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Chapter 6
Back from the Barzakh
Can the soul of a dead person come back briefly to
life and communicate with the living? 294
Many Sufis believe that souls of the dead can and do come back to
earth and converse with the living (who are awake). In order to
assess the validity of such a claim, it is essential to explore the
various references to this issue found in the Qur’aan, the Sunnah
and books of Qur’aanic Tafseer.
The Theory of the Soul’s return opposes the Qur’aan
and the Sunnah
A number of Qur’aanic verses explicitly indicate that souls of the
dead do not come back to the world. When death comes to a
disbeliever, who rejects the truth of Resurrection, he realizes his
misguidance and error, and requests, “‘My Lord, send me back
(to life), so that I may work in righteousness regarding things
left behind’. But no! It is but a word that he speaks and behind
them is a Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be
resurrected.” 295 296 This verse is a clear proof against the theory of
the soul’s return. The word used in this verse is ‘Barzakh’ literally
meaning a veil, barrier or partition between two things. 297
Commentators of the Qur’aan like, Mujahid (a Tabi’e) explains
Barzakh in this verse to mean, ‘a barrier between the existing
world and death’. Another scholar of Tafseer, adh-Dhahhak (a
Tabi’e) described Barzakh as ‘the stage between this world and the
Hereafter.’ 298 Ibn Abbas defined it as Hijab, (a partition of veil).
294 These points have been taken from the book, Myteries of the Soul
Expounded by Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi.
295 See al-Qurtubi’s al-Jami’u li Ahkam al-Quran, vol.12, p.150.
296 Soorah al-Mu’minun (23): 99-100.
297 See al-Isfahani’s Mu’jam Mufradat Alfadh al-Quran, p.41 and Ibn al-
Atheer’s an-Nihayah fee Ghareeb al-Haeeith, vol.1,p.118.
298 See al-Qurtubi’s Tafseer, vol.12, p.150.
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