Believing in Resurrection after death

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon His Messenger, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

It is part of the `Aqidah (creed) of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) to believe in resurrection after death. At-Tahawy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: Believing in resurrection that was proven by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the reason, and natural disposition is obligatory because Allah (Glory be to Him) mentioned this in His Book, established the proof to it, and refuted the claims of its deniers in most Surahs of the Qur'an.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected (for the Account). Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did; and that is easy for Allâh." [Surat At-Taghabun: 7].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "That is because Allâh: He is the Truth, and it is He Who gives life to the dead, and it is He Who is Able to do all things.* And surely, the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it; and certainly, Allâh will resurrect those who are in the graves." [Surat Hajj: 6 - 7].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And they say: "When we are bones and fragments (destroyed), should we really be resurrected (to be) a new creation?" *Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him) "Be you stones or iron," *"Or some created thing that is yet greater (or harder) in your breasts (thoughts to be resurrected, even then you shall be resurrected)." Then, they will say: "Who shall bring us back (to life)?" Say: "He Who created you first!" Then, they will shake their heads at you and say: "When will that be?" Say: "Perhaps it is near!"" [Surat Al Isra': 49 - 51]. [1]

In the last Ayah, Allah (may He be Exalted) said about the infidels who denied resurrection: "And they say: "When we are bones and fragments (destroyed), should we really be resurrected (to be) a new creation?"" Then Allah commanded His Messenger to answer them saying: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him) "Be stones or iron, * "Or some created thing that is yet greater (or harder) in your breasts (thoughts to be resurrected, even then you shall be resurrected)." Then, they will say: "Who shall bring us back (to life)?" Say: "He Who created you first!" Then, they will shake their heads at you and say: "When will that be?" Say: "Perhaps it is near!" Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning?".

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it (after it has been perished); and this is easier for Him. His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable to Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." [Surat Ar-Rum: 27].[2]

At-Tirmidhy reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "No one is a Believer unless he believes in four things: (1) He testifies that there is no God but Allah and that I am Allah's Messenger and He sent me with the truth. (2) He believes in death (being certain and does pious deeds before that). (3) He believes in resurrection after death, and (4) He believes in predestination." [3]

Allah (Exalted be He) says:"And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: "Who will give life to these bones after they are rotted and have become dust?" *Say: (O Muhammad peace be upon him): "He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is All-Knower of every creation!" *He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith. *Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, Able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator. * Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" - and it is! *So glorified is He and exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things: and to Him you shall be returned." [Surat Yasin: 78 - 83].

Some people said: If the most eloquent people wanted to bring a better argument or even words similar to these words and put these proofs together, they would not be able to do so.[4]

At-Tahawy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: The view of the Pious Predecessors and the majority of scholars is that bodies change from one condition to another, turn to be dust, then are created once more in the first form. Soul is created as such: First, sperm then `Alaqah (a small lump of flesh), then becomes embryo, then becomes bones and meat, then a soul is created in straight form. Likewise is the recreation in which Allah rebuilds man from his tailbone after he had been decayed.[5]

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The earth would consume every son of Adam except his spinal chord from which his body would be reconstituted (on the Day of Resurrection)."[6]

Someone may say: Man maybe eaten by beasts, or swallowed by whales of seas, or burnt completely and nothing of its body is left over; how to answer this? This will be answered as follows: The matter is easy for Allah by saying: Be, and it is.

The ability of Allah is beyond imagination, and Allah is Competent over all things. Al Bukhari reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Once there was a man on his death-bed, when I die, gather for me a large heap of wood and make a fire (to burn me). When the fire eats my meat and reaches my bones, and when the bones burn, take and crush them into powder and wait for a windy day to throw it (i.e. the powder) over the sea. They did so, but Allah collected his particles and asked him: Why did you do so? He replied: For fear of You. So Allah forgave him."[7]

`Abdullah Al Andalusy said: Resurrection after death is a true promise by returning souls to their bodies.

When a believer believes in resurrection after death which is one of the six pillars of faith and that Allah is Competent over all things, as Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as (the creation and resurrection of) a single person. Verily, Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Seer." [Surat Luqman: 28], he will hold himself accountable for every minor and major sins and be ready for meeting Allah.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "So, by your Lord, (O Muhammad peace be upon him), We shall certainly call all of them to account. *For all that they used to do." [Surat Al Hijr: 92 - 93].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "But stop them, verily they are to be questioned." [Surat As-Safat: 24].

At-Tirmidhy reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Abu Barzah Al Aslamy (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "(On the Day of Resurrection) the feet of a slave will not move till he is asked about his life how he spent it; and about his knowledge, what he did with it, and about his wealth, how he earned it and on what he used it, and about his body, in what way he wore it off."[8] `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Hold yourself accountable before being accounted, weigh your actions before they are weighed, and prepare yourself to the great display before Allah."

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. And peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.