Quran stories
The Man Who Passed by the Ruins: the story in the Quran
The man who remained dead for a hundred years and rose again, a proof of resurrection after death
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- Surah Al-Baqarah, 259
- #the story of the man who passed by the ruins
- #Quran stories
- #Surah Al-Baqarah
- #Uzayr
- #resurrection after death
- #proof of the Hereafter
- #Al-Baqarah 259
At a glance
- Surah
- Surah Al-Baqarah, 259
- Subject
- Resurrection after death (the Hereafter)
- Duration
- Allah kept him dead for a hundred years
- Miracle
- His food and drink did not spoil, and his donkey was brought back to life
- Name
- He is not named in the verse; according to some narrations he is said to have been Uzayr
Summary
The story of the man who passed by the ruins is told in a single verse, verse 259 of Surah Al-Baqarah. Passing by a town whose roofs had collapsed and which had turned to ruins, the man wonders, "How will Allah bring this back to life after its death?" At this, Allah keeps him dead for a hundred years, then brings him back to life. It seems to him that he has stayed only a day, or part of a day. Allah shows him his food, which has not spoiled, and his donkey, whose bones come together and rise again. Having seen all this, the man says, "Now I know that Allah has power over all things." The story is a vivid proof that resurrection after death, that is, the Hereafter, is easy for Allah.
The story
A question before the ruins
A man passed by a town whose roofs had collapsed and which had completely turned to ruins. Looking at this sight, he said to himself: "How will Allah bring this back to life after its death?" (Al-Baqarah, 259).
This was not disbelief, but the human mind finding it difficult to picture resurrection after death. Allah answered this question not in words but by having him live through it directly.
A hundred years of death and resurrection
Allah kept him dead for a hundred years, then brought him back to life and asked: "How long have you stayed?" The man answered: "A day, or part of a day."
Allah said: "No, you have stayed a hundred years" (Al-Baqarah, 259). Thus the man understood that time is in Allah's hand; a hundred years had passed for him like a single day.
The proofs: food, the donkey, and the bones
Allah showed him three proofs. First He told him to look at his food and drink: although a hundred years had passed, they had not spoiled. Then He showed him his donkey.
Allah showed him, before his own eyes, how the bones came together and were covered with flesh (Al-Baqarah, 259). When everything became clear, the man said: "Now I know that Allah has power over all things." Allah made him a sign of lesson for people.
His name and the lesson of the story
The man is not named in the verse. According to some commentators he may have been Uzayr (peace be upon him), but this is not certain, and the Quran does not disclose his name; it is therefore not correct to state the name definitively.
The main lesson of the story is that resurrection after death, that is, the Hereafter, is true. The fact that the food did not spoil shows that time is under Allah's command, while the donkey's resurrection turned Allah's power to raise the dead into a visible proof.
Key verses
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 يَوْمًا 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 لَحْمًا فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
- Transliteration
- Aw kalladhi marra ala qaryatin wa hiya khawiyatun ala 'urushiha, qala anna yuhyi hadhihillahu ba'da mawtiha. Faamatahullahu miata amin thumma ba'athah. Qala kam labitht? Qala labithtu yawman aw ba'da yawm. Qala bal labithta miata am, fanzur ila ta'amika wa sharabika lam yatasannah, wanzur ila himarika wa linaj'alaka ayatan linnas, wanzur ilal-'izami kayfa nunshizuha thumma naksuha lahma. Falamma tabayyana lahu qala a'lamu annallaha ala kulli shay'in qadir.
- Meaning
- Or like the one who passed by a town whose roofs had collapsed and which had turned to ruins. He said: "How will Allah bring this back to life after its death?" At this, Allah kept him dead for a hundred years, then raised him and asked: "How long have you stayed?" He said: "A day, or part of a day." Allah said: "No, you have stayed a hundred years. Now look at your food and your drink, they have not spoiled. And look at your donkey! (We did this) so that We might make you a sign for people. Look at the bones, how We bring them together, then cover them with flesh." When everything became clear to him, he said: "Now I know that Allah has power over all things."
In the Quran
This event is told only in verse 259 of Surah Al-Baqarah, the whole story in a single verse. The verse comes after the dispute between Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and Nimrod (258) and continues the theme of resurrection after death. According to some commentators this man may have been Uzayr (peace be upon him), but the verse does not disclose his name; it is therefore not correct to state his name definitively.
Lessons and wisdom
- Allah has the power to raise the dead; resurrection after death, that is, the Hereafter, is true.
- Time is under Allah's command; a hundred years can pass like a single day.
- Faith is strengthened by proofs seen with the eye; having witnessed the miracle, the man said, "Allah has power over all things."
- Doubt is removed not through reasoning alone, but by grasping Allah's power.
Sources
References are drawn from Quran verses, available authentic hadith and reliable scholarship.
The man who passed by the ruins being kept dead for a hundred years and then resurrected, his food not spoiling, and his donkey being restored, are narrated in this verse.
- Scholarly sourceTDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, "Üzeyir"
Referenced for academic information on the unnamed person in Al-Baqarah 259 being considered Uzayr in some commentaries, and on this identification not being certain.
Related stories
Other narratives found in the Quran.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this story.
What is the story of the man who passed by the ruins?
The story of the man who passed by the ruins is told in verse 259 of Surah Al-Baqarah: Allah keeps a man who wonders about the revival of a ruined town dead for a hundred years, then brings him back to life, showing him his unspoiled food and his restored donkey to demonstrate that resurrection is true.Who was this man?
He is not named in the verse. According to some commentators he may have been Uzayr (peace be upon him), but this is not certain; since the Quran does not disclose his name, it is not correct to state it definitively.Why did he remain dead for a hundred years?
Because the man wondered at the revival of a ruined town, Allah kept him dead for a hundred years and then raised him, showing him directly how resurrection after death is possible (Al-Baqarah, 259).What is the main theme of the story?
The main theme is that resurrection after death (the Hereafter) is easy for Allah. The unspoiled food, the restored donkey, and the resurrected man are living proofs of this truth.In which verse is this event told?
This event is told in verse 259 of Surah Al-Baqarah; the entire story is narrated in a single verse.