237. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ibn Mahboub, from Umar Bin Yazeed and someone else, from some of them, who have narrated the following: Abu Abdullah , and some of them from Abu Ja’far regarding the Statement of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic: “[2:243] Have you not considered those who went forth from their homes, for fear of death, and they were thousands, then Allah said to them, Die; again He gave them life”. These were city folk from the cities of Syria, and there were seventy thousand households and plague used to occur among them every time. So whenever they sensed it, the rich ones would exit the city due to their (financial) strength and the poor would remain due to their (financial) weakness. So the death occurred mostly among those who would remain and less among those who went out. So those who left said, ‘Had we been of those who remained, death would frequent among us’. And those who remained said, ‘Had we been of those who went out, death would be less among us’. He said: ‘So they formed a consensus of their opinions that whenever they sense the plague occurring among them, all of them would go out from the city. So when they sensed the plague affecting them, all of them went out and took precaution against the death. So they travelled in the countryside for as long as Allah (azwj) so Desired. Then they passed by a city which was in ruins and its inhabitants had all left, being destroyed by the plague. So they encamped there, and settled their belongings being reassured by it. Allah (azwj) Said to them: “All of you die!” They all died at that instant and became decayed. The passers-by passed by and collected their ashes and gathered them in one place. So a Prophet from the Prophets of the Children of Israel passed by them, whose name was Hizkeel . So when he saw those bones, he wept and reflected upon it and said: ‘O Lord (azwj)! If You (azwj) so Wish, You (azwj) can Revive them instantly, just as You (azwj) Caused them to die, so they would then inhabit Your (azwj) Country, and bear Your (azwj) servants who would worship You (azwj) along with those from Your (azwj) creatures who worship You (azwj)’. So Allah (azwj) the High Revealed unto him : “Is that what you would like to happen?’ He said: ‘Yes, O Lord (azwj)! Revive them”. So Allah (azwj) Revealed unto him ; “Say such and such”. So he said that which Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic had Commanded him to say’. Abu Abdullah said: ‘And it was the Great Name (Al-Ism Al-Aazam). So when Hizkeel said that Word, he saw the bones flying towards each other. So they came back alive. Some of them looked at the others Glorifying Allah (azwj) and Exclaiming His (azwj) Greatness and Extolling His (azwj) Holiness. So Hizkeel said during that: ‘I hereby testify that Allah (azwj) has Power over all things’. Umar Bin Yazeed (the narrator) said, ‘Abu Abdullah said: ‘This Verse was Revealed regarding them’.