Surah 14. Ibrahim

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-12 [2], 13-21 [3], 22-27 [4], 28-34 [5], 35-41 [6], 42-52 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 22-27وَ قَالَAnd will sayالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanلَمَّاwhenقُضِیَhas been decidedالْاَمْرُthe matterاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahوَعَدَكُمْpromised youوَعْدَa promiseالْحَقِّ(of) truthوَ وَعَدْتُّكُمْAnd I promised youفَاَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ؕbut I betrayed youوَ مَاBut notكَانَI hadلِیَI hadعَلَیْكُمْover youمِّنْanyسُلْطٰنٍauthorityاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatدَعَوْتُكُمْI invited youفَاسْتَجَبْتُمْand you respondedلِیْ ۚto meفَلَاSo (do) notتَلُوْمُوْنِیْblame meوَ لُوْمُوْۤاbut blameاَنْفُسَكُمْ ؕyourselvesمَاۤNotاَنَا(can) Iبِمُصْرِخِكُمْ(be) your helperوَ مَاۤand notاَنْتُمْyou (can)بِمُصْرِخِیَّ ؕ(be) my helperاِنِّیْIndeed, Iكَفَرْتُdenyبِمَاۤ[of what]اَشْرَكْتُمُوْنِyour association of me (with Allah)مِنْbeforeقَبْلُ ؕbeforeاِنَّIndeedالظّٰلِمِیْنَthe wrongdoersلَهُمْfor themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌ painful وَ اُدْخِلَAnd will be admittedالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedوَ عَمِلُواand didالصّٰلِحٰتِrighteous deedsجَنّٰتٍ(to) Gardensتَجْرِیْflowsمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاunderneath itالْاَنْهٰرُthe riversخٰلِدِیْنَ(will) abide foreverفِیْهَاin itبِاِذْنِby the permissionرَبِّهِمْ ؕ(of) their Lordتَحِیَّتُهُمْtheir greetingsفِیْهَاthereinسَلٰمٌ (will be) peace اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeكَیْفَhowضَرَبَAllah sets forthاللّٰهُAllah sets forthمَثَلًاthe exampleكَلِمَةًa wordطَیِّبَةًgoodكَشَجَرَةٍ(is) like a treeطَیِّبَةٍgoodاَصْلُهَاits rootثَابِتٌ(is) firmوَّ فَرْعُهَاand its branchesفِی(are) inالسَّمَآءِۙthe sky 14. Ibrahim Page 259تُؤْتِیْۤGivingاُكُلَهَاits fruitكُلَّallحِیْنٍۭtimeبِاِذْنِby the permissionرَبِّهَا ؕof its Lordوَ یَضْرِبُAnd Allah sets forthاللّٰهُAnd Allah sets forthالْاَمْثَالَthe examplesلِلنَّاسِfor mankindلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ remember وَ مَثَلُAnd (the) exampleكَلِمَةٍ(of) a wordخَبِیْثَةٍevilكَشَجَرَةٍ(is) like a treeخَبِیْثَةِevilجْتُثَّتْuprootedمِنْfromفَوْقِthe surfaceالْاَرْضِ(of) the earthمَاnotلَهَاfor itمِنْ(is) anyقَرَارٍ stability یُثَبِّتُAllah keeps firmاللّٰهُAllah keeps firmالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveبِالْقَوْلِwith the firm wordالثَّابِتِwith the firm wordفِیinالْحَیٰوةِthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldوَ فِیand inالْاٰخِرَةِ ۚthe Hereafterوَ یُضِلُّAnd Allah lets go astrayاللّٰهُAnd Allah lets go astrayالظّٰلِمِیْنَ ۙ۫the wrongdoersوَ یَفْعَلُAnd Allah doesاللّٰهُAnd Allah doesمَاwhatیَشَآءُ۠He wills

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Translation of Verse 22-27

(14:22) After the matter has been finally decided Satan will say: "Surely whatever Allah promised you was true; as for me, I went back on the promise I made to you.³⁰ I had no power over you except that I called you to my way and you responded to me.³¹ So, do not blame me but blame yourselves. Here, neither I can come to your rescue, nor can you come to mine. I disavow your former act of associating me in the past with Allah.³² A grievous chastisement inevitably lies ahead for such wrong-doers."

(14:23) As for those who had believed and did good in the world, they shall be admitted to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. There, with the leave of Allah, they shall abide forever, and will be greeted with: "Peace".³³

(14:24) Do you not see how Allah has given the example of a good word?³⁴ It is like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and whose branches reach the sky,³⁵

(14:25) ever yielding its fruit in every season with the leave of its Lord.³⁶ Allah gives examples for mankind that they may take heed.

