God created from it, his eyes, then He began to create the rest of his creation while he was watching with his own eyes how He clothes the bones with flesh, so that he might take a lesson and know that Allah gives life to the dead, and that He is over all things competent. So when he saw what Allah had shown him of that, he answered his Lord in the best way regarding his knowledge, and said: "I know that Allah is over all things competent."

2685 - Ahmad b. Mansur al-Ramadi narrated to us, 'Abd al-Razzaq reported to us, Ma'mar reported to us, from Ibn Tawus, from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Regarding "So when it became clear to him, he said, 'I know that Allah is over all things competent,'" he said: It was only said to him that.

2686 - Muhammad b. al-'Abbas narrated to us, Muhammad b. 'Amr Zunayj reported to us, Salamah b. al-Fadl reported to us, Muhammad b. Ishaq said regarding "that Allah is over all things competent," meaning: That Allah is competent over everything He intends for His servants, whether it be retribution or pardon.

His saying, the Exalted: "And when Abraham said, 'My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead'"

[The first interpretation]

2687 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Minjab b. al-Harith reported to us, Bishr b. 'Umarah reported to us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Abraham passed by a dead man—they claim he was an Abyssinian—on the seashore. He saw the creatures of the sea coming out and eating from him, and the beasts of the earth coming to him and eating from him, and the birds landing on him and eating from him. He said: Abraham said at that:

"My Lord: these are the creatures of the sea eating from this, and the beasts of the earth, and the birds. Then You cause these to die and they decay, then You bring them to life after decay, so show me how You give life to the dead." And it was narrated from al-Dahhak something similar to that.

[The second interpretation]

2688 - al-Hasan b. Ahmad narrated to us, Musa b. Muhallim reported to us, 'Abd al-Kabir b. 'Abd al-Majid reported to us, 'Abbad b. Mansur reported to us, who said: I asked al-Hasan about His saying: "And when Abraham said, 'My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead,'" he said: The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked his Lord to show him how He gives life to the dead, and that was because of the harm he had suffered from his people. So he supplicated to his Lord at that time, due to the harm he had suffered from them, and said: "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead."

[The third interpretation]

2689 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, 'Amr b. Hammad reported to us, Asbat reported to us, from al-Suddi, who said: When...