Thus the Most High tells us about His close friend Abraham—peace and blessings be upon him—and how he disputed with this tyrannical king, Namrudh (1) the Babylonian, who denied and rejected the Lord of the worlds. He set himself against Abraham, Allah’s close friend, and disputed with him over a matter that admits no doubt, confusion, or uncertainty: Allah’s oneness and lordship, the clearest and most self-evident of all matters.

But this tyrant was deluded and driven to transgression by his kingship, until he went so far as to deny the Lord and dispute with Abraham, the great messenger to whom Allah had granted knowledge and certainty such as He had granted to none of the messengers except Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him.

Abraham argued with him, saying, “My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death.” That is, He alone creates and governs, gives life and causes death. Abraham mentioned the clearest manifestations of this—giving life and causing death. The tyrant replied, seeking to confound him, “I give life and cause death.” By this he meant: I kill whomever I wish to kill and spare whomever I wish to spare.

It is well known that this was mere deception, falsification, and evasion of the point. The point was that Allah Most High alone creates living beings from nonexistence and restores life to the dead, and that He causes human beings and animals to die at their appointed times, through causes to which He has tied their deaths or without any such causes.

When Allah’s close friend saw him resort to a deception that might fool the ignorant rabble, Abraham said—compelling him to substantiate his claim, if he was as he alleged—“Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west.” Thus, “the disbeliever was dumbfounded”: he was brought to a standstill, his argument was cut off, and his specious objection vanished.

This was not Abraham’s transition from one proof to another. Rather, he was compelling Nimrod to carry his own claim to its logical conclusion, if he was truthful, and confronted him with something that admitted no distortion, falsification, or deception.

All forms of evidence—revealed, rational, and innate—therefore attest to Allah’s oneness and His exclusive possession of creation and governance. The One whose attributes these are alone deserves worship. All the messengers agreed upon this great foundation, and none denied it except an obstinate and arrogant opponent resembling this stubborn tyrant. This, then, is one of the proofs of monotheism.

﴿259–260﴾ He then mentioned the proofs of His perfect power, resurrection, and recompense, saying:

“Or consider the one who passed by a town that had collapsed upon its roofs. He said, ‘How will Allah bring this to life after its death?’ So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and then raised him. He said, ‘How long have you remained?’ He replied, ‘I have remained for a day or part of a day.’ He said, ‘Rather, you have remained for a hundred years. Look at your food and drink: they have not spoiled. Look at your donkey—and We shall make you a sign for the people—and look at the bones, how We raise them up and then clothe them with flesh.’ When it became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah has power over all things.’ * And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.’ He said, ‘Do you not believe?’ He replied, ‘Yes indeed, but so that my heart may be reassured.’ He said, ‘Then take four birds, bring them close to you and cut them up, then place a portion of them on every hill. Then call them; they will come rushing to you. And know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.’”

These are two tremendous, tangible proofs—manifested in this world before the Hereafter—of resurrection and recompense. According to the correct view, as the noble verse indicates, Allah brought one about through a man who doubted the resurrection, and the other through His close friend Abraham.

Just as He had brought about the preceding proof of monotheism through Abraham, this man passed by a town that had been utterly destroyed and had collapsed upon its roofs. Its people had died and its buildings lay in ruins. Doubting and deeming it far-fetched, he said, “How will Allah bring this to life after its death?” That is, he thought this unlikely while it was in such a state—meaning this town and others like it—according to what occurred in his heart at that moment.

Allah willed to show mercy to him and to the people, and so He caused him to die for a hundred years. The man had a donkey with him, which Allah also caused to die, as well as food and drink, both of which Allah preserved unchanged throughout that long span. When the hundred years had passed, Allah raised him and said, “How long have you remained?” He replied, “I have remained for a day or part of a day,” according to what he supposed. Allah said, “Rather, you have remained for a hundred years.” It appears that this exchange took place through one of the noble prophets.

As part of Allah’s perfect mercy to him and to the people, He showed him the sign with his own eyes so that he might be convinced. After he realized that he had been dead and Allah had restored him to life, he was told, “Look at your food and drink: they have not spoiled”—that is, they had not changed throughout that long span. This is one of the signs of Allah’s power, for food and drink—particularly what the exegetes mention, namely fruit and juice—soon undergo change, yet Allah preserved them for a hundred years. He was also told, “Look at your donkey,” and there it was, fallen apart and disintegrated into crumbling bones.

“Look at the bones, how We raise them up”—that is, how We raise them one to another and join them together after they had been scattered—“then clothe them,” once they have been joined, “with flesh,” and then restore life to it.

“When it became clear to him” by direct observation, leaving no possible room for doubt, “he said, ‘I know that Allah has power over all things.’”

He thus acknowledged Allah’s power over all things and became a sign for the people, for they had known of his death and the death of his donkey and were familiar with his story; then they witnessed this greatest sign. This is the correct view concerning this man.

As for the view of many exegetes that this man was a believer or one of the prophets—whether Ezra or someone else—and that his words, “How will Allah bring this to life after its death?” meant, “How will this town be restored to habitation after lying in ruins?”; and that Allah caused him to die in order to show him how He would restore the town by repopulating it, so that it was rebuilt during that period, its people returned, and it became inhabited after lying desolate—neither the wording nor the meaning supports this. Indeed, the wording contradicts it.

What sign or proof is there in ruined towns becoming inhabited again? This has always been witnessed: some towns and dwellings are built up while others fall into ruin. The tremendous sign lay instead in restoring the man to life after his death, restoring his donkey to life, and preserving his food and drink so that they neither rotted nor changed.

Moreover, the words “When it became clear to him” explicitly indicate that the matter did not become clear to him until he witnessed with his own eyes this state demonstrating the perfection of Allah’s power.

﴿260﴾ As for the other proof, Abraham asked Allah to show him how He gives life to the dead. Allah said to him, “Do you not believe?” so as to dispel any suspicion that might attach to His close friend.

“He said”—that is, Abraham—“Yes indeed, my Lord. I believe that You have power over all things, that You give life to the dead, and that You will recompense Your servants, but I want