinion is based on the view of those who say that the severity of the squeezing in the grave will vary according to the individual’s level of sin. The Prophets are protected against major sins and are protected against persisting in minor sins, so they will not be affected by the squeezing or questioning in the grave.
4) The Prophet Mohammed ﷺ hears salām of those close and conveyed the salām of those from far (not heard directly):
Abū Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “There is no one who sends salām upon me, but Allāh, may He be glorified and exalted, will restore my soul to me so that I may return his greeting of salām.” Ahmad (no. 10434) and Abū Dawūd (2041). Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani.
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymīyyah said: The texts that we have quoted indicate that he can hear the salaam of one who is nearby, and that the Salāh [blessings] and salaam of one who is far away are conveyed to him; they do not indicate that he hears that from the one who sends Salāh and salām. The scholars understood (the above narration) it as referring specifically to sending salām upon him at his grave; it does not refer to one who is far away.
See ar-Radd ‘ala al-Bakri (1/107).
It was narrated that ‘Abdullāh said: the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Allāh has angels who travel about the earth, conveying to me the salaams of my Ummah.” Sahīh Sunan An-Nasā’ī (no. 1215) and As-Silsilah As-Sahīhah (no. 2853).
Part 4 – The State of The Souls of the Shuhadā In The Barzakh
1) Shahīd is alive with Allāh: The martyrs are alive with their Lord. A receiving provision – as Allāh, may He be exalted, tells us – and that is more appropriate in the case of the Prophets. Allāh ﷻ says in His Book:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمْوَٰتًۢا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
“And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allāh as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.” Sūrah ĀlĪ- Imrān (3): 169.
2) Souls of the Shuhadā are in the crops of green birds:
Masrūq said: We asked ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd about this verse, and he said: We also asked about that, and he (the Prophet ﷺ) said: “Their souls are in the crops of green birds, which have lamps hanging from the Throne, and they roam freely wherever they want in Paradise, then they return to those lamps. Their Lord looked down upon them and said: ‘Do you desire anything?’
They said: ‘What could we desire, when we can roam freely wherever we want in Paradise?’
He did that with them three times, and when they saw that they would not be left without being asked, they said: ‘O Lord, we want You to restore our souls to our bodies so that we may be killed for Your sake again.’ When He saw that they had no need, they were left alone.” Sahīh Muslim (1887).
Hāfidh Ibn Kathīr said: With regard to the souls of the martyrs, they are in the crops of green birds, and they are like stars in comparison to the souls of the ordinary believers, for they fly by themselves. See Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (2/164).
3) Souls of the Shuhadā are on the banks of the river of Jannah:
Ibn ‘Abbās said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “The martyrs are on the banks of a river at the gate of Paradise in a green tent, and their provision comes out to them from Paradise morning and evening.” Musnad Ahmad (no. 2386).
Souls of the Shahīd can be in different locations at different times: Hāfidh Ibn Kathīr said: Its chain is Jayyid [Good/Acceptable]. The martyrs may be divided into different categories: in some cases, their souls are allowed to wander freely in Paradise, and some of them are on the banks of this river at the gate of Paradise. It may be the case that all of them come to this river and they gather there, and their provision is brought to them morning and evening. End quote.
See Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (2/164).
4) The Shahīd and the Murābit will not be questioned so will not be tested in the grave:
There is no questioning for the one that sincerely fights and is killed in the path of Allāh [Mujāhid]. Included is also the one guarding the strongholds of the Muslims for the sake of Allāh [Murābit]:
It was narrated from Rashid bin Sa’d, that a man among the Companions of the Prophet said: “O Messenger of Allāh, why will the believers be tested in their graves except the martyr?” He ﷺ said: “The flashing of the swords above his head is trial enough.”
Sunan An-Nasā’ī (no. 2053). Authenticated by Shaykh Al-Albānī.
Salmān narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Keeping watch for a day and a night is better (in point of reward) than fasting for a whole month and standing in prayer every night. If a person dies (while, performing this duty), his (meritorious) activity will continue and he will go on receiving his reward for it perpetually and will be saved from the torture of the grave.”
Sahīh Muslim (no. 1913).
Part 5 – Soul of the Righteous Believer
1) Angels receive the souls of the righteous and take it through the heavens:
“….He ascends and passes by no gathering of angels but that they say: What a pure spirit! They say he is this person, son of this person, calling him by the best names by which he was known in the world, until he stops at the lowest heaven and seeks entry and it will be opened for him. The company of each heaven brings him closer to the heaven following it until he stops at the seventh heaven. Allāh Almighty will say: Write the record of My servant in the righteous register and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I return them, and from it I will take them out once again….”
Sunan Abū Dawūd (no. 4753) and Musnad Ahmad (no. 18063)– this wording is that of Musnad Ahmad. Classed as Sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ (no. 1676).
2) The Soul returns to be questioned in the grave:
It is proven from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ that when a person dies, his soul returns to him in his grave, and he is questioned about his Lord, his religion and his Prophet.
Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “…His spirit will be returned to his body and two angels will come to sit by him, saying to him: Who is your Lord? He will say: My Lord is Allāh. They will say: What is your religion? He will say: My religion is Islām. They will say: Who sent you? He will say: He is the Messenger of Allāh….”
Sunan Abū Dawūd (no. 4753) and Musnad Ahmad (no. 18063) – this wording is that of Musnad Ahmad. Classed as Sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ (no. 1676).
3) The soul is a bird in Jannah:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The souls of the believers are a bird in the trees of Jannah until they are returned to their bodies (on the Day of Judgement).”
Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ (no. 912) of Shaykh Al-Albānī. Reported with various wordings also by At-Tabarāni (19/65, 122), Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ (no. 912, 922) of Shaykh Al-Albani and see Fathul-Bāri (3/287)
4) The connection between the soul and body in the grave:
Shaykhul Islām Ibn Taymīyyah said: Indeed, the torment and blessing happen to both the soul and the body, according to the consensus of the Ahlus Sunnah wa’l-Jamā’ah. The soul is blessed or tormented separately from the body, and it is blessed or tormented in connection with the body. The body is connected to it, so in this case the blessing or torment happens to them both, and it may happen to the soul separately from the body. See Kitāb Ar-Rūh (p. 51, 52) of Imām Ibn al-Qayyim.
5) Souls meet each other:
Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said: “….the souls of the believers come to him and they rejoice more over him than any one of you rejoices when his absent loved one comes to him. They ask him: ‘What happened to so-and-so, what happened to so-and-so?’ Some of them (the believers) will say: ‘Let him be, for he was in the distresses of the world.’ But he responds: ‘So-and-so died, did he not come here to you?’ They say: ‘Rather, he was taken to the pit (of Hell)….”
Sunan An-Nasā’i (no. 1833) and Mishkāt al-Masābīh (no. 1629) and graded Sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albāni.
Shaykhul Islām Ibn Taymīyyah stated: “When the souls of the living are taken by death, they meet with the souls that have already died, and they ask the newly deceased about the condition of those still alive. See Majmū’ al-Fatāwā (24/303).
Compiled by Abū Ismā’īl