(14:26) And the example of an evil word³⁷ is that of an evil tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, wholly unable to endure.³⁸

(14:27) Thus, through a firm word,³⁹ Allah grants firmness to the believers both in this world and in the Hereafter. As for the wrong-doers, Allah lets them go astray.⁴⁰ Allah does whatever He wills.

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Commentary

30. On the Day of Judgement Satan will plainly tell them that God’s promise was true whereas his own promises were false. He will not dare deny it. For it will be possible for everyone to observe on that Day that all God’s promises of reward and all His warnings of punishment were absolutely true.

Satan, himself, will confess that he had lied and deceived them. He will confess that he sought to lure them with promises, with temptations of material advantage. He will confess that he tried to persuade them into believing that the Next Life was simply a hoax; and even if there would be any, they would be able to get out of it scot-free with the help of one holy person or another provided the latter were duly ingratiated by their offerings. Satan will also confess that he deluded people into believing that— thanks to these holy men — their salvation was assured so they might go about acting as they wished. Satan will own up to all that and confess that all such statements through which he misled people — either directly or through his agents — were altogether false.

31. Even while confessing all that has been mentioned above, Satan will tell the unbelievers that they had no evidence to support the claim that they wanted to follow the right way but that it was he — Satan — who forced them into following the wrong one. Satan will challenge them to produce any evidence to that effect. He will also point out that all that he did was present a false doctrine in opposition to the true one, and invite them to falsehood instead of truth and to evil instead of good. They always had the ‘option to heed his call or to disregard it.

Satan will also emphasize that he had no power to compel people into choosing the way to which he had invited them. Satan was doubtlessly guilty of calling people to evil ways and he will be punished for it. Satan’s responsibility and punishment will, however, be confined to that act alone — the act of calling people to evil ways. His guilt, however, will not exonerate those who made the wrong choice, and thus misused the opportunity to choose between right and wrong which God bestowed upon them. They will certainly be held responsible for their actions.

32. This verse provides another instance of polytheism at the level of human actions as distinct from polytheism at the level of doctrine and belief.

For, obviously no one professes, at the doctrinal level, that Satan is a partner of God in His divinity. Nor does anyone worship Satan. In fact, so far as verbal expressions go, people generally curse Satan. Ironically, the same people who curse him, also follow his ways, at times consciously, and at other times _ unconsciously. It is precisely this which has been termed as associating Satan with God in His divinity.

The above statement might be considered by some to be merely one made by Satan which has simply been mentioned by. God, and, hence, it need not be true in an objective sense. However, it is quite evident that had the statement been a false one, God would have instantly refuted it. Moreover, in addition to the present verse, at several places elsewhere in the Qur’an certain types of action have been dubbed as tantamount to associating others with God. Some of these instances are given below: They take their rabbis and their monks for their lords beside Allah (al-Tawbah 9: 31).

And, likewise, the beings supposed to have a share in Allah’s divinity have made the slaying of their offspring seem lawful to many of those who associate others with Allah in His divinity (al-An‘am 6: 137). (This relates to those who innovated religious customs without any basis for them in Divine guidance.) Do you see one who takes for his God his own passion? (al- Furqan 25: 43).

Did I not enjoin on you, O children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan? (Ya Sin 36: 60).

What! Do they have associates in godhead who established for them some religion without the permission of Allah? (al-Shird 42: 21).

All these examples illustrate that polytheism does not merely assume one form, viz. associating others with God in matters of belief. There is also another form which consists of exalting someone to a position where it becomes imperative to follow him without any sanction for it from God, or even in opposition to God’s command. Such an act, according to the Qur’an, is tantamount to setting up a partner to God in His godhead. A person who follows someone in this unreserved fashion is guilty of setting up a partner to God even if he keeps on abusing and cursing him. Even if such a person is not treated on a par with those who commit polytheism at the doctrinal level, nevertheless his act will be considered highly reprehensible. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’ an, vol. I], al-An‘am 6, nn. 87 and 107, pp. 270 and 278-9 and al-Kahf 18, n. 50.)

33. The word tahiyah literally means wishing someone to have a long life.

In actual practice, however, this is an expression of greeting or welcome which is uttered when a person meets another. Hence, we have considered it as the equivalent of ‘greeting someone with peace’.

34. Literally, the expression ‘kalimah tayyibah’ means ‘a good word’ However, it also stands for the statement about truth and sound belief which fully conforms to truth and reality. Such a statement, according to the Qur’an, could only be one that consists of affirming the doctrines of the unity of God, prophethood, heavenly scriptures, and the Hereafter since these are the fundamental truths as expounded by the Qur’an.

