Can the Dead Return to this World? (Part 1)

?Can the Dead Return to this World

بسم اﷲ الرحمن الرحيم

As indicated in one of my earlier entries this month, I am going to initiate a series of articles on my blog concerning the subject of the return of the dead to this world. At the outset I want to make it clear to the reader that, based on my deep research into this subject, taking into account the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the authentic Hadith (traditions of the Prophet peace be upon him and his family), I have come to the inescapable conclusion that one of the principle ideas of Islam is that the souls of the dead cannot ever return to this world.

In this first article I simply want to present the reader with the foundational verses of the Holy Qur’an. This will be a rather elementary/cursory exercise, but its purpose is to set the groundwork so we can tackle the issue even further with a firm footing. Allah Most High says:

وَ حَرٰمٌ عَلٰی قَرۡیَۃٍ اَہۡلَکۡنٰہَاۤ اَنَّہُمۡ لَا یَرۡجِعُوۡنَ۞

It is forbidden for [the people of] a town which We have destroyed that they should return. (Surah 21:95)

In another passage, Allah Most High says:

حَتّٰۤی اِذَا جَآءَ اَحَدَہُمُ الۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارۡجِعُوۡنِ۞

لَعَلِّیۡۤ اَعۡمَلُ صَالِحًا فِیۡمَا تَرَکۡتُ کَلَّا ؕ اِنَّہَا کَلِمَۃٌ ہُوَ قَآئِلُہَا ؕ وَ مِنۡ وَّرَآئِہِمۡ بَرۡزَخٌ اِلٰی یَوۡمِ یُبۡعَثُوۡنَ

Until when comes unto one of them Death, he says: “O my Lord, send me back...so that I may perform deeds of piety in that [world] I left behind.” But no! It is simply a word he says. And before them is a barrier until the Day they are raised up. (Surah 23:99-100)

*This important passage of the Holy Quran makes it quite plain that the souls of the deceased are forever prevented from returning back to this world. Allah says that there is a Barzakh (partition or barrier) which cannot be encroached upon that separates the souls of the dead from this world. It will not come to an end until the Day of Resurrection when the dead are brought back to life at the time of the end of this world [Dunya]. Until then, it is absolutely impossible and inconceivable that the souls of the dead be brought back to life in this world.

Elsewhere in the Holy Quran, Allah says:

اَللّٰہُ یَتَوَفَّی الۡاَنۡفُسَ حِیۡنَ مَوۡتِہَا وَ الَّتِیۡ لَمۡ تَمُتۡ فِیۡ مَنَامِہَا ۚ فَیُمۡسِکُ الَّتِیۡ قَضٰی عَلَیۡہَا الۡمَوۡتَ وَ یُرۡسِلُ الۡاُخۡرٰۤی اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ یَّتَفَکَّرُوۡنَ

Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. So He withholds those [souls] upon whom death has been decreed, and sends back the others until a term appointed. Verily, in that are Signs for a people who reflect. (Surah 39:42)

This verse reveals the fact that the souls of the dead are being withheld unlike the souls of those that sleep. The obvious meaning is that the souls of the dead are withheld by Allah from returning to this world, whereas the souls of those that are sleeping are returned when they awaken from their slumber. This is a clear delineation between death and sleep. Whereas a person sleeps, on average for a few hours in the night, his soul is taken up by Allah but then returned to his body when he awakens. However, when death is decreed for someone, Allah withholds his souls from returning to this world. If the soul of someone taken by Allah returns to this world, by definition it means that person was not dead but in another state such as sleep, coma, or temporary unconciousness.These are the three fundamental Ayaat Muhkamaat (fundamental verses with no ambiguous meaning) that establish the Islamic principle that the souls of the dead cannot return to this world ever.Apart from these verses of the Holy Quran, there is a Hadith Qudsi regarding the martyrs:

