Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Ubayy bin Khalaf followed in the footsteps of his brother, Umayyah bin Khalaf, in his hostility towards Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
On one occasion, he picked up a decomposed bone and brought it before Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). He then crushed it in his hands, scattered its fragments into the wind and mockingly asked, “Will Allah be able to resurrect this?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “Yes! Allah Ta‘ala will resurrect this bone as well as your bones after they decompose, and He will then hurl you into the fire of Jahannum.”
It was in reference to this incident that the following verses were revealed:
وَ ضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَّ نَسِیَ خَلۡقَہٗ ؕ قَالَ مَنۡ یُّحۡیِ الۡعِظَامَ وَ ہِیَ رَمِیۡمٌ ﴿۷۸﴾ قُلۡ یُحۡیِیۡہَا الَّذِیۡۤ اَنۡشَاَہَاۤ اَوَّلَ مَرَّۃٍ ؕ وَ ہُوَ بِکُلِّ خَلۡقٍ عَلِیۡمُۨ ﴿ۙ۷۹﴾ الَّذِیۡ جَعَلَ لَکُمۡ مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الۡاَخۡضَرِ نَارًا فَاِذَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ مِّنۡہُ تُوۡقِدُوۡنَ ﴿۸۰﴾ اَوَ لَیۡسَ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ بِقٰدِرٍ عَلٰۤی اَنۡ یَّخۡلُقَ مِثۡلَہُمۡ ؕ بَلٰی ٭ وَ ہُوَ الۡخَلّٰقُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۸۱﴾ اِنَّمَاۤ اَمۡرُہٗۤ اِذَاۤ اَرَادَ شَیۡئًا اَنۡ یَّقُوۡلَ لَہٗ کُنۡ فَیَکُوۡنُ ﴿۸۲﴾ فَسُبۡحٰنَ الَّذِیۡ بِیَدِہٖ مَلَکُوۡتُ کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ وَّ اِلَیۡہِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ ﴿٪۸۳﴾
And he puts forth for Us a parable, and he forgets his own creation. He says, “Who will resurrect these bones in this state of decomposition?” Say (O Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)), “He will resurrect them who created them the first time round, and He is All-Knowing of the entire creation, He who produces fire for you from the green tree, and then you kindle your fires with it. Is not He who created the skies and the earth able to create the like of them? Certainly! He is the All-Knowing, Supreme Creator. Indeed, His command, when He intends something, is merely to say to it, “Be!” and it is. So, glorified is He in whose hand is the dominion of all things and to Him alone shall you be returned.” (Surah Yaseen v. 78-83)
Ubayy bin Khalaf was killed in the Battle of Uhud at the hands of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/215-216)
