Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 14 Ibrahim, Ayat 35-41

وَاِذۡ قَالَ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمُ رَبِّ اجۡعَلۡ هٰذَا الۡبَلَدَ اٰمِنًا وَّاجۡنُبۡنِىۡ وَبَنِىَّ اَنۡ نَّـعۡبُدَ الۡاَصۡنَامَؕ‏ ﴿14:35﴾ رَبِّ اِنَّهُنَّ اَضۡلَلۡنَ كَثِيۡرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ​ۚ فَمَنۡ تَبِعَنِىۡ فَاِنَّهٗ مِنِّىۡ​ۚ وَمَنۡ عَصَانِىۡ فَاِنَّكَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿14:36﴾ رَبَّنَاۤ اِنِّىۡۤ اَسۡكَنۡتُ مِنۡ ذُرِّيَّتِىۡ بِوَادٍ غَيۡرِ ذِىۡ زَرۡعٍ عِنۡدَ بَيۡتِكَ الۡمُحَرَّمِۙ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيۡمُوۡا الصَّلٰوةَ فَاجۡعَلۡ اَ فۡـئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهۡوِىۡۤ اِلَيۡهِمۡ وَارۡزُقۡهُمۡ مِّنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَشۡكُرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿14:37﴾ رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّكَ تَعۡلَمُ مَا نُخۡفِىۡ وَمَا نُعۡلِنُ​ ؕ وَمَا يَخۡفٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ مِنۡ شَىۡءٍ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَلَا فِى السَّمَآءِ‏ ﴿14:38﴾ اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِىۡ وَهَبَ لِىۡ عَلَى الۡـكِبَرِ اِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ وَاِسۡحٰقَ​ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّىۡ لَسَمِيۡعُ الدُّعَآءِ‏ ﴿14:39﴾ رَبِّ اجۡعَلۡنِىۡ مُقِيۡمَ الصَّلٰوةِ وَمِنۡ ذُرِّيَّتِىۡ​​ ۖ  رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلۡ دُعَآءِ‏ ﴿14:40﴾ رَبَّنَا اغۡفِرۡ لِىۡ وَلـِوَالِدَىَّ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ يَوۡمَ يَقُوۡمُ الۡحِسَابُ‏  ﴿14:41﴾

(14:35) And call to mind when Abraham prayed:46 "My Lord! Make this city47 secure, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping the idols. (14:36) My Lord! They have caused48 many people to go astray. Now, if anyone follows my way, he is from me; and if anyone follows a way opposed to mine, then surely You are Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful."49 (14:37) "Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring settle in a barren valley near Your Sacred House! Our Lord! I did so that they may establish Prayer. So make the hearts of people affectionately inclined to them, and provide them with fruits for their sustenance50 that they may give thanks. (14:38) Our Lord! Surely You know all that we conceal and all that we reveal,51 and nothing in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah.52 (14:39) All praise be to Allah Who, despite my old age, has given me Ishmael and Isaac. Surely my Lord hears all prayers. (14:40) My Lord! Enable me and my offspring to establish Prayer, and do accept, our Lord, this prayer of mine. (14:41) Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day when the reckoning will take place."53


Notes

46. In the preceding (verses 32-35), an appeal was made to the Quraish to be grateful to that Allah Who has bestowed so many bounties on mankind in general. But in this passage the same appeal is being made on the plea that Allah had bestowed His special bounties on the Quraish in particular. They have been asked to remember that Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had settled forefathers of the Quraish near the Kabah and made their city, Makkah, a city of peace and Allah showered His blessings on the Quraish in answer to the prayer of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). They have been admonished to remember those bounties and mend their ways.

47. Makkah.

48. This is a figurative way of saying that idols have been the means of turning many people away from Allah’s way into the ways of deviation.

49. This forbearance shown towards those who followed a different way from the right way is an instance of Prophet Abraham’s (peace be upon him) leniency to mankind. He left their case to the Forgiveness and Mercy of Allah for he could not bear to see them under divine scourge. Another instance of this has been cited in Surah Houd. When the angels were on their way to destroy the wicked people of Lot, Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) began to plead for them: Abraham began to dispute with Us concerning the people of Lot for he was tender hearted and merciful. (Surah Houd, Ayats 74-75). Likewise Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was so tender hearted that even when Allah will show to him that his followers had deviated from the right way, he will plead their case: Now if you punish them, they are your own servants, and if you forgive them, you are All-Mighty and All-Wise. (Surah Al-Maidah, Ayat 118).

50. Allah granted this prayer of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). That was why people from the whole of Arabia used to come there for Hajj and Umrah at the time of the revelation of this Surah, and now people gather there from all over the world.

Besides this, there is plenty of food and fruit in all seasons of the year, though the valley is absolutely barren and no vegetation grows in it even for animals.

51. That is, Lord: You hears what I utter with my tongue and also has full knowledge of my thoughts and feelings.

52. This parenthetical clause has been inserted to confirm the statement of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).

53. Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) included his mushrik father in his prayer because he had made promise that he would pray to his Lord for his forgiveness (Surah Maryam, Ayat 48). But afterwards, when he realized that he should not pray for his forgiveness because he was an enemy of Allah, he absolved himself of that promise. (Surah At-Tauba, Ayat 114).