Fourth: Drawing evidence from the fact that the One Who created the bigger and loftier being is Able to create the lower and smaller being. This is according to our minds, but according to Allah, His Omnipotence is the same whether the created being is big or small; the creation of the heavens is equal to the creation of atoms in the scale of Divine Omnipotence, but Allah gives us examples that we can comprehend and understand. This evidence is stated in some verses, such as Surah Al-Isra’: “Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and earth, is [the One] Able to create the likes of them?” (Quran 17: 99) Surah Yasin: “Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is so]; and He is the Knowing Creator.” (Quran 36: 81) Surah Al-Ahqaf: “Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is Able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent.” (Quran 46: 33) Allah uses His Ability to create the heavens as evidence of His ability to give life to dead bodies.

Fifth: Deducing that resurrection should take place in order to call people to account, reward good-doers, punish evil-doers, retaliate for injustice, and give wronged people their due rights which they did not receive in the worldly life. People wrong each other and transgress against each other in the worldly life, and the wronged person may die without retaliating to the oppressor, but Allah is Just and Fair. If there were no resurrection and retribution, the attribute of fairness would not apply to Allah, the Almighty. Resurrection after death is necessary to reward the good-doer and punish the evil-doer. This meaning is mentioned in many verses, as Allah, the Almighty, says: “To Him is your return all together. [It is] the promise of Allah [which is] truth. Indeed, He begins the [process of] creation and then repeats it that He may reward those who have believed and done righteous deeds, in justice. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment for what they used to deny.” (Quran 10: 4) Allah, the Almighty, says: “Indeed, the Hour is coming—I almost conceal it—so that every soul may be recompensed according to that for which it strives.” (Quran 20: 15) Allah, the Almighty, says: “And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire. Or should We treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like corrupters in the land? Or should We treat those who fear Allah like the wicked?” (Quran 38: 27-28) If there were no resurrection, these creatures would have been created in vain; believers, spoilers, pious people, and dissolute people would be equal. Ar-Razy said in his Tafsir (exegesis), “You should know that the one who empowers the oppressor against the oppressed and does not retaliate from the oppressor is either incompetent, ignorant, or content with this oppression. These three characteristics can never apply to Allah, the Almighty. Therefore, Allah must retaliate for the oppressed from the oppressors; if this retaliation does not take place in the worldly life, it must occur in the Hereafter.”

Sixth: Using the ability to bring the dead to life as evidence of the authenticity of resurrection, as the Quran narrates many real stories that indicate the possibility of the resurrection of bodies after their death. An example is the story of the cow in Allah’s saying: “So We said, ‘Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it.’ Thus does Allah bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.” (Quran 2: 73) When the people stroke the dead man with part of the cow, he was brought to life and informed them of his killer. This story serves as evidence of the resurrection of bodies after their death. There is also the story in which Prophet Ibrahim (`alayhi assalam) asked his Lord to show him how He brings the dead to life, and Allah showed him what he asked for. Allah, the Almighty, says: “And [mention] when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.’ [Allah] said, ‘Have you not believed?’ He said, ‘Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied.’ [Allah] said, ‘Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them—they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.’” (Quran 2: 260) There is also the story of the person who passed by a destroyed and ruined town whose inhabitants were dead and wondered how Allah would revive the inhabitants of this town. Allah showed him how He brings the dead to life, as He caused this person to die for one hundred years and then brought him back to life. This person asked Allah to show him how he would bring his donkey to life, and Allah let him see this with his eyes. Allah, the Almighty, says: “Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, ‘How will Allah bring this to life after its death?’ So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, ‘How long have you remained?’ He [the man] said, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’ He said, ‘Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey]—how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh.’ And when it became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah is over all things competent.’" (Quran 2: 259)

There is also the story of the People of the Cave whom Allah awakened after a long period of sleep and justified this by His saying: “…that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt...” (Quran 18: 21) There is also the story of Prophet Ayyub (`alayhi assalam), whom Allah tested in his life, family, and money, as the members of his family died, and he lost his money and his health, but Allah, the Almighty, bestowed on him all the graces he lost, including his family. Allah, the Almighty, says: “So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah].” (Quran 21: 84) Allah also enabled Prophet `Isa (`alayhi assalam) to bring the dead to life, as He says: “…and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission; and you healed the blind [from birth] and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission…” (Quran 5: 110) Bringing the dead to life with Allah’s permission was one of the miracles of Prophet `Isa (`alayhi assalam). This was tangible evidence for those who witnessed the incident of the resurrection of dead bodies and decisive textual evidence for those who did not witness it thanks to the authentic narrations.

These are the origins of the evidence that Allah, the Almighty, mentioned in His Book to prove the creed of resurrection after death, and the return of bodies to their original state before death. These pieces of evidence are clear and are used by Allah to address those who disbelieve in the resurrection and those who believe in it so that the disbelievers may believe and the believers may have stronger faith. Allah, the Almighty, addresses various types of people in different ways; He brought the idea of resurrection close to some of them by giving examples from what they know about themselves and the world, such as bringing the rain down, reviving the land, and growing plants. He addresses other people saying that it is necessary to establish justice by rewarding good-doers and punishing evil-doers. Allah also addresses those who are not convinced by tangible and rational evidence or rational and logical evidence by telling stories whose incidents were authentically proven through Tawatur (a significant number of narrators whose agreement upon a lie is impossible). These stories were about people who were brought to life and answered the questions they were asked in this respect.

Those who are not convinced by any evidence are undoubtedly stubborn and ungrateful and should be punished by Hell, which is an evil fate. Allah, the Almighty, stated that the one who disbelieves in resurrection after death is a disbeliever because he belies Allah’s statement and denies well-established and known Islamic principles. Allah, the Almighty, says: “And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, ‘I do not think that this will perish—ever. And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.’ His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, ‘Have you disbelieved in He Who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?’” (Quran 18: 35-37)