Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Belief in a pre-conception existence of the human soul features prominently in classical Islamic thought. A recent lecture by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah explores this concept of a “pre-earthly life” of souls, drawing on the traditional narrative of a Primordial Covenant where all unborn souls testified to God’s lordship. This essay summarizes Dr. Umar’s presentation of that belief and then critically examines it in light of scriptural interpretation and contemporary insights. Traditional exegesis often treats the Qur’anic account of souls testifying before birth (Qur’an 7:172) as a literal historical event – the “Day of Alast.” Dr. Umar echoes this view, explaining that every human spirit recognized and affirmed God in a pre-mortal realm, which imparts an innate tendency (fiṭrah) toward faith in this life. However, modern scholarship and scientific perspectives invite a metaphorical reinterpretation of this covenant. Upon analysis, logical, scriptural, and scientific challenges emerge against the literal pre-existence of souls. Many scholars now view the Qur’anic primordial covenant as an allegory for the innate moral consciousness with which humans are created, rather than evidence of personal existence before conception. Neuroscience likewise correlates the emergence of consciousness (“soul”) with brain development, supporting the idea that the soul begins with the body. This critical review, drawing on Qur’anic commentary and the writings of Zia H. Shah MD, finds that understanding the covenant as symbolic of human nature is both theologically sound and scientifically coherent. In conclusion, while the imagery of a pre-bodily life for souls is poetic and meaningful, the evidence favors that human souls do not exist as individuals before conception, and that our spiritual intuition is better understood as part of our divinely given nature rather than a literal memory from before birth.

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