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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

The Mystery of the Deceased's Staring Eyes: What They See According to Hadith

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Islamic tradition explains the phenomenon of a deceased person's eyes remaining open and seemingly staring by stating that their gaze follows the soul's departure from the body.
  • Hadith narrated by Muslim scholars like Imam Qurthubi cite Prophet Muhammad explaining that the eyes track the spirit as it leaves, a concept illustrated by the passing of Abu Salamah.
  • Some traditions suggest the newly deceased may see a beautiful, emerald-green staircase connecting heaven and earth, known as the mi'raj, which captivates their gaze.

In Islamic tradition, the unsettling sight of a deceased person's eyes remaining open and fixed on a particular point has a profound spiritual explanation. This phenomenon, often a source of unease for the living, is understood as the eyes following the soul's journey as it departs the physical body.

Indeed, when the soul is taken, the gaze follows it.

· Prophet MuhammadExplaining the phenomenon of a deceased person's eyes following their soul's departure, as narrated by Ummu Salamah.

Imam Qurthubi, in his book 'At-Tadzkirah,' details narrations that shed light on this. A hadith from Ummu Salamah recounts how Prophet Muhammad, upon finding Abu Salamah's eyes open after his death, gently closed them and explained, "Indeed, when the soul is taken, the gaze follows it." This teaching, also found in Sahih Muslim and Sunan Ibn Majah, provides a clear spiritual context for the physical manifestation observed in the dying.

Further elaboration comes from a narration by Abu Hurairah, where Prophet Muhammad asked his companions if they had noticed how a person's gaze becomes fixed upon death. When they affirmed, he explained, "That is when their sight follows their soul." This reinforces the understanding that the eyes, even in death, are connected to the spirit's final moments and its transition.

That is when their sight follows their soul.

· Prophet MuhammadResponding to companions about why a deceased person's eyes remain open and fixed.

Adding another layer of spiritual imagery, some Islamic accounts suggest that the very first thing a deceased person's sight perceives is the 'mi'raj' – a magnificent, emerald-green staircase bridging heaven and earth. This celestial ladder is described as the most beautiful sight imaginable, and it is this vision that holds the gaze of the newly departed, drawing their attention towards the spiritual realm.

Indeed the first thing the sight of the deceased perceives is the mi'raj, which is a ladder between heaven and earth made of green emerald, the most beautiful thing ever seen. That is when they extend their gaze towards it.

· Prophet MuhammadDescribing the spiritual vision that may captivate the eyes of the newly deceased.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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