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبِ بْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ ، قَال : سَمِعْتُ طَلْحَةَ بْنَ خِرَاشٍ ، قَال : سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، يَقُولُ : لَقِيَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ لِي : " يَا جَابِرُ ، مَا لِي أَرَاكَ مُنْكَسِرًا ؟ قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، اسْتُشْهِدَ أَبِي ، قُتِلَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَتَرَكَ عِيَالًا وَدَيْنًا ، قَالَ : أَفَلَا أُبَشِّرُكَ بِمَا لَقِيَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَبَاكَ ؟ قَالَ : قُلْتُ : بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : مَا كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ أَحَدًا قَطُّ إِلَّا مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ، وَأَحْيَا أَبَاكَ فَكَلَّمَهُ كِفَاحًا ، فَقَالَ : يَا عَبْدِي ، تَمَنَّ عَلَيَّ أُعْطِكَ ، قَالَ : يَا رَبِّ ، تُحْيِينِي فَأُقْتَلَ فِيكَ ثَانِيَةً ، قَالَ الرَّبُّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : إِنَّهُ قَدْ سَبَقَ مِنِّي أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهَا لَا يُرْجَعُونَ ، قَالَ : وَأُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ وَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا

Translation: Musã bin Ibrahim bin Kathir Al-Ansãri narrated: "I heard Talhah bin Khirãsh say: 'I heard Jãbir bin 'Adullãh saying: "The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) met me and said to me: '0 Jãbir! Why do I see you upset?' I said: '0 Messenger of Allah! My father was martyred [on the Day of Ubud] leaving family and debt behind." "He (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: 'Shall I give you news of what your father met Allah with?" He said: "But of course 0 Messenger of Allah!' He said: 'Allah does not speak to anyone except from behind a veil, but He brought your father to speak to Him directly. He said: "[0 My slave!] Do you wish that I give You anything?' He said: '0 Lord! Give me life so that I may fight for You a second time.' So the Lord [Blessed and Most High] said: 'It has been decreed by Me That they shall not return."' He said: "So this Ayah was revealed: Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah." (Tirmidhi; Hadith 3010)

The Hadith Qudsi leaves no room for any misconception that the life enjoyed by the martyrs is a spiritual life in the blissful gardens of Jannah which is another, parallel world or dimension. The martyrs are not living in this world [Dunya]. Furthermore, when Allah asks the martyrs what they wish for, they will ask Allah to allow them to return to this world so that they can be martyred a second time and taste its sweetness once more (due to the immense reward associated with martyrdom). However, Allah will politely decline this request of the martyrs because He has already decreed, an inalterable divine law in operation, that their souls can never return to this world.

In summary, these are the fundamental proofs from the Quran and Sunnah that the souls of the dead cannot return to this world. To believe otherwise is bordering on rejection of the divinely-revealed Texts to say the least.

Deobandi Admits Early Ulama Disagreed with their Belief that the Prophets are Alive

Among the more serious deviations of the Deobandi sect is its assertion that the Prophets of Allah are alive in this world with a bodily/physical life. Upon closer inspection of the Deobandi doctrine in this regard it becomes plain for all to see that the Deobandis understand the Hadith “The Prophets are alive in their graves, praying” with such rigid literalism as to disturb anyone with a sound intellect. They essentially imagine that the Prophets are living, breathing and moving within the physical confines of their earthen graves. If the grave of a Prophet were to be accidentally opened one would behold, according to this belief, a living, breathing and moving Prophet like any other living person in this world!

One of the flawed arguments which the Deobandis and other sects set forth to back up this fallacious doctrine is that after the passing away of the Prophet (peace be upon him) his wives were forbidden to remarry. That is because since the Prophet (peace be upon him) is still alive with a wordly, physical and bodily life, his wives cannot remarry as only a widow can remarry and a widow is a woman whose husband has died. But the truth is that the reason the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) have been forbidden to remarry after his death is not because the Prophet (peace be upon him) is alive in this world, but rather because the wives of the Prophets (peace be upon him) have been declared by Allah in the Holy Qur᾿an as the Mothers of the Believers. By virtue of being mothers it was forbidden for any of the Prophet᾿s wives to marry their proverbial sons from among the community of Believers:

اَلنَّبِیُّ اَوۡلٰی بِالۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ مِنۡ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ وَ اَزۡوَاجُہٗۤ اُمَّہٰتُہُمۡ

The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers. (Surah 33:6)

وَ مَا کَانَ لَکُمۡ اَنۡ تُؤۡذُوۡا رَسُوۡلَ اللّٰہِ وَ لَاۤ اَنۡ تَنۡکِحُوۡۤا اَزۡوَاجَہٗ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖۤ اَبَدًا ؕ اِنَّ ذٰلِکُمۡ کَانَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ عَظِیۡمًا

