Introduction
The word "al-Raj'ah" literally means "the Return." Here, however, al-raj'ah is the "return" of any dead person into this world through resurrection. This is completely different from other concepts such as rebirth or reincarnation. It is the same body, with the same soul, that returns to this world from Barzakh by Allah's command.

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. It is regrettable that Shi'a has been ignorantly accused for holding this belief while indeed, it is the teachings from Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Bar'zakh Is Assign For The Dead
Islam believe that when man dies, before the day of resurrection, he enters and stayed in a world called "Barzakh".
'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. {Qur'an 23: 99 - 100}

This is the General rule for all men. However, al-Raj'ah is an exceptional case.

Exceptional Case of al-Raj'ah
1. And when you said, "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly." But were seized with a thunderbolt while you were looking. Then, We resurrected you after your death, so that you may be grateful.
{al-Baqarah: 55 - 56}

2. Did you not see those who went forth from their homes in thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, "Die". Then, He resurrected them {al-Baqarah: 243}

3. Or like he who passed by a town and it had tumbled over its roofs. He said: "Oh! How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death?" So, Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, and then resurrected him {al-Baqarah: 259}

4. Isa resurrected the Dead by Allah's leave.
And I resurrect the dead by Allah's permission.
{al-Imran: 49}

All these noble verses attested to the fact that al-Raj'ah occurred in the previous Ummahs, especially among the Isralities.

A Significant Hadith
Imam al-Tirmidhi (d. 279H):
Mahmud b. Ghilan --- Abu Dawud al-Hafri --- Sufyan al-Thawri --- 'Abd al-Rahman b. Ziyad al-Afriqi --- 'Abd Allah b. Yazid --- 'Abd Allah b. 'Amir:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, everything that occurred to the offspring of Israil will occur to my Ummah in identical manners, such that if any of them had sexual intercourse with his mother publicly, there will certainly be in my Ummah someone who will do that. Verily, the offspring of Israil divided into seventy-two religions; and my Ummah will divide into seventy-three religions, all of them will be in the Fire except one religion." They said, "Who are those, O Messenger?" He replied, "That which I and my Sahabah follow."

'Allamah al-Albani comments: Hassan
{al-Jami al-Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi [annnotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 5, p. 26, #2641}

Allah's Sunnah Change Not
That was the Sunnah of Allah in the case of those passed away of old, and you will not find any change in the Sunnah of Allah {al-Ahzab: 62}

That has been the Sunnah of Allah already with those who passed away before. And you will not find any change in the sunnah of Allah {Qur'an 48: 23}

The First To Preach al-Raj'ah
A legendary individual name Abdullah ibn Saba was claimed to have first preached the concept of al-Raj'ah. Hence, Shi'a are ignorantly accused of believing in a legendary teaching.

Imam al-Tabari records:
Al-Sirri --- Shu'ayb --- Sayf ---- 'Atiyyah ----- Yazid al-Faq'asi:

Abdullah b. Saba was a Jew from the people of San'a (the capital of Yemen). His mother was black. He accepted Islam during the rule of Uthman. Then he roamed the cities of the muslims trying to turn them into heretics....

Then he said to them, "It is strange of he who claims that 'Isa will return but rejects that Muhammad will return. Meanwhile, Allah the Almighty has said, 'verily, He who has ordained the Qur'an upon you (O Muhammad) will surely bring you back to a place of return' (28:85). As such Muhammad is more entitled to return than 'Isa." So it was accepted from him, and he created for them (the doctrine of) al-Raj'ah, and they spoke about it.... {Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, vol. 2, p. 647}

NB: The same report with slight variations is also narrated by Imam Ibn Asakir (d. 571H) in Tarikh Madinah Dimashq, vol. 29, p. 3 - 4

[size=25pt]This riwayat is MAWDOO (Fabricated)[/size]

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (d. 852H) writes concerning each of the narrators:

1. Shu'ayb b. Ibrahim al-Kufi: the narration of the books of Sayf was by him. There is obscurity concerning him. Ibn 'Adi mentioned him and said, "He is UNKNOWN (majhul). He narrated ahadith and stories, and there is some repugnancy concerning him....
{Lisan al-Mizan, vol. 3, p. 145, #517

2. Sayf: Sayf b. Umar al-Tamimi al-Usaydi...Yahya b. Ma'in said: "He is Da'if (weak) in hadith"...Abu Hatim said, "He is Matruk (Rejected)". Abu Dawud said: "He is nothing". Ibn Hibban said: "He is accused of disbelief...he used to to fabricate ahadith."
{al-Dhahabi in 'Tarikh al-Islam wa Wafiyat al-Mashahir wa al-A'lam, vol. 11, p. 161-162, #4}

Al-Albani too writes: As for Sayf b. Umar, he is well-known. However, he has been accused of fabricating reports. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mughni, "He wrote books. He is rejected (matruk) by consensus". {Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah, vol. 11, p. 748, #5440}

3. Yazid al-Faq'asi: Majhul (Unknown).


Umar ibn al-Khattab First Preached The Doctrine of al-Raj'ah

Al-Bukhari records:
Ismail b. Abd Allah --- Sulayman b. Bilal ---- Hisham b. Urwah --- 'Urwah b. Al-Zubayr ----'Aishah:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, died while Abu Bakr was at a place called al-Sunah (i.e al-'Aliyah). 'Umar stood up, saying, "I swear by Allah! The Messenger of Allah is not dead!" She ('Aishah) narrated: 'Umar said: "I swear by Allah! Nothing occured to my mind except that Verily! Allah will RESURRECT him and he will cut the hands and legs of some men." {al-Jami al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar, vol. 3, p. 1341, # 3467}