A Comparative Study of the “Soul” and its Consequences According to Wahhabism and Hanbalism

According to the views of Wahhabism and Hanbalism, man is composed of two dimensions: the body and the soul. Although life ends with death, the soul continues to live in grave. Providing a brief description of the soul as a mystery of the divine mysteries, Wahhabis do not allow questioning the truth and quality of the soul. Quoting the hadith of the cessation of deeds and referring to verses such as (وَمَا أَنْتِ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِی الْقُبُورِ), Wahhabis deny the ability of the dead to hear the living, believe in the absolute negation of interest of the dead, and deny any connection between the living and the dead and vice versa. Accordingly, on the one hand, Wahhabis consider performing a deed and gifting it to the soul of the dead a heretical innovation; and on the other hand, they introduce appealing to the soul of the dead, even to the soul of the Messenger of God (S) and those of the saints, as a great polytheism (shirk). However, addressing the soul, Hanbalis introduce the truth of the soul as a subtle body, a luminous body, or an abstract substance without any parts. They not only do not find death as the end of the deeds of the dead, but also believe in a two-way connection between the living and the dead. Relying on authentic narrations, Hanbalis also believe that the dead hear the voices of the living in their graves and get benefits from the deeds gifted by the living. Therefore, for Hanbalis, deeds such as appealing to prominent figures and saints’ souls is not only permissible, but also recommended as one of the rituals of Hajj and visiting their graves.