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Forward

Throughout history, man has been fascinated by all aspects of the unseen. He
has especially attempted to explore and understand the phenomenon of the soul -
that mysterious power which activates the human body. Many questions were asked,
but only a few answers were available. During the lifetime of the Prophet (sallallaahu
alaihe wa-sallam) the Jews of Medina sent their allies, the Makkan infidels, to
the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihe wa-sallam) to ask about the soul. In reply to
their questions, the following Qur'aanic verse was revealed:



They ask you [O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)] concerning the Ruh
(Soul). Say: 'It is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my
Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given very little. [Soorah Al-Israa
(17) :85]



Because so little knowledge was available, most Muslim scholars considered any
discussion concerning the soul to be 'taboo' and so this avenue of knowledge
remained almost closed within scholastic circles. The most famous of the few
work written on this subject was entitled "Kitab Al-Ruh" by Ibn Al-Qayyim.'
Contrary to his normal approach of scholarly research, guided by the Qur'aan and
authentic Sunnah, in this book he relied heavily on weak and spurious reports
attributed falsely to the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihe wa-sallam) by transmitters
such as Ibn Abi Al Dunya and Abu Nu'aim. Later scholars argued that Ibn Al-Qayyim
was too great a scholar to have written a book so largely based on fabricated
narrations, and so concluded that he could not have been the author. Others
argued that he must have written it before he met the great author and teacher,
Sheikh Ibn Taymiyya, who had a profound effect on him and shaped his later
works, which were always based on the Book of Allah and the authentic Sunnah.



In my short and humble contribution to the subject of the Soul, I have
endeavored to rely on authentic sources alone. Due to the nature of this topic,
I seek Allah?s forgiveness for any deviation from the truth on my part and I
pray to the Almighty to accept this meager effort. And may Allah shower His
blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihe wa-sallam) and his
progeny.



Suhaib Hasan (Safar 1416 AH)