The bodies of messengers are still intact and do not decay after death


Question:

It is well known that all the prophets have died. However, during the journey of Isra’ (Night Journey) and Mi`raj (Ascension to Heaven), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw a prophet in each heaven and led them in Salah (Prayer). Does this imply that Awliya’ (pious people) are also raised to heaven? A few days ago, I read in a book, the title of which I forget, that the bodies of messengers are still intact and do not decay after death. I mean that these bodies are not eaten by worms as is the case with other bodies. What is your opinion?

Answer:

Regardless of being a Waliy or not, if a person dies, the body does not ascend to heaven, but is kept on Earth. However, the soul is raised to heaven if it was that of a believer. Allah (Exalted be He) says, “Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again.” [TaHa: 55]

Moreover, apart from the prophets, all the bodies decay and are eaten by the worms. It was authentically reported from Aws ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet said, “Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the Last Trumpet will be blown, and on it the Shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me. The people asked: Messenger of Allah, how can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed? He replied: “Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of prophets.” Related by Abu Dawud and Al-Nasa’i.1

You should be aware of the fact that ‘Isa (Jesus) the son of Mariam (Mary (peace be upon him) did not die, rather he was raised to heaven and will descend at the end of time and then die. This fact is stated by Hadith Mutawatir (a Hadith reported by a significant number of narrators throughout the chain of narration, whose agreement upon a lie is impossible).

  1. Al-Nasa’i, Sunan, Book on Friday, no. 1374; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 1047; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on the narrations concerning funerals, no. 1636; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 4, p. 8; and Al-Darimy, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 1572. ↩