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Can the dead come back to life in Islam?

By · 2 min read
Desert bloom (marco-polo alma
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No, in Islam a person who has died does not come back to this world, except in rare miracles that Allah performed through His prophets. Everyone will be brought back to life on the Day of Resurrection. Until then, the soul stays in the barzakh, the in-between stage after death.

No return after death

The Quran describes a person at death begging to be sent back to do good deeds. The answer is firm:

لَعَلِّىٓ أَعْمَلُ صَـٰلِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّآ ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ "That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind. No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected." Quran 23:100

That "barrier" is the barzakh. See What is barzakh? The Prophet ﷺ said no one who enters Paradise would wish to return to this world, except the martyr, who wishes to come back and be martyred again because of the honor he sees (Sahih al-Bukhari 2817). Even he does not return.

Miracles in the Quran

Allah can do anything, and the Quran mentions a few times He brought the dead back to life as a sign:

  • Prophet Isa (Jesus) raised the dead "by permission of Allah" (Quran 3:49).
  • A man who passed a ruined town was made to die for a hundred years and then revived (Quran 2:259).
  • The murdered man of Bani Isra'il spoke after being struck with part of a cow (Quran 2:73).
  • Ibrahim's birds returned to him alive (Quran 2:260).

These were signs tied to prophets, not something that happens today. See Do Muslims believe in miracles?

Ghosts, zombies and reincarnation

Islam does not teach that the dead wander as ghosts, rise as zombies, or are reborn in new bodies. Strange experiences people report are explained by scholars in other ways, such as jinn or the mind playing tricks. See Do Muslims believe in reincarnation?

The real coming back: resurrection

Every human will be raised again, body and soul, on the Day of Judgement. Allah who created us the first time can easily do it again (Quran 36:78-79). This is why Muslims bury the dead with respect: the body will be brought back.

Key points
  • The dead do not return to this world (Quran 23:100).
  • Prophets like Isa raised the dead as miracles, by Allah's permission.
  • Islam rejects ghosts, zombies and reincarnation of the dead.
  • Everyone will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement.
Tip: If you've lost someone, you can still help them: make dua for them, give charity in their name, and keep their good habits alive. That connection continues even though they won't come back here.

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