is among the trustworthy narrators. He narrated from leading Companions such as ‘Umar and others, and Muslim included his narrations in his Sahīh, as did others. Yahyā ibn Ma‘īn said, “He is trustworthy.” When Humayd ibn Hilāl was asked about him, he said, “He is trustworthy. The reliability of men like him need not be questioned.” Ibn ‘Adī said that his hadiths are acceptable when transmitted from him by a trustworthy narrator. He used to follow al-Karābīsī, and those who criticized him did so only because he talked a great deal. As for al-Minhāl ibn ‘Amr, he is among al-Bukhārī’s narrators. The hadith concerning “the soul’s return” has also been narrated from others besides al-Barā’. Zādhān’s hadith is among those that the earlier and later generations have unanimously transmitted and accepted.

The souls of the believers are in Paradise, although they may nevertheless be returned to their bodies, just as they may be in their bodies while being taken up to heaven, as happens during sleep. There are hadiths stating in general terms that they are in Paradise. Ahmad and other scholars explicitly affirmed this, citing both general transmitted hadiths and specific hadiths concerning sleep and other matters.

An example of the former is the well-known hadith of al-Zuhrī, which Mālik narrated from him in his Muwatta’, as did Shu‘ayb ibn Abī Hamzah and others. Imam Ahmad also narrated it in his Musnad, as did others. Al-Zuhrī said:

“‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ka‘b ibn Mālik informed us that Ka‘b ibn Mālik al-Ansārī—one of the three whose repentance was accepted—used to relate that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

‘The believer’s soul is a bird that feeds among the trees of Paradise until Allah returns it to his body.’”

Thus, he stated that it feeds among the trees of Paradise until it returns to his body