does the Prophet spend time with his wives in the grave? Qastalani said “Imam as-Subki narrates from Ibn Furaak in his Tabaqat that Prophet is alive in his grave and HE IS A PROPHET FOREVER and this is based on REALITY not on “MAJAAZ” Zarqani commented: “The Prophet is a Haqiqi Nabi because he has “LIFE IN HIS GRAVE” and he offers prayer with Adhaan and Iqamah. Ibn Aqil Hanbli said The Prophet (Peace be upon him) spends time with his wives and he combines with them in such a way which is better than worldly relation. “IBN AQEEL SAID THIS BY TAKING AN OATH AND THIS IS SOMETHING OBVIOUS AND THERE IS NOTHING ABSTAINING FROM IT [Sharh al Zarqani Mawahib al-Laduniya V 8 Pg 358] If this is not true then what is the fatwa on ibn aqil and zarqani?
All praise be to Allah, and may His blessings and peace be on His last messenger, Muhammad,
The Prophets and the shuhada’ (martyrs) are alive in al-Barzakh (the stage between this life and the day of resurrection) as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“الأنبياء أحياء في قبورهم يصلون .”
“The Prophets are alive and they pray in their graves.”
The hadeeth was narrated by al-Bazzar from Anas and al-Bayhaqi, who authenticated it, as well as al-Albani, and it has some basis in reports in the two authentic collections.
That life in the grave, however, does not mean they didn’t die. Allah said to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him),
” إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ.”
“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die” [al-Zumar 39:30].
This means they die, but they have a different state in the grave, a state in which they have a life befitting the stage of al-Barzakh (partition, meaning transition between the two lives), with a greater experience of the joys of this stage (for the believers) than the rest of us.
The fact that it is not like the life of this world should not be anything other than a certainty. They get inherited (for the Prophets, their estate is distributed as charity) and that would have not been permissible had it not been that they die. Also, for the martyrs, who are also alive in al-Barzakh, their women can get married after them. That would have not been permissible had their life been like that of this world.
As for what they do in their graves, this is of the strict ghayb (unseen), of which we speak only upon certain knowledge from the revelation. We know they pray. We also know that the Prophet is given the ability to return the salam of those who greet him with it. We don’t have a shred of evidence on the claimed conjugal relations between the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and his wives in the grave. Therefore, we must desist from making such claims.
The reason why some Ash‘ari scholars (may Allah bestow mercy on them) felt the need to make the Prophet’s life in the grave akin to the life of this world is to avoid the concomitant (lâzim) of their doctrine that one quality does not last in two different times, so the prophethood would not be attributable to the Prophet in this life and the life of the grave if they were different lives, so they made them one life. Atharis (scripturalist theologians) don’t believe in that doctrine in the first place. The Prophet (pbuh) is the epicenter of the creation and the final prophet and messenger of God before and after his death.
Allah knows best.