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Introduction
Every other day, we hear stories of reincarnation. Perhaps media attention on such topics is high, or humans are so attached to this world that even after death, we wish to stay in a similar realm. We often hear two main ideas:
Matter cannot be created or destroyed; it only changes form.
People claim to have lived before, describing past lives in astonishing detailand some of their details later prove true, even when the person they describe died centuries ago.
As Muslims, we know reincarnation is not part of Islamic belief. So how can these people accurately recount events from a life long past? In this post, I offer a logical Islamic explanation.
Media, Science, and Reincarnation Claims
Stories like those of James Leininger (USA, 1998) and the Twin Past Life Recall cases (India, 1957) circulate online. They claim past life memories with convincing details, leading many to wonder if reincarnation is real.
Islamic Perspective on Life After Death
Islam teaches that each person dies once and then enters a barrier (barzakh) until the Day of Resurrection. The Qur’an explains:
Surah Al Mu’minūn 23:99–100
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرْجِعُونِ۞ لَعَلِّيٓ أَعْمَلُ صَـٰلِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُۚ كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَۥ بِهَا يَتَغَبَّرُ
“Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, let me return [to life], that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.’ No! It is but a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.”
And:
Surah Al Baqarah 2:28
لَعَلِّیْۤ اَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِیْمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّاؕ-اِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآىٕلُهَاؕ-وَ مِنْ وَّرَآىٕهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ اِلٰى یَوْمِ یُبْعَثُوْنَ۔
“How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were dead and He gave you life? Then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.”
These verses make it clear: in Islam, we live once, enter a state of waiting (barzakh), and then are resurrected.
The Role of the Qarin, the Jinn Companion
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught that every person has a qarin, a jinn companion, present from birth.
Sahih Muslim 2814a
مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَقَدْ وُكِّلَ بِهِ قَرِينُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ
قالوا: وَإِيَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟
قال: وَإِيَايَ، إِلَّا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَانَنِي عَلَيْهِ فَأَسْلَمَ، فَلَا يَأْمُرُنِي إِلَّا بِخَيْرٍ
“Each of you is assigned a qarin (jinn companion). They asked, ‘Even you, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘Even me, except that Allah aided me against him and he became a Muslim, so he only commands me to do good.’”
The concept of jinn and devils (Shayateen) is clearly established through the Qur'an and Hadith. These beings, especially the evil ones, mislead people and plant deceptive thoughts in their hearts. Often, people claim to remember details from a so-called past life, and those memories may even seem surprisingly accurate. However, in reality, such experiences are often caused by Shayateen or evil jinn misleading the person. They insert information from someone else's life into the individual's mind, making them believe it happened to them. As a result, people start viewing these stories as evidence of reincarnation, and this mistaken belief can mislead entire generations.
Fraudulent Spiritualists
Some so-called "spiritual" practitioners, or fortune tellers, charge high fees to reveal your past deeds. If you wonder how they know details of your life, it may be that they have communicated with your qarin. Islam forbids such contact with jinn. It is wiser to avoid these practitioners than to seek future guidance or allow them to perform dun (exorcism) rituals on you.
Closing Thoughts
I wrote this post so that fellow Muslims who had doubts about reincarnation can see an Islamic explanation. Non-Muslims curious about the Islamic view may also find something new here.
Is reincarnation possible in your opinion? Have you ever met someone who claimed to be reincarnated? Share your thoughts below.