﷽
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 259:*
أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَانظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Or like the one who passed by a town and it had tumbled over its roofs. He said: "Oh! How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again). He said: "How long did you remain (dead)?" He (the man) said: "(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day". He said: "Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at your food and your drink, they show no change; and look at your donkey! And thus We have made of you a sign for the people. Look at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh". When this was clearly shown to him, he said, "I know (now) that Allah is Able to do all things."
*COMMENTARY*
This is incident is referred variously:
1. To Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel, chapter xxxvii, verses 1-10).
2. To Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its rebuilding (Nehemiah, chapter I, verses 12-20); and
3. To 'Uzair, or Ezra, Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by the Persian king after the Captivity to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish legends.
As to (1), there are only four words in this verse about bones. As to (2) and (3), there is nothing specific to connect this verse with either. The wording is perfectly general, and we must understand it as general. I think it does refer not only to individual, but to national, death and resurrection.
A man is in despair when he sees the destruction of a whole people, city, or civilisation. But Allāh can cause resurrection as He has done many times in history, and as He will do at the final Resurrection. Time is nothing before Allāh. The doubter thinks that he has been dead or "tarried thus" a day or less when the period has been a century. On the other hand, the food and drink which he left behind is intact, and as fresh as it was when he left it. But the donkey I'd not only dead, but nothing but bones is left of it. And before the man's eyes, the bones are re-united, clothed with flesh and blood, and restored to life.
*MORAL*
1. Time is nothing to Allāh.
2. It affects different things in different ways.
3. The keys of life and death are in Allāh's hand.
4. Man's power is nothing: his faith should be in Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala).
﷽
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 260:*
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe?" He [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith." He said: "Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you (then slaughter them, cut them into pieces), and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them, they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."
*COMMENTARY*
Verse 258, we saw, illustrated Allāh's power over Life and Death, contrasted with man's vain boasts or imaginings. Verse 259 illustrated how Time is immaterial to Allāh's working; things, individuals and nations are subject to laws of life and death, which are under Allāh's complete control, however much we may be misled by appearance.
Abraham and complete faith in Allāh's power, but he wanted, with Allāh's permission, to give an explanation of that faith to his own heart and mind.
A portion of them: Juz-an. The commentators understand this to mean that the birds were to be cut up and pieces of them were to be put on the hills. The cutting up or killing is not mentioned but they say that it is implied by an ellipsis, as the question is how Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala) gives life to the dead.
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 259:*
أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَانظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Or like the one who passed by a town and it had tumbled over its roofs. He said: "Oh! How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again). He said: "How long did you remain (dead)?" He (the man) said: "(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day". He said: "Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at your food and your drink, they show no change; and look at your donkey! And thus We have made of you a sign for the people. Look at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh". When this was clearly shown to him, he said, "I know (now) that Allah is Able to do all things."
*COMMENTARY*
This is incident is referred variously:
1. To Ezekiel's vision of dry bones (Ezekiel, chapter xxxvii, verses 1-10).
2. To Nehemiah's visit to Jerusalem in ruins after the Captivity, and to its rebuilding (Nehemiah, chapter I, verses 12-20); and
3. To 'Uzair, or Ezra, Esdras, the scribe, priest, and reformer, who was sent by the Persian king after the Captivity to Jerusalem, and about whom there are many Jewish legends.
As to (1), there are only four words in this verse about bones. As to (2) and (3), there is nothing specific to connect this verse with either. The wording is perfectly general, and we must understand it as general. I think it does refer not only to individual, but to national, death and resurrection.
A man is in despair when he sees the destruction of a whole people, city, or civilisation. But Allāh can cause resurrection as He has done many times in history, and as He will do at the final Resurrection. Time is nothing before Allāh. The doubter thinks that he has been dead or "tarried thus" a day or less when the period has been a century. On the other hand, the food and drink which he left behind is intact, and as fresh as it was when he left it. But the donkey I'd not only dead, but nothing but bones is left of it. And before the man's eyes, the bones are re-united, clothed with flesh and blood, and restored to life.
*MORAL*
1. Time is nothing to Allāh.
2. It affects different things in different ways.
3. The keys of life and death are in Allāh's hand.
4. Man's power is nothing: his faith should be in Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala).
﷽
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 260:*
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe?" He [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith." He said: "Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you (then slaughter them, cut them into pieces), and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them, they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."
*COMMENTARY*
Verse 258, we saw, illustrated Allāh's power over Life and Death, contrasted with man's vain boasts or imaginings. Verse 259 illustrated how Time is immaterial to Allāh's working; things, individuals and nations are subject to laws of life and death, which are under Allāh's complete control, however much we may be misled by appearance.
Abraham and complete faith in Allāh's power, but he wanted, with Allāh's permission, to give an explanation of that faith to his own heart and mind.
A portion of them: Juz-an. The commentators understand this to mean that the birds were to be cut up and pieces of them were to be put on the hills. The cutting up or killing is not mentioned but they say that it is implied by an ellipsis, as the question is how Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala) gives life to the dead.
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