35. In other words, since the entire system which encompasses the heavens and the earth is based on the truth expressed in the basic doctrinal statement of the believer ‘there is no god other than Allah’, it never comes into conflict with the law of nature. Nor does human nature feel any aversion to the truth which it expresses, nor with any other fact of the universe. Hence, the earth with its entire system extends its co-operation to him and the heaven with its entire system welcomes him.

36. The good word is so highly fruitful and productive that were individuals or groups of people to base their lives on it, they will continually benefit from the good results ensuing from it. For it brings about clarity in thought, stability in attitude, moderation in temperament, firmness in character, purity in morals, truthfulness in speech, strength in commitment, honesty in dealings with others, refinement in social relationships, elegance and finesse in culture, balance and equilibrium in collective life, justice and compassion in economy, honesty in politics, magnanimity in war, sincerity in peace, and faithfulness in covenant. Like Midas, everything that it touches turns into gold.

37. The ‘evil word’ is obviously just the opposite of the ‘good word’, It embraces every variety of falsehood. In the above verse, however, it refers to all false doctrines — atheism, deism, polytheism, idolatry — in short, every world-view other than the one taught by the Prophets.

38. In other words, the Qur’an says that since every false doctrine is opposed to reality, it is totally out of tune with the law of nature. Every particle of the universe rejects and refutes it. One might say, if its seeds are sown, the earth will be ever inclined to cast it away. And if these seeds grow into a tree, the heavens will press upon its branches so as to dwarf it. Had man not been granted freedom of choice and respite to show his performance, the evil word would not have been allowed to grow at all. However, since God has allowed man to do what he wants to, when some foolish people expend their energies to make this evil tree grow, it grows a little but only after a considerable struggle against nature. However, as long as the tree remains, it produces poisonous and bitter fruit. Whenever the circumstances change, just one blow of vicissitude suffices to root it out.

Anyone who is acquainted with the religious, moral, intellectual and ‘cultural history of mankind, will appreciate the difference between the ‘good word’ and the ‘evil word’. It is clear that from the very outset, the ‘good word’, has been one and the same. As for ‘evil words’, they have simply been innumerable.

Despite. all efforts to the contrary, it has never been possible to extirpate the ‘good word’, but history is replete with the carcasses of thousands of ‘evil words’. Many of them have totally disappeared. If they exist anywhere, it is in the annals of the past. Many evil doctrines which were once fashionable have been relegated to such obscurity that people today are scarcely even aware of them: and if they do come into contact with them, they simply wonder at the rank follies that had once been cherished by others like them.

In sharp contrast is the ‘good word’. Whenever a person or a nation embraces it sincerely, like perfume it radiates its fragrance all around. Its blessings enrich those who embrace it, as well as those around. Whenever the ‘evil word’ has struck its roots, it has proved a curse for the entire area around it. It is a tree which produces thorns from the prick of which barely anyone escapes. Its foul smell vitiates the entire surroundings.

For a better understanding of this parable, reference may be made to a preceding verse of this surah which embodies the same idea: “The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their words are like ashes upon which the wind blows fiercely on a tempestuous day’ (verse 18). The same point has been driven home (see al-Ra‘d 13: 17) through the parables of swelling scum caused by torrential rains and the scum from smelting metals.

39. The ‘good word’ provides believers with a firm intellectual frame of reference, a stable perspective, and an all-embracing world-view. Thanks to all that, they come to possess the master key which helps them solve all the complicated problems of life. Through the ‘good word’ the conduct and morals of people acquire firmness and are scarcely affected by the violent vicissitudes of time. Through it the believers are able to grasp a set of solid principles which provides them with mental peace on the one hand, and prevents them from stumbling into confusion on the other.

These blessings of the ‘good word’ are not confined to this life. In the Hereafter, too, the ‘good word’ will save them from falling prey to any unusual fear and anxiety. For everything will happen as they had already been told.

They will step into the Next World and will feel as if they are on familiar territory. Nothing will come to pass there about which they had not been foretold, and for which they were mentally unprepared. As a result, they will pass through every stage of the Next Life with steady steps. Their experience of the Hereafter will, therefore, be altogether different from that of the unbelievers, the latter will find everything in the Hereafter quite contrary to their expectation.

40. As to those who follow the evil rather than the ‘good word’, God lets them fall prey to mental confusion and causes their efforts to go to waste. Such people are unable to find the right way. In sum, their efforts prove to be of no avail.