الآية رقم (260) - وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِـي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَى وَلَـكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

(260) - (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.")

It’s still the same topic. Many people read in this verse that Abraham (PBUH) asked: “show me how You give life to the dead” and wonder: “Had Abraham had doubts?”

The answer is no, for sure. Let’s consider how precise is the Quran:

( وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ) (Abraham said, “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.”): Abraham (PBUH) had a firm belief that Allah (swt) gives life to the dead. However, it’s like when you ask a mason: “how have you built such a vast palace?” You’re sure about the existence of such palace as you can see it before your eyes. Still, you request the mason to tell you how it’s built and how he’s put concrete cement to make pillars and every part together till the building is done. To sum it up, you see the palace and believe that it exists but you ask about how it’s built. Likewise, Abraham (PBUH) asked about how the dead are brought to life since he has some vision of the process. Moreover, Abraham (PBUH) confirmed this thing by saying:

( قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي ) (…“Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied.”): This is the meaning; he wants to assure himself about the vision he has about bringing the dead back to life by saying: (…show me how You give life to the dead.”) Otherwise, the verse could have been worded as: (And Abraham said “My Lord, show me if You give life to the dead?) He never doubts that Allah (swt) can give life to the dead but asked about how it’s done.

( قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ) (…Allah] said, “Take four birds and commit them to yourself ): The meaning here is: bring four birds and put them in front of you.

( ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ) (…Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them ): Cut them into pieces and place a piece on each hill. This is how Allah (swt) wanted to show him how He brings life to the dead.

( ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا ) (…then call them – they will come [flying] to you in haste ): You call them, and they come in haste, not merely flying. Why didn’t Allah (swt) say: “you bring life to them”? it’s because giving life and causing death are only in the hands of Allah (swt). Even Jesus (PBUH) who was bestowed miracles by Allah (swt) said:

{ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ}

(and I give life to the dead – by permission of Allah.) (Ali-Imran: 49)

So, he used to give life to the dead only by permission and order of Allah (swt). In the story of Abraham (PBUH), Allah (swt) made him able to speak to the birds only so that those birds would understand what Abraham (PBUH) said and came in haste to him. They didn’t merely fly; they came in haste so that Abrahm never got confused between them and other birds. In all, Allah the Almighty granted Abraham the ability to call the birds which could understand him and come in haste obeying Abraham (PBUH).

( وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ) (…And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.”): The Mighty is unbeatable and can do without the worship of His creatures. In most cases, the adjective “Mighty” comes along with “Wise,” why so? When Allah (swt) orders, He orders with His Might. For example, when Satan (Iblees) asked Allah (swt) to give him time to mislead the Children of Adam, which attribute did he use? Iblees said:

 {قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ}

(By your might, I will surely mislead them all.) (Saad: 82)

It means by your doing without the worship of your creatures as you’re never affected whether they obey or disobey you. Iblees spoke in terms of “Might.” Allah (swt) says in a Hadith Qudsi:

“O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything.[1]

As for “Wise,” all things and affairs are run by Allah’s wisdom. 

[1] Hadith no. 2577, Sahih Muslim