This story has been mention in the verse 259 of Surah Baqarah

this is one of its concluding verses. It is actually a historical answer to the deniers of life after death.

“Or like the one who passed by a hamlet in ruins and said, “How will god bring it to life after its death? So God caused him to die for a hundred years then raised him up. He asked him “How long did you remain (dead)? He said, “Perhaps a day or part of a day.” God said, “No you have been dead for a hundred years; look at your food and drink, they show no change and look at your donkey. We have made 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 God is able to do all things.”(1)

There are some points to attend to here:

Who was this person and which place was this? (It should be noted that the word “Qarya” here is not a small village but a center of population, a city or a large village)

Qura’n has not explained this. All we know from the verse is that he was someone close to God, a prophet among the many apostles. The researchers and commentators have taken the help of history to name him. He is mentioned in many traditions by commentators as Uzair a famous prophet of the Bani Israel. According to some he was the prophet Jeremiah. Some have named him as the wandering Jew (Khizr) and others have called him “Isaiah” (2)

No matter who he was it will not change the meaning of the verse but as some have said that he was not a righteous person who doubted the life after death is wrong because the verse clearly tells us that he received the revelation.

The “Qaria” according to many traditions was Jerusalem and this was after Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city.

Did this person whoever he was really die or did he go into a trance like sleep? The verse says that he was really dead and came after a hundred years on God’s command. Some commentators feel that it may have been a deep sleep as we find in animals that go into hibernation and they sleep in the winter only to wake up in spring.

 The signs of life become very extinct in such a sleep and the movement becomes negligible but the flame of life is not extinguished.

The author of “Al Minar”, Maraghi and the author of “ A’Lami Qura’n” have mentioned this doubt and Alami Qura’n says that “ God caused him to die for a hundred years” may not mean a hundred years but may mean a hundred days or hours.

These people are called the enlightened ones and it is impossible for them to accept something extra ordinary so when ever they are confronted with such a situation they begin making excuses and even when it is not needed.

In one sentence you can say that the Qura’n and the established Islamic traditions contain divine issues and many extra ordinary events that cannot be denied and they need no excuse or explanation. If we accept that the extra ordinary events are the doings of God then accepting them will be very easy. We do not cross the limit in such things and we do not exaggerate them and even do not attribute the normal events as extra ordinary.

There are many events according to the modern day scientists that are unexplainable so why should we distort reality when we deal with such matters?

In the above tradition the first is the mention of death and then the resurrection and the purpose was to present the event of resurrection on the Judgment Day. The animal for traveling has been mentioned. Qura’n says, “It had died and its bone had been scattered” the verse clearly says that the bones were gathered on God’s command, then they were covered with flesh and it became alive. Do we need to explain them also? As far as the place is concerned most people believe that it was in Jerusalem and after Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city. Qura’n terms this destruction as the “roofs had fallen down and the walls on top of it.”

Some have said that it was a place near Jerusalem and this person had asked himself how God would renew their lives. It was not a denial and not a surprise but his wish that he could see them being resurrected just as Hazrath Ibrahim had desired this with God and we will discuss his event later.

This desire may have been expressed to prove the issue in front of the deniers because at times some people are not convinced by logical explanations. They insist on seeing the event themselves so that it becomes an issue of sensation and all the doubts in the heart and soul are removed.

There is a question about the nature of the food and the Qura’n does not say anything about it definitely but says, “Look at your food” the word Sanah here means years and the food had not rotten after years had passed by. It shows us that the food was something that is subjected to decay. Some commentators have said that they had figs and grapes for food and had milk or fruit juice to drink.

The point is that ‘God kept something which decays easily in its original and fresh condition but the beast of burden despites its strength was dead and scattered to prove that a hundred years had passed. This was to make it an example of resurrection and also that the person could see the truth with his eyes, the animal’s as well as his own resurrection.

The term “ So that We May make you a sign for the people” that the benefit of this event was not just for that person but for all and they through different signs recognized the person as Prophet Uzair who had died a hundred years ago and had been resurrected to life. Though the people of his times had died but the following generation saw it and from the information they had stored from their elders they were able to recognize the reality or the truth.

1. The term “Or like the one” according to some commentators is the same as “did you not see” elsewhere in the Qura’n.

2. Tafsir Burhan, Nurus Saqlain, majmaul Bayan, ruhul Ma’ani, Ruhul Bayan, Tasfsir Kabeer and Qartabi for this verse.