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Please tell me about ghosts and if they exist in our world.

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Please tell me about ghosts and if they exist in our world. I thought that after death the spirit either goes to heaven or hell. Do some spirits stay on the earth and cause these so called "hauntings" ? What does the quran say about the spirit after one has died? I have heard so many stories on t.v and from friends that they have encountered ghosts and such things. Are there such spirits that have died but have no idea they have faced death and so they wonder the earth and become these apiritions that people talk about? When one has died, i have heard that they are in a so called "waiting room" and don`t get sentenced to heaven or hell till judgement day? Is this true? Please reply as soon as possible...this topic is very confusing and so I turn to you for the answer...Thank you. 

 

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Answer:

 

Ghosts barzakh death grave

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Your Question: Please tell me about ghosts and if they exist in our world.

In light of the absolutely clear guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, there is absolutely no such thing as ghosts! The only beings whom Allah has created who have the choice to do good and evil as he wills are the human beings and the jinns. Ghosts are nothing but the imaginations, whims, conjectures and guess-works of the ignorant people!

 

Your Question: I thought that after death the spirit either goes to heaven or hell. What does the quran say about the spirit after one has died?

Dear and Beloved brother, whatever happens to the soul after death in the grave, on the Day of Judgment, etc. is what is known as the knowledge of the ‘unseen’; and none possesses the Knowledge of the unseen except Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds, Alone. Thus to know what exactly transpires after death or in the grave, we must rely on only what is Declared by the All-Knowing Lord in His Glorious Quran, or what Allah Subhanah has made known to Prophet Mohamed (saws) through inspiration, and he (saws) narrated it to the believers in his authentic traditions.

 

One cannot of himself say ‘I think…’, ‘I suppose…’, ‘I assume….’, or ‘it is said….’ etc. when it comes to knowledge of the unseen! The Only One Who has the Absolute Knowledge of the Seen and the Unseen is none other than the One Who Created everything in existence; and He Alone has the Right to declare in Truth what exactly transpires in the events of the ‘unseen’. Thus for any information of the ‘unseen’ the believers must rely only on what is declared by the All-Knowing Lord in His Glorious Quran, or what He Willed to make known to the Last Messenger (saws) through inspiration, and he (saws) narrated it to the believers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verses 50-51:

50 If thou couldst see when the Angels take the souls of the unbelievers (at death) (how) they smite their faces and their backs (saying): "Taste the penalty of the blazing fire

51 Because of (the deeds) which your (own) hands sent forth: for Allah is never unjust to His servants.”

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verses 27-28

27 But how (will it be) when the Angels take their souls at death and smite their faces and their backs?

28 This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of Allah and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no effect.

 

In light of the above guidance of the Glorious Quran, it is evident that the Angels of Allah Subhanah take control of the soul of the deceased. Neither the soul has the power to ‘flee’ from the Angels, nor do the Angels of Allah set these souls free so that they may go where they please; and the Quran guides that the souls are placed in a place called the ‘Barzakh’.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Muminoon verses 99-103:

99 (In Falsehood will they be) until when death comes to one of them he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life)

100 In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." By no means! It is but a word he says; before them is a ‘Barzakh’ (Veil or Partition) till the Day they are raised up.

101 Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that day nor will one ask after another!

102 Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy they will attain salvation:

103 But those whose balance is light will be those who have lost their souls; in Hell will they abide.

 

The literal meaning of the term ‘barzakh’ is something of a barrier or a veil, or something which is kept hidden. In Quranic terminology, the period between one’s death on earth and when one will be granted life again by Allah on the Day of Judgement, is known as ‘Barzakh’.

 

What happens immediately to the soul of the deceased is narrated in truth by the Messenger of Allah (saws):

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4735 Narrated byAl-Bara' ibn Azib

The Prophet (saws) said: “When a believer is buried in the grave two angels will come to him (Munkar and Nakir, both have dark faces and blue eyes), make him sit up, and ask : ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘My religion is Islam.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘He is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).’ They will ask: ‘ Who made you aware of this?’ He will reply: ‘I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘My servant has spoken the truth. So spread a bed for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him into Paradise.’ Then some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him as far as the eye can see. At the death of the unbeliever his soul will be restored to his body in the grave. Then two angels will come to him. They will make him sit up and ask him: ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask: ‘Who was the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘He has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell. Then some of its heat and burning hot wind will come to him, and his grave will be compressed, such that his ribs will be crushed together. An angel who is blind and dumb will then be placed in charge of him, having a sledge-hammer, such that, if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. He will give him a blow with it, which will be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and jinn, and he will become dust. Then his soul will be restored to him (again).

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5352 Narrated by Abu Sa'id

The Prophet (saws) said: "The grave (or the life of the soul between one’s death and one’s resurrection on the Day of Judgment) is one of the Gardens of Paradise, or one of the pits of Hell!"

 

Your Question: Do some spirits stay on the earth and cause these so called "hauntings" ?

In light of the absolutely clear guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, no soul or spirit of the deceased can escape the clutches of the Angels of Allah, nor do the Angels of Allah set them free to go about and ‘haunt’ whom they will!!!!!

 

The souls of the deceased are secured by the Angels of Allah and are placed in a place called the ‘Barzakh’; neither can the soul of the deceased leave this secured place, nor can they come down to earth, nor do they have the power to interact with any human beings or jinns from ‘Barzakh’!

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Muminoon verses 99-100:

99 (In Falsehood will they be) until when death comes to one of them he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life)

100 In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." By no means! It is but a word he says; before them is a ‘Barzakh’ (Veil or Partition) till the Day they are raised up.

 

In light of the above clear guidance of the Glorious Quran, the souls of the deceased will remain in the Barzakh till the Lord Creator, Glorified and Exalted is He, Decrees to raise them up on the Day of Judgment.

 

Your Statement: I have heard so many stories on t.v and from friends that they have encountered ghosts and such things. Are there such spirits that have died but have no idea they have faced death and so they wonder the earth and become these apiritions that people talk about?

When one hears a ‘story’ from any source other than from the Quran and the Sunnah regarding any information of the ‘unseen’, then one should know with absolute conviction that they are without an iota of a doubt, just ‘stories’ which the ignorant have invented themselves through their imagination, whims, fancies, conjectures and guess-works!!

 

The stories are invented by the ignorant without right or authority and have absolutely no basis to truth and reality; and these ignorant people spread these self-invented stories to amuse, frighten, and scare the other ignorant people of the earth!

 

The believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day believe with absolute conviction news or information of the ‘unseen’, ONLY what is Declared in Truth by their Lord and His Messenger (saws).

 

Your Statement: this topic is very confusing and so I turn to you for the answer.

If one relies with absolute conviction on the Truth that is Declared by Allah Subhanah in His Glorious Quran and what is related in the authentic and established narrations of the Last and Final Messenger, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws); this topic of what happens to the soul after death is absolutely crystal clear.

 

If one listens or gives ear or believes the innumerable self-invented stories of the ignorant regarding what ‘they assume’ will happen in the ‘unseen’, it is only natural that one would be led into the state of doubt, fear, and confusion!

 

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 


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