Raja’t is one of the popular Shia beliefs. In a literal sense, the term “Raj’at” is from the Arabic root “r-j-‘a”, which means ‘to return’. In a technical sense, the term “Raj’a” is used in Islamic discourse to represent the belief that at the time of Imam al-Mahdi’s reappearance, God will bring back to life a number of the deceased to the world with their worldly body. Thereby creating an opportunity for the believers to reach their ultimate perfection. In other words, after the reappearance of the twelve Imam, Imam Mahdi (a.f.s.) and on the threshold of Resurrection, a group of sincere believers and a group of immensely wicked disbelievers and rebellious individuals shall return to this world. The first group shall subsequently advance several ranks towards perfection while the second group would taste severe chastisement.
According to the explanation of one of the distinguished Shia scholars, late Sayyid Murtadha, he said as follows: “After the reappearance of Hadhrat Mahdi (a.f.s), the Exalted Allah shall cause group of those, who had previously departed from the world, to return to this world so that they may be partners in the reward and glory of assisting him and in witnessing Allah’s rule over the entire world; He shall also cause the most obstinate enemies to return in order to extract revenge from them. …No intellectual person can ever claim that Allah (s.w.t.) does not possess the power to cause this occurrence to happen and, since this cannot be considered to be impossible, it is itself a proof of the truthfulness of this issue. Nonetheless, our opponents reject this so vehemently as if they regard it to be an inconceivable event.” He then further adds: “The consensus of the Twelve-Imam Shi’ites proves this belief, for there is none, from amongst them, who oppose it[1].”
However, from the statements of some of the Shia scholars, including the late Tabrisi in his distinguished Tafsir, Majma’ al-Bayan, it is mentioned that a group of Shia minority had a contrary interpretation of the concept of Raj’at. They interpreted Raj’at to mean the return of the rule and government of the pure Prophet’s Household [Ahl al- Bayt] (PBUH) during the reappearance of Imam Mahdi, but not the return of the people to the world after death.
However, this interpretation is a minority viewpoint while the majority of great Shia scholars –based on several evidence from both the Qur’an and hadith traditions- believe that, apart from the return of the rule and government of the pure Prophet’s Household (PBUH) during the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.f.s), certain group of people [believers and unbelievers] would also return to this world based on divine decree.
Is Raj’at Possible?
Returning a group of individuals to life after their death is without any doubt possible for the Omnipotent God, just as the coming to life of all humans on the Day of Judgment is entirely possible for Him. An act of surprise or rejection of such an issue is similar to the surprise or rejection exhibited by the pagan polytheists over the issue of the Resurrection. This is because, sound reasoning does not consider the occurrence of such to be impossible for God, Almighty; for indeed, He has absolute power and control over everything and there is nothing beyond His capacity.
The late ‘Allamah Majlisi, says: “How is it possible that a person believes in the truthfulness of the words of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) but (at the same time) refuses to accept the ‘successively transmitted’ traditions in connection with Raj’at – explicit traditions, which are almost two hundred in number and transmitted by forty odd trustworthy transmitters and eminent scholars in more than fifty books! If these traditions are not ‘successively transmitted’, then which tradition can be such?[2]“
Instances of Raj’at in the Qur’an
Going through the verses of the Holy Qur’an, it is observed that there are several instances of Raj’at [returning to life] discussed in the Qur’an concerning the past nations, but we shall mention five instances here :
One:
Verses 55 and 56 of Qur’an 2 [Surah al-Baqarah] discuss the Children of Israel and the great bounties that Allah bestowed upon them. However, due to their unjust demand, a thunderbolt came down and struck the mountain. It issued an amazing light with a horrible sound and an awful earthquake so that everybody there, because of their intense fear, fell dead: “And when you said, ‘O Moses, we will not believe you until we see Allah visibly.’ Thereupon a thunderbolt seized you as you looked on.”
It is mentioned seventy persons from amongst the great leaders of the Israelites had died in that occurrence. However, it was due to the supplication and request of Moses that Allah raise them up and let them live again: “Then We raised you up after your death so that you might give thanks.”
Without any doubt, this verse is one of the verses that attest to the possibility of ‘restoration of life’, in this world, because its occurrence in one respect is evidence of its possibility in other respects, too.
Two:
In verse 73 of Surah al-Baqarah, discusses the dispute and disagreement that arose amongst the Children of Isra’il due to the murder of one of them in a mysterious way, in which his murderer was not at all known. Every tribe accused the members of another tribe of the crime and announced that the members of its own tribe were innocent. Finally, Moses (PBUH), with the help of the Grace and Guidance of Allah and through a miraculous way, the murdered person was made to return to life for a moment in order to name his murderer: “We said, ‘Strike him with a piece of it:’ thus does Allah revive the dead, and He shows you His signs so that you may exercise your reason.”
Three:
In verse 243 of Qur’an 2 [Surah al-Baqarah] indirectly and also instructively points to the awesome fate of one of the old nations. They encountered a terrible infectious disease in their environment where thousands of them fled from. They died from the same sickness that they had used as the pretext of their flight. Then Allah brought them back to life, maybe so that the story of their lives might serve as a warning for others who can take an example from it: “Have you not regarded those who left their homes in thousands, apprehensive of death, whereupon Allah said to them, ‘Die,’ then He revived them? Indeed Allah is gracious to mankind, but most people do not give thanks.”
The late Sadduq, a great famous scholar from the Shi’a school of thought, reasoning on this verse for the possibility of returning to the world after death, says: “One of our convictions is belief in resurrection (that some former people return to life again in this very world)[3].”
Four:
In verse 259 of Qur’an 2 [Surah al-Baqarah], a report of a Prophet [‘Uzayr], who passed through a settlement, which all its inhabitants had been destroyed is discussed: “Or him who came upon a township as it lay fallen on its trellises”. He therefore asked himself as to how Allah would bring them to life after they had died: “He said, ‘How will Allah revive this after its death?!” At that point, Allah made him die for one hundred years and then, brought him back to life: “So Allah made him die for a hundred years, then He resurrected him. He said, ‘How long did you remain?’ Said he, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’ He said, ‘No, you have remained a hundred years”
It is obvious in these Qur’anic verses how Allah returned the Prophet to life in this world after he died for a hundred years!
Five:
Verse 110 of Qur’an 5 [Surah al-Maidah] discussed Jesus Christ (PBUH), and some of his miracles, one of which was raising the dead to life: “When Allah will say, O Jesus son of Mary, remember My blessing upon you and upon your mother, when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so you would speak to the people in the cradle and in adulthood, and when I taught you the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Evangel, and when you would create from clay the form of a bird, with My leave, and you would breathe into it and it would become a bird, with My leave; and you would heal the blind and the leper, with My leave, and you would raise the dead, with My leave; and when I held off [the evil of] the Children of Israel from you when you brought them manifest proofs, whereat the faithless among them said, ‘This is nothing but plain magic.’”
This verse is an indication of the ability of a Prophet of God to raise the dead to life, though based on divine permission.
In addition to these five aforementioned instances, the story of the People of the Cave who were made to sleep for more than three hundred years and thereafter, were returned to life. (cf: Qur’an 18: 10-12) and the story of the four birds brought back to life after being sacrificed by Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) are incidents similar to Raj’at.
In conclusion, Raj’at is the return to life of selected people [believers and non-believers] after death and it is done based on divine will and divine wisdom.
References:
[1] . Safinah al-Bihar, vol. 1, pg. 511.
[2] . Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 53, pg. 122.
[3] . Tafsir-Nemuneh, vol. 2, p. 159.