It is not allowed for you that you hurt Allah᾿s Messenger, nor that you ever marry his wives after him. Indeed, it would be an enormity in the sight of Allah. (Surah 33:53)

Incidentally, the preceeding Verse of the Holy Qur᾿an shows that the phrase Mim Ba᾿dihi (after him) means nothing but death, and is comparable to the Verse where the Messiah Jesus (peace be upon him) is quoted as saying:

وَ مُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُوۡلٍ یَّاۡتِیۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِی اسۡمُہٗۤ اَحۡمَدُ

“...and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, his name being Ahmad...” (Surah 61:6)

In other words, the Messiah Jesus (peace be upon him) gave the children of Israel the glad tidings that a Messenger named Ahmad would appear after him, meaning after his death [proving that Prophet Jesus of Nazareth died long ago and is no longer alive].

The founder of the Deobandi sect, Qasim Nanotvi, wrote a very intricate book Aab-i-Hayat (lit. “Water of Life”) in which he employed all manner of sophistry to justify the above mentioned heretical belief. However, the Deobandi mulla was forced to confess that the early scholars of Islam differed from him and his sect on this point. Qasim Nanotvi writes:

علماء متقدمیں نے حرمت نکاح ازواج مطہرات کو ان کے امہات ہونے پر مبنی اور متفرع کیا ہے۔حیات نبوی کا ثمرہ نہیں سمجھا

Translation: “The ancient Ulama [Islamic scholars] held that the prohibition of marrying the pure wives [of the Prophet] was on the basis of their being mothers [of the believers]. They did not understand it as being the result of the Prophet being alive.”

Reference: Aab-i-Hayat; p.35

Dead Cannot Hear: Explanation of the Hadith of the Slain Polytheist Corpses in the Well of Badr

In the previous entry we presented for the reader five passages from the Holy Qur᾿an which reinforce the fact that the deceased are unable to hear. However, those astray sects which believe in Simaa᾿ al-Mawtaa (hearing of the dead) present the Hadith about the hearing of the slain polytheists of Mecca whose rotting corpses were thrown in the well of Badr to substantiate the hearing of the dead.

Hypothetically, if this Hadith, in the way the antagonists present it, is to be accepted at face value, it only proves a specific instance when deceased people heard something emanating from this world, i.e., the voice of our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.In no way can the Hadith, even at its face value, be utilized as an evidence to substantiate a general and unrestricted capacity of hearing for the dead.

But let us go further than this basic reply and delve into the issue deeper. The Hadith in question needs to be analyzed more carefully. It has come to us with a degree of variation. Still, let us only examine the narrations concerning this event as reported in the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari alone:

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يُلْقِيهِمْ : " هَلْ وَجَدْتُمْ مَا وَعَدَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا " ، قَالَ : مُوسَى ، قَالَ نَافِعٌ : قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : قَالَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُنَادِي نَاسًا أَمْوَاتًا ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " مَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَسْمَعَ لِمَا قُلْتُ مِنْهُمْ "

“While the corpses of Al-Mushrikun were being thrown into the well, Allah᾿s Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said (to them): ‘Have you found what your Lord promised true?’” ᾿Abdullah [b. Umar] said, “Some of the Prophet᾿s companions said, ‘O Allah᾿s Messenger! You are addressing dead people.” Allah᾿s Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم replied, “You do not hear what I am saying better than they.” [Bukhari; Kitab al-Maghazi, #4026]

The first thing to note and keep in mind with this narration of Abdullah b. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is that after the Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed the apparently slain polytheists who were thrown into the well, the people were surprised and asked said “are you addressing the dead?”

The surprise of the companions means that they did not find it ordinary for someone to speak to the dead obviously because they held it to be impossible for the dead to hear.

In another version of this Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) adds something in reply to this question “are you addressing the dead?”

فَقَالَ : مَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَسْمَعَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَكِنْ لَا يُجِيبُونَ

“You do not hear better than them except that they cannot respond.” [Bukhari; Kitab al-Jana᾿iz, Bab Ma Jaa᾿ fi Adhabil Qabr]

The apparent meaning of this narration is that while the dead polytheists could hear the Prophet (peace be upon him) they did not possess the capacity to respond.

