and wanted to see how the dead are resurrected. Therefore he said to Allah Almighty: O Allah Almighty! I am certain that you will resurrect the dead and gather their parts from the stomachs of predators, fish and birds, but I desire to see this astonishing scene. Sayyiduna Sa’eed Bin Jubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ stated: When Allah Almighty made Sayyiduna Ibrahim عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام His Khaleel (i.e. friend), the angel of death عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام came to give him the glad tidings of this, with the permission of Allah Almighty. He عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام heard this good news, praised Allah Almighty, and said to Malak-ul-Maut عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, ‘what is the sign of this Khillat (i.e. becoming a friend)?’ he replied, ‘the sign of this is that Allah Almighty will accept your Du’as and revive the deceased upon your request.’

Then he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام made this Du’a: ‘O Allah Almighty! Show me how you resurrect the deceased.’ Allah Almighty replied, ‘Do you not have certainty in this?’ Sayyiduna Ibrahim عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام replied, ‘of course I do, but I want my heart to feel at peace that you have made me your friend, you will accept my Du’a and you will grant me more upon my request.’ (Tafseer Khaazin, Part 3, Surah Al-Baqarah, under the verse 260, vol. 1, p. 203-204)

Upon Sayyiduna Ibrahim’s عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام request, Allah Almighty commanded: ‘Take four birds and make them deeply accustomed with yourself. Then slaughter them and mix their minced meat, place the meat on various different mountains and then call out to them. Each of them will come back to you in its original form and shape.’ Therefore, Sayyiduna Ibrahim عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام took four birds. According to a narration, they were a chicken, pigeon, crow and a peacock. He عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام slaughtered them with the command of Allah Almighty, he separated their wings, minced the meat and mixed them all together. He then made many portions of that and placed each portion on a different mountain and kept their heads with himself. He then called those birds towards himself. As soon as he called out, with the permission of Allah Almighty, all the parts flew and each bird’s meat came together in sequence, the forms of those birds was reassembled and then they