Chapter 2: Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), verse 259-260


Translation:

“Or like him who, when passing by a ruined and desolate city, remarked: ‘How shall Allah give life to this city after its death?’ Thereupon Allah caused him to remain in a state of death for a hundred years and then raised him to life. Allah asked: ‘How long have you tarried here?’ He replied: ‘I have tarried a day, or a part of a day.’ Allah said: ‘No, but you have tarried a hundred years. Now look upon your food and drink: they have not rotted; and look at your ass. We will make you a sign for all men: and look at the bones, how we raise them erect and then clothe them with flesh.’ And when this was made clear to him, he said: ‘Now I know that Allah has power over all things.’ And remember when Abraham said: ‘My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.’ Allah replied: ‘Do you not believe?’ He said: ‘Yes, surely, but I wish to set my heart at rest.’ Allah said: ‘Take four birds, draw them to you, and cut their bodies to pieces. Next place a part of their bodies on each separate mountain-top. Then call them—they will come to you flying swiftly. And know that Allah is Mighty and wise.” (2:259-260)

Commentary:

Two experiences connected with resurrection after death are mentioned here. In both cases, the people directly concerned were Prophets. It is generally thought that in the first incident, the Prophet in question was Ezra (5th century BC), while in the second, as the Qur’an itself makes clear, it was the Prophet Abraham, who lived between the years 2160 and 1985 BC. Prophets are sent by God in order to inform mankind of realities which, for ordinary people, lie beyond the realm of human vision. The veil is removed, however, in the case of the Prophets, since it is their task to inform others of these realities. This can be done with far greater conviction if they have actually witnessed with their own eyes the fact which they are conveying to the rest of mankind. Their audience, also, is more likely to believe in what it is being told, rather than treating it purely as hearsay.

Prophets have generally been endowed with prophethood around the age of forty. Prior to this, they have shown impeccable honesty in their dealings with their fellows. Having provided practical proof of their truthfulness, the time then came for them to inform mankind of those realities of life which God, in order to test men, has kept hidden from them. These truthful human beings, known as Prophets, communicated to mankind the message revealed to them by God while pointing to the phenomena of creation to back up their teachings. That the Prophets have always been fully sincere in what they taught is shown by the fact that they themselves have never wavered from the principles which they sought to inculcate in others, despite the severe hardships which they had to endure. If they had simply concocted their message, they would not have proved so persistent in their adherence to it, for the mendacious usually crack under pressure and abandon the subject. Neither does something which has been formulated by the human mind, as opposed to being inspired by God, conform so perfectly to the phenomena of the outside world.

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