God took Abraham as a friend. He asked the Angel of Death to grant him permission to convey the glad tidings of this to Abraham. He granted him permission, so he came to Abraham, who was not in the house, and entered his dwelling. Abraham was one of the most protective of people; when he would leave, he would lock the door. When he returned, he found a man in his house. He rushed towards him to seize him and said to him, "Who gave you permission to enter my house?" The Angel of Death said, "The Lord of this house gave me permission." Abraham said, "You have spoken the truth," and he knew that it was the Angel of Death. He said, "Who are you?" He said, "I am the Angel of Death; I have come to give you the glad tidings that Allah has taken you as a friend." He praised Allah and said, "O Angel of Death, show me how you seize the souls of the disbelievers." He said, "O Abraham, you cannot bear that." He said, "Yes, I can." He said, "Turn away." Abraham turned away, and suddenly he was with a black man whose head reached the sky, from whose mouth fire emerged, and there was not a single hair on his body that was not in the image of a black man; fire was coming out of his mouth and ears. Abraham fainted, then recovered, and the Angel of Death had returned to his first form. He said, "O Angel of Death, if the disbeliever were to encounter nothing at the time of his death in terms of tribulation and grief other than your form, it would be enough for him. Now show me how you seize the souls of the believers." He said, "Turn away." Abraham turned away, then looked back, and there he was with a young man, the most beautiful of people in face and the most fragrant in scent, wearing white garments. He said, "O Angel of Death, if the believer were to see at the time of his death nothing of the comfort of the eyes and honor other than this form of yours, it would be sufficient for him." The Angel of Death departed, and Abraham stood up, calling upon his Lord, saying: "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead, so that I may know that I am Your friend."

[The fourth interpretation]

2690 - al-Hasan b. Muhammad b. al-Sabbah mentioned, Hajjaj reported to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: I asked 'Ata' about His saying: "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." He said: Something of what enters the hearts of people entered the heart of Abraham, so he said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." He said, "Do you not believe?" He said, "Yes."

His saying, the Exalted: "He said, 'Do you not believe?' He said, 'Yes.'"

[The first interpretation]

2691 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Minjab reported to us, Bishr reported to us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "Do you not believe, O Abraham, that I give life to the dead?" He said, "Yes, my Lord."

[The second interpretation]

2692 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, and Ibrahim b. Musa al-Farra' narrated to us, Abu Za'idah reported to us, who informed me