Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
Yes, the Prophet ﷺ is alive in his grave (Barzakh). This is the case for all Prophets (peace be upon them), as mentioned in sound Hadith.
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلى الله عَلَيه وسَلمَ: الأَنْبِيَاءُ أَحْيَاءٌ فِي قُبُورِهِمْ يُصَلُّونَ
(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Prophets (peace be upon them) are alive in their graves, praying.’ (Musnad Abi Ya’la al-Mowsili, 3425).
The Hadith above affirms that the Prophets (peace be upon them) are alive in their graves and they are praying. The narrators of this Hadith are sound.
وَعَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: الْأَنْبِيَاءُ أَحْيَاءٌ فِي قُبُورِهِمْ يُصَلُّونَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو يَعْلَى وَالْبَزَّارُ، وَرِجَالُ أَبِي يَعْلَى ثِقَاتٌ. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)
(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Prophets (peace be upon them) are alive in their graves, praying.’ It was narrated by Abu Ya’la and al-Bazzar. The narrators of Abu Ya’la are sound. (Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawaid).
There are numerous proofs to substantiate the fact that Prophets (peace be upon them) are alive in their graves or the Barzakh. In the Hadith from Sahih Muslim below, the Holy Prophet ﷺ provides a specific example of the general rule stated above.
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: أَتَيْتُ – وَفِي رِوَايَةِ هَدَّابٍ: مَرَرْتُ – عَلَى مُوسَى لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي عِنْدَ الْكَثِيبِ الْأَحْمَرِ، وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي قَبْرِهِ
(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I passed by Moses (peace be upon him), during the Night journey (al-Israa), near the red sand dune. He was standing and praying in his grave.’ (Sahih Muslim, 2375 – 164).
On the night of the Isra and Miraj, the Holy Prophet ﷺ prayed with the Prophets (peace be upon them) in al-Masjid al-Aqsa and then also met some of them in the heavens. This demonstrates that the Prophets (peace be upon them) have freedom to travel in the Barzakh (life of the grave).
وَقَالَ ابْنُ الْمَلَكِ فِي شَرْحِ الْمَشَارِقِ: الْمَرْئِيُّ كَأَنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مُتَشَكِّلَةٌ بِصُوَرِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا، إِلَّا عِيسَى فَإِنَّهُ مَرْئِيٌّ بِشَخْصِهِ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)
Ibn al-Malak said in Sharh al-Mashariq, what was seen was the souls of the Prophets (peace be upon them). They had taken the outward forms that they were upon, except for (Sayidina) Isa (peace be upon him), he was seen in person. (Imam Ali al-Qari, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).
Some scholars used the following verse as yet another evidence that the Prophets (peace be upon them) are alive in the Barzakh (grave). They explained that if the martyrs (Shuhadaa) are alive in the Barzakh, then it necessitates that the Prophets are alive too. This is because the Prophets are superior to non-Prophets, and a Shaheed (martyr) cannot have a reward or rank above that of a Prophet.
وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ وَلَكِنْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ
Do not say ‘dead’ regarding those who are killed in the path of Allah. Rather they are alive, but you do not perceive it. (Surah al-Baqarah, 154).
قُلْتُ وَإِذَا ثَبَتَ أَنَّهُمْ أَحْيَاءٌ مِنْ حَيْثُ النَّقْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يُقَوِّيهِ مِنْ حَيْثُ النَّظَرِ كَوْنُ الشُّهَدَاءِ أَحْيَاءٌ بِنَصِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْأَنْبِيَاءُ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الشُّهَدَاءِ. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)
I say, if it is established through (explicit) narration that they (the Prophets) are alive, then it is further strengthened through reflection. The fact that the martyrs are alive, which is explicitly established by the text of the Quran, the Prophets (peace be upon them) are greater than the martyrs. (Imam Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajr al-Asqalani).
And Allah (Most High) Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (25.02.2023)
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