Immortality of Soul
So we remain forever as our character is in our soul not in our body.
If we slap someone in the face at the age of ten, he would still want to take a revenge at the age of 70 if he finds us and we cannot say: All cells in my body have been replaced over the past 60 years several times and I am someone else now. So you should no longer seek revenge. He would say: I don’t care about your body and cell. You are the person who slapped me in the face.
So this example clearly shows that with the changes in the body, one’s character does not change.
Such examples also point to the immortality of the soul.
The Quran and Hadiths consider harms and changes to happen to the body not the soul. The Quran in some verse refers to death as Tawaffa, which means taking away something. For example, God says in Verse 42 of Surah Zumar:
“Allah takes away souls at the time of their death.”
Or in Verse 11 of Surah Sajdah, God says: “(Muhammad), say, ‘The angel of death, who is appointed over everyone of you, will cause you to die and to your Lord you will all return.’”
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In the Quran, the word ‘taking’ comes 14 times about the soul at the time of death, which means the soul is unchanging and immortal, remaining even after the body dies and decomposes in the grave.
Another Quranic reason that the soul remains after death is the verses that point to greeting the dead:
“’Peace be upon Noah among all the worlds.’” (Verse 79 of Surah Saffat)
“Peace be upon Abraham!” (Verse 109 of Surah Saffat)
“Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.” (Verse 120 of Surah Saffat)
There are also many Hadiths from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Infallible Imams (AS) about different subjects that show that one’s soul will not die with the person’s death but remains alive and is addressed by God, angels and others.
Here are some examples:
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) would sometimes go to the cemetery and talk to the dead.
The bodies of the unbelievers killed in the Battle of Badr were thrown into a well. The Prophet (PBUH) addressed them from the top of the well. He was asked whether they hear him. The Prophet replied: You cannot hear (me) more than they can.
When burying the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Zahra (SA), Imam Ali (AS) talked to them.
At the end of the Battle of Jamal, Imam Ali (AS) raised the body of Kaab al-Ahbar and talked to it. He was asked whether the dead person could hear him and he replied yes.
So the verses of the Quran and Hadiths confirm that the soul is immortal and does not die with the death of the body.
