Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, Jan. 1, 2025 By AimanAbir18plus – Own work, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia
A Theological and Exegetical Refutation of Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq’s Doctrine of Reincarnation
Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq’s interpretation of Matthew 16:13-16 and Matthew 11:11-15, which he uses to support the concept of transmigration or reincarnation, offers a troubling reading of the Scriptures that warrants careful theological scrutiny. In these passages, Al-Sadiq suggests that the belief of the people in Jesus’ time in the return of past prophets—such as John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah—can only be explained through the lens of reincarnation. According to Al-Sadiq, this belief illustrates that Jesus’ disciples thought the souls of these prophets could inhabit a new body, rather than merely reappearing in a different form or fulfilling a prophetic role.
This doctrinal assertion clashes with the biblical teaching on resurrection and the eternal nature of the soul. The idea of reincarnation implies a cyclical return to earthly existence, with the soul being reborn into a new body. However, the Bible consistently rejects this concept and teaches that human beings live once, die, and face judgment, not a continual cycle of reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27). Thus, we will now engage in a theological and exegetical refutation of Al-Sadiq’s doctrine by examining the relevant biblical texts closely.
1. Matthew 16:13-16 and the Disciples’ Understanding of Prophetic Fulfillment
In Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They respond with various answers, including John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. Al-Sadiq interprets this as evidence that the people, and even the disciples, believed in reincarnation. He argues that since John was alive at the time of Jesus, but some believed that Jesus could be John reincarnated, this demonstrates that the Jews at the time understood reincarnation as a valid concept.
However, this interpretation overlooks the broader context of prophetic fulfillment in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition. The Jews, in their expectation of the Messiah, were well-versed in the notion that certain prophets and figures would return in a different form to fulfill God’s purposes. The belief in the return of Elijah, specifically, was rooted in Malachi 4:5-6, which prophesies that Elijah would come before the “great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
In Jesus’ time, the belief in the return of Elijah was not a belief in reincarnation but rather in the fulfillment of prophecy. When the people speculate that Jesus could be John the Baptist or Elijah, they are not suggesting that John’s soul had entered Jesus’ body; rather, they were interpreting Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophetic role that John and Elijah played. Jesus Himself clarifies this later in Matthew 11:14 when He identifies John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come, referring to John’s role in preparing the way for the Messiah (Matthew 11:10).
Thus, the disciples’ and people’s confusion was not a theological endorsement of reincarnation, but a misunderstanding of how prophecy was being fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry.
2. Matthew 11:11-15 and the Identity of Elijah
In Matthew 11:11-15, Jesus directly addresses the identity of John the Baptist in relation to Elijah, stating that John is the Elijah who was to come. Al-Sadiq sees this as confirmation of reincarnation, interpreting Jesus’ words as an acknowledgment that Elijah’s soul had returned in John the Baptist’s body. However, this interpretation is misguided. The language of Scripture does not support the idea that Elijah’s soul was reincarnated into John; rather, it is a prophetic fulfillment.
Jesus’ declaration that John is the Elijah who was to come does not imply a literal return of Elijah’s soul into a new body. Instead, Jesus is acknowledging that John fulfills the role prophesied for Elijah—preparing the way for the Lord’s coming (Malachi 4:5-6). This is a thematic and symbolic fulfillment, not a literal transmigration of souls. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that people have one life to live, not repeated cycles of reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27).
3. The Transfiguration and the Appearance of Moses and Elijah
Al-Sadiq also points to the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-9 as further evidence for the transmigration of souls. In this passage, Moses and Elijah appear alongside Jesus in a supernatural event. Al-Sadiq suggests that this is evidence that the souls of Elijah and Moses were actively traveling with Jesus and learning from Him.
However, this view is inconsistent with the biblical teaching on the resurrection and the afterlife. The Transfiguration was a unique and supernatural event in which Moses and Elijah appeared to testify to Jesus’ divine nature and His coming suffering (Matthew 17:9). Their appearance was not a demonstration of reincarnation but a sign of Jesus’ glory and the fulfillment of God’s promises. In fact, both Moses and Elijah were known figures in the Jewish faith, and their appearance here underscores the continuity of God’s revelation rather than any notion of soul migration.
