How is the concept of Reincarnation treated in Islam?
In Islam, the concept of reincarnation is not accepted. Instead, the belief is centered around the idea of resurrection and the Day of Judgment. The Qur'an explicitly discusses the resurrection of the dead, emphasizing that every soul will return to Allah for judgment and recompense based on their deeds in this life.
For instance, Surah Az-Zumar states, Allah receiveth (men's) souls at the time of their death, and that (soul) which dieth not (yet) in its sleep. He keepeth that (soul) for which He hath ordained death and dismisseth the rest till an appointed term.
39:42. This verse underscores that after death, souls are held by Allah until the Day of Resurrection, where they will be judged.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains that all creatures will return to Allah on the Day of Resurrection, and none will be left behind, highlighting the finality and singularity of this resurrection as a pivotal event in Islamic eschatology. This is supported by other verses that affirm the same theme, such as the idea of being brought back to life after death, which is integral to Islamic belief.
Moreover, the Shia perspective, articulated in Majma al-Bayan, emphasizes that the Day of Resurrection is when people will be raised from their graves for judgment, rather than being reincarnated into new forms or lives.
In conclusion, Islam teaches that after death, individuals will not be reincarnated but will instead face resurrection for accountability in the afterlife, contrasting sharply with the belief in reincarnation found in some other religions.
Sources
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39:42 · Az-Zumar
39:42 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Allah receiveth (men's) souls at the time of their death, and that (soul) which dieth not (yet) in its sleep. He keepeth that (soul) for which He hath ordained death and dismisseth the rest till an appointed term. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 39:42
Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 39:42
Allah addresses His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Indeed, We have revealed to you the Book," meaning the Qur'an, "for mankind with the truth," that is, it is sent to all creation of humans and jinn so that you may warn them with it. "So whoever is guided, it is for [the benefit of] himself," meaning the benefit of following the guidance returns solely to the person who follows it. "And whoever strays, then only strays against it," that is, the harm of straying falls back upon themselves. "And you are not a guardian over them," meaning you are not responsible for compelling them to be rightly guided. "You are only a warner, and Allah is the Disposer of affairs over all things." [Hud:12] Similarly, as He says, "So indeed, upon you [Muhammad] is only the notification, and upon Us is the account." [Ar-Ra'd:40] Then the Exalted Allah informs about Himself, describing His noble action of taking souls at death and sleep. He is the One who administers existence as He wills, taking souls with the greatest of deaths and the smallest at sleep through the angels appointed to seize them from bodies. Allah says, "And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day; then He revives you therein that a specified term may be fulfilled; then to Him is your return; then He will inform you about what you used to do. And He is over His servants, Disposer of affairs. And He sends over you guardians until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties]." [Al-An'am:60-61] Here, the two types of death are mentioned: the greater death—actual death, and the lesser death—sleep. Whereas in this verse (39:42) the order is reversed: the greater death is mentioned before the lesser. Hence the verse explains that Allah takes the souls at their death and those who have not died during their sleep; He holds the souls that have reached their death and sends back those to an appointed time. This suggests that these two types of soul-taking occur in the higher assembly (the divine realm), supported by the authentic hadith reported by Ibn Manda and others. In Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, from the hadith of Ubayd Allah ibn Umar, from Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When any of you goes to bed, he should shake out his bed cloth inside his garment, for he does not know what is upon it; then he should say, 'In Your name, my Lord, I lie down and in You I rise. If You take my soul, have mercy on it, and if You return it, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.'" Some of the early scholars said: Allah seizes the souls of the dead when they die and takes the souls of the living when they sleep. Whatever He wills among them He causes to meet, that is, the meeting of souls in dreams or visions as He wills. "So He holds those who have died and sends the others [the living] until an appointed time." As-Suddi said: This refers to the remainder of their lifespan. Ibn Abbas said: He holds the souls of the dead and releases the souls of the living, and there is no mistake in this. "Indeed in that are signs for a people who reflect." This verse holds deep signs for thoughtful people to understand the reality of how life and death are under Allah’s control and the nature of soul-taking in sleep and dying.
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