Resurrection from a Single Bone

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

لَيْسَ مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ يَبْلَى إِلاَّ عَظْمًا وَاحِدًا وَهْوَ عَجْبُ الذَّنَبِ، وَمِنْهُ يُرَكَّبُ الْخَلْقُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

“There is nothing of the human that will not decay except a single bone, and it is the little bone at the end of the coccyx, from which the creation will be reshaped (yurakkabo) on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

This doctrine is mirrored in Judaism: “According to tradition, there is a miniscule bone in the upper spine called the luz bone. It is from this indestructible bone that G‑d will reconstruct the entire body when the time arrives for the Resurrection of the Dead”.

Previously on this blog I have cited this Hadith as an argument against the Hayatis (those who believe the Prophets are alive in their graves) that the bodies of the Prophets do not decay. For the wording of this Hadith is general in referring to insan and all Prophets were humans.

Islam forcefully condemns the pagan custom of cremation, which today is the standard practice of Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. Cremation is becoming more common in the Western world too especially with the prevalence of agnosticism. Yet Islam’s reason for being against cremation is not the ignorant misconception that cremated remains cannot be resurrected, rather, we Muslims view it as a desecration of the human corpse, which is meant to be respected. The fact that cremated remains will be resurrected to face the final judgment is explicitly affirmed in our Faith:

Narrated Abu Sa`id: The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned a man from the people of the past or those who preceded you. The Prophet (ﷺ) said a sentence meaning: Allah had given him wealth and children. When his death approached, he said to his sons, “What kind of father have I been to you?” They replied, “You have been a good father.” He told them that he had not presented any good deed before Allah, and if Allah should get hold of him He would punish him.' “So look!” he added, “When I die, burn me, and when I turn into coal, crush me, and when there comes a windy day, scatter my ashes in the wind.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “Then by Allah, he took a firm promise from his children to do so, and they did so. (They burnt him after his death) and threw his ashes on a windy day. Then Allah commanded to his ashes. “Be,” and behold! He became a man standing! Allah said, “O My slave! What made you do what you did?” He replied, “For fear of You.” Nothing saved him then but Allah’s Mercy (So Allah forgave him). (Sahih al-Bukhari)