Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 16 An-Nahl, Ayat 120-122
اِنَّ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ كَانَ اُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيۡفًاؕ وَلَمۡ يَكُ مِنَ الۡمُشۡرِكِيۡنَۙ
﴿16:120﴾
شَاكِرًا لِّاَنۡعُمِهِؕ اِجۡتَبٰٮهُ وَهَدٰٮهُ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيۡمٍ
﴿16:121﴾
وَاٰتَيۡنٰهُ فِى الدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةً ؕ وَاِنَّهٗ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَؕ
﴿16:122﴾
(16:120) Indeed Abraham was a whole community by himself,119 obedient
to Allah, exclusively devoted to Him. And he was never one of those who associated
others with Allah in His Divinity. (16:121) He rendered thanks to Allah for His bounties so that Allah chose
him (for His favours) and directed him to the Right Way. (16:122) We bestowed good upon him in this world, and in the Hereafter he
shall certainly be among the righteous.
Notes
119. “Abraham was a whole community by himself” for at that time he was the
only Muslim in the whole world who was upholding the banner of Islam, while
the rest of the world was upholding the banner of unbelief. As that servant
of Allah performed the mission which is ordinarily carried out by a whole community,
he was not one person but an institution in himself.