Normally,
a human body would gradually decompose after being put in the grave for quite
some time. This is a fact that nobody can disagree with because according to
scientific studies, the human corpse would begin to decompose after it have been
buried in the ground for 7 days.However, by Allah’s will and might, there are also corpses that do not decay even though they have been buried in the graves for dozens, hundreds or even thousands of years.
In one genuine incident, from the people of Madinah it was related that during the rule of Khalifah Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik, one shocking incident occurred unexpectedly when one of the walls retaining the grave of Rasulullah SAW caved in.
A lot of people were shocked in this incident when they saw a pair of legs popping out from one of the areas in the burial site. They were worried if they were the legs of Rasulullah SAW.
Sa’id bin Al-Musaiyib immediately came forward and narrated a hadith which mentioned that the bodies of the Prophets were not let by Allah SWT to remain in the grave for more than 40 days since the day of the burial, they were raised by Allah SWT thereafter.
Then, Salim bin Abdillah bin Umar bin Khattab arrived and informed the crowd that the legs belonged to his grandfather, Umar bin Al-Khattab RA.
Based on the abovementioned incident, it is evident that the bodies of Allah’s beloved, the Prophets or Messengers would not rot away in the grave. This is a fact that nobody can deny because Rasulullah SAW had himself explained in a sahih hadith:
“Increase your ‘Selawat’ upon me on Fridays because your selawat would be reported to me,”. They (the companions) asked, “How could our ‘Selawat’ be reported to you when your body would already be decomposed?”
So Rasulullah SAW answered, “Verily Allah Azza wa Jalla has made forbidden for the earth (the consumption of) the bodies of the Prophets - may Allah’s prayer be upon them.”[Sunan Abi Dawood]
At the same time, in sahih Al-Bukhari, it was mentioned that ‘Amr bin Jamuh and Abdullah bin ‘Amir, both from the Ansar, had been buried in one grave during the Battle of Uhud, and when once the area was hit by a big flood due to very heavy rains, their grave was washed away by the current. The people of Madinah were forced to take the grave apart in order to relocate it to a safer place and the moment their grave was taken apart, the people discovered that the conditions of their corpses did not change at all, as though they had only died the day before. In actual fact, when they were digging up the grave for the relocation, it had already been 46 years since the corpses were buried in the grave, ie. since the Battle of Uhud.
By chance, one of them was found to have died from a severe wound. When he died his hand was placed over the wound and he was buried in that position. When the grave was taken apart, the people found that his corpse was still in that same position. Some of the people who were present tried to reposition the hand but to no avail, it still went back to its original position.
Al-Qurtubi believed that the non-decomposing state of the corpses of the shuhada is the same whether they are the shuhadas from the ummah of Prophet Muhammad SAW or the shuhadas from the previous ummahs. This opinion was based on a hadith narrated by Al-Tirmidzi, which specifically told the story about Ashhabul-Ukhdud which basically mentioned:
A heroic youth who was persevering and determined in defending the truth of his religion had died as a shaheed, killed by the king of his time. His corpse was buried in a state where his hands were covering his temple. When he was dug out from the grave during the rule of Khalifah Umar bin al-Khattab RA, they found that his corpse was still intact and the hands were in same the position like what had been described. Whereas, the event of the Ukhdud took place hundreds of years earlier, namely in the era of fitrah (the era of no Messengers) which took place in the period between Prophet Jesus (Isa) AS and Prophet Muhammad SAW.
Meanwhile, in a sahih Muslim it was mentioned that Muslim historians had reported, when Mu’awiyah ruled, he was planning for a water channel to be built in Madinah. In order for this development to be achieved, the channel had to be routed through the middle of the Madinah cemetery. Therefore, he ordered the remains of the dead in the graves to be transferred to another place.
In the midst of the dismantling and relocation process, the people found that the corpses were still in their original states. When one of the shovels they used accidentally hit and slashed the leg of Hamzah bin Abdul Mutalib, blood was seen flowing from the cut. Whereas, that occurrence had already surpassed the Battle of Uhud by 50 years.
