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  • What Does Rafa (رفع) Mean in Islam? The Complete Theological Guide

What Does Rafa (رفع) Mean in Islam? The Complete Theological Guide

31 Oct, 2022 Rafa

Imam Ghazali on Al-Rafi attribute of Allah

Introduction

Rafa is an Arabic verb that means to raise or elevate. When Allah raises (Rafa’a) humans, He only raises their souls. Never their bodies.

It never means the physical flight of a human body into the sky.

Whoever claims that Allah raises a living human physically with both body and soul carries the entire burden of proof. There is zero Quranic verse and zero Sahih Hadith in all of Islamic literature that supports such a claim.

The Holy Quran establishes the universal law of human existence on earth in Surah Al-A’raf:

قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ

“He said: Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die, and from it shall you be brought forth.”

[Quran 7:25]

Allah explicitly commands that all human beings live on earth, die on earth, and are resurrected from the earth. No human body is exempt from this universal divine decree.

When the Holy Quran speaks of Allah doing the Rafa of His righteous servants, it refers exclusively to spiritual elevation, honor, high status, and the raising of the soul.

1. Rafa in Arabic Lexicons & Dictionaries

Classical Arabic lexicons are completely unanimous on the root word R-F-`A (ر-ف-ع).

When the verb Rafa’a is used for a human being in relation to Allah, it means elevation in rank, honor, dignity, and spiritual station. It never means transporting physical flesh and bones into outer space.

In Lisān al-ʿArab, the premier dictionary of the Arabic language, Ibn Manzur records:

ورَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ: أَعْلَى ذِكْرَهُ ومَنْزِلَتَهُ

“And Allah raised him: He elevated his remembrance and his station.”

Classical authorities including Tāj al-ʿArūs, Kitāb al-ʿAyn, and Al-Mufradāt by Imam Raghib al-Isfahani confirm this exact principle. When Allah raises a person, He exalts their honor and spiritual grade.

There is zero Arabic lexicon in existence stating that when Allah performs Rafa of a human, He carries their physical body into the heavens.

2. Rafa in the Holy Quran (Every Verse Analyzed)

The Holy Quran uses derivatives of Rafa dozens of times across different contexts.

Whenever the Holy Quran speaks of Allah raising human beings, it signifies elevation in spiritual ranks and honor:

وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ

“And some of them He exalted by degrees of rank.”

[Quran 2:253]

Similarly, Allah describes how He elevates believers and prophets:

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ

“Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those to whom knowledge is given, to high ranks.”

[Quran 58:11]

Every single occurrence of Rafa in the Quran regarding human beings refers to spiritual elevation, rank, status, or soul. Not a single verse speaks of a living human body being launched into the clouds.

3. Rafa in Hadith Literature

In the authentic Hadith literature, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ repeatedly used the word Rafa.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught Muslims to pray for Rafa multiple times every single day. In every rak’ah of prayer, sitting between the two prostrations (Sajdah), the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited this supplication:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَاجْبُرْنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَارْفَعْنِي

“O Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, improve my situation, grant me provision, and raise me [Warfa’ni].”

[Sunan Ibn Majah 898]

Did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ask Allah to physically hoist him into the sky five times a day? Absolutely not. He was asking for spiritual elevation, dignity, and closeness to Allah.

Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ

“By this Book, Allah will raise [Yarfa’u] some people and degrade others.”

[Sahih Muslim 817a]

Those whom Allah raises through the Quran are not physically pulled into the sky. Their moral, spiritual, and intellectual status is elevated.

4. The Sequence in Quran 3:55: Mutawaffika wa Rafi’uka

The divine sequence in Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:55) settles the fate of Isa (AS) with complete clarity:

إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَىٰ إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

“When Allah said: O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death [Mutawaffīka], and will exalt thee to Myself [Rāfi’uka], and will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve…”

[Quran 3:55]

Notice the divine chronological sequence: 1. Mutawaffīka: Allah causes Isa (AS) to die a natural death and takes his soul. 2. Rāfi’uka: Allah elevates him spiritually to Himself. 3. Muṭahhiruka: Allah clears his pure name from the false allegations of the disbelievers.

Natural death (Tawaffa) strictly precedes spiritual elevation (Rafa).

Some clerics claim that Rafi’uka happened first and Mutawaffika will happen thousands of years later. This claim is groundless. To invert the direct word order of the Holy Quran without any Quranic textual proof is a clear distortion. Allah first caused Isa (AS) to die naturally, and then exalted his soul to Himself.

