SAYYIDINA UZAYR

SAYYIDINA UZAYR
ALLAH says in the qu’ran, in surah al-baqrah verses 259:
(…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..-)
“Or the like of him who passed by a township which had fallen down upon its roofs. He said, “how shall allah give it life after its death?” so, allah made him dei for a hundred years, then brought him back to life. He asked, “how long have you tarried?” he said, “I have tarred a day, or a part of a day,” he said, “nay, but you tarred a hundred years. Just look at your food and drink they have not spoiled and look at your ass! And, we would make you a sign for mankind, and look at the bones, how we set them together, and then clothe them with flesh.” So, when it became clear to him, he exclaimed, “I know that surely allah has power over everything “
Sayyidina uzayr (……………….) belonged to the banu isra’il was a pious slave of Allah possessing divine awareness. He was well-know to his people because of his righteousness. He had committed the torah to memory as though it was inscribed on his heart. He had a fertile garden with a large verity of fruit and vegetables and it was situated near the township where he resided.
One day, he set out, as usual, towards his garden on his donkey. He carried his lunch in a basked. He alighted from his donkey at the garden and occupied himself in gardening. On his return journey, when he came by the graveyard, he made a detour to it and there he observed some decayed bones lying about and some broken-down graves. He stopped the donkey and got down from it and sat, reclined on a dense tree. He took out his food, but before he could eat it, his mind wandered and he asked himself, “how will Allah revive it after its death?” he had no doubt whatsoever about it, but he wondered about its nature. While he was contemplating in this way, Allah sent to him the angel of death to take away his soul his food lay there untouched and his donkey too died. When he did not reach home at the appointed time, his family members searched for him but he could not be found for days together.
Finally, they despaired of finding him. Soon people began to forget him as yers passed away. A hundred years passed in this way. Many of his contemporaries died and may others were born. Condition and signs changed. Then, Allah sent an angel to him who assembled his bones in his dust, clothed them with flesh, grew his hair and blue soul into his body. He woke up, rubbing his eyes and sat straight. He looked around and on seeing the quiet graves recalled how he had stopped while returning home. He presumed that he had slept for only a short while. The angel who had brought his bones together and revived him at Allah’s command asked him, “how long have you tarried?” then the answers and questions followed as in the verse (259) of al-baqrah quoted in the beginning. He looked at the food and saw that it had not spoiled. The angel detected that sayyidina uzayr (…………….) hesitated to believe him, so he pointed out to his donkey. Sayyidina uzayr saw that instead of the live donkey, its decayed bones were there. They angel called those decayed bones, with Allah’s permission, and they stood up erect! Flesh and hair clothed them and there was the donkey syyyidina uzayr (…………….) saw that and asked Allah for forgivenss, engaged in tasbih and tahmid and feel down in prostration. And, he declared, “I know that Allah has power over everything.”
Then he got up, mounted the donkey and set it direction towards the tonwshi. Allah had decreed that sayyidina uzayr (…………………) should be a sign for the people and a miracle to prove life after death. When he was there at the time of sunset, he was stupefied at the changes that he observed. The house, the streets and the people had alla changed. He know no one and on one recognized him. He was going from one street to another searching for his home when suddenly a blind, old woman appeared before him leaning on her stick. He went close to her and asked “o good woman of allah, do you know sayyidina uzayr’s house?” she exclaimed, “uzayr? No one here remembers uzayr. He went out one day, never to return it is now nearly a hundred years but, who are you? Why do ask of him?” he said to her, “o good lady, I am uzayr! Allah had caused me to die for a hundred years and now he had revived me. “ she was scared stiff. She did not believed him. She said, “I was a maid servant in uzayr’s house and I know that he was a pious man whose prayers were answered. If you are uzayr then pray to allah that he may restore my eyesight so I might see you and recognize you.” Sayyidina uzayr (…………….) prayed for her. Allah accepted his prayers and restored her eyesight. She recognized him.
Then, he went with her to his grandson’s house. When the door was opened she exclaimed in a loud voice, “this, here, is uzayr (……………….) ! come back to you! Alla the family members were stunned and gathered round him. She told them that he had prayed to allah and her eyes were restored she than recognized him since there was no change in him his grandson said to him, “my father used to say about his father that he knew the torah by heart and that he recited it very softly. If you are uzayr then do
Recite to us some of it.”
He recited a portion of the torah and everyone was spell bound by his soft voice and they recognized him by it. It was confirmed, too, that allah had given him death for a hundred years after which he gave him life to show his power and majestu.
Sayyidina uzayr (……………) lived for many years thereafter. After he died, his people, the banu israil fabricated many stories about him. They even said that he was allah’s son. But, allah is independent and has no children. He is pure of that, the quran says:
(…………………………………………………………………………………………..-)
“say, “he is allah, the one and only!allah, the eternally besought of all he begets not, nor was he begotten and there is none co-equal with him .” (surah ai- ikhlas, verses 1 to 4)