The Prophets are Alive in Their Graves

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

It is the position of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah is that our Prophet (s.a.w.) and all the prophets are alive in their graves.  The attribute of hayy, living, belongs to the soul, not the body.

Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi (q.s.) compiled narrations on this subject in his Inbah al-Azkiya’ bi Hayat al-Anbiya’.  Similar narrations are also found in the works of scholars such as Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn Ahmad ash-Sha’rani (r.a.), Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi (r.a.), and Imam Shams ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (r.a.) in his ar-Ruh.

We also have the following verses to consider:

سُوۡرَةُ الزّخرُف

وَسۡـَٔلۡ مَنۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلۡنَا مِن دُونِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ءَالِهَةً۬ يُعۡبَدُونَ (٤٥)

And question you Our messengers whom We Sent before you; did We Appoint any deities other than (Allah) Most Gracious, to be worshipped? (Surah az-Zukhruf:45)

It is the ijma’, consensus, of a great many mufassirun, exegetes, that these verses allude to the prophets being alive in their graves.  Further commentaries to this effect may be found in Imam Abu ats-Tsana’ Shihab ad-Din Sayyid Mahmud ibn ‘Abdullah al-Husayni al-Aluwsi al-Baghdadi’s (r.a.) ar-Ruh al-Ma’ani fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-A’aẓhim wa Sab’u al-Matsani; Imam as-Suyuthi’s (q.s.) ad-Durr al-Mantsur fi Tafsir bi al-Ma’tsur; and elsewhere.

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَلَا تَقُولُواْ لِمَن يُقۡتَلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمۡوَٲتُۢ‌ۚ بَلۡ أَحۡيَآءٌ۬ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَشۡعُرُونَ (١٥٤)

And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah, “They are dead.”  Nay, they are living, though you perceive (it) not. (Surah al-Baqarah:154)

Regarding this verse, Imam Shihab ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani (r.a.), stated in his Fatḥ al-Bari fi Sharḥ Swaḥiḥ al-Bukhari, “When the living of the martyrs is proven from the text of the Qur’an, then this is also proven from an analogical point of view.  And the prophets are superior to the martyrs.”

Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik (r.a.) narrated, “On the night of Isra’, the Rasulullah (s.a.w.) passed by the grave of Musa (a.s.), and found him praying in his grave.”  This is considered swahih, and recorded in the Shaykhayn and elsewhere.

Sayyidina Anas (r.a.) also narrated that Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “The prophets are alive in their graves, performing swalah.”  This is recorded by Imam al-Bayhaqi (r.a.), in his Hayat al-Anbiya’; and Qadhi Abu Ya’la Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Farra’ (r.a.), in his Musnad.  This hadits has also been authenticated by Imam ibn Hajr (r.a.), Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami (r.a.), Mulla Nur ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Sulthan Muhammad al-Hirawi al-Qari (r.a.), Imam Zayn ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Ra’uf ibn Taj̲ al-‘Arifin al-Haddadi al-Munawi (r.a.), and Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ash-Shawkani (r.a.), amongst many others.

Sayyidina Aws ibn Aws ats-Tsaqafi (r.a.) narrated that Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “Send swalawat in abundance on me on Friday, as your sending swalawat are presented to me.”

The swahabah inquired, “How is it possible that you receive our swalawat when your body will have been decayed?”

Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “Verily Allah (s.w.t.) has made Forbidden for the earth to eat the bodies of the prophets.”  This is recorded by Imam Abu Dawud (r.a.), Imam an-Nasa’i (r.a.), Imam ibn Majah (r.a.), Imam ad-Darami (r.a.) and others, and authenticated by many more, such as by Imam ibn al-Qayyim (r.a.).

Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi az-Zahrani al-Azdi (r.a.) narrated that Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “None of you greets me except that Allah (s.w.t.) Returns my soul on me until I return his greeting.”  This is recorded in Musnad Ahmad, and Musnad Abu Dawud.

Sayyidina Anas (r.a.) narrated that Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “The prophets are not kept in their graves for more than forty nights, but they remain worshiping Allah (s.w.t.) until the trumpet will be blown.”  This is recorded in Sunan al-Bayhaqi.

There are many narrations regarding this.  Imam as-Suyuthi (q.s.) was of the view that these narrations have reached the level of tawatur, certainty.  And this is the ijma’ of the scholars.

Imam ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani (r.a.) wrote, in Fath al-Bari, “Death will never come to the Blessed Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) in his grave, but he will remain alive, due to the fact that the prophets remain alive in their graves.”

Imam Taj ad-Din Abu Naswr ʻAbd al-Wahhab ibn ʻAli as-Subki (r.a.) also wrote, in his Thabaqat ash-Shafi’iyyah al-Kubra’, “It is from our beliefs that the prophets are alive in their graves.”

The great Hanafi jurist, Imam Muhammad Amin ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abidin (r.a.) wrote, in his Rasa’il, “The prophets are alive in their graves, as proven from the ahadits.”

The mujtahid, Imam ash-Shawkani (r.a.), a favourite of the Salafis, stated in Nayl al-Awthar, “The Prophet (s.a.w.) is alive in his grave, as has been established in the hadits, ‘The prophets are alive in their graves.’”

Also, one of the major incidents that proved this, is during the of Mi’raj, the Prophet (s.a.w.) met and conversed with many other prophets.  He also led them in swalah in Masjid al-Aqswa’.

The above evidence from the Qur’an, ahadits and the narrations of the pious predecessors are sufficient to prove the fact that the prophets remain alive in their graves after they pass away from this world.  There are many other pieces of evidence which we have not mentioned here since this is sufficient for the sincere believer.  This has always been our ‘aqidah.  It is only recently that some people have objected to this view.  They are people of innovation in doctrine.  For more details on this subject, one may refer to Imam as-Suyuthi’s (q.s.) Inbah al-Azkiya bi Hayat al-Anbiya’, and Imam al-Bayhaqi’s (r.a.) Hayat al-Anbiya’.