ONE AYAT A DAY
وَاِذْ قَالَ اِبْرٰهٖمُ رَبِّ اَرِنِيْ كَيْفَ تُحْيِ الْمَوْتٰىۗ قَالَ اَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ ۗقَالَ بَلٰى وَلٰكِنْ لِّيَطْمَىِٕنَّ قَلْبِيْ ۗقَالَ فَخُذْ اَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ اِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلٰى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِيْنَكَ سَعْيًا ۗوَاعْلَمْ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِيْزٌ حَكِيْمٌ ࣖ
Wa iż qāla ibrāhīmu rabbi arinī kaifa tuḥyil-mautā, qāla awalam tu'min, qāla balā wa lākil liyaṭma'inna qalbī, qāla fakhuż arba‘atam minaṭ-ṭairi faṣurhunna ilaika ṡummaj‘al ‘alā kulli jabalim minhunna juz'an ṡummad‘uhunna ya'tīnaka sa‘yā(n), wa‘lam annallāha ‘azīzun ḥakīm(un).
And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allāh] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied." [Allāh] 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 Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise."
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. Prophet Ibrahim said,رَبِّ أَرِنِى كَيْفَ تُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَى وَلَـكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِى("My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe" He (Ibrahim) said: "Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in faith.")Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«نَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالشَّكِّ مِنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَرَبِّ أَرِنِى كَيْفَ تُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَى وَلَـكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِى(We are more liable to be in doubt than Ibrahim when he said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." Allah said, "Don't you believe" Ibrahim said, "Yes (I believe), but (I ask) in order to be stronger in faith.")The Prophet's statement in the Hadith means, "We are more liable to seek certainty."The Answer to Al-Khalil's RequestAllah said,قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ(He said: "Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you.")Scholars of Tafsir disagreed…