Al-Radd ʿalā al-Manṭiqiyyīn - Ibn Taimiya - (319)

Al-Radd ʿalā al-ManṭiqiyyīnIbn Taimiya

Likewise, He told us of the man who was struck with a piece of the cow, saying:

'So We said: Strike him with part of it. Thus does Allah bring the dead to life.' (Q 2:73)

He also spoke of those who left their homes by the thousands for fear of death; Allah said to them, 'Die,' and then He revived them. (Q 2:243)

Or consider the one who passed by a town lying in ruins upon its roofs. He said, 'How will Allah bring this back to life after its death?' So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and then revived him. He said, 'How long have you remained?' He replied, 'I have remained a day or part of a day.' He said, 'Rather, you have remained a hundred years. Look at your food and your drink—they have not spoiled—and look at your donkey. We shall make you a sign for mankind. And look at the bones: how We raise them and then clothe them with flesh.' When it became clear to him, he said, 'I know that Allah is capable of all things.' (Q 2:259)

And remember when Abraham said, 'My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.' He said, 'Have you not believed?' He answered, 'Indeed I have, but so that my heart may be reassured.' He said, 'Take four birds, train them to come to you, then place on every mountain a part of them; then call them—they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.' (Q 2:260)

He likewise informed us that the Messiah, peace be upon him, used to revive the dead by Allah’s permission.

He also told us about the Companions of the Cave, who slept in their cavern for three hundred years, adding nine more. The Exalted says:

'And thus We disclosed them so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour, as they disputed among themselves.' (Q 18:21)

Numerous scholars have noted that, at the time, people were debating whether Allah would resurrect only the souls or both souls and bodies. Allah therefore led those people to discover the Sleepers of the Cave, and they realized that the youths had remained asleep, without eating or drinking, for three hundred solar years—that is, three hundred and nine lunar years. By this Allah demonstrated to them the possibility of bringing bodies back to life.

وكما اخبر عن المضروب بالبقرة بقوله: {فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا كَذَلِكَ يُحْيِي اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَى} وكما اخبر عن الذين خرجوا من ديارهم وهم ألوف حذر الموت فقال لهم الله: {مُوتُوا ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ} . وكما اخبر عن: {أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّى يُحْيِي هَذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْماً أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَلْ لَبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنْشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْماً فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ} وعن إبراهيم: {وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِنْهُنَّ جُزْءاً ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْياً وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ} وكما اخبر عن المسيح عليه السلام أنه كان يحيى الموتى باذن الله. وكما اخبر عن أصحاب الكهف أنهم لبثوا نياما في كهفهم ثلاث مائة سنين وازدادوا تسعا وقال تعالى: {وَكَذَلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لا رَيْبَ فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ} وقد ذكر غير واحد من العلماء أن الناس كانوا قد تنازعوا في زمانهم هل يبعث الله الارواح فقط أو يبعث الارواح والاجساد فأعثر الله هؤلاء على أهل الكهف وعلموا أنهم بقوا نياما لا يأكلون ولا يشربون ثلثمائة سنة شمسية وهي ثلثمائة وتسع هلالية فأعلمهم الله بذلك إمكان إعادة الأبدان