5. Not Crucified & Killed but Raised: Quran 4:157-158 (Flagship Refutation)

The primary verse cited by contemporary clerics to argue for physical bodily ascension is Surah An-Nisa (4:157-158):

وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ … بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

“And their saying: We did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah; whereas they slew him not, nor crucified him, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified… Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself [Bal Rafa’ahullāhu Ilayh]. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.”

[Quran 4:157-158]

Understanding the Historical Context:

The Jewish enemies of Isa (AS) did not merely want him dead; they specifically sought to crucify him. Under Old Testament law, anyone hanged on a tree is deemed accursed of God (Deuteronomy 21:23). Their objective was to prove that Jesus was a false prophet who died an accursed death.

The Linguistic Function of “Bal” (Rather):

In Arabic grammar, the particle Bal (بَلْ) functions as Idrab (rectification). It negates the preceding claim and asserts the direct opposite. – The Jewish Claim: We humiliated him, proved him accursed, and killed him on the cross. – The Divine Negation: Bal Rafa’ahullahu Ilayh — Nay, rather Allah exalted his spiritual status and raised him to Himself!

The opposite of an accursed, humiliated death on the cross is not levitating into the stratosphere. The opposite of humiliation and curse is spiritual exaltation, honor, and closeness to Allah.

Furthermore, the verse states Ilayh (“to Himself”). It does not state Ila al-Sama’ (“to the sky”). Allah is not located in the physical atmosphere.

6. Allah is Al-Rafi (The Raiser) — One of the 99 Attributes

One of the beautiful 99 attributes of Allah is Al-Rāfi’ (الرافع — The Exalter / The Raiser).

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 AH), one of the greatest scholars in Islamic history, wrote in Al-Maqṣad al-Asnā:

الْخَافِضُ الرَّافِعُ: هُوَ الَّذِي يَخْفِضُ الْكُفَّارَ بِالشَّقَاوَةِ وَيَرْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِالسَّعَادَةِ، وَيَرْفَعُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ بِالتَّقْرِيبِ إِلَيْهِ

“Al-Khafid, Ar-Rafi: He is the One who abases the unbelievers through misfortune and exalts the believers through blessedness. He exalts His elect by drawing them near to Him.“

[Al-Maqsad al-Asna]

Allah’s attribute of Ar-Rāfi’ does not blast human bodies into the cosmos. He exalts believers by bringing their hearts and souls near to Him through spiritual illumination and divine favor.

7. Allah Does Not Have a Spatial Direction

A fundamental pillar of Islamic theology (Aqeedah) is that Allah is free from physical body, space (Makan), and spatial coordinates.

Allah is not confined to a directional coordinate above the clouds. Surah Al-Baqarah affirms:

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

“To Allah belong the East and the West; so whithersoever you turn, there will be the presence of Allah.”

[Quran 2:115]

If someone claims that Isa (AS) was raised physically toward Allah, they must explain: Where is Allah physically located?

To assert that physical height brings someone closer to Allah is gross anthropomorphism. A person on top of Mount Everest is not geographically closer to Allah than someone in a valley. Spiritual proximity is of the soul, not physical altitude.

8. What is the Isra and Miraj?

Clerics frequently cite the miraculous Ascension (Mi’raj) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to argue that prophets can travel physically into outer space.

However, the Holy Quran explicitly identifies the Mi’raj as a divine spiritual vision (Ru’ya):

وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ

“And We made not the vision [Ru’yā] which We showed thee but as a trial for men.”

[Quran 17:60]

The Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Aisha (RA), testified to the true spiritual reality of the Ascension:

مَا فُقِدَ جَسَدُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَسْرَى بِرُوحِهِ

“The body of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never missing, but Allah caused his soul to journey.”

[Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah 17:1]

If the greatest of all creation, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, experienced the Mi’raj as a transcendent spiritual elevation of the soul, how can anyone argue that Isa (AS) was taken up in a physical spaceflight?

9. The Rafa of Isa (AS) Was Like Ali (RA) and Uthman (RA)

The Companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regularly used the word Rafa to describe death and the elevation of the soul to Allah.

In classical historical chronicles, early Muslims described the martyrdom and passing of Hazrat Ali (RA) and Hazrat Uthman (RA) using the exact term Rafa. Their souls were raised to Allah, while their blessed physical bodies were laid to rest in the earth.

Furthermore, Hazrat Anas bin Malik (RA) stated concerning the passing of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:

أَكْرَمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ نَبِيَّهُ أَنْ يُرِيَهُ فِي أُمَّتِهِ مَا يَكْرَهُ، فَرَفَعَهُ إِلَيْهِ

“Allah honored His Prophet ﷺ by not letting him see in his nation what he would dislike, so He raised him to Himself [Fa-Rafa’ahu Ilayh].”