Now let us examine the narration of Abi Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him):

عَنْ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ ، أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ بِأَرْبَعَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ رَجُلًا مِنْ صَنَادِيدِ قُرَيْشٍ , فَقُذِفُوا فِي طَوِيٍّ مِنْ أَطْوَاءِ بَدْرٍ خَبِيثٍ مُخْبِثٍ , وَكَانَ إِذَا ظَهَرَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ أَقَامَ بِالْعَرْصَةِ ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ , فَلَمَّا كَانَ بِبَدْرٍ الْيَوْمَ الثَّالِثَ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَتِهِ فَشُدَّ عَلَيْهَا رَحْلُهَا , ثُمَّ مَشَى وَاتَّبَعَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ ، وَقَالُوا : مَا نُرَى يَنْطَلِقُ إِلَّا لِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِهِ حَتَّى قَامَ عَلَى شَفَةِ الرَّكِيِّ فَجَعَلَ يُنَادِيهِمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَأَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ يَا فُلَانُ بْنَ فُلَانٍ ، وَيَا فُلَانُ بْنَ فُلَانٍ أَيَسُرُّكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَطَعْتُمُ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ , فَإِنَّا قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّا , فَهَلْ وَجَدْتُمْ مَا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا ؟ قَالَ : فَقَالَ عُمَرُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا تُكَلِّمُ مِنْ أَجْسَادٍ لَا أَرْوَاحَ لَهَا ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ , مَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَسْمَعَ لِمَا أَقُولُ مِنْهُمْ " ، قَالَ قَتَادَةُ : أَحْيَاهُمُ اللَّهُ حَتَّى أَسْمَعَهُمْ قَوْلَهُ تَوْبِيخًا وَتَصْغِيرًا وَنَقِيمَةً وَحَسْرَةً وَنَدَمًا

Narrated Abu Talha (Radiyallahu anhu): On the day (of the battle) of Badr, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered that the corpses of twenty-four leaders of Quraish should be thrown into one of the dirty dry well from the wells of Badr. (It was the habit of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) that whenever he conquered some people, he used to stay at the battlefield for three nights. So, on the third day of the battle of Badr, he ordered that his she-camel be saddled, then he set out, and his Companions followed him saying among themselves, “Definitely he (i.e. the Prophet) is proceeding for some great purpose. When he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) halted at the edge of the well, he addressed the corpses of the Quraish infidels by their names and their fathers᾿ names, “O so-and-so, son of so-and-so and O so-and-so, son of so-and-so! Would it have pleased you if you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger? We have found true what our Lord promised us. Have you, too, found true what your lord promised you?” Umar said, “O Allah᾿s Messenger! You are speaking to bodies that have no souls!” Allah᾿s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad᾿s soul is, you do not hear what I say better than they do.” Qatada said, “Allah brought them to life (again) to let them hear him (i.e., the Prophet), to reprimand them and slight them and take revenge over them and caused them to feel remorseful and regretful.” [Bukhari; Kitab al-Maghazi, #3976]

In this narration, we see that Umar b. al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was confused and surprised as to why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was addressing a group of people who were apparently dead, and he asked: “Are you speaking to bodies that have no souls?!” It can mean nothing except that, thus far, Umar (Allah be pleased with him) had been taught or believed that the dead are bodies without souls and thus do not have the capacity to hear.

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that Qatadah b. Dia᾿amah (d.118 H), an eminent Imam from the Salaf, comments on this Hadith by explaining that the dead polytheists slain in Badr were temporarily brought back to life by Allah in order to hear the words of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) addressed to them. If the early view of Qatadah is to be accepted, it refutes the evidence presented by those who say the dead can hear, because when the slain polytheists heard the words of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) they were not dead but temporarily brought back to life. We do not intend to open the debate as to the validity of this position in this entry (we will deal with the issue of the dead coming back to this world later ان شاء الله), but only to show that an eminent Imam such as Qatadah was so unwilling to accept that the dead can hear that he interpreted the Hadith to mean that the slain polytheists were temporarily brought back to life.

