Transliteration:( Alam tara ilal lazeena kharajoo min diyaarihim wa hum uloofun hazaral mawti faqaaala lahumul laahu mootoo summa ahyaahum; innal laaha lazoo fadlin 'alannaasi wa laakinna aksarannaasi laa yashkuroon )
600. This incident refers to the residents of the city of WASIT who had abandoned the city in their thousands to escape from the plague, but had all died. After some time Hazrat Hizkeel made dua for them, as a result of which all became alive once again.
601. The fear of death can be both good and bad. If due to its fear man sincerely turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness for his sins it is good; but if its fear makes him abandon doing pious deeds or turns to sinful life, then it is bad, e.g. out of fear of death people abstain from going for Hajj or participating in Holy War. However, the fear of the residents of Dadrawaan (Wasit), of course was of a differentnature.
602. From this incident we learn that running away from dreaded diseases because of the fear of death is wrong. Secondly, we also learn that all the past and future happenings are screened
before the Holy Prophet because the abovementioned incident had taken place centuries ago, yet the QUR'AAN says did you (Oh My Beloved Nabi see? i.e. you have seen.
603. Ibn Arabi says that any person who dies due to punishment can be brought back to life. but if the death is an inevitable one as divinely decreed then there is no order to bring its victims back to life. Hazrat Hassan (on whom be peace) says that the residents of Dadrawaan had died before their actual time, therefore they were brought back to life to complete their natural life span. These people were brought back to life on the dua of Hazrat Hizkeel bin Yuozi who was the third successor of Hazrat Musa His first successor was Hazrat Yusha bin Nune and the second was Kalib bin Yohanna (Tafseer)
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 242 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 240 which provides the complete commentary from verse 240 through 242.
(2:243) (O Messenger), have you thought of those who went forth from their homes for fear of death even though they were in their thousands?[265] Allah said to them: “Die!” Then He restored them to life.[266] Indeed Allah is Bounteous to mankind; but most people do not give thanks in return.
265. Here begins a fresh discourse, in which Muslims are urged to struggle and make financial sacrifices for God’s cause. Moreover, they have been warned to avoid those forms of corruption which eventually led the Children of Israel into decline and degeneration. In order to appreciate this discourse it should be borne in mind that it was revealed when the Muslims had been driven out of Makka and had lived in Madina for year and a half. Exasperated by the wrongs to which the unbelievers subjected them, the Muslims had again and again asked the Prophet to permit them to fight. But when they were at long last asked to fight, some of them showed a degree of reluctance and disinclination see (Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 216) above. Their attention is now drawn, therefore, to two incidents in the history of the Israelites from which the may learn their lesson.
266. This refers to the exodus of the Israelites. See (Surah Al-Maidah, ayat 20) gives some details of this incident. The Israelites had left Egypt in large numbers and were wandering in the desert, eager to find a home. But when at God’s command Moses ordered them to drive the Canaanites out of Palestine and conquer that land, they showed cowardice and refused to proceed. Eventually God let them wander about for forty years till one full generation of Israelites had died and been replaced by a new one reared in the tough conditions of desert life. It was only, then that God enabled the Israelites to overcome the Canaanites. Their former condition is described as death, whereas the later development is seen as their restoration to life.
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