One
of the more bizarre doctrines that the overwhelming majority of
Muslims hold to, without any real evaluation, is that the bodies of
the Prophets (peace be upon them) do not decay after death. This is
based on an alleged Hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him):
إِنَّ
اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَرَّمَ عَلَى
الْأَرْضِ أَجْسَادَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ
Translation:
“Verily, Allah (Azza wa Jall) has made the bodies of the Prophets
forbidden for the Earth.”
This
Hadith is generally held to be in order by most Muslim scholars. This
despite the fact that for the mainstream Ulama, the contents of a
Hadith are binding for Muslims in dogma provided it meets the
criteria of Tawaatur.
This means that the report attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon
him) must be narrated from such a large number of narrators, at each
level of transmission, so as to preclude logically the possibility of
it being a fabrication or in any way inaccurate. As we shall see, the
Hadith about the earth being forbidden to consume or decay the bodies
of the Prophets, far from being a Mutawaatir
(mass-narrated)
report, is not even solidly authentic as a Khabr
al-Wahid
(solitary report). I shall cite evidence in this entry proving that
this particular Hadith is in fact weak, even if slightly so.
Furthermore, the fact that it apparently contradicts the verdict of
the Holy Qur’an itself as well as more authentic material from the
Sunnah is
more than enough reason to reject it outright.
First
let us see what the eminent Imam of Hadith sciences, al-Khatib
al-Baghdadi (d. 463 A.H) has said regarding the conditions for
accepting a solitary Hadith, or Khabr
al-Wahid:
ولا
يقبل خبر الواحد في منافاة حكم العقل وحكم
القرآن الثابت المحكم والسنة المعلومة
والفعل الجاري مجرى السنة كل دليل مقطوع
به
Translation:
“A solitary report is unacceptable if it negates the verdict of the
intellect, the verdict of the Quran, the Sunnah al-Ma’lumah (the
well-known Sunnah), and a continuously practiced action from the
Sunnah.”
Reference:
Al-Kifayah Fi ’Ilm al-Riwayah; p.432
Hence,
based on this principle of the classical Muhaditheen and Ulama, the
Hadith of the bodies of the Prophets being immune from decay after
death must not be believed in because it it clearly against the
intellect to accept such a belief. However, the main reason is that
such a Hadith opposes the concise text of the Holy Quran itself:
وَمَا
أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا
نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ
الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴿٧﴾وَمَا
جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدًا لَّا يَأْكُلُونَ
الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ﴿٨﴾
Translation:
And We did not send before you (O beloved Prophet) anyone but men, to
Whom We inspired unto. So ask the people of remembrance if you do not
know. And nor did We bestow upon them a body that does not eat food,
nor were they immortal.
(Surah
21:7-8)
This
verse, although generally applicable to all human beings, is in fact
specifically addressing the reality of the Prophets and Messengers of
God. This passage of the Holy Quran emphatically states that the
bodies of the Prophet are not such that they can subsist without
food. Since the bodies of the Prophets are buried in their respective
earthen graves, they do not have access to food, therefore, they are
unable to subsist. Furthermore, Allah Most High says that the
Prophets are not granted Khuld
(immortality).
The belief that the bodies of the Prophets are preserved and that
their freshness is maintained for all time is undoubtedly a kind of
immortality which the Holy Quran is negating, and Allah knows best.
In
an authentic Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to
have informed us about the reality of death and how it effects the
human body:
كُلُّ
ابْنِ آدَمَ يَأْكُلُهُ التُّرَابُ
إِلَّا عَجْبَ الذَّنَبِ مِنْهُ خُلِقَ
وَفِيهِ يُرَكَّبُ
Translation:
“All of the son of man is consumed by dust except the tailbone
(coccyx) from which he was created and from which he shall be
re-assembled [on the Day of Ressurection].” (Sahih Muslim)
This
Hadith is general in its reference to the sons of Adam (human
beings), and there is no reason to exclude the Prophets, who are
human beings, sons of Adam.
