How can the Prophet Isa’s (Jesus) resurrection of the dead by Allah’s permission be explained?

- Despite Allah’s promise that the dead will not be returned to the world, how can the Prophet Isa’s (Jesus) resurrection of the dead by Allah’s permission be explained?

Dear Brother / Sister,

There is a promise of Allah that He will not send the dead back to the world (see al-Anbiya, 21/95; Yasin, 36/31).

However, the statements of the Quran regarding the issue mention a general principle; attention is drawn to the fact that no one has a chance to be born again after death - that the idea of reincarnation is a wrong fallacy - and that a person cannot be given the opportunity to be tested again even if he wishes.

The existence of resurrections as a miracle or karamah is an exception; it does not break the general rule.

Moreover, such resurrections do not happen in a way that enable the resurrected people to interfere in the worldly affairs again and to lead a new life; they are a symbol of temporary resurrection specific to a certain period of time. After miraculously resuming life and getting the expected result, they die again.

For example, if the purpose of the resurrection of those dead people is to show the existence of a miracle, they die immediately after showing that scene. As a matter of fact, Ashab al-Kahf (the Companions of the Cave) died again shortly after being resurrected, that is, after they showed existence of resurrection to people.

As a matter of fact, we also understand from the miracles related to the resurrection of the dead shown by the Prophet (pbuh) that they died right after the miracle. (see Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1/320; Khafaji, Sharhush-Shifa, 3/106; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wan-Nihaya, 6/157-158)

For example, after Zayd ibn Kharija passed away, some women were crying around his dead body; he suddenly said, “Ansitu, ansitu / Be quiet, be quiet.” Then, he said eloquently, “Muhammadun Rasulullah; assalamu alayka ya Rasulallah.” After that, he died. (see Bayhaqi, Haythami, Zawaid, 5/179,180; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, 5/156-57)

So, they are not resurrections in the sense of returning to the world and being tested again.

Those extraordinary incidents serve as proofs and examples for the eternal power of Allah, the trueness of resurrection after death, the truthfulness of the prophets showing the miracles, the sainthood of the saints showing karamahs, and strengthening the belief of people like us.

“The exception proves the rule” is a scientific rule.

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