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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 259of 286

أَوْ كَٱلَّذِى مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍۢ وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْىِۦ هَٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍۢ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍۢ ۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍۢ فَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ ءَايَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًۭا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ﴿٢٥٩

Translation (Sahih International)

Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allah bring this to life after its death?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, "How long have you remained?" The man said, "I have remained a day or part of a day." He said, "Rather, you have remained one 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] - how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh." And when it became clear to him, he said, "I know that Allah is over all things competent."

Word-by-word meaning

أَوْawOr
كَٱلَّذِىka-alladhīlike the one who
مَرَّmarrapassed
عَلَىٰʿalāby
قَرْيَةٍۢqaryatina township
وَهِىَwahiyaand it
خَاوِيَةٌkhāwiyatun(had) overturned
عَلَىٰʿalāon
عُرُوشِهَاʿurūshihāits roofs
قَالَqālaHe said
أَنَّىٰannāHow
يُحْىِۦyuḥ'yī(will) bring to life
هَـٰذِهِhādhihithis (town)
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
بَعْدَbaʿdaafter
مَوْتِهَا ۖmawtihāits death
فَأَمَاتَهُfa-amātahuThen he was made to die
ٱللَّهُl-lahu(by) Allah
مِا۟ئَةَmi-ata(for) a hundred
عَامٍۢʿāminyear(s)
ثُمَّthummathen
بَعَثَهُۥ ۖbaʿathahuHe raised him
قَالَqālaHe said
كَمْkamHow long
لَبِثْتَ ۖlabith'ta(have) you remained
قَالَqālaHe said
لَبِثْتُlabith'tuI remained
يَوْمًاyawman(for) a day
أَوْawor
بَعْضَbaʿḍaa part
يَوْمٍۢ ۖyawmin(of) a day
قَالَqālaHe said
بَلbalNay
لَّبِثْتَlabith'tayou (have) remained
مِا۟ئَةَmi-ataone hundred
عَامٍۢʿāminyear(s)
فَٱنظُرْfa-unẓurThen look
إِلَىٰilāat
طَعَامِكَṭaʿāmikayour food
وَشَرَابِكَwasharābikaand your drink
لَمْlam(they did) not
يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖyatasannahchange with time
وَٱنظُرْwa-unẓurand look
إِلَىٰilāat
حِمَارِكَḥimārikayour donkey
وَلِنَجْعَلَكَwalinajʿalakaand We will make you
ءَايَةًۭāyatana sign
لِّلنَّاسِ ۖlilnnāsifor the people
وَٱنظُرْwa-unẓurAnd look
إِلَىilāat
ٱلْعِظَامِl-ʿiẓāmithe bones
كَيْفَkayfahow
نُنشِزُهَاnunshizuhāWe raise them
ثُمَّthummathen
نَكْسُوهَاnaksūhāWe cover them
لَحْمًۭا ۚlaḥman(with) flesh
فَلَمَّاfalammāThen when
تَبَيَّنَtabayyanabecame clear
لَهُۥlahuto him
قَالَqālahe said
أَعْلَمُaʿlamuI know
أَنَّannathat
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
عَلَىٰʿalā(is) on
كُلِّkullievery
شَىْءٍۢshayinthing
قَدِيرٌۭqadīrunAll-Powerful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Story of `UzayrAllah'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'.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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