Yet
if the opposing side were to insist that this Hadith cannot be used
as a proof for the belief that the bodies of the Prophets decay
specifically, since it is too general, then I refer them to another
Hadith which is specific to a Prophet. That is because if it is
proven from the Sunnah that even a single Prophet’s body decayed to
nothing but bones after death then the foundation of the opposing
side’s doctrine will have been shattered. In an authentic Hadith,
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentions the details about
the death and burial of the ancient Prophet Yusuf (Joseph):
إِنَّ
مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لَمَّا سَارَ
بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ مِصْرَ ،
ضَلُّوا الطَّرِيقَ ، فقَالَ :
مَا
هَذَا ؟ فقَالَ عُلَمَاؤُهُمْ :
إِنَّ
يُوسُفَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ، لَمَّا
حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ أَخَذَ عَلَيْنَا
مَوْثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ أَنْ لا نَخْرُجَ
مِنْ مِصْرَ حَتَّى نَنْقُلَ عِظَامَهُ
مَعَنَا ، قَالَ :
فَمَنْ
يَعْلَمُ مَوْضِعَ قَبْرِهِ ؟ قَالَ :
عَجُوزٌ
مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ، فَبَعَثَ
إِلَيْهَا فَأَتَتْهُ ، فقَالَ :
دُلِّينِي
عَلَى قَبْرِ يُوسُفَ ، قَالَتْ :
حَتَّى
تُعْطِيَنِي حُكْمِي ، قَالَ :
وَمَا
حُكْمُكِ ؟ قَالَتْ :
أَكُونُ
مَعَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ، فَكَرِهَ أَنْ
يُعْطِيَهَا ذَلِكَ ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ
إِلَيْهِ :
أَنْ
أَعْطِهَا حُكْمَهَا ، فَانْطَلَقَتْ
بِهِمْ إِلَى بُحَيْرَةٍ مَوْضِعِ
مُسْتَنْقَعِ مَاءٍ ، فَقَالَتْ :
أَنْضِبُوا
هَذَا الْمَاءَ ، فَأَنْضَبُوهُ ،
فَقَالَتْ :
احْتَفِرُوا
، فَاحْتَفَرُوا ، فَاسْتَخْرَجُوا
عِظَامَ يُوسُفَ ، فَلَمَّا أَقَلُّوهَا
إِلَى الأَرْضِ ، وَإِذَا الطَّرِيقُ
مِثْلُ ضَوْءِ النَّهَارِ
Translation:
“Verily when Moses
(peace be upon him) emigrated from Egypt with the Children of Israel,
they got lost along the way. So their scholars said: “When Joseph
(peace be upon him) was about to die he took a covenant from them
(Israelites) that they would not go
away from Egypt unless they took his bones
with them. Moses (peace be upon him) asked them which of them could
point out his grave.
They
said that none apart from an old woman of the Children of Israel
could point out the grave. Musa (alaihis salam) sent a messenger to
fetch her and requested her to guide them to the grave of Joseph
(peace be upon him). She said, ‘No, by Allah, no! I will never do
that unless (you promise me that) I will live with you in Paradise.’
Moses (peace be upon him) did not like what she said. However, he was
told in a revelation that he should promise her what she wanted and
he accepted her demand. The old woman took them to a small pond and
said to them, ‘Take out this water!’ When the water was pumped
out, she said, ‘Dig here!’ When they had dug out the earth, they
found the bones of Joseph (peace be upon him) inside. Then they
continued their exile with the bones
of Joseph
with them. The path was clear to them shining like day-light.”
Reference:
A Hadith reported in the collections of Sahih Ibn Hibban, Mustadrak
al-Hakim, and Musnad Abi Ya’ala.