Finally, let us examine the narration of the Mother of the Believers, Sayyida Aaisha (may Allah be pleased with her):

ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ رَفَعَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِنَّ الْمَيِّتَ يُعَذَّبُ فِي قَبْرِهِ بِبُكَاءِ أَهْلِهِ ، فَقَالَتْ : وَهَلَ إِنَّمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِنَّهُ لَيُعَذَّبُ بِخَطِيئَتِهِ وَذَنْبِهِ وَإِنَّ أَهْلَهُ لَيَبْكُونَ عَلَيْهِ الْآنَ " ، قَالَتْ : وَذَاكَ مِثْلُ قَوْلِهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَامَ عَلَى الْقَلِيبِ وَفِيهِ قَتْلَى بَدْرٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ، فَقَالَ : لَهُمْ مَا قَالَ : " إِنَّهُمْ لَيَسْمَعُونَ مَا أَقُولُ " , إِنَّمَا قَالَ : " إِنَّهُمُ الْآنَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ مَا كُنْتُ أَقُولُ لَهُمْ حَقٌّ " ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ إِنَّكَ لا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى سورة النمل آية 80 , وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ سورة فاطر آية 22 يَقُولُ : حِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا مَقَاعِدَهُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ

It was mentioned before ᾿Aishah (Radiyallahu anha) that Ibn Umar attributed the following statement to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “The dead person is punished in the grave because of the crying and lamentation of his family.” On that ᾿Aisha said, “But Allah᾿s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The dead person is punished for his crimes and sins while his family cry over him then.” Aishah added, “And this is similar to the statement of Allah᾿s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم when he stood by the (edge of the) well which contained the corpses of Al-Mushrikun killed at Badr and said, ‘They hear what I say.’” She added, “But he said: ‘Now they know very well what I used to tell them was the truth.’” Aishah then recited: “So verily, you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) cannot make the dead to hear...” [30:52]. “...But you cannot make hear those who are in graves.” [35:22] that is, when they had taken their places in the (Hell) Fire. [Bukhari; Kitab al-Maghazi, #3978,3979, 3980)

What is derived from this narration is that Sayyida Aishah (Allah be pleased with her) corrected two errors from Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him). The first error concerns the punishment of the deceased due to his family wailing over him. The second error was concerning the way the narration of the Prophet (peace be upon him) addressing the slain polytheists of Badr was reported. Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) corrected Ibn Umar and explained that the Prophet actually said that the polytheists now have certain knowledge as to what the Prophet peace be upon him used to preach them. In other words, the Prophet did not say that the slain polytheists in the well could hear him, rather their souls were now aware and had certain knowledge as to the reality. Furthermore, Sayyida Aishah (Allah be pleased with her) justified her position by quoting the verses from the Holy Qur᾿an which reinforce the fact that the deceased are unable to hear.

The Deobandi Heresy: "Prophet (عليه السلام) directly hears from his Grave"

The heresy known as Sima᾿ al-Mawtaa (that the dead are able to hear things from this world) is the foundation upon which the Shirk and grave–worship that has infected this Ummah like a virus is built upon. In no less than five distinct passages of the Pure and Holy Qur᾿an does Almighty Allah Most High repudiate this idea that the dead can hear. He says:

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ مَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ مِنۡ قِطۡمِیۡرٍ۞

اِنۡ تَدۡعُوۡہُمۡ لَا یَسۡمَعُوۡا دُعَآءَکُمۡ ۚ وَ لَوۡ سَمِعُوۡا مَا اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لَکُمۡ ؕ وَ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ یَکۡفُرُوۡنَ بِشِرۡکِکُمۡ ؕ وَ لَا یُنَبِّئُکَ مِثۡلُ خَبِیۡرٍ۞

And those whom you invoke besides Him [Allah] do not even own the membrane on a date-stone...

If you invoke them they cannot hear your invocation. And if they were to hear you they would still be unable to answer you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will reject your Shirk. And no one can inform as He Who is aware. [Surah 35:13-14]

*This verse of the Holy Qur᾿an gives no opportunity to dissent for those who believe the dead can hear. Allah says that the ones who are invoked apart from him cannot hear, and if hypothetically they could hear they would still be unable to answer the supplications of the polytheists. Furthermore, the identity of “those who are invoked” becomes apparent when Allah adds that on the Day of Resurrection they will reject the Shirk that their so called devotees indulged in. It can be none other than the pious people who are deceased that is meant by this passage, because it is not the idols or imaginary gods that shall be resurrected on Judgment Day but the people who are buried in the graves.

