2:259 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

وهذا أيضا دليل آخر على توحد الله بالخلق والتدبير والإماتة والإحياء، فقال: ( أو كالذي مر على قرية وهي خاوية على عروشها ) أي: قد باد أهلها وفني سكانها وسقطت حيطانها على عروشها، فلم يبق بها أنيس بل بقيت موحشة من أهلها مقفرة، فوقف عليها ذلك الرجل متعجبا و ( قال أنى يحيي هذه الله بعد موتها ) استبعادا لذلك وجهلا بقدرة الله تعالى، فلما أراد الله به خيرا أراه آية في نفسه وفي حماره، وكان معه طعام وشراب، ( فأماته الله مائة عام ثم بعثه قال كم لبثت قال لبثت يوما أو بعض يوم ) استقصارا لتلك المدة التي مات فيها لكونه قد زالت معرفته وحواسه وكان عهد حاله قبل موته، فقيل له ( بل لبثت مائة عام فانظر إلى طعامك وشرابك لم يتسنه ) أي: لم يتغير بل بقي على حاله على تطاول السنين واختلاف الأوقات عليه، ففيه أكبر دليل على قدرته حيث أبقاه وحفظه عن التغير والفساد، مع أن الطعام والشراب من أسرع الأشياء فسادا ( وانظر إلى حمارك ) وكان قد مات وتمزق لحمه وجلده وانتثرت عظامه، وتفرقت أوصاله ( ولنجعلك آية للناس ) على قدرة الله وبعثه الأموات من قبورهم، لتكون أنموذجا محسوسا مشاهدا بالأبصار، فيعلموا بذلك صحة ما أخبرت به الرسل ( وانظر إلى العظام كيف ننشزها ) أي: ندخل بعضها في بعض، ونركب بعضها ببعض ( ثم نكسوها لحما ) فنظر إليها عيانا كما وصفها الله تعالى، ( فلما تبين له ) ذلك وعلم قدرة الله تعالى ( قال أعلم أن الله على كل شيء قدير ) والظاهر من سياق الآية أن هذا رجل منكر للبعث أراد الله به خيرا، وأن يجعله آية ودليلا للناس لثلاثة أوجه أحدها قوله ( أنى يحيي هذه الله بعد موتها ) ولو كان نبيا أو عبدا صالحا لم يقل ذلك، والثاني: أن الله أراه آية في طعامه وشرابه وحماره ونفسه ليراه بعينه فيقر بما أنكره، ولم يذكر في الآية أن القرية المذكورة عمرت وعادت إلى حالتها، ولا في السياق ما يدل على ذلك، ولا في ذلك كثير فائدة، ما الفائدة الدالة على إحياء الله للموتى في قرية خربت ثم رجع إليها أهلها أو غيرهم فعمروها؟! وإنما الدليل الحقيقي في إحيائه وإحياء حماره وإبقاء طعامه وشرابه بحاله، والثالث في قوله: ( فلما تبين له ) أي: تبين له أمر كان يجهله ويخفى عليه، فعلم بذلك صحة ما ذكرناه، والله أعلم.