The
implications of the Hadith are obvious. The specific mention of
’Izaam
(bones) being dug out from the grave of Prophet Joseph (peace be upon
him) leaves no room for doubt that, despite being a Prophet, his body
had decayed over the years after having died and been buried, like
all other ordinary human beings. All that remained in his grave were
his bones.
This
authentic Hadith related from the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi
wasallam) is enough to contradict and therefore dispense with the
Hadith of more questionable authenticity that states that the bodies
of the Prophets are not decayed. Furthermore, the authentic story of
Joseph is also corroborated in the Torah or Hebrew Bible (Genesis
50:25, Exodus
13:19, Book of Joshua 24:32).
Apart
from these authentic Ahadith and historical evidence, there is also a
statement from an eminent companion and relative of the Prophet
Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), namely his paternal uncle
Abul-Fadl al-Abbas (Radiyallahu anhu). It is authentically reported
from Al-Abbas that he delivered a sermon on the occassion of the
death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when some of the Companions
were in deep shock and confusion:
تُوُفِّيَ
رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ
وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ ، فَحُبِسَ
بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِهِ وَلَيْلَتَهُ
وَالْغَدَ حَتَّى دُفِنَ لَيْلَةَ
الْأَرْبِعَاءِ ، وَقَالُوا :
إِنَّ
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ
وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَمُتْ ، وَلَكِنْ عُرِجَ
بِرُوحِهِ كَمَا عُرِجَ بِرُوحِ مُوسَى
، فَقَامَ عُمَرُ ، فَقَالَ :
إِنَّ
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ
وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَمُتْ ، وَلَكِنْ عُرِجَ
بِرُوحِهِ كَمَا عُرِجَ بِرُوحِ مُوسَى
، وَاللَّهِ لَا يَمُوتُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
حَتَّى يَقْطَعَ أَيْدِيَ أَقْوَامٍ
وَأَلْسِنَتَهُمْ ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عُمَرُ
يَتَكَلَّمُ حَتَّى أَزْبَدَ شِدْقَاهُ
مِمَّا يُوعِدُ وَيَقُولُ ، فَقَامَ
الْعَبَّاسُ ، فَقَالَ :
إِنَّ
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ
وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ مَاتَ ، وَإِنَّهُ لَبَشَرٌ
وَإِنَّهُ يَأْسَنُ كَمَا يَأْسَنُ
الْبَشَرُ ، أَيْ قَوْمِ فَادْفِنُوا
صَاحِبَكُمْ
Translation:
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) expired on a
Monday, but he was not buried until Wednesday. Some people said: “The
Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam has not died, but
rather his soul has ascended like the ascending of the soul of
Moses.” So Umar stood up and said: “The Messenger of Allah
Sallallaho alaihi wasallam has not died, rather his soul has only
ascended like the ascending of the soul of Moses. By Allah! The
Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam cannot die until he
cuts the hands and tongues of nations. Umar continued to speak thus
until he increased in the severity of his threat. Then al-Abbas (may
Allah be pleased with him) stood up and addressed the people with the
following words: “Verily, the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi
wasallam) has died. Indeed he was a mortal human being, and
he shall change as mortal human beings change
(after death). So people bury your Companion...”
Reference:
Sunan al-Darimi; Chapter on the Death of the Prophet
In
fact, the word used by al-Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) is from
the root conveying a sense of passage of time and alteration in
quality (Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p.460). Another
derivative of the same root is found in the Holy Quran:
فَانظُرْ
إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ
يَتَسَنَّهْ
So
look at your food and your drink, it has not changed with time (Surah
2: 259)
The
word used by Al-Abbas is commonly used in reference to the spoiling
or rotting of food and the decay of the human body after death with
the passage of time. It clearly indicates that this eminent companion
and paternal uncle of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him) did
not hold the commonly accepted belief of today's Muslims that the
bodies of the Prophets do not change after death and do not decay in
their graves.
