Stories From The Quran
The Story of The Pious Man Uzair
Uzair was a pious man from the children of Isreal, it was not proved he is a prophet. His story was mentioned in Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 259. One day, he went by a village called Jerusalem, an empty village, after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it and killed its people. He looked at it and what remained of, and said “How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death?”, he said this after the massive destruction that afflicted the village and its dead people. So, Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and then brought him back to life. After he was brought to life, and while he was dead, many changes had happened to this village and people went back to it. They reconstructed the village again after 100 years. The first part of his body that was revived was his eyes to see what Allah has done to his body. After his body was fully resurrected, he was asked by an angel of Allah, for how long you have been sleeping, he replied, “(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, and he saw that the sun was still apparent, he thought that it was the sun of that same day. He replied to him saying ”a day” or ”a part of a day”!
Allah informed him that he had been sleeping (remained dead) for a hundred years, ”Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey].”. It was mentioned that 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. But the donkey had decayed. Allah said to him, “And thus, We have made of you a sign for the people,” The pious man received the answer to his question of how Allah resurrected the dead. Allah said to him in the same Ayah ”And look at the bones [of this donkey] – how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh”. Then, he submitted to Allah’s Competence, and declared “I know (now) that Allah is Able to do all things.”.
what do we learn from this story?
the name of allah, Al-Muhyi ٱلْمُحْيِى
The Giver of Life, Bestower of life, The Reviver
Allah is the One Who brings back the creatures after death, as Allah showed the pious man His Competence of resurrection, as a simple example of His Attributes. The Name of Allah, Al-Muhyi, is the who gives life by giving the souls back and regenerating our bodies on the resurrection day. He is the One who makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge. His Name does not only describe His Ability to resurrect and revive people and things, but also His Nature of being living, never deteriorating, and not derived from any source. Allah said in Quran, ”He gives life and causes death, and to Him you will be returned” (هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ). As Muslims, we should believe in His Names and Qualities and as Allah can revive the dead, He can revive our broken souls and hearts. Allah can change everything, it is all in His Hands. This must give us hope and inspire people while struggling to make it through life that Allah can change our fates and turn our difficulties into happiness.
