The literal meaning of the word “Raj’at” is to return or turn back. However, terminologically it means enlivening of the dead before Qiyamat. One of the peculiarities of the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is Raj’at. It means after he reappears and his rule is established, those who have passed away from this world and are resting in their graves, some of them shall be brought back to life and will arise from them their graves.
Raj’at means certain people shall be brought back to life before Qiyamat and they will spend their life in this material world. Some people believe that belief in Raj’at is specific only to Shias and other Muslims do not conform to this belief.
If traditions about Raj’at are confined only to those which have been narrated by the infallible Ahle Bait (a.s.), then certainly it can be attributed to Shias alone and we are not worried about it either that we might have to justify it by providing any interpretation or explanation. If this belief is specific to Shias then we are proud of it. But if such a belief is endorsed by the Holy Quran, then attributing it only to Shias would not be appropriate. Something which has been discussed in the Holy Quran, there are some factions who do not subscribe to it.
The Holy Quran not just mentions about Raj’at but also discusses how it will occur although without the use of the term “Raj’at” but its concept is definitely mentioned. We have already mentioned that Raj’at means some people who have passed away from this world would be brought back to life. It refers to “enlivening of the dead before Qiyamat”.
Numerous verses of the Holy Quran indicate towards the concept of Raj’at. We will mention only a few verses for the sake of brevity. Raj’at is not just for humans but for non-humans as well.
Raj’at of Birds
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن ۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي ۖ قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا ۚ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
And when Ibrahim said: My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead, He said: What! Do you not believe? He said: Yes, but that my heart may be at ease. He said: Then take four of the birds, then train them to follow you, then place on every mountain a part of them, then call them, they will come to you flying; and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.
Surah Baqarah (2): Ayat 260
In light of this verse, all Muslims firmly believe that when Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) slaughtered the birds, minced them, placed a part of that flesh on mountain tops and then called out to each one of them, every bird became alive and came flying towards Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.). Is this re-birth of the birds in this very world anything but Raj’at? Usage of a specific word is not essential to convey a concept.
A Prophet comes back to life
The incident of Prophet Ozair (a.s.) is mentioned in Surah Baqarah (2): 259 thus:
أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Or the like of him (Ozair) who passed by a town, and it had fallen down upon its roofs; he said: When will Allah give it life after its death? So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him to life. He said: How long have you tarried? He said: I have tarried a day, or a part of a day. Said He: Nay! you have tarried a hundred years; then look at your food and drink; years have not passed over it; and look at your donkey; and that We may make you a sign to men, and look at the bones, how We set them together, then clothed them with flesh; so when it became clear to him, he said: I know that Allah has power over all things.
Surah Baqarah (2): Ayat 259
As per this verse, even Prophet Ozair (a.s.) was brought back to life and his donkey was also raised to life in front of him. Is this anything but Raj’at?
Raj’at of dead people through the medium of Prophet Isa (a.s.)
The Holy Quran has discussed the miracles of Prophets (a.s.) on numerous occasions. Miracles of
Prophet Isa (a.s.) are mentioned twice in the Holy Quran.
وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And (make him) an apostle to the children of Israel: That I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I determine for you out of dust like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with Allah’s permission and I heal the blind and the leprous, and bring the dead to life with Allah’s permission and I inform you of what you should eat and what you should store in your houses; most surely there is a sign in this for you, if you are believers.
Surah Aale Imran (3): Ayat 49
As per this verse, the people whom Prophet Isa (a.s.) enlivened, and it is obvious that there would be many people and not just one or two individuals, it was Raj’at for all of them in this world.
Can Raj’at be interpreted in any other way apart from this? Is it mandatory to use the word “Raj’at” in order to prove its authenticity?
70 people come back to life
Allah mentions in Surah Baqarah (2): 55-56
(55)وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And when you said: O Musa! We will not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly, so the punishment overtook you while you looked on. Then We raised you up after your death that you may be thankful.
Surah Baqarah (2): Ayat 55-56
This incident is explained further in Surah A’raaf (7): 155
وَاخْتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِّمِيقَاتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّايَ ۖ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَّا ۖ إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَهْدِي مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ
And Musa chose out of his people seventy men for Our appointment; so when the earthquake overtook them, he said: My Lord! If You had pleased, You would have destroyed them before and myself (too); will You destroy us for what the fools among us have done? It is naught but Your trial, You deviate with it whom You please and guide whom You please: You are our Guardian, therefore forgive us and have mercy on us, and You are the best of the forgivers.
Surah A’raaf (7): Ayat 155
The above incident proves that when Prophet Musa (a.s.) went atop Mount Tur for an appointed time along with 70 men of his nation, due to their foolish insistence of wanting to see Allah, Allah firstly destroyed all of them by means of an earthquake and lightning and then brought all of them back to life. Was it not Raj’at in this world itself for those 70 people? Were they not enlivened after their death?
Thousand people being enlivened
Allah declares in Surah Baqarah (2): 243 thus:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اللَّهُ مُوتُوا ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
Have you not considered those who went forth from their homes, for fear of death, and they were thousands, then Allah said to them, Die; again He gave them life; most surely Allah is Gracious to people, but most people are ungrateful.
Surah Baqarah (2): Ayat 243
These were some people who were in a town inflicted with plague and widespread epidemic due to which people were dying. Hence, others fled their homes for the fear of an epidemical death. There were thousand people who left their homes. Allah caused all of them to die and then brought them back to life again. He made it very clear to them that by fleeing from their houses they cannot escape death. It is Allah who gives life and causes death. Wherever one may be, death will reach him. Nevertheless, Allah caused them to die and then enlivened them. Is this enlivening of those thousand people not their Raj’at?
We shall suffice over these five incidents about Raj’at. There are other incidents about Raj’at in the Holy Quran also like during the time of Prophet Musa (a.s.), a person who was killed was brought back to life by a piece of flesh of a slaughtered cow, enlivening of the people of the cave, etc.
These were such apparent and clear verses of the Holy Quran which cannot be denied. They are not traditions which can be falsified by terming them to be weak or historical incidents which historians would consider unreliable. These are unambiguous Quranic verses which leave no scope for rejection. As per ancient norms, these can surely be interpreted but the concept of Raj’at which is evident in these verses cannot be refuted.