Where the soul goes before the burial of the dead Fatwa No: 143893
- Fatwa Date:29-11-2010
I would like to learn more on the death of a muslim for example when the person dies were does the soul go because i only know that the person gets questioned in the grave by angels nakir and munkar but what happens during the days in which the dead body is spent for example in the hospital or freezer, where is the soul at that moment?
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
We have already issued Fataawa 84517 and 83719 clarifying the life in the Barzakh and what happens in it, so please refer to them.
You should know that the matters that happen to the dead, like the questioning in the grave, the punishment in the grave or the pleasures in it, will take place whether or not the dead is buried. As-Saffaareeni said in his book “Lawaami’ Al-Anwaar Al-Bahiyyah”: “The one who is not buried, like the one who is crucified and the like, has his share of the questioning of the grave, and the squeeze of it. The prominent Imaam (Ibn Al-Qayyim) said in his book "Ar-Rooh": “It should be noted that the punishment in the grave is the punishment of the Barzakh, so every dead person who deserves punishment will get his share of it, whether or not he is buried. For instance, if he is eaten by lions, or he is burnt until he became ashes or is blown up in the air, or that he drowned in the sea, the punishment that reaches the person in the grave reaches him as well.”
Allaah Knows best.