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The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, receiving the news of his nation while in his grave

Question

What is the ruling on some people saying Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is Hayatun Nabi (not dead still alive)? Please explain with authentic references from the Hadeeth and Quran?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is alive in his grave, a life of Barzakh (life in the grave after death); a life which only Allaah The Almighty knows about. We do not know anything about it except for the knowledge that we know from the texts that were revealed to us, and we believe in them as revealed or conveyed by the Messenger  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ).

For instance, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "There is absolutely no one who sends his salutations upon me except that Allaah sends back my soul to me so that I would respond to his salutations." [Ahmad and Abu Daawood] When the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) informed the Companions  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them that their salutations upon him are presented to him, they asked, "O Prophet of Allaah, how will our salutations upon you be presented to you when you are dead?" He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) replied: "Allaah has forbidden the earth to decompose the bodies of Prophets." [Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah]

As regards the presenting of the deeds of his nation to him  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Allaah has angels who travel across the land and they convey the greetings of my nation to me…My life is better for you as you would ask me and I would answer your queries, and my death is also good for you, your deeds are exposed to me, and the good that I see therein, I praise Allaah for that, and the evil that I see therein, I seek forgiveness of Allaah for you."

Al-Bazzaar  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him commented on this narration saying, ''We do not know the ending of this narration, and it is only narrated from 'Abdullaah with this chain of narrators."

Indeed, some scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them classified the last portion of the narration as weak, like Al-Albaani  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him while others classified it as authentic like Az-Zarqaani  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him as he said, "It is reported by Al-Bazzaar with a good chain of narrators."

With regard to the affairs of the world being exposed to him, then we are not aware of any evidence proving this. In any case, no action or deed is dependent on knowing this issue.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa died and is buried in Madeenah">86435.

Allaah Knows best.

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