The Raja as depicted in the Quran and traditions

After the news of death of the Prophet spread among people, everyone rushed to the Prophet’s (PBUH) house to attend the funeral. Umar swore by God, saying: ‘Muḥammad has not died. He is absent from people’s eye and he will return to cut the hands and feet of a group of people.’ (Sira Ibn Hisham, 4/305).

The serious nature of Umar’s statement shows he actually believed in this. His statement essentially means that the Prophet (PBUH) is not permanently deceased but will return from this death to punish his enemies, with his final death coming later. This is the concept of Raja (lit. Repeat), which says that some people will return to the world after they have died.

The Quran has also recounted instances where people have come back to life in this world after their death and scholarly exegetes have explained the verses accordingly. Here, we will list those groups which the Qur’an says were brought back to life in this world for readers to study them:

1. A group of Israelites (Q2:44-45)
2. An Israelite who had been murdered (Q2:72-73)
3. A group of people who died and were brought back to life (Q2:243)
4. Ezra being brought back to life one hundred years after his death (Q2:259)
5. Resurrection of the dead in this world following Jesus prayers (Q3:49)

If coming back to life in this world after death is impossible, how can one explain these cases in the Quran? Such reports clearly show that returning to this world after death is not only possible but has actually happened and has nothing to do with the transmigration of souls, which is when a person dies at seventy years of age and enters another world only for his spirit to once again enter this world through the process of gestation and rebirth in the body of a child, which proceeds to grow up again and die. This is also known as reincarnation.

Reincarnation has other meanings too. A man’s spirit enters the body of another individual or animal while there is no harmony between this single spirit and the two bodies. Shia scholars and scientists have written numerous books and exegeses in rejecting this notion of reincarnation as well. They say the doctrine of reincarnation leads to apostasy and polytheism. In their view, reincarnation is a pretext to deny the afterlife and final judgment. They say every man will return to this world after death in one of the following ways to face punishment or be recompensed.

However, Raja is completely different. Here, the human soul re-enters its own body as if it had never left. Having discussed the possibility of Raja and distinguished it from Reincarnation, it is now time to look at the evidence for this belief:

The Quranic proofs for Raja

A Quranic Verse says a group of the dead will be brought back to life by divine command in this world: ‘The day We shall resurrect from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they shall be held in check.’ (Q27:83)

In this Verse, the Quran announces the that a group from each nation will be brought back. This does not refer to Judgment Day, as that is when everyone will be brought back to life. The Quran describes Judgment Day as follows:

‘There is indeed a sign in that for him who fears the punishment of the Hereafter. That is a day on which all mankind will be gathered, and it is a day witnessed.’ (Q11:103)

Another verse reads: ‘The day We shall set the mountains moving and you will see the earth in full view, We shall muster them, and We will not leave out anyone of them.’ (Q18:47)

The first Verse speaks about the return of a specific group of people to this world while these speak about all people being brought back without exception.

The Abbasid Caliph, Mamun, asked Imam Riḍa (AS) about the Raja. The Imam (AS) told him: ‘It has already occurred for people and the Quran has discussed it. The Prophet (PBUH) has said that whatever happened to the previous communities will also befall the Muslim community. (Biharul-Anwar, 53/59)

So far we have discussed the possibility of the Raja and the evidence for it in the Quran, but we have yet to understand how people will be selected for this and for what purpose will they be brought back. This is the most fundamental question we must address.

Regarding the first question, Sheikh Mufid has said that when Imam Mahdi (AJ) appears, only two groups will return: pure believers and the pure disbelievers. Anyone others than these two groups will remain dead until Judgment Day. (Tashih Al-Itiqad, 40/45)

The reason the believers will return to this world is so they can help Imam Mahdi (AJ) and earn greater rewards. Meanwhile the disbelievers will face justice in this world before going to the punishment of the Hereafter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can these believers and tyrants return to this world while God has forbidden their return? The Qur’an says: ‘It is forbidden for [the people of] any town that We have destroyed [to return to the world]: they shall not return.’ (Q21:95)

The answer to this question is clear: The ban is only for those disbelievers who have died as a result of divine punishment befalling their town and not anyone dying of natural death. Some Verses show that return to this world is highly desired, but not possible for everyone:

When death comes to one of them, he says: ‘My Lord! Take me back, that I may act righteously in what I have left behind.’ ‘By no means! These are mere words that he says.’ And ahead of them is a barrier until the day they will be resurrected.’ (Q23:99– 100)

This Verse expresses a divine habit (Sunna Ilahiyya), namely that as a general rule there is no life in this world after death. This group intends to return to this world to correct its past faults. Such a return is not possible. However this does not rule out other exceptions to the divine habit. So this verse has no connection with the return of believers and disbelievers in the Raja.

Source: Shia Islam: History and Doctrines, Ayatollah Jafar Subhani, Chapter 16