The Possibility of Communicating with the Spirits

It is said that one way to obtain information from other worlds is to make contact with spirits.

Take note of the following in this regards;

A – Such contact is acceptable as a reality, since Islamic sources have confirmed this in many cases. For example, we can reference the contact and words of Prophet Mohammad (s) with the souls of the unbelievers who were killed in the Battle of Badr [1] . Also there are references in his contact with the souls of believers in the cemetery of Baqi in Medina [2] and also to Imam Ali’s (a) contact with spirits . [3]

B – When a dead person’s spirit is summoned it does not necessarily appear immaterially. The spirit may appear in the senses of the person who has summoned it; he may feel it through inspiration and hear some words from the spirit. The spirit does not really appear in an independent or physical sense. [4]

C – We cannot give credence to the words heard from spirits or Jinns, or to the prediction astrologists make. Therefore we cannot believe anyone who claims to have had contact with spirits . [5]

D – Although many of those who claim to have communicated with the world of spirits tell a lie or are faced with some sort of fantasy and imagination, according to some researches it has been proved that contacting spirits is possible. Some have experienced this communication and learnt or realized truths as a result of it. [6]

General Rule to Verify the Truth

The general rule to realize is that the real messages from spirits should not contradict with the basic principles of divine religions and the words of the Prophets (a). Thus, to differentiate authentic messages from the inauthentic ones, we should first know the religious laws and instructions of the Holy Prophet (s) and Infallible (a) Imams. Then, through having these messages evaluated and measured by divine religions particularly Islam, we can then decide on their authenticity and correctness.

The messages sent from the spirits (assuming that the contact is correct and the messages are really from good spirits) bring no obligations upon us, because Islam has specified for people what is necessary to do and not to do. There is no need for spirits to give us instruction in these regards. We can use their instructions only when we make sure of their purity and the correctness of the contact. Such certainty is very difficult to achieve. Therefore many messages received in this way should be disregarded. [7]