Talking and laughing after death

Question:

Is it possible to talk and laugh after death?

Answer:

Normally, things like talking and laughing after death are not common. That is why it appears to be impossible, but in actual fact, it is merely impossible in practice. It is not impossible for such things to happen because such events have happened before.

In Qur’an-e-Kareem, there are several events where a dead person was revived and had spoken. During the time of Hazrat Musa (Alaihis Salaam), a deceased person was revived after death to denounce his murderer. Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) revived several people after their death by the command of Allah Ta’ala. These people had also lived for a considerable amount of time after that.

According to a Hadith found in Al-Mustadrak of Al-Hakim and in Tabraani, which has been qualified as an authentic Hadith during the time of Hazrat Usman (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Zaid Bin Kharijah (Radiyallahu Anhu) spoke after his death. Allaamah Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani presents Hazrat Zaid Bin Kharijah (Radiyallahu Anhu) in his Taqreeb-ut-Tahzeeb in this term:

"صحابى بدرى توفى فى خلافة عثمان وهو الذى تكلم بعد موته"

"He is a Sahaabi (companion of the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam)) and a Badri (who had participated in the battle of Badr). He had passed away during the khilaafat of Hazrat Usman (Radiyallahu Anhum). He was the one who spoke after his death."

According to what 'Allaamah An-Nawawi has cited in his commentary regarding Saheeh Muslim, there were two brothers ربعى and ربيع. Both were the sons of حراش.

ربعى had taken an oath that he would never laugh until he gets to know his place in Aakhirah. So, it was only after his death that he laughed. As for his other brother ربيع, he had also taken a similar oath. The person who had given him Ghusl after his death said that ربيع was smiling while he was being given Ghusl. If we use our intelligence, it is not difficult to understand these things because if the trunk of a palm tree can cry, the pits of dates can make Tasbeeh, the dishes in the house can make Zikr, the rocks can make Salaam, cooked meat can speak, animals can speak like people, then it is not impossible for a person, who had already possessed the ability to speak, to do so after his death.

Thus, remarks such as "Is he a human or a Robot"..... "He must be a superman" or "This is only found in story books / fables", are banal, futile and useless remarks and comments. We note with great regret and bitterness that the knowledge of Deen is depreciating gradually because Deeni matters, which people used to understand without studying, are not being understood nowadays even after doing B.A or M.A. in the Shari’ah. Leave alone this! What is more surprising is that one receives applause for childish and banal remarks. However, it should not appear surprising, because if the BA or M.A. in the Shari’ah does not understand, how will the public, who did not study anything, understand. 

Will these ‘scholars’ of Deen have the courage to also treat Qur’an and Hadith as fables? Can they qualify the Al-Fourqaan of Ibn Taimiyyah as fables? One must not speak when one does not have knowledge. Speaking about something without knowledge can make one lose one’s Imaan even. That is why Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:

"... The one who has Imaan in Allah and on the last day, must either speak good or keep quiet..."

[English version of "Causé rié après la mort" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.14]