96, verse 82, where it says: " His command, when He intends...

96, verse 82, where it says: " His command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it: ' Be ', so it is." The phrase: / qumma 'ahyahum / (then He restored them to life) , mentioned in the verse, hints to the story of those people who, after death, were quickened by the invocation of Ezekiel, the Prophet, (a.s.) .

Since their coming back to life was one of the clear blessings of Allah both from their points of view and from the point of warning other people, the verse finally says: "...Truly Allah is gracious to people, ..." Not only this group of people received, but also all humankind always receive the grace, kindness, and blessings of Allah, while they are usually not grateful.

"...but most people are not thankful." The Late Saduq, a great famous scholar from Shi'ah school of thought, reasoning on this verse for the possibility of resurrection, says: " One of our convictions is belief in resurrection (that some former people 251 return to life again in this very world) ." (1) This holy verse can also be a document for the problem of the Resurrection and raising the dead in the Hereafter.

* * * * The explanation of Ezekiel's invocation, as has been cited upon the description of the concept of the Qur'anic phrase: " Then He restored them to life ", is as follows: Owing to the repeated visits of the plague, the children of Israel numbering several thousands left their homes for fear of death.

It happened so that the disease once again pested the town and the people in a huge number of thousands got out of the town being confident of their escape from death which evidently indicated lack of faith in God. Allah commanded all of them to die and they were all dead and reduced to dust, only their bones were lying on the earth. One of the Israelite prophets, Ezekiel, passed that way and prayed to the Lord to raise the people to life.

Ezekiel, was inspired by Allah to pray to Him reciting a particular name and to sprinkle water on the rotten bones of the dead, which ' Ezekiel ' did and the people were once again quickened. Thus it was manifested for the knowledge of the faithless people that Allah does whatsoever He pleases and they could never go their own way against the Will of the Lord. (1) Tafsir-Nimunah, vol. 2, p.