The Nature of Reincarnation and the Reality of Life After Death

■ The Nature of Reincarnation and the Reality of Life After Death

The nature and quality of light cannot be comprehended by human understanding, just as the concept of reincarnation is fundamentally flawed. Those who believe in reincarnation typically reject the notion of life after death. In their misguided belief, they think that souls detach from their bodies and take on the forms of animals, insects, and birds based on their actions in previous lives. This idea is prevalent among certain Hindu sects in India, which claim that souls remain trapped in a cycle of rebirth and can never escape, as they believe the cycle of the world will never end. To them, the concept of life after death is meaningless because they view the world as eternal.

This false belief in reincarnation contradicts the teachings of all the Prophets (ع) and the truth of life after death. Essentially, it constitutes a denial of Allah ﷻ and the Hereafter. According to this sect, the abode of souls is detached from their physical bodies, leading them to take on the forms of various animals. This notion is an extreme deviation and a grave error.

Some believe that just as bodies perish, so do souls, and that reward and punishment occur only within the body or a part of it, whether it is the spinal cord or some other aspect. In their view, Allah ﷻ can instill feelings of pleasure and pain, either by returning life to the body or without restoring life at all. They contend that in the Barzakh (the intermediate realm between death and resurrection), punishment and reward are only related to the body.

On the contrary, there are others who assert that once the soul exits the body, it never returns in any physical form, and its connection to the body ceases entirely. They argue that punishment and reward pertain solely to the soul. However, the Prophets (ع) have conveyed through divine revelation and authentic Hadith that both perspectives are incomplete.

In conclusion, the truth established by the Prophets clarifies that there is life after death and that the soul’s journey continues beyond the physical realm. The understanding of the soul’s nature and its relationship with the body is profound and should not be misinterpreted through flawed beliefs like reincarnation.