The Elevation of the Prophets' Bodies and Their Preservation
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The third question of Fatwa No. ( 8257 ):
Q3: All the prophets died, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), on the night he was taken up and ascended to the heavens, saw in every heaven one of the prophets and messengers and prayed with them. Does this mean that the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) are also elevated to the heavens? A few days ago, I read in a book, the name of which I do not remember exactly, that when the messengers die, their bodies remain alive and do not decay; I mean that worms do not eat them as they eat other bodies. What is your opinion?
A3: When a person dies, whether he is a wali (close friend of Allah) or not, his body is not elevated to the heavens; rather, the soul of the believer ascends to the heavens, while the bodies remain on the earth. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Taha 20:55]. Also, bodies decay and are eaten by worms, except for the bodies of the prophets. It is established from the hadith of Aws ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 1361 It was narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i . It is known that 'Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) did not die, but was elevated to the heavens, and he will descend in the last of times and then die, as the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have been mass-transmitted regarding this. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q3: All the prophets died, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), on the night he was taken up and ascended to the heavens, saw in every heaven one of the prophets and messengers and prayed with them. Does this mean that the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) are also elevated to the heavens? A few days ago, I read in a book, the name of which I do not remember exactly, that when the messengers die, their bodies remain alive and do not decay; I mean that worms do not eat them as they eat other bodies. What is your opinion?
A3: When a person dies, whether he is a wali (close friend of Allah) or not, his body is not elevated to the heavens; rather, the soul of the believer ascends to the heavens, while the bodies remain on the earth. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىAmong the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trump will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke many blessings on me that day, for your blessing will be submitted to me." He was asked how that could be when his body had decayed* and replied, "God has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of prophets.”
إن من أفضل أيامكم يوم الجمعة، فيه خلق آدم، وفيه قبض، وفيه النفخة، وفيه الصعقة، فأكثروا عليَّ من الصلاة فيه، فإن صلاتكم معروضة علي فقالوا: يا رسول الله، وكيف تعرض صلاتنا عليك وقد أرمت؟ قال: يقولون: بليت، قال: إن الله حرم على الأرض أن تأكل أجساد الأنبياء
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.