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 13-21وَ قَالَAnd saidالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedلِرُسُلِهِمْto their MessengersلَنُخْرِجَنَّكُمْSurely we will drive you outمِّنْofاَرْضِنَاۤour landاَوْorلَتَعُوْدُنَّsurely you should returnفِیْtoمِلَّتِنَا ؕour religionفَاَوْحٰۤیSo inspiredاِلَیْهِمْto themرَبُّهُمْtheir LordلَنُهْلِكَنَّWe will surely destroyالظّٰلِمِیْنَۙthe wrongdoers وَ لَنُسْكِنَنَّكُمُAnd surely We will make you dwellالْاَرْضَ(in) the landمِنْۢafter themبَعْدِهِمْ ؕafter themذٰلِكَThatلِمَنْ(is) for whoeverخَافَfearsمَقَامِیْstanding before Meوَ خَافَand fearsوَعِیْدِ My Threat وَ اسْتَفْتَحُوْاAnd they sought victoryوَ خَابَand disappointedكُلُّeveryجَبَّارٍtyrantعَنِیْدٍۙobstinate مِّنْAhead of himوَّرَآىِٕهٖAhead of himجَهَنَّمُ(is) Hellوَ یُسْقٰیand he will be made to drinkمِنْofمَّآءٍwaterصَدِیْدٍۙpurulent یَّتَجَرَّعُهٗHe will sip itوَ لَاbut notیَكَادُhe will be nearیُسِیْغُهٗ(to) swallowing itوَ یَاْتِیْهِAnd will come to himالْمَوْتُthe deathمِنْfromكُلِّeveryمَكَانٍsideوَّ مَاbut notهُوَheبِمَیِّتٍ ؕwill dieوَ مِنْAnd ahead of himوَّرَآىِٕهٖAnd ahead of himعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentغَلِیْظٌ harsh مَثَلُ(The) exampleالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveبِرَبِّهِمْin their Lordاَعْمَالُهُمْtheir deedsكَرَمَادِ(are) like ashesشْتَدَّتْblows furiouslyبِهِon itالرِّیْحُthe windفِیْinیَوْمٍa dayعَاصِفٍ ؕstormyلَاNoیَقْدِرُوْنَcontrol (they have)مِمَّاof whatكَسَبُوْاthey have earnedعَلٰیonشَیْءٍ ؕanythingذٰلِكَThatهُوَ[it]الضَّلٰلُ(is) the strayingالْبَعِیْدُ far 14. Ibrahim Page 258اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthبِالْحَقِّ ؕin truthاِنْIfیَّشَاْHