Are the Prophets alive?

Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) has granted superiority to the Prophets (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) over all other creation and has granted them special honor and perfection. He has made the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) the leader of all the Prophets and has ended Prophethood on Him. Through the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) has granted many ni’mah to this Ummah. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) says about the martyrs (Shuhada):   And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead." Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not. (154) Surah Baqarah (2:154)   Through this verse of the Holy Quran, we understand the Shuhada are alive. The Prophets are the best of all the creation. It is against their honor that their followers get martyred and stay alive and the Prophets themselves whose teaching inspired them to attain martyrdom do not reach this high station. Thus, the Prophets are all the more alive and with even more perfection. As Imam Zurqani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has written in the interpretation of Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol. 7, Pg No: 368.   The Hadith explicitly mention that the Prophets are alive. There is a Hadith in Musnad Abu Ya’ala:   Translation of Hadith: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The Prophets are alive and offer Salaat in their graves. (Musnad Abu Ya’ala, Hadith No: 3331, Musnad Anas Raziallahu Anhu)   Imam Haithami (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes in Majma’ Uz Zawaaid after mentioning this Hadith:   Translation: All the narrators of this Hadith are veritable and reliable. (Majma’ Uz Zawaaid, Vol. 8, Pg No: 210)   There is another Hadith:   Translation of Hadith: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Aus bin Aus (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The most superior days among your days is Friday, on this day Hadhrat Adam (Peace be upon him) was born, on this day he passed away in to the presence of Allah, on this day the horn (Soor) will be blown and on this day, unconsciousness will overwhelm people.   Thus, on this day, recite Durud profusely, as your Durud is presented to Me. The narrator says, the Sahabah requested: O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), how is our Durud presented to You after you meet Allah? Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The truth is that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) has forbidden the bodies of the Prophets for the earth.   This Hadith is present in the following books:   Sunan Abu Dawood Shareef, Vol. 1, Pg No: 150. Sunan Nasai, Hadith No: 1385. Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No: 1138. Mustadrak ‘Alas Sahihain, Hadith No: 980. Musnad Imam Ahmed, Hadith No: 16592. Musannaf Ibn Shaiba, Vol. 2, Pg No: 389. Sunan Kubra Lin Nasai, Hadith No: 16592. Mo’jam Kabeer Tabarani, Hadith No: 588. Mo’jam Ausat Tabarani, Hadith No: 4936. Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No: 912. Sahih Ibn Khuzaima, Hadith No: 16328. Sunan Sughra Lil Baihaqui, Hadith No: 607. Jame’ Ul Ahadith, Hadith No: 8441. Jame’ Ul Kabeer Lis Suyuti, Hadith No: 1790. Sunan Darmi, Hadith No: 1624. Kanz Ul ‘Ummal, Hadith No: 2202.         Sunan Ibn Majah, Jame’ Ul Ahadith and in Jame’ Ul Kabeer have the following extra words:   Translation of Hadith: The Prophets of Allah are alive and get Rizq   (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No: 1706, Jame’ Ul Ahadith, 4320, Jame’ Ul Kabeer Lis Suyuti, Hadith No: 61)   There is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim:   Translation of Hadith: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas Bin Malik (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: I passed by Hadhrat Moosa (Peace be upon him) when he was offering Salaat in his grave. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No: 165)   Please see part of a lengthy Hadith in Sahih Ibn Hibban about the aforementioned Hadith:   Translation of Hadith: When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) entered Bait Ul Muqaddis and then ascended the skies, then Hadhrat Moosa (Peace be upon him) also came. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) met him on the 6th heaven and they conversed………………(Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No: 50)   It is mentioned in this Hadith that on the first heaven, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) met Hadhrat Adam (Peace be upon him), on the 2nd Hadhrat Yahya (Peace be upon him), on the 3rd Hadhrat Yousuf (Peace be upon him), on the 4th Hadhrat Idris (Peace be upon him), on the 5th, Hadhrat Harun (Peace be upon him), on the 6th Hadhrat Moosa (Peace be upon him) and on the 7th Hadhrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him).   This Hadith shows that the Prophets are alive. They offer Salaat in the same way as they offered in this earthly life and pass from one place to another.   Imam Zurqani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says in Sharh Mawahib:   Translation: It is given in Fatawa Ramliya that the bodies of the Prophets, the martyrs and the scholars do not decay after death. The Prophets and the martyrs eat and drink in their graves, offer Salaat, fast and go for Haj. (Sharh Zurqani ‘Alal Mawahib, Vol. 7, Pg No: 369)

Dr. Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri

Shaykh Ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia; Founder - Director

Mufti Maulana Syed Zia Uddin Naqshbandi Quadri

Shaik-ul-Fiqh - Jamia Nizamia

Scholarly Articles

Are the Prophets alive?