At a more specific level...

At a more specific level, al-raj’ah – in Shi’i theology – is the “return” after death of certain people to this earth – through resurrection - during the “End Times” period. Another word for this, in Shi’i terminology, is al-karrah [^14]. There is, without doubt, a general rule set in the Book of Allah: حتى إذا جاء أحدهم الموت قال رب ارجعون لعلي أعمل صالحا فيما تركت كلا إنها كلمة هو قائلها ومن ورائهم برزخ إلى يوم يبعثون Until when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord!

Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind!” No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh until the Day when they will be resurrected .[^15] So, anyone who dies is prevented from ever returning to this world. He is rather locked behind the Barzakh till al-Qiyamah . Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H) states under the above verse: وقال مجاهد : البرزخ : الحاجز ما بين الدنيا والآخرة. وقال محمد بن كعب : البرزخ : ما بين الدنيا والآخرة.

ليسوا مع أهل الدنيا يأكلون ويشربون ، ولا مع أهل الآخرة يجازون بأعمالهم. وقال أبو صخر : البرزخ : المقابر ، لا هم في الدنيا ، ولا هم في الآخرة ، فهم مقيمون إلى يوم يبعثون. Mujahid said: “The Barzakh is a barrier between this world and the Hereafter.” Muhammad b. Ka’b said, “The Barzakh is what is between this world and the Hereafter.

They are not from the people of this world who eat and drink, and are not with the people of the Hereafter who are rewarded according to their deeds.” Abu Dhakhr said, “ The Barzakh refers to the graves. They are not in this world and they ARE NOT in the Hereafter. They will remain there till the Day of Resurrection .”[^16] However, Allah has provided some exceptions to this general rule – and those are the instances of al-raj’ah . Examples of them are given in His Book.

For instance, Allah states: وإذ قلتم يا موسى لن نؤمن لك حتى نرى الله جهرة فأخذتكم الصاعقة وأنتم تنظرون ثم بعثناكم من بعد موتكم لعلكم تشكرون And when you said, “O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.” But you were seized with a thunderbolt while you were looking.

Then, We resurrected you after your death , so that you may be grateful.[^17] And: ألم تر إلى الذين خرجوا من ديارهم وهم ألوف حذر الموت فقال لهم الله موتوا ثم أحياهم Did you not see those who went forth from their homes in thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, “Die”.