The Quran links sleep and death in several verses, which has been questioned by skeptics. However, modern science has confirmed that both sleep and death are regulated by the brainstem, a crucial part of the brain that controls vital functions like breathing and heart rate.
Scientific UnderstandingThe brainstem regulates the sleep-wake cycle, including transitions between sleep and wakefulness. Recent research has shown that the brainstem is also responsible for life-sustaining functions, and its failure leads to brainstem death. Brainstem death, where a person loses consciousness and the ability to breathe, is recognized as the legal definition of death in many countries. Thus, the brainstem connects sleep and death by controlling both states.
˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ calls back the souls ˹of people˺ upon their death as well as ˹the souls˺ of the living during their sleep. Then He keeps those for whom He has ordained death, and releases the others until ˹their˺ appointed time. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.39:42
This verse suggests that sleep is a temporary form of death, as both processes involve the brainstem regulating consciousness and bodily functions.
