Prophet Hizqeel (Ezekiel) AS was the third successor to Prophet Musa (Moses) AS. He was Hizqeel Ibn Buzi. He was sent to the Children of Israel after the death of Yusha Ibn Nun (Joshua) and Kalib Ibn Yofna (Caleb). He guided the Israelites by the Torah and commanded them to remain steadfast in their covenant with Allah. He is widely considered to be the prophet referred to in the Quranic verse regarding the thousands who fled their homes fearing death.
Allah the Almighty said:
Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that Wahb Ibn Munbah said that the people of a town (often identified as Daardan in Iraq or a village in the Levant) were inflicted with a severe plague. The people were terrified. Despite being believers who should have trusted in Allah's decree, panic seized them. They believed they could outrun death by fleeing their city.
They abandoned their homes in the thousands, leaving the sick behind to perish, while the healthy fled to a vast plateau or valley, believing they had secured their safety. They thought they had escaped the will of Allah.
Allah wanted to teach them—and all future generations—that no one can escape His decree and that death overtakes humans wherever they may be. As they settled on the plateau, feeling safe and secure, Allah commanded them: "Die you all."
In a single instant, thousands of them fell dead. There was no illness, no enemy, and no natural disaster—simply the command of the Creator. Their bodies lay in the open valley. Over time, their bodies decayed, and they became nothing but scattered bones, bleached by the sun and wind. The people of neighboring villages eventually built a wall around the area to protect the remains, but the bodies were left unburied.
A long time passed—some narrations say centuries. Prophet Hizqeel (Ezekiel) passed by this valley. He stopped, looking at the countless white bones scattered across the land. He stood wondering and reflecting on the power of Allah and how He would bring these people back to life on the Day of Judgment. He twisted his jaws and fingers in deep contemplation.
Allah revealed to him: “O Hizqeel! Do you want Me to show you how I bring them back to life?” Hizqeel replied: “Yes, My Lord.” His request was not out of doubt, but to witness the marvel of Allah’s power and to increase in certainty (Yaqeen).
A voice commanded him: “Call: ‘O you bones, Allah commands you to gather up.’” Hizqeel called out as commanded. Suddenly, the earth began to tremble. The bones began to fly towards one another. Leg bones joined with thigh bones, ribs joined with spines, and skulls snapped onto necks. Within moments, thousands of complete skeletons lay upon the ground.
Then Allah revealed to him to say: “Call: ‘O you bones, Allah commands you to put on flesh and blood and the clothes in which they had died.’” Hizqeel spoke the command. Muscles, veins, nerves, and skin instantly covered the skeletons. They lay there as complete bodies, but lifeless.
Finally, the voice commanded: “Allah commands you to call the souls to return.” Hizqeel said: “O you souls, return to your bodies by the permission of Allah!” The souls rushed back into the bodies. The thousands of people stood up as one man, alive and breathing. When they returned to life, they shouted in unison:
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the dead who were resurrected were four thousand, while Ibn Salih said they were nine thousand. They lived out the rest of their lives, carrying the mark of their miraculous resurrection as a lesson to the Children of Israel that one cannot flee from the decree of Allah.
This story serves as a foundation for the Islamic legal ruling regarding plagues. Muslims are taught not to flee from a land where a plague has broken out (which implies fleeing from Allah's decree), nor to enter a land where it exists.
Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that we do not know exactly how long Prophet Hizqeel (pbuh) stayed among the Israelites before Allah took him away. He continued to guide them and judge between them according to the Torah. However, after his death, the Israelites deviated from the right way of life, as they usually did. They deserted Allah’s covenant, forgot the miracle of the resurrection they had witnessed or heard of, and fell into idolatry. They began worshipping many idols, among them Ba’al, so Allah sent to them the Prophet Elijah (Ilyas) AS to guide them back.