Thus when We decreed upon him the death, none informed them about his death except a creature from the Earth eating his staff; thus when he fell it was clear to the sprites that if they knew the unseen, they would not have been undergone for this heinous punishment.
The creatures from the Earth mentioned in the verse are the termites. Prophet Suleiman in his old age used to walk with the support of a staff. He died when he was sitting on his throne with the support of his staff to his chin. The sprites were involved in their routine work without any hesitation thinking that Prophet Suleiman was alive. After a prolonged period, the termites ate his staff, it was broken and Suleiman fell. Then only the sprites could understand his death. From this, it is clear that the dead body of prophets and believers who are eating wholesome and permitted foods won’t be decayed. The seven youths of the cave mentioned in Surath Kahf without burying were separated making a wall. Being a reply to the question of Hudaifathul Yamani Lord taught through His Messenger that in the last period when there was no group of believers, the illiterate odd believer should go to any forest and should remain there biting the bottom of the tree. Thus the spirit (Rooh) will be separated from the body and the body will become ant hill. The dead body of such believers need not be buried or it won’t be eaten by wild animals. See explanation 16: 114; 17: 1, 98.