وَ مَنۡ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنۡ یَّدۡعُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ مَنۡ لَّا یَسۡتَجِیۡبُ لَہٗۤ اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ وَ ہُمۡ عَنۡ دُعَآئِہِمۡ غٰفِلُوۡنَ

And who is more astray than the one who invokes, besides Allah, one who cannot answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and is, concerning his invocation, utterly unconscious. (Surah 46:5)

This verse reinforces the fact that the dead cannot hear. Here again the mention of the “Day of Resurrection” makes it apparent that the deceased are meant specifically, so as to leave no room for maneuver for those astray sects who believe the dead can hear.

اِنَّکَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الۡمَوۡتٰی وَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَآءَ اِذَا وَلَّوۡا مُدۡبِرِیۡنَ

Verily, you (O Prophet) cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn their backs in retreat (Surah 27:80 and 30:52)

Another strong proof from the Holy Qur᾿an that the dead cannot hear, just like the deaf cannot hear. It is often argued that in this passage the “dead” refer to those who are spiritually dead meaning the disbelievers. They are called to submit to Allah but they are unable to hear. While the context of this verse does indeed lend credence to this argument, the fact remains that whether physically dead or metaphorically dead, Allah negates the possibility of either having the capacity to hear. Otherwise it would be pointless for the disbelievers to be compared to the dead if the actual dead have the capacity to hear. The whole point of the parable would be nullified. Furthermore, Allah says that the deaf cannot hear when they turn their backs and retreat. This is something that is obvious and no sane individual would dispute. Hence the comparison of the disbelievers with the dead and the deaf in the sense of not being able to hear proves that the actual dead, like the deaf, are unable to hear at all.

وَ مَا یَسۡتَوِی الۡاَحۡیَآءُ وَ لَا الۡاَمۡوَاتُ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یُسۡمِعُ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ۚ وَ مَاۤ اَنۡتَ بِمُسۡمِعٍ مَّنۡ فِی الۡقُبُوۡرِ

And nor are the the living and the dead alike. Verily, Allah can make whosoever He wishes to hear. But you (O Prophet) cannot make to hear those who are in the graves. (Surah 35:22)

This verse specifically mentions “those who are in the graves”, against making it more than apparent that the actual deceased cannot hear, and not just the carved idols and images, because idols and images that are worshiped besides Allah are not buried in graves. Being buried in a grave is specific to human beings.

The Deobandi sect, particularly the Hayati camp (who believe the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is literally alive in this world and can hear directly from his grave) quote a fabricated Hadith to support their view:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ , رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ عِنْدَ قَبْرِي سَمِعْتُهُ ، وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ نَائِيًا مِنْهُ أُبْلِغْتُهُ

Translation: “Whoever invokes blessing upon me near my grave, I hear him, and whoever invokes blessing upon me from afar it is conveyed to me.” (Hayat al-Ambiya fi Quburihim of Imam al-Baihaqi)

As already mentioned, this Hadith is fabricated. Its sanad includes the narrator Al-᾿Alaa᾿ b. Amr al-Hanafi, a known liar and fabricator. Though it is quite revealing of the deceptive nature of the Deobandis that they cite as evidence for their heresy a fabricated Hadith which opposes several verses of the Holy Qur᾿an.

The Jama᾿at-ut-Tabligh, or Tablighi Jama᾿at is the missionary wing of the Deobandi movement. It misguides millions of Muslims around the world and indoctrinates them with Deobandi heresies. The Tablighi Jama᾿at and Deobandis avidly read the series of booklets known as Fada᾿il-i-A᾿mal composed by Zakariyah Kandhelwi (1898-1982). One of those booklets is called Fada᾿il-i-Durud and contains the following quote describing the belief of the Deobandi sect:

جو شخص دور سے درود بھیجے فرشتہ اس پر متعین ہے کہ حضور^ص تک پہنچائے۔ اور جو شخص قریب سےپڑھتا ہے حضور اقدس صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم اس کو خود سنتے ہیں۔

جو قبر اطہر کے قریب درود پڑھے اس کو حضور اقدس صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم بنفس نفیس خود سنتے ہیں۔

Translation: “Whoever will send Durud from afar, Angels are duty bound to have it reach the Prophet (S). And whoever will read (Durud) nearby (the Prophet᾿s grave), the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam hears it himself...Whoever reads Durud near the pure Grave, the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam hears it directly with his person.”

Reference: Fada᾿il-i-Durud Sharif; p.23