Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 19 Maryam, Ayat 41-50

وَاذۡكُرۡ فِى الۡكِتٰبِ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ ۙ اِنَّهٗ كَانَ صِدِّيۡقًا نَّبِيًّا‏  ﴿19:41﴾ اِذۡ قَالَ لِاَبِيۡهِ يٰۤـاَبَتِ لِمَ تَعۡبُدُ مَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ وَلَا يُبۡصِرُ وَ لَا يُغۡنِىۡ عَنۡكَ شَيۡـئًـا‏ ﴿19:42﴾ يٰۤـاَبَتِ اِنِّىۡ قَدۡ جَآءَنِىۡ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ مَا لَمۡ يَاۡتِكَ فَاتَّبِعۡنِىۡۤ اَهۡدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا‏ ﴿19:43﴾ يٰۤـاَبَتِ لَا تَعۡبُدِ الشَّيۡطٰنَ​ ؕ اِنَّ الشَّيۡطٰنَ كَانَ لِلرَّحۡمٰنِ عَصِيًّا‏ ﴿19:44﴾ يٰۤاَبَتِ اِنِّىۡۤ اَخَافُ اَنۡ يَّمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحۡمٰنِ فَتَكُوۡنَ لِلشَّيۡطٰنِ وَلِيًّا‏ ﴿19:45﴾ قَالَ اَرَاغِبٌ اَنۡتَ عَنۡ اٰلِهَتِىۡ يٰۤاِبۡرٰهِيۡمُ​ۚ لَـئِنۡ لَّمۡ تَنۡتَهِ لَاَرۡجُمَنَّكَ​ وَاهۡجُرۡنِىۡ مَلِيًّا‏ ﴿19:46﴾ قَالَ سَلٰمٌ عَلَيۡكَ​ۚ سَاَسۡتَغۡفِرُ لَـكَ رَبِّىۡؕ اِنَّهٗ كَانَ بِىۡ حَفِيًّا‏  ﴿19:47﴾ وَ اَعۡتَزِلُـكُمۡ وَمَا تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَاَدۡعُوۡا رَبِّىۡ​ ​ۖ  عَسٰٓى اَلَّاۤ اَكُوۡنَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّىۡ شَقِيًّا‏ ﴿19:48﴾ فَلَمَّا اعۡتَزَلَهُمۡ وَمَا يَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ ۙ وَهَبۡنَا لَهٗۤ اِسۡحٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوۡبَ​ ؕ وَكُلًّا جَعَلۡنَا نَبِيًّا‏ ﴿19:49﴾ وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُمۡ مِّنۡ رَّحۡمَتِنَا وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُمۡ لِسَانَ صِدۡقٍ عَلِيًّا‏  ﴿19:50﴾

(19:41) (O Muhammad), recite in the Book the account of Abraham.26 Most surely he was a man of truth, a Prophet. (19:42) (And remind people) when he said to his father: "Father! Why do you worship that which neither sees nor hears, and which can be of no avail to you? (19:43) Father, a knowledge that has not reached you has come to me. So follow me that I may guide you to a Straight Way. (19:44) Father, do not serve Satan,27 for Satan has indeed been a persistent rebel against the Most Compassionate Lord. (19:45) Father, I fear that a punishment from the Most Compassionate Lord might strike you and you may end up as one of Satan's companions?" (19:46) The father said: "Abraham, have you turned away from my gods? If you do not give this up, I shall stone you to death. Now begone from me forever." (19:47) Abraham answered: "Peace be upon you. I shall seek pardon for you from my Lord. My Lord has always been kind to Me. (19:48) I shall withdraw from you and all that you call upon beside Allah. I shall only call upon my Lord. I trust the prayer to my Lord will not go unanswered." (19:49) Thereupon Abraham dissociated himself from his people and the deities they worshipped instead of Allah, and We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob and made each of them a Prophet; (19:50) and We bestowed on them Our mercy, and granted them a truly lofty renown.28


Notes

26. From here the address is directed towards the people of Makkah, who had forced their own near and dear relatives to emigrate from their homes, just as Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had been exiled by his own father and brethren. The story of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) has been selected for this purpose because the Quraish professed to accept him as their religious leader and were proud of being his descendants.

27. It should be noted that the literal translation of the Arabic text is: “Do not worship Satan”, though Abraham’s father and the other people did not worship Satan in the same sense as they worshiped idols. But as they followed and obeyed Satan, he accused them of worshiping Satan. Thus it is clear that if somebody follows and obeys Satan, he virtually worships him. For Satan has never been a deity in the sense that people have made him an object of worship; nay, they have always been cursing him and following him at the same time. (For further details see (Surah Al-Kahf E.Ns 49-50).

27a. For explanation, see (Surah At-Taubah E.N. 112).

28. This is to give comfort to the migrants who had been forced to migrate from their homes. They were told that they would be honored and blessed with true renown just as Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had been blessed with true renown after his migration.