Ibn Abbas (RA) on Tawaffa: Mutawaffika Means Mumituka

Introduction

Tawaffa is an Arabic verb that means to take something. When Allah takes (does Tawaffi of) a human, it ONLY means taking of the soul.

It never means the taking of the body & soul.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), the cousin of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, was known across the Muslim world as Tarjumān al-Qur’ān (the Interpreter of the Holy Quran). When explaining the word Mutawaffīka in Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:55), Ibn Abbas (RA) gave the clearest possible definition in Sahih al-Bukhari:

قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: مُتَوَفِّيكَ: مُمِيتُكَ

“Ibn Abbas said: Mutawaffīka means: Mumītuka [I will cause you to die].”

[Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 745]

When Allah addressed Isa (AS) with the word Mutawaffika, He was informing him that He would cause him to die a natural death and take his soul. It had nothing to do with lifting his physical body into the sky.

Whoever claims that Allah took Isa (AS) physically into the sky carries the entire burden of proof. There is zero Quranic verse and zero Hadith where Allah does Tawaffa of a human and it means taking their body.

The Authenticity of this Narration in Sahih al-Bukhari

Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari deliberately placed this statement of Ibn Abbas (RA) in the most authentic book of Hadith after the Holy Quran.

Some non-Ahmadi clerics attempt to dismiss this report because it appears without a full chain (Mu‘allaq). This objection collapses under the established principles of Hadith science:

1. Definitive Wording (Jazm): Imam Bukhari recorded this statement with active, definitive wording (Qāla — قَالَ — “he said”). In the science of Hadith, when Imam Bukhari quotes a narration using definitive wording, it is authentic according to him.
2. Consensus of Hadith Scholars: Classical Sunni Hadith giants, including Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam al-Nawawi, and Badr al-Din al-Ayni, all established that Imam Bukhari’s Mu‘allaq narrations brought with Jazm are authentic (Sahih). As recorded in Umdat al-Qari:

أكثر البخاري من أحاديث وأقوال الصحابة وغيرهم بغير إسناد فإن كان بصيغة جزم كقال وروى ونحوهما فهو حكم منه بصحته

“Most of Al-Bukhari’s Hadiths and sayings of the Companions and others are without chains of narrators. If it is in the form of assertiveness, such as what Qāla (he said), Rawā (he narrated), and the like, then it is a judgment of it, is Sahih.“

[Umdat al-Qari, Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 32] 3. The Burden of Proof: Imam Bukhari considered this narration authentic enough to document in his Sahih. If anyone claims it is not authentic, the entire burden of proof is on them to demonstrate why Imam Bukhari was mistaken.

Related Articles & Evidence

• Master Topic Hub: What Does Tawaffa Mean in Islam? The Complete Theological Guide
• Mu‘allaq Authenticity: Muallaq Ahadith in Bukhari (12 Authorities Cited)
• Quranic Evidence: Tawaffa in Quran | 25 Verses
• Early Scholars & Tabari: Is there a consensus (Ijma’) that Isa (AS) is Alive?
• Arabic Lexicons: Meaning of Tawaffa in Lexicons & Dictionaries

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Ibn Abbas (RA) say about Mutawaffika?

In Sahih al-Bukhari, Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) explicitly defined Mutawaffika in Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:55) as Mumituka, which means “I will cause you to die.”

Is the narration of Ibn Abbas in Sahih al-Bukhari authentic?

Yes. Imam Bukhari recorded it with definitive wording (Jazm). Sunni Hadith scholars unanimously agree that Mu‘allaq narrations recorded with definitive wording in Sahih al-Bukhari are authentic.

Does Tawaffa ever mean taking the physical body?

No. When Allah does the Tawaffa of a human, it only means taking the soul (either at death or temporarily during sleep). It never means taking the physical body.