Soul's travel out of the body (an Islamic viewpoint)

[abu-usaama]

Soul's travel out of the body 

Answered by Shaykh Gibril F Haddad

Is it permissible to, take your soul out of your body (The way the Buddhists or wizards do it)? Because the way the wizards do it, is that they just sit down and imagine themselves floating and then their soul comes out of their body (in simple words).

I will leave it for others to address permissibility, but it seems to me that permissibility in the Law is for matters that involve both the spirit and the body.

However, I will address the issue of the soul's travel. The soul roams away from the body at sleep and may do so also when awake, if there is a purpose.

A soul that becomes deliberately disembodied may take another form. The form may be identical to the body left behind, or another form, including animal forms East or West, in the higher world (for Muslims) or lower world (for all others).

One purpose for this is to help others. There is permission for this for many Awliya' (believers who are close to Allah) who, depending on their strength, may take one a multiplicity of self-forms (dhawaat) at one at the same time. The original body stays awake or goes unconscious depending on strength also.

There is a very important difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in such phenomena. Muslim spirits are clothed with light while non-Muslim spirits are clothed with darkness and vulnerable to dark forces. Another danger is that the disembodied soul may "lose" its way back or be prevented from its body, which results in death.

And Allah knows best.

Source: al-Ibriz min Kalam Sayyidi `Abd al`Aziz.

Hajj Gibril
--
GF Haddad

[Jeehad]

This is a very enlightening post, but I have a small question. Is astral projection haram or halal? and Are there any records of muslims performing it?Or hadiths talking about it?

[abu-usaama]

I have been trying to figure this out for a while. A lot of sufis practice out of body experiences. I dont know of any of the salaf(righteous predecessors) that induced out of body experiences upon themselves, however, there are some instances of the salaf having out of body experiences, that maybe inshalalh i could find and post later.


Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) seems to allude to out of body experiences in one statement:

"We do not deny that people may experience some kind of kashf, whether when awake or in their dreams when the soul is less connected to the body, either by means of spiritual practices or otherwise. This is the psychological kashf which is the first type of kashf.

But it is also proven through rational evidence as well as shar'i evidence that the jinn exist and that they tell people things about the unseen, as happens in the case of soothsayers, those who are possessed and the like.

The second type is that which is done by outside forces, such as the jinn who tell the soothsayers many things. This is something that is well known, especially to those who have experienced it, and we have come to know about these things on many occasions. This is a type of kashf that has nothing to do with the first type, and this is the second type of kashf.

With regard to the third type, it is what is conveyed by the angels and this is the noblest type, as is indicated by the texts and by rational evidence. Information about the unseen may come from psychological sources, or from evil sources, whether they are satanic or not, or it may come from angelic sources.

Al-Safadiyyah, p. 187-189


Dealing with the jinn which happens a lot while people perform various forms of magic, psychic practices etc. is no doubtedly haraam and is kufr (disbelief).

However, from what seems apparent from ibn taymiyya, out of body experiences and their like wouldnt fall under that category.

[Jeehad]

Allahu a3lam, I mean people claim to see spirits when there out... I'm quiet sure its a figment of the imagination or the jinn which would be haram. Hmmm, The spiritual essense in Islam is very interesting indeed. I find it awesome how every aspect of life is within the Holy Quran. Allahu Akbar^^

[Mustardseed]

So does that mean that Muslims can in your opinion Astral travel safely while all others are in darkness? that would be interesting and the repercussions to such a statement are .....well immense.

[Paola]

Each religion seems to think it is the special one, with the special rights.
To me it seems like something satan (if he exists) would specialise in.

[Jeehad]

Indeed each religion does have its similarities and differences and specialties. But, which religion does seem the most logical, the most faithful, the most answering? is the question in which people should ask:P Learn about differnt religions then come to a safe and profound conclusion.

[James S]

That's actually a very good thought and a good question to ask.
I'd perhaps take it one step further....

Which beliefs seem the most logical, the most faithful, the most answering?
I mention that because I have the perspective that none of the established organised religions actually deal with this topic at all well.

[Jeehad]

lol James I'd be contrary to your fact I think many organized religions do answer many of these questions with accuracy. 

[Paola]

Through my out of body experiences, i have come to a point (which may change in an instant), that this life is an illusion, just as the astral is.

So to me where it concerns religions of any kind, or any opinion for that matter, they are all correct in this illusion. Yet still an illusion.
Even a lie is correct.

Thats what is meant by judge not.  There is a reason for judging not, its not some holy state, needing worship.

If allah needed worship, would that not mean he/she is insecure?
Or has a lot of time on his/her hands for self entertainment.  lol

There is no such thing as right or wrong, only consequence.
This is what we have to learn.

[DebInUSA]

Soul's travel out of the body 

Answered by Shaykh Gibril F Haddad

Is it permissible to, take your soul out of your body (The way the Buddhists or wizards do it)? Because the way the wizards do it, is that they just sit down and imagine themselves floating and then their soul comes out of their body (in simple words).

I will leave it for others to address permissibility, but it seems to me that permissibility in the Law is for matters that involve both the spirit and the body.

However, I will address the issue of the soul's travel. The soul roams away from the body at sleep and may do so also when awake, if there is a purpose.

A soul that becomes deliberately disembodied may take another form. The form may be identical to the body left behind, or another form, including animal forms East or West, in the higher world (for Muslims) or lower world (for all others).

One purpose for this is to help others. There is permission for this for many Awliya' (believers who are close to Allah) who, depending on their strength, may take one a multiplicity of self-forms (dhawaat) at one at the same time. The original body stays awake or goes unconscious depending on strength also.

There is a very important difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in such phenomena. Muslim spirits are clothed with light while non-Muslim spirits are clothed with darkness and vulnerable to dark forces. Another danger is that the disembodied soul may "lose" its way back or be prevented from its body, which results in death.

And Allah knows best.

Source: al-Ibriz min Kalam Sayyidi `Abd al`Aziz.

Hajj Gibril
--
GF Haddad

Tell this to the over 80,000 American Christians who have had near-death experiences and reached, and even talked with, the bright and peaceful light at the end of the tunnel.  I have read one where the man went to the dark forces because he didn't believe in God.  The man remembered singing "Jesus loves me" as a child and started singing it. This is when the dark forces began to get really angry and went away and the man was led to the light at the end of the tunnel.