By Mawlana Khalīl Ahmad al-Sahāranpūrī
Translated by Mawlana Musa Sugapong
Question:
What is your position in regards to the life of the Holy Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in his noble grave? Is that a matter exclusive to him or is it solely like the rest of the believers, an interval (barzakhiyyah) life?
Reply:
According to us and according to our elders, the Holy Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is alive in his grave. [His] life is a material life free from any burden – exclusive to him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), all prophets (peace be upon them), and martyrs – not an interval life, as is the case with the remainder of the believers, rather for all of mankind. Regarding this, the erudite scholar, [Imam] Suyuti, wrote a treatise: Inba’ al-Adhkiya’ bi Hayat al-Anbiya’ (Enlightening the Intelligent About the Lives of the Prophets), in which it is stated:
“Shaykh Taqi al-Din al-Subki states, ‘The life of the prophets and martyrs in their grave is like their life in this world. The prayer of the prophet Musa (upon him be peace) in his grave testifies to this, as prayer requires a living body…”
Subsequently, it is established through this that his life is a material life and an interval life, due to the reason that it is occurring in the interval realm (‘alam al-barzakh).
An entire treatise, scrupulously referenced, articulately expressed and unparalleled, has been written in relation to this topic by our elder, Mawlana Muhammad Qasim al-Nanotwi (may Allah sanctify his secret). It has been printed and is currently widely-available amongst the people, whose title is Abe Hayat (The Water of Life).
Extracted from al-Muhannad ‘ala ’l-Mufannad by the Muhaddith Khalil ‘Ahmad al-Saharanpuri
[…] [1] See Zubdat al-Manasik of Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, p.90. Cf. Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi’s Nashr al-Tib, p.297 and Allama Khalil Ahmad Sahranpuri’s Tadhkirat-e-Khalil, p.206 for identical comments. See also Mufti Taqi Usmani’s discussion on the hadiths regarding the Prophets (al-anbiya’) being alive in their graves from his hadith commentary Takmila Fath al-Mulhim, 5:23-27 being a completion of Mufti Shabbir Ahmad Usmani’s commentary on the Sahih of Imam Muslim entitled Fath al-Mulhim translated here https://www.ilmgate.org/hadith-on-the-life-of-prophets-in-the-grave/ and see also https://www.ilmgate.org/on-the-life-of-the-prophet-in-his-grave/ […]