Islamic stories

Prophet Dhul Kifl (Ezakiel): {2:243}

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مُوتُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَحْيَٰهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ

Surah Baqarah {2:243}

Allah says;

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ خَرَجُواْ مِن دِيَارِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اللّهُ مُوتُواْ ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ"

Did you (O Muhammad) not think of those who went forth from their homes in the thousands, fearing death Allah said to them, "Die". And then He restored them to life.

On the authority of revered Companions (Sahabah) and their successors (Tabi'in),Tafsir ibn Kathir explains this event as follows:

These people were the residents of a city during the time of the Children of Israel. They were struck by a plague or epidemic. This group , around ten thousand in number, panicked and fled their land fearing death and took refuge in the wilderness.

They later arrived at a fertile valley and they filled what is between its two sides. Allah Almighty, in order to impress upon other peoples of the world that no living being can escape death by running away from it, sent two angels to them, one from the lower side and the other from the upper side of the valley. The angels screamed once and all the people died instantly.

The neighbouring town on hearing about this event enclosed the whole area with a fence of bough with time their bodies rotted and disintegrated. Long afterwards, one of the Prophets of the Children of Israel, whose name was Dhul Kifl (Ezekiel), passed by them and prayed to Allah to bring them back to life.

Allah accepted his supplication and commanded him to say, "O rotted bones, Allah commands you to come together." The bones of every body were brought together. Allah then commanded him to say, "O bones, Allah commands you to be covered with flesh, nerves and skin." That also happened while Dhul Kifl (Ezekiel) was watching. Allah then commanded him to say, "O souls, Allah commands you to return, each to the body that it used to inhabit."

They all came back to life, looked around and proclaimed, "All praise is due to You (O Allah!) and there is no deity worthy of worship except You."

Allah brought them back to life after they had perished long ago! This formidable event was not only a thought-provoker for the wise of the world, its philosophers and thinkers, and certainly, a decisive argument against the deniers of the Last Day, but was also a guidance for mankind pointing out that running because of the fear of death, be it from jihad or from plague or some other epidemic, is just not possible for one who believes in Allah Almighty and in the fate He has determined -- the one who is certain in his belief ('iman ایمان ) that there is a time for death; it cannot come a second earlier, and it cannot be postponed to a second later. Therefore, this effort to run from death is not only redundant and wasteful, but also goes on to become the cause of Allah Almighty's displeasure.

We should state that bringing these people back to life is a clear proof that physical resurrection shall occur on the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah said:

إِنَّ اللّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ

Truly, Allah is full of bounty to mankind, meaning, in that He shows them His great signs, sound proofs and clear evidences to Bani Israel by bringing them back to life, as well as the grace He has shown to the community of Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) by telling them about this incident and by making it a model lesson for them.

Yet,

وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ

but most men thank not/ are ungrateful.

This story clearly indicates that no caution can ever avert destiny and that there is no refuge from Allah, but to Allah Himself. These people departed from their land fleeing the epidemic and seeking to enjoy a long life. What they earned was the opposite of what they sought, as death came quickly and instantaneously and seized them all.

There is an authentic Hadith that Imam Ahmad reported that Abdullah bin Abbas said that;

Umar bin Al-Khattab once went to Ash-Sham (Syria). When he reached the area of Sargh, he was met by the commanders of the army: Abu Ubaydah bin Jarrah and his companions. They told him that the plague had broken out in Ash-Sham.

The Hadith then mentioned that Abdur-Rahman bin Awf, who was away attending to some of his affairs, came and said, "I have knowledge regarding this matter. I heard Allah's Messenger say:

إِذَا كَانَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلَ تَخْرُجُوا فِرَارًا مِنْه وإِذَا سَمِعتُمْ به بأَرْضٍ فَل تَقْدمُوا عَلَيْه

If it (the plague) breaks out in a land that you are in, do not leave that land to escape from it. If you hear about it in a land, do not enter it.

Umar then thanked Allah and went back.

This Hadith is also reported in the Sahihayn.

Abandoning Jihad does not alter Destiny