A question about the nature of the Barzakh realm and whether it is material.
[AR_ID:494]
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you. The Barzakh realm is not a material world like the physical world we live in. When death occurs, the soul or spirit exits the physical body, leading to a transition from one realm to another, which has different characteristics from the material world. Since the Day of Judgment has not yet occurred, it is natural for souls to gather in a realm that exists between this world and the next, known as Barzakh. Allah says: {And behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected}. This realm is not material in the same way as our earthly existence, although it is not devoid of material attributes. It possesses forms and shapes similar to material, referred to in the narrations of the Ahlulbayt as a 'template', akin to the images we see in dreams where we interact with figures and objects as we do in the physical world, experiencing pleasure, fear, and so forth, even though these are forms without substance. This is known as the Barzakh body or the ideal body. This understanding is supported by both rational and textual evidence. Our Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) mentioned in a narration that when Allah takes the soul, He places it in a form similar to its earthly form, allowing them to eat and drink, and when someone visits them, they recognize them by the same image they had in this world.