The same goes with the event witnessed by Jabir bin Abdullah, when he wanted to dig out the remains of his father, Abdillah, who had been shaheed in the Battle of Uhud, to be relocated to another place. The corpse of Abdillah was found to be in a state as if he was only buried the day before.
Actually, there are too many narrations to be mentioned about the undying state of the corpses of those who died as shaheed. Nevertheless, based on the narrations, it is evident that the bodies of the shuhada also do not rot away (consumed by the earth). In fact, the ulamas have clarified that their condition could be like that of a living body, they are provided sustenance accordingly.
The same subject has been clearly mentiond by the Qur’an: “Think not of those
who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance
in the presence of their Lord;” [Qur’an 3:169]According to the ulamas, other than the groups mentioned above, the corpse of a Muazzin (a person whose job is to call out the Adzan) who do his job sincerely for Allah SWT and does not crave for any payment, cannot be consumed by the earth as well.
This fact is based on a Marfu' (Traceable) hadith which says: “A Muazzin who are muhtasib (hoping for rewards from Allah), is like a person whose blood is flowing in the veins, and if he dies his body would not be eaten by the worms in his grave.” Meaning, his corpse will not rot away.
Other than that, those who memorize the Qur’an are also given this special favor by Allah SWT, when their bodies would not decay under the earth when they die. It has been clearly explained by Rasulullah SAW in his hadith narrated by Ibnu Majah from Jabir bin Abdullah RA which says:
“When a memorizer of the Qur’an dies, Allah would reveal to the earth; ‘do not eat away his flesh’ So the earth replies, ‘O my Lord, how could I eat away his flesh, when Your words are inside him.’”
According to Mustafa Abi Uula, what was meant by 'the memorizer of the Qur’an' is not simply a memorizer, but he should also be practicing the contents of the Qur'an.
On the contrary, for the people who are not in the groups mentioned above, their corpses will naturally be destroyed after they have been buried in the earth for quite some time. The decomposition process of the human corpses itself is in line with the condition the corpses went through in the grave, where it lacks air and the temperature is very warm inside there.
According to the ulamas, by the will and might of Allah SWT, there is only part in every human body which is not destroyed (consumed by the earth). That part is called “'ajbu Az-zanabi” (a tiny bone like a mustard seed, located at the end of the joint between the waist bone and the thigh bone). It is the seed from where the sons of Adam will be resurrected from the grave later. That bone will not be destroyed forever. This fact is based on the hadith of Rasulullah SAW narrated by Muslim and Ibnu Majah which says:
“There is no quarter of the human body which is not destroyed except something which is called ‘ajbuzzanab. It is from it that his recreation will commence on Judgement day.”
In another narration it was mentioned: “It is from it that he was created and it also from it that he will be recreated on Judgement day.”
Thus are the differences between the four groups who are given the special favor by Allah SWT and the rest of mankind. From the aspect of logics, the non-decomposition state of the corpses of the four groups cannot be accepted by the human mind. However by Allah’s will, all those are not impossible, in fact they will happen and no party would be able to deny it.
Nevertheless as ordinary human beings, we do still have the chance to join along their caravans and enjoy the special favor given by Allah SWT. He is The Jus t, The Merciful and The Compassionate. The privilege of having non-decaying bodies in the grave, which also symbolizes the honor of being granted Paradise, is not exclusively given to the Prophets and Messengers only, but also to every human being. With the condition that it is the individual himself who must choose it. Allah SWT provides us the ways, if we wish to enjoy the same privilege. We still could choose to place ourselves in the last the three groups.
The chances to be amongst those who have became shaheed through jihad Fi Sabilillah are plentiful, and always widely available until Judgement day by Allah’s mercy. Rasulullah SAW said in a hadith: “A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment… when Jesus, the son of Mary, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them." [Sahih Muslim]
When we have chosen for ourselves the group we want to follow, our corpses will not be eaten away by the earth as well, insha Allah, and in the hereafter we will also be amongst the groups who dwell in Paradise. Ameen.
When we are also given the same privilege by Allah SWT, what seemed strange before would not be strange to us anymore, even though it is still strange to other people especially the kafirs and those who claimed to Muslims but are not practicing the pure teachings of Islam. May Allah protect us from being amongst the groups who are astray and those who have His wrath!