تقدم قوله تعالى "ألم تر إلى الذي حاج إبراهيم في ربه" وهو في قوة قوله هل رأيت مثل الذي حاج إبراهيم في ربه ولهذا عطف عليه بقوله "أو كالذي مر على قرية وهي خاوية على عروشها" اختلفوا في هذا المار من هو فروى ابن أبي حاتم عن عصام بن داود عن آدم بن أبي إياس عن إسرائيل عن أبي إسحاق عن ناجية بن كعب عن علي بن أبي طالب أنه قال: هو عزير ورواه ابن جرير عن ناجية نفسه وحكاه ابن جرير وابن أبي حاتم عن ابن عباس والحسن وقتادة والسدي وسليمان بن بريدة وهذا القول هو المشهور وقال وهب بن منبه وعبدالله بن عبيد هو أرميا بن حلقيا قال محمد بن إسحاق عمن لا يتهم عن وهب بن منبه أنه قال: وهو اسم الخضر عليه السلام وقال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبي قال سمعت سليمان بن محمد اليساري الجاري من أهل الجاري ابن عم مطرف قال سمعت سلمان يقول إن رجلا من أهل الشام يقول إن الذي أماته الله مائة عام ثم بعثه اسمه حزقيل بن بوار وقال مجاهد بن جبر هو رجل من بني إسرائيل وأما القرية فالمشهور أنها بيت المقدس مر عليها بعد تخريب بختنصر لها وقتل أهلها "وهي خاوية" أي ليس فيها أحد من قولهم خوت الدار تخوي خويا. وقوله "على عروشها" أي ساقطة سقوفها وجدرانها على عرصاتها فوقف متفكرا فيما آل أمرها إليه بعد العمارة العظيمة وقال "أنى يحيي هذه الله بعد موتها" وذلك لما رأى من دثورها وشدة خرابها وبعدها عن العودة إلى ما كانت عليه قال الله تعالى "فأماته الله مائة عام ثم بعثه" قال وعمرت البلدة بعد مضي سبعين سنة من موته وتكامل ساكنوها وتراجع بنو إسرائيل إليها فلما بعثه الله عز وجل بعد موته كان أول شيء أحيا الله فيه عينيه لينظر بهما إلى صنع الله فيه كيف يحيي بدنه فلما استقل سويا قال الله له أي بواسطة الملك "كم لبثت قال لبثت يوما أو بعض يوم" قال وذلك أنه مات أول النهار ثم بعثه الله في آخر النهار فلما رأى الشمس باقية ظن أنها شمس ذلك اليوم فقال "أو بعض يوم قال بل لبثت مائة عام فانظر إلى طعامك وشرابك لم يتسنه" وذلك أنه كان معه فيما ذكر عنب وتين وعصير فوجده كما تقدم لم يتغير منه شيء لا العصير استحال ولا التين حمض ولا أنتن ولا العنب نقص "وانظر إلى حمارك" أي كيف يحييه الله عز وجل وأنت تنظر "ولنجعلك آية للناس" أي دليلا على المعاد "وانظر إلى العظام كيف ننشزها" أي نرفعها فيركب بعضها على بعض وقد روى الحاكم في مستدركه من حديث نافع بن أبي نعيم عن إسماعيل بن حكيم عن خارجة بن زيد بن ثابت عن أبيه أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قرأ "كيف ننشزها" بالزاي ثم قال صحيح الإسناد ولم يخرجاه وقرئ "ننشرها" أي نحييها قاله مجاهد "ثم نكسوها لحما" وقال السدي وغيره تفرقت عظام حماره حوله يمينا ويسارا فنظر إليها وهي تلوح من بياضها فبعث الله ريحا فجمعتها من كل موضع من تلك المحلة ثم ركب كل عظم في موضعه حتى صار حمارا قائما من عظام لا لحم عليها ثم كساها الله لحما وعصبا وعروقا وجلدا وبعث الله ملكا فنفخ في منخري الحمار فنهق كله بأذن الله عز وجل وذلك كله بمرأى من العزير فعند ذلك لما تبين له هذا كله "قال أعلم أن الله على كل شيء قدير" أي أنا عالم بهذا وقد رأيته عيانا فأنا أعلم أهل زماني بذلك وقرأ آخرون قال اعلم على أنه أمر له بالعلم.

The Story of `Uzayr

Allah's statement,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبْرَهِيمَ فِى رِبِّهِ

(Have you not looked at him who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord) means, "Have you seen anyone like the person who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord" Then, Allah connected the Ayah,

أَوْ كَالَّذِى مَرَّ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا

(Or like the one who passed by a town in ruin up to its roofs) to the Ayah above by using `or'.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said that the Ayah 2:259 meant `Uzayr. Ibn Jarir also reported it, and this explanation was also reported by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim from Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Sulayman bin Buraydah.

Mujahid bin Jabr said that the Ayah refers to a man from the Children of Israel, and the village was Jerusalem, after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it and killed its people.

وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ

(in ruin) means, it became empty of people. Allah's statement,

عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا

(up to its roofs) indicates that the roofs and walls (of the village) fell to the ground. `Uzayr stood contemplating about what had happened to that city, after a great civilization used to inhabit it. He said,

أَنَّى يُحْىِ هَـذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

(Oh! How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death) because of the utter destruction he saw and the implausibility of its returning to what it used to be. Allah said,

فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِاْئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ

(So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again).)

The city was rebuilt seventy years after the man (`Uzayr) died, and its inhabitants increased and the Children of Israel moved back to it. When Allah resurrected `Uzayr after he died, the first organ that He resurrected were his eyes, so that he could witness what Allah does with him, how He brings life back to his body. When his resurrection was complete, Allah said to him, meaning through the angel,

كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ

("How long did you remain (dead)" He (the man) said: "(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day.")

The scholars said that since the man died in the early part of the day and Allah resurrected him in the latter part of the day, when he saw that the sun was still apparent, he thought that it was the sun of that very day. He said,

أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِاْئَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ

("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.")

He had grapes, figs and juice, and he found them as he left them; neither did the juice spoil nor the figs become bitter nor the grapes rot.

وَانظُرْ إِلَى حِمَارِكَ

(And look at your donkey!), "How Allah brings it back to life while you are watching."

وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ ءَايَةً لِلنَّاسِ

(And thus We have made of you a sign for the people) that Resurrection occurs.

وَانظُرْ إِلَى العِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا

(Look at the bones, how We Nunshizuha) meaning, collect them and put them back together. In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim, recorded that Kharijah bin Zayd bin Thabit said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ read this Ayah,

كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا

(how We Nunshizuha.) Al-Hakim said; "Its chain is Sahih and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it." The Ayah was also read,

(نُنْشِرُهَا)

"Nunshiruha" meaning, bring them back to life, as Mujahid stated.

ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا

(And clothe them with flesh. )

As-Suddi said, " `Uzayr observed the bones of his donkey, which were scattered all around him to his right and left, and Allah sent a wind that collected the bones from all over the area. Allah then brought every bone to its place, until they formed a full donkey made of fleshless bones. Allah then covered these bones with flesh, nerves, veins and skin. Allah sent an angel who blew life in the donkeys' nostrils, and the donkey started to bray by Allah's leave." All this occurred while `Uzayr was watching, and this is when he proclaimed,

قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(He said, "I know (now) that Allah is able to do all things,") meaning, "I know that, and I did witness it with my own eyes. Therefore, I am the most knowledgeable in this matter among the people of my time."

Or did you see such as he Ezra ‘Uzayr who the kāf of ka’lladhī ‘such as he who’ is extra passed by a city namely the Holy House sc. Jerusalem riding on an ass and carrying with him a basket of figs and a cup of juice a city that was fallen down collapsed upon its turrets its roof tops after Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed it; he said ‘How annā means kayfa ‘how’ shall God give life to this now that it is dead?’ challenging the power of the exalted One so God made him die and remain dead for a hundred years then he raised him up brought him back to life to show him how this could be done; He God said ‘How long have you tarried?’ been here?; he said ‘I have tarried a day or part of a day’ because he fell asleep before noon and was made dead and then brought back to life again at sunset and thus he thought it was a day’s sleep; He said ‘Nay; you have tarried a hundred years. Look at your food the figs and drink the cup of juice it has not spoiled despite the length of time the final hā’ of yatasannah ‘to spoil’ is said to belong to the original root s-n-h; but it is also said to be silent in which case the root would be s-n-y; a variant reading omits the final hā’; and look at your ass how it is and he saw that it had died and all that remained were its withered white bones. We did this so that you would know and so that We would make you a sign of the truth of the Resurrection for the people. And look at the bones of the ass how We shall set them up how We shall raise them back to life nunshiruhā or nanshiruhā derived from the two expressions nashara and anshara; a variant reading has nunshizuhā meaning ‘How We shall move it and make it stand’; and then clothe them with flesh’ and when he looked at it he saw that the bones had been reconstituted and clothed with flesh and that the Spirit had been breathed into it making it bray. So when it was made clear to him as a result of witnessing it he said ‘I know a variant reading for a‘lam ‘I know’ has the imperative i‘lam ‘know!’ thus making it a command from God with the knowledge of direct vision that God has power over all things’.

The verse refers to Namrud نمرود ، the emperor of Babylon, who denied the very existence of God and had a debate with Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) on this issue. Allah has given him political power over a large territory. He should have been grateful to his Lord. But, on the contrary, his political power inflated him with pride and arrogance; he started denying the very existence of Him. It is in this context that the Holy Qur'an says: 'the one who argued with Ibrahim about his Lord, because Allah had given him kingship."

In the course of argument, he asked Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) about the basic attributes of God. He replied, "My Lord is the One who gives life and brings death." The foolish king did not understand the real nature of 'giving life' and 'bringing death.' Therefore, he argued that he, too, can kill anyone through his order and bring thereby death to him and can also let off a person sentenced to death and give thereby life to him. Obviously, his argument was totally absurd, because 'giving life' means to give life to something lifeless56.

56. And 'bringing death' means power which may remove the life from every living creature without a necessary intervention of an apparent cause.

When Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) felt that his addressee is unable to understand the real nature of 'giving life' and 'bringing death,' he switched over to another argument and said, "Allah brings the sun out from the East, now, you bring it out from the West." Here the king was baffled and could not answer the Abrahimic argument. But even after the truth became clear to him, he did not accept the guidance. Hence the Qur'anic statement: "And Allah does not put the unjust people on the right path."

Injunctions and related considerations

1. It is evident from the words used in the verse that if an infidel is given political power or a high worldly status, there is no harm (for a Muslim) in referring to him as a holder of that position (Qurtubi).

2. The verse also affirms the permissibility of having debate with such an infidel in order to manifest the difference between right and wrong.

3. Some people doubt the validity of the last argument of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، because Namrud نمرود could have refuted it by a counter demand from Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and could have said, "If there is a God, let Him bring the sun out from the West."

But it is obvious that he could not come out with this counter-demand. The reason is that as soon as he heard the argument, he came to the conclusion that (he himself or anybody else cannot bring out the sun from the East or the West and) it is surely a divine function which proves the existence of God. And once it is proved that it is God who brings the sun out from the East, it necessarily follows from it that He has the power to bring it out from the West also. The king also came to the conclusion that Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، ac is the messenger of Allah, and if the prayed Allah to bring out the sun from the. West, Allah will do it, in which case such a miraculous event may bring a revolution against him and he may be deprived of his kingdom. Therefore, he did not make such a demand and having no other answer, was baffled with the argument. (Bayin al-Qur'an)