Furthermore, the Bible is clear that Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11), and Moses was buried by God (Deuteronomy 34:5-6), making their appearances in the Transfiguration a unique act of divine revelation rather than evidence of reincarnation.
4. The Biblical Doctrine of Resurrection
In contrast to the idea of reincarnation, the Bible teaches that death is a one-time event for each person, and there is no reincarnation. The Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews 9:27, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” The Bible consistently presents the afterlife as one where individuals face either eternal reward or judgment, based on their faith and actions during their single earthly life. Reincarnation, with its cyclical view of life, stands in opposition to this one-time judgment and the finality of death.
The idea that John’s soul could enter Jesus’ body or that Elijah’s soul could be reincarnated into John the Baptist is not found in Scripture. Instead, both John and Elijah had distinct and significant roles in God’s plan of salvation, which were fulfilled in their own time, with no indication that their souls would be reborn into other bodies.
Additionally, the doctrine of resurrection, which is rooted in the Old Testament and expounded upon in the New Testament, further clarifies that the resurrection is an event in which the dead will be raised to life for final judgment (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This stands in stark contrast to reincarnation, which holds that the soul continues to cycle through multiple earthly lives. Reincarnation lacks any biblical foundation and is foreign to the biblical understanding of the afterlife.
5. The Role of Jesus in the Resurrection
One of the most decisive refutations of reincarnation is the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ resurrection is not a temporary return to life as is commonly thought in reincarnation beliefs. Instead, it was a triumphant, bodily resurrection, signifying victory over sin and death. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 that Christ’s resurrection is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” assuring believers that they, too, will experience a bodily resurrection at the end of the age. This resurrection is a one-time, irreversible event and contradicts the cyclical nature of reincarnation.
Furthermore, in John 11:25-26, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” This statement emphasizes eternal life through belief in Christ, not through a repeated cycle of rebirths. The resurrection is a cornerstone of Christian faith, making the idea of reincarnation incompatible with biblical doctrine.
6. The Old Testament Teaching on Death and the Afterlife
The concept of reincarnation also stands at odds with the clear teaching of the Old Testament concerning death and the afterlife. In the Old Testament, the concept of Sheol is presented as a place of the dead where both the righteous and the unrighteous await the final judgment (Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2). There is no suggestion in the Old Testament that souls are reincarnated into new bodies. The emphasis is on the final judgment after death, not a repeated return to earthly life.
Furthermore, the book of Job (Job 14:14) asks, “If someone dies, will they live again?” The implied answer is that after death, there is no return to the earthly realm. The New Testament picks up on this theme, affirming the idea of resurrection rather than reincarnation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Al-Sadiq’s doctrine of reincarnation, as it is based on the biblical passages of Matthew 16 and Matthew 11, is a misinterpretation that fails to account for the context and theological message of Scripture. The Bible does not teach reincarnation but rather the resurrection of the dead, a one-time event followed by judgment. The appearances of Moses and Elijah in the Transfiguration and the identification of John as the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophetic role are not evidence of soul transmigration but of God’s ongoing work in redemptive history.
As we continue this refutation, we will explore further arguments against the idea of reincarnation from both biblical theology and historical Christian doctrine, demonstrating that the Bible’s teachings are fundamentally opposed to the concept of transmigration of the soul.
The doctrine of reincarnation, as proposed by Al-Sadiq, presents a worldview that is incompatible with biblical truth. Reincarnation denies the finality of death, undermines the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, and contradicts the Bible’s clear teaching on resurrection and judgment. The Christian doctrine of resurrection offers the hope of eternal life, a hope that transcends the cycles of rebirth and the endless striving for perfection. This hope rests in the completed work of Jesus Christ and the promise of bodily resurrection, a promise that is central to the gospel message.