[Shu’ab al-Iman, 1410]

Hazrat Anas (RA) used the exact same words (Rafa’ahu Ilayh) for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as the Quran used for Isa (AS) in Surah An-Nisa (4:158). Prophet Muhammad’s body remained on earth and was buried in Medina. His soul was raised to Allah.

10. The Rafa of Prophet Idris (AS) Explained

The Holy Quran uses the exact verb Rafa for Prophet Idris (AS) in Surah Maryam:

وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا

“And We raised him to an exalted station.”

[Quran 19:57]

Classical commentators unanimously clarify this verse. Imam al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir record that Makan ‘Aliyyan refers to high spiritual rank, prophetical dignity, and closeness to Allah.

Prophet Idris (AS) was not transported alive to live permanently in outer space. He lived his natural lifespan and passed away on earth like every other prophet of God.

11. Refuting the Skylight Myth: Was Isa Raised Through a Roof Window?

In popular medieval folklore, a widespread myth claims that Jesus was trapped in a house surrounded by Roman soldiers, when a roof window opened, and he was physically yanked up to heaven through the ceiling.

This fable has zero foundation in the Holy Quran and zero basis in Sahih Hadith.

It was borrowed directly from fabricated Isrā’īliyyāt (apocryphal Judeo-Christian tales) that penetrated early historical commentaries without chains of authenticity. The Holy Quran gives zero mention of any roof openings or ceiling rescues.

12. Classical Scholarly Consensus & Refuting Physical Rafa

The greatest classical commentators and theological minds of Sunni Islam affirmed that Rafa represents spiritual elevation.

Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606 AH) writes in his monumental Tafsir al-Kabir regarding Rafi’uka Ilayya:

الْمُرَادُ بِالرَّفْعِ إِلَيْهِ الرَّفْعُ إِلَى مَكَانٍ لَا يَمْلِكُ الْحُكْمَ فِيهِ عَلَيْهِ غَيْرُهُ

“The meaning of raising him to Himself is raising him to a station where none exercises authority over him except Allah.”

[Tafsir al-Kabir, Surah 3:55]

Imam Razi explains that since Allah is transcendent and free from spatial confinement, raising someone “to Allah” cannot be spatial or bodily.

The belief in physical bodily longevity in outer space for thousands of years contradicts the fundamental Quranic nature of human physiology:

وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدًا لَّا يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ

“And We did not make them bodies that ate no food, nor were they to live forever.”

[Quran 21:8]

Prophets possess mortal physical bodies that require nourishment and age on earth. The soul alone is elevated to the divine presence.

Summary & Takeaways

  1. The Definitional Golden Rule: Rafa means to raise or elevate. When Allah raises humans, He only raises their souls. Never their bodies.
  2. Zero Textual Evidence: There is zero Quranic verse and zero Sahih Hadith stating that a living human was hoisted physically into the sky.
  3. The Universal Law of Earth: Quran 7:25 explicitly decrees that all human beings live on earth, die on earth, and are resurrected from the earth.
  4. Allah Has No Spatial Coordinate: Allah is transcendent beyond physical space. Raising someone “to Himself” means spiritual elevation and proximity of the soul.
  5. Prophetic & Companion Precedent: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ supplicated for Rafa (Warfa’ni) daily, and the Companions used the exact term Rafa’ahu Ilayh for the death and soul of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Caliphs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Rafa mean in Islam?

Rafa is an Arabic verb that means to raise or elevate. When Allah raises (Rafa’a) humans, He only raises their souls. Never their bodies. It refers to spiritual elevation, honor, and closeness to Allah.

Does Quran 4:158 state that Jesus was raised physically to heaven?

No. Quran 4:158 states Bal Rafa’ahullahu Ilayh (“Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself”). It does not say to heaven or to the sky. It directly refutes the Jewish claim that Jesus died an accursed death on the cross by affirming that Allah exalted his spiritual status and took his soul to Himself.

Does Allah have a physical location or direction in the sky?

No. Classical Islamic orthodoxy (Aqeedah) is unanimous that Allah is transcendent and not confined to any physical space, direction, or cosmic boundary. Therefore, being raised “to Allah” cannot denote physical travel upward into the sky.

Did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ pray for Rafa?

Yes. In authentic Hadith (such as Sunan Ibn Majah 898), the Holy Prophet ﷺ prayed between the two prostrations: “Warfa’ni” (“and raise me”). This was a prayer for spiritual exaltation, not physical flight into outer space.

What does the sequence in Quran 3:55 (Mutawaffika wa Rafi’uka) prove?

Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:55) explicitly places Mutawaffika (causing to die a natural death) before Rafi’uka (exalting in rank). This establishes that Isa (AS) completed his natural life, died, and then his soul was exalted to Allah.

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