In a response that sparked debate regarding the secret of the "soul" and its weight, Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Sami, the Fatwa Secretary at the Egyptian Fatwa House, answered a question about how the Angel of Death collects people's souls and how it can gather more than one soul at the same time. During a program broadcast on the "Al-Nas" channel yesterday, Thursday, he explained that "the soul is a secret that flows in the human body just as water flows in green stems." He referenced an experiment conducted by a French scientist which revealed that the weight of the human soul equals 1 gram.
He added, "The French scientist conducted the experiment by weighing bodies when the soul was present and after the soul had departed. The soul exits from the feet first and finally leaves through the head and the mind, until life is completely extinguished, and no one can bring it back to life." He cited a prophetic hadith: "O Jabir, why do I see you broken? I said: O Messenger of Allah, my father was martyred on the day of Uhud, leaving behind dependents and debts." The Messenger replied, "Should I not give you good news of what your father met Allah with?" I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah," and he said, "Allah has never spoken to anyone except from behind a veil, and He brought your father to life and spoke to him directly, saying: 'O My servant, wish and I will grant you your wish.' He said: 'O Lord, revive me so that I may fight for You a second time.' The Lord Almighty replied: 'It has been decreed that they shall not return to it.' And this verse was revealed: 'And do not think of those who have been killed in the way of Allah as dead.'"
These assertions made by the Fatwa official in Egypt may provoke controversy, especially since it is widely acknowledged that the mystery of the soul is known only to Allah, as stated in the Quran: "And they ask you about the soul. Say, 'The soul is from the command of my Lord, and you have not been given of knowledge except a little.'"
