zombies: the soulless living dead
The Troops (39:42)
ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٤٢
˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ calls back the souls ˹of people˺ upon their death as well as ˹the souls˺ of the living during their sleep. Then He keeps those for whom He has ordained death, and releases the others until ˹their˺ appointed time. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Allāh takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
— Saheeh International
The Quran discusses the souls (ٱلْأَنفُسَ) in great detail.
The souls (ٱلْأَنفُسَ) are an invisible part of us. It probably went invisible when Adam, and his wife, ate from the forbidden tree. The Quran quotes his prayer (Q7:23 (ظَلَمۡنَاۤ اَنۡفُسَنَا) we have darkened our nafs). So, while the soul was still in Adam, it was no longer in a state of Nur (نور). He hadn't lost his nafs, but it was no longer radiant. It no longer illuminated his path. Its function was diminished.
We speak of the soul (نفس), but we cannot see it. It is an invisible component of the human being. We can see and/or identify our external components, such as face, hands, feet, skin, hair, etc., and we know that internally we are organised in 78+ organs, such as heart, lungs, appendix, spleen, liver, gall bladder, stomach, kidneys, etc. Some we can live without, others are vital to existence. We cannot see or identify our soul (nafs). Is it an invisible organ? Massless, weightless, immeasurable? Something that humans speak of, yet nobody can pinpoint it.
Q21:35 informs that every soul will taste death (كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ ذَآٮِٕقَةُ الۡمَوۡتِ). That part of us, which we speak of as our soul or (نفس) will eventually meet its death.
Surah azZumar, ayat 42, informs us that Allah (ٱللَّهُ) takes away (يَتَوَفَّى) the souls (ٱلْأَنفُسَ) at the time of death (حِينَ مَوْتِهَا), and those who haven't died (وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ) in their sleep (فِى مَنَامِهَا). ...
Surah azZumar discusses the soul in the context of sincerity to the Deen (دین):
Q39:6 informs that we have been created from a single soul, and her soulmate created from her.
Q39:15 informs that the losers will be the people who lose their souls and their families on the Day of alQiyamah (when everyone will stand before Allah, our Rabb)
Q39:41 informs that whoever takes guidance, it is for his own soul. and whoever goes astray, it is upon his own nafs
Q39:42 informs that Allah takes away all souls: at the time of death, and those who haven't died, in their sleep
Q39:53 instructs to inform His slaves who have transgressed against their souls to not to despair of the Mercy of Allah
Q39:56 informs lest a soul says (on the Day of alQiyamah) that it regrets that it neglected its duty towards Allah
Q39:70 informs that all souls will be repaid in full for what they did, and He knows what they do.
As studied in previous posts, the soul (nafs) is a thing which can be lost. A body can exist without a soul, but it functions on a basic (subhuman?) level. So, how can we understand such an existence? Two examples come to mind: zombies and sleepwalking.
Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder in which a human is in a deep sleep, yet is able to move around. So, thinking of it in the light of Q39:42, it is a soulless state.
Zombies are imaginary undead humans who are the mentioned in legends and horror stories. They are typically thought of as human bodies with inhuman behaviour.
So, a human body without a human soul (nafs) can be understood as a sleepwalker in this life, and a zombie in afterlife.
So, while the human soul (nafs) is essential for a flourishing life, it is not a vital organ, and the human body may continue to exist without it.
The soul (nafs) is invisible, because it is in a state of darkness (ظلم), and Allah promises to restore its radiance by granting it Nur (نور). The Prophet and the people who believed with him, will have their nafs (نفس) radiant for them, and they will be asking for the perfection of their Nur (نور), as we read their prayer in Surah atTahreem:
The Prohibition (66:8)
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ ٨
O you who believe, turn to Allah with a faithful repentance. It is hoped from your Lord that he will write off your faults, and will admit you to the gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will run before them and to their right hands. They will say, “Our Lord, perfect for us our light, and forgive us. Indeed you are powerful over every thing.”
— T. Usmani
O you who have believed, repent to Allāh with sincere repentance. Perhaps[1] your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."
— Saheeh International
[1]- i.e., it is expected or promised.
اے اہل ایمان ! توبہ کرو اللہ کی جناب میں خالص توبہ۔ امید ہے تمہارا رب تم سے تمہاری برائیوں کو دور کردے گا اور تمہیں داخل کرے گا ایسے باغات میں جن کے دامن میں ندیاں بہتی ہوں گی جس دن اللہ اپنے نبی ﷺ کو اور ان کے ساتھ ایمان لانے والوں کو رسوا نہیں کرے گا۔ (اُس دن) ان کا نور دوڑتا ہوگا ان کے سامنے اور ان کے داہنی طرفوہ کہتے ہوں گے : اے ہمارے رب ! ہمارے لیے ہمارے نور کو کامل کر دے اور تو ہمیں بخش دے یقینا تو ہر شے پر قادر ہے۔
— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)
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