Will Sura Al-Mulk Save My Body from Decomposing in the Grave?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Will Sura al-Mulk save my body from rigor mortis and decomposing in the grave?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “(Punishment of the grave) will approach a person in his grave from the direction of his feet. His feet will say, ‘You cannot approach from this direction; he used to recite Sura al-Mulk in prayer. Then he will be approached from his chest (or stomach) and it will say, ‘You cannot approach from this direction, he used to recite Sura al-Mulk. Then he will be approached from the direction of his head and it will say, ‘You cannot approach from this direction; he used to recite Sura al-Mulk.” He said, “Sura al-Mulk is a protector; it protects from the punishment of the grave….” [Bayhaqi]

Decomposition

As is clear from the above narration and other narrations Sura al-Mulk is a means of protection from the punishment of the grave. This applies to the one who is consistent in reciting it every night. 

It is, however, important to know the difference between the decomposition of the body and the punishment of the grave. The decomposition of the body is an outward reality and a common occurrence for all deceased bodies. This is not indicative of the person’s state in the intermediary realm (in Arabic: barzakh), also known as, the life of the grave. 

A person can be enjoying the bliss of the grave due to living their life on righteousness and faith and their body still decomposes. 

Decomposition is a phenomenon that affects the body only. The bliss or punishment of the grave affects the body and the soul together. 

Hope this helps

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.