Dead for 100 years References

There was a Prophet who passed by a township that was fallen down upon its roof. He exclaimed how shall Allah bring back to life this township that has become dead. The Prophet did believe in Resurrection and did not have any doubt about it, but wanted to see the Reality with his own eyes. At this Allah drew his soul out of him and he lay dead for a hundred years. Then Allah brought him back and asked him how long had he lain there. He replied that he might have lain there for a day or few hours. Allah said that he had been laying there in that state for a hundred years. He was asked to look at this food and his drinks, they had not become spoiled. Then he was asked to look at his donkey. He saw that donkey's bones had become rotten. And he was not aged at all. Then God raised the skeleton, set the bones of the donkey, covered them with flesh and put breath of life into them. Donkey was back alive again. The Prophet declared that he knew that Allah has power over every thing. This way the resurrection of a person who had been dead for a hundred years was made a living Sign for the people of his age.

References 2:259

Or take the case of the one who passed by a township that had fallen down upon its roof.^EN2-293 He exclaimed, "How shall Allah bring back to life this township that has become dead?"^EN2-294 At this Allah drew his soul out of him and lay dead for a hundred years. Then Allah brought him back to life and asked him, "How long have you lain here?" He answered, "I might have lain here for a day or a few hours." Allah said, "Nay, you have been lying here in this state for a hundred years: now just, have a look at your food and your drink; they have not become spoiled in the least. Then have a look at your donkey, (and see that his very bones have become rotten) and We have done this in order to make you a Sign for the people.^EN2-295 Look, how We raise up the skeleton and set the bones (of the donkey) and cover them with flesh and (put breath of life into them)." And when the Reality became quite manifest, he said, "I know that Allah has power over every thing." 2:259

EN2-293 It is useless to form conjectures as 'who the person and which the township was,' for it is not only irrelevant but also impossible to do so. There is no mention of these tings in the Quran or the authentic traditions, and we have no other reliable sources. Besides this, it cannot add anything to our knowledge that might help us understand better the purpose for which the incident has been related here, that is "Allah brings into light those who make Him their patron." And this has been made clear even without specifying the town to be Jerusalem or any other town or the person to be Ezra or Nehemiah or Ezekiel. It is however, clear from his subsequent words that he must have been a Prophet.

EN2-294 This question did not mean that the Prophet did not believe in Resurrection or had any doubt about it. It simply meant that like other Prophets, he wanted to see the Reality with his own eyes.

EN2-295 The resurrection of a person who had been dead for a hundred years was itself a living Sign for the people of his age.