Now,
before concluding, let us analyze the authenticity (or lack thereof)
of the disputed Hadith which states that Allah has forbidden the
Earth from consuming the bodies of the Prophets. In fact, the Hadith
is even more questionable and dubious when we analyze it in its
proper context. The Hadith in full states to the effect that the
Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) instructed that an abundance of
Salawaat or
Durood
(invocations
of blessings) should be invoked upon him on Fridays since those
invocations would reach him. The companions asked how that was
possible even after his death. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi
wasallam) then explained that even after his death it was possible
for their Salawaat to reach him because Allah has forbidden the earth
from consuming the bodies of the Prophets.
The
blatant problem with the Hadith due to which its authenticity from
the Prophet becomes suspect is that it is essentially implying that
the preservation of the physical body of a human being after death is
necessary in order for people's invocations of blessings and other
beneficial supplications on their behalf reach them or have an effect
on them. Islam, of course, does not teach such a theology. Such a
theology is more remnicient of the ancient Egyptian, cultic belief
about the necessity of preserving the human body after death (through
mummification) in order for it to continue to persist in the
afterlife. Islam, however, teaches and encourages the living to pray
for and invoke blessings and peace upon those who have died, Prophets
or otherwise, since such invocations benefit them as it reaches their
souls. Hence, there is a major theological problem with this isolated
and weak Hadith which is reason enough to disregard it.
As
for the Isnaad
(chains
of narration) for this Hadith, there are two main narrations, one
through the companion Aws b. Aws, and another through Abu Dardaa (may
Allah be pleased with them both). The narration of Aws b. Aws, as
reported in Sunan of Abi Dawud and Ibn Majah, contains the narrator
Abdur Rahman b. Yazid. He is referred to as Abdur Rahman b. Yazid b.
Jabir. However, this is a mistake by the one who has transcribed the
chain of the Hadith because the narrator is actually Abdur Rahman b.
Yazid b. Tamim (i.e. The grandsom of Tamim and not Jabir) who is
classified as Da'if
(weak)
by the scholars of Hadith. How do we know this? Because the one
narrating from Abdur Rahman b. Yazid is Hussain b. Ali al-Ja'afi, and
the teacher of al-Ja'afi from whom he took Hadith narrations was
Abdur Rahman b. Yazid b. Tamim. For this reason, prominent
Muhadditheen like Imam al-Bukhari, Abu Zur'ah al-Razi, Abu Hatim
al-Razi and others have declared this chain of narration as
problematic and an error.
The
second narration is the one of Abu Dardaa (Allah be pleased with
him). The chain for that narration has the narrator Zayd b. Ayman
narrating from 'Ubadah b. Nusayi. This chain is weak due to Inqitaa
(disconnection
in the chain) because Zayd b. Ayman did not narrate directly from
'Ubadah b. Nusayi, there is Irsaal
between
them according to Imam al-Bukhari.
For
the sake of argument, if it were conceded that the problems or
weakness with this Hadith are minor or do not justify outright
rejection of it, the answer to that objection is, in summary,
threefold:
The
Hadith is in relation to Aqaa'id
(doctrine),
not in Fadaa'il
(virtues)
or Ahkaam (laws).
The conditions for accepting a Hadith in matters of creed are much
more rigorous, according to many classical scholars, such a Hadith
must be mass-narrated and not a solitary report. This Hadith does
not meet such rigorous conditions.
Even
if the Hadith was undisputably authentic, it still contradicts other
authentic Hadith, including the story of the bones of Prophet
Joseph, and the authentic Hadith related by Imam Muslim about the
decay of the human body except for the tailbone. According to
principle, the Ahadith of Bukhari and Muslim are given predecence to
otherwise authentic Hadith which are related in other collections
but not found in Sahih al-Bukhari and/or Sahih Muslim.
The
Hadith is apparently contradicting the verse of the Holy Quran (21:
8) which states that the earthly bodies of the Prophets (peace be
upon them) cannot subsist without food.
*In
Sha Allah,
I shall analyze and refute other evidence presented by the opposing
side regarding this controversy in future entries on this blog.
