Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 260of 286

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِى كَيْفَ تُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن ۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِى ۖ قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ ٱجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍۢ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًۭا ثُمَّ ٱدْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًۭا ۚ وَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ﴿٢٦٠

Translation (Sahih International)

And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allah] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied." [Allah] said, "Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise."

Word-by-word meaning

وَإِذْwa-idhAnd when
قَالَqālasaid
إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُib'rāhīmuIbrahim
رَبِّrabbiMy Lord
أَرِنِىarinīshow me
كَيْفَkayfahow
تُحْىِtuḥ'yīYou give life
ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۖl-mawtā(to) the dead
قَالَqālaHe said
أَوَلَمْawalamHave not
تُؤْمِن ۖtu'minyou believed
قَالَqālaHe said
بَلَىٰbalāYes
وَلَـٰكِنwalākin[and] but
لِّيَطْمَئِنَّliyaṭma-innato satisfy
قَلْبِى ۖqalbīmy heart
قَالَqālaHe said
فَخُذْfakhudhThen take
أَرْبَعَةًۭarbaʿatanfour
مِّنَminaof
ٱلطَّيْرِl-ṭayrithe birds
فَصُرْهُنَّfaṣur'hunnaand incline them
إِلَيْكَilaykatowards you
ثُمَّthummathen
ٱجْعَلْij'ʿalput
عَلَىٰʿalāon
كُلِّkullieach
جَبَلٍۢjabalinhill
مِّنْهُنَّmin'hunnaof them
جُزْءًۭاjuz'ana portion
ثُمَّthummathen
ٱدْعُهُنَّud'ʿuhunnacall them
يَأْتِينَكَyatīnakathey will come to you
سَعْيًۭا ۚsaʿyan(in) haste
وَٱعْلَمْwa-iʿ'lamAnd know
أَنَّannathat
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
عَزِيزٌʿazīzun(is) All-Mighty
حَكِيمٌۭḥakīmunAll-Wise

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Khalil Supplicates to Allah to Show Him How He Resurrects the DeadThe scholars said that there are reasons behind this request by Ibrahim. For instance, when Ibrahim said to Nimrod,رَبِّيَ الَّذِى يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُe(My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death,) he wanted to solidify his knowledge about resurrection by actually witnessing it with his eyes.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project