Why did Allah cause the children of Israel to die with a thunderbolt (lightning) then bring them back to life?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
Question
If all Muslims will die once and then be resurrected on the Day of Judgment, why were the People of Israel caused to die by a lightning and then brought back to life? (Quran 2:55).
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
Allah tells us in His Holy Book the story of the smiting of the Children of Israel, then how He brought them back to life after death, in two places. It is mentioned in the context of speaking of the Children of Israel and the blessings that Allah bestowed upon them, and how they responded to those blessings with ingratitude, denial and forgetfulness.
Allah, may He be exalted, says: (interpretation of the meaning):
âAnd (remember) when you said: âO Moosa (Moses)! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.â But you were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning) while you were looking.
56. Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be gratefulâ
[al-Baqarah 2:55-56]
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
âThe people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Moosa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: âShow us Allah in public,â but they were struck with thunderclap and lightning for their wickedness.
Then they worshipped the calf even after clear proofs, evidences, and signs had come to them. (Even) so We forgave them. And We gave Moosa (Moses) a clear proof of authorityâ
[al-Nisaâ 4:153]
The thunderbolt was a punishment for them for their transgressions against Allah and their persistence in stubbornly asking questions and their arrogance despite all the signs and proof that Allah showed to them. And despite that they asked Allah to let them see Him plainly in this world, and they made their faith conditional upon this sign, although Allah is far above weak eyes seeing Him in this world; rather they will see Him in Paradise.
So, He punished them with death by thunderbolt which seized them mightily, but because of His forbearance, forgiveness and tolerance towards His slaves, He resurrected them after death to this world, so that they might know how great Allah’s blessing to them was and give thanks to Him for giving them a respite and allowing them the opportunity once again to repent and turn back to Him.
So, the thunderbolt was a punishment for them and the resurrection after death was a sign and a blessing from Him so that they might learn a lesson and be reminded by it, and then give true and sincere thanks for the blessing of Allah. Hence the verse in Surah al-Baqarah ends with the words âso that you might be gratefulâ.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Remember My blessing to you, when I brought you back to life after the thunderbolt, when you asked to see Me plainly, which you and those like you cannot do â as Ibn Jurayj said.
Ibn âAbbas said concerning this verse, âAnd (remember) when you said: âO Moosa (Moses)! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly inââ: (it means) clearly. End quote.
Tafseer al-Qurâaan il-âAzeem (1/264).
Shaykh Ibn âUthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words âAnd (remember) when you said: O Moosa (Moses)!â mean remember also, O Children of Israel, when you said… This is addressed to those who were alive at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but His blessings to the first of the nation are also blessings to the last of them, so it is valid to address it to the latter ones, even though this blessing came to those who went before them.
And His words ââWe shall never believe in youââ mean we will never follow you, and we will never believe, and we will never acknowledge that which you have brought.
His words âyou were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning)â mean death which was sent upon them.
And His words: âThen We raised you up after your deathâ: this is a great blessing to them, that Allah seized them with its punishment, then He raised them again so that they might be deterred, and it might be an expiation for them. Hence,
He said: âso that you might be gratefulâ, i.e. that you might give thanks to Allah. This is explaining the reason. End quote.
Tafseer Surah al-Baqarah 1/191
Al-Taahir ibn âAshoor (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This was an alert and a rebuke to them, hence He said: âfor their wickedness.â The wickedness in question is what is narrated in Surah al-Baqarah, when they refused to believe Moosa until they saw Allah plainly.
Their wickedness was not in merely asking to see Him, because Moosa had made a similar request on another occasion, of which Allah tells us in the verse where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
âAnd when Moosa (Moses) came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord (Allah) spoke to him; he said: âO my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.â Allah said: âYou cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain; if it stands still in its place then you shall see Me.â
So, when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Moosa (Moses) fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses, he said: âGlory be to You, I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first of the believersââ
[al-Aâraaf 7:143]
End quote.
Al-Tahreer waâl-Tanweer (4/301)
Please make sure to read this following link as well:
Explanation of Verse 254 of The Quran
Paul The False Apostle of Satan
Allah knows best.
Almighty Allah is the highest and most knowledgeable, and the attribution of knowledge to him is the safest.
Right from Almighty Allah and wrong from me and Satan
Prepared by Mohamad Mostafa Nassar-
Make sure to copy and email this post for your reference, you might need it later.
Arrogance is not only a sign of insecurity, but also a sign of immaturity. Mature and fully realised persons can get their points across, even emphatically without demeaning or intimidating others.