Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
One of the foundations of faith is that Allah alone gives life and causes death, and that truly bringing the dead back to life is not an independent power possessed by any human being or created being.
Allah says:
“How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He gave you life, then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you to life again, and then to Him you will be returned?”
[Al-Baqarah: 28]
And He says:
“That is because Allah is the Truth, and because He gives life to the dead, and because He is over all things competent.”
[Al-Hajj: 6]
These verses establish that life, death, and resurrection are all under Allah’s control.
Allah says:
“Allah is the One who created you, then provided for you, then will cause you to die, then will bring you to life. Is there any among those you associate with Him who does any of that?”
[Ar-Rum: 40]
This verse shows the inability of all those worshipped besides Allah to create, give life, or cause death.
No matter how much knowledge or power a human being acquires, he can only deal with causes that Allah has created. He cannot create life from himself or independently return to this world someone who has truly died after his appointed time has ended.
The Qur’an states that one of the miracles of Jesus, peace be upon him, was bringing the dead back to life, but it clearly emphasizes that this happened by Allah’s permission.
Allah says:
“And I bring the dead to life by Allah’s permission.”
[Aal ‘Imran: 49]
And He says:
“And when you brought the dead forth by My permission.”
[Al-Ma’idah: 110]
The repeated phrase “by Allah’s permission” shows that Jesus, peace be upon him, did not possess this power independently. Rather, it was a miracle that Allah performed through him as a sign of his prophethood.
Therefore, Jesus bringing the dead back to life is not evidence that he possessed any divine attribute. Rather, it is evidence of Allah’s power, as Allah was the One who caused the miracle to occur.
A miracle is an extraordinary event that Allah brings about through one of His prophets. This does not mean that the prophet becomes independently capable of controlling the universe.
Moses, peace be upon him, struck the sea with his staff and it split apart. This did not mean that Moses or his staff independently possessed the power to split seas. Rather, Allah caused the miracle.
Likewise, in the case of Jesus, peace be upon him, the bringing of the dead back to life occurred by Allah’s command and power, not through any power independent of Allah.
The Qur’an mentions the debate between Abraham, peace be upon him, and the king who claimed that he could give life and cause death.
Allah says:
“When Abraham said, ‘My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death,’ he said, ‘I give life and cause death.’”
[Al-Baqarah: 258]
His claim was false because he was not referring to true giving of life and causing death. Rather, he was manipulating the meaning of the words.
So Abraham, peace be upon him, moved to an argument that he could not dispute:
“Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west.” Then the disbeliever was overwhelmed.
[Al-Baqarah: 258]
His inability became clear, and he had no answer.
Doctors may sometimes succeed in resuscitating a person whose heart or breathing has stopped for a short period. This does not mean that they have brought back to life someone whose appointed time of death had truly ended.
Medicine deals with physical conditions in which a person may still be capable of being saved. But when Allah has decreed a person’s death and their appointed time has ended, no one can return them to worldly life.
Allah says:
“And Allah will never delay a soul when its appointed time has come.”
[Al-Munafiqun: 11]
Therefore, medical resuscitation should not be confused with the true miracle of restoring to life someone who had genuinely died.
One of the greatest signs of Allah’s power is that all creation will die and then Allah will raise them again for judgment.
Allah says:
“Say, ‘Allah gives you life, then causes you to die, then He will gather you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt.’”
[Al-Jathiyah: 26]
No one except Allah has the power to carry out this universal resurrection.
In summary: No human being or created being independently possesses the power to bring the dead back to life. Allah alone is the Giver of life and the One who causes death. What occurred through Jesus, peace be upon him, was a miracle by Allah’s permission, not an independent power of Jesus. As for medical resuscitation, it is not the restoration to life of someone whose appointed time has truly ended, but rather the use of medical means before irreversible death has occurred.
And Allah knows best.