a man among those who lived before you who thought poorly of his own deeds. He said to his family, ‘When I die, take me and scatter me over the sea on a hot day.’ They did so, and Allah gathered him together. Then He said, ‘What prompted you to do what you did?’ He replied, ‘Nothing but fear of You.’ So he was forgiven.”

Another transmission states:

“A man was approaching death. When he had lost all hope of surviving, he instructed his family, ‘When I die, gather a large quantity of firewood for me and set it alight. Once it has consumed my flesh, reached my bones and burned them, take them and grind them to powder. Then choose a day and scatter me over the sea.’ Allah gathered him together and said to him, ‘Why did you do that?’ He replied, ‘Out of fear of You.’ So Allah forgave him.”

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr said, “I heard him—meaning the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)—say that.” The man had been a grave robber.

This man thought that Allah would have no power over him if he were scattered in this way, and that He would not restore him to life once he was in that state. Both denying the power of Allah Most High and denying the resurrection of bodies, even after they have been scattered, constitute disbelief. Yet despite his belief in Allah and in His command, and his fear of Him, he was ignorant of this matter, misguided and mistaken in this assumption. Allah therefore forgave him for that.

The hadith explicitly shows that the man hoped that Allah would not restore him to life if he did that. At the very least, this means that he doubted the Resurrection. That is disbelief—if the proof conveyed by prophethood has been established against one who denies it, he is judged a disbeliever—and it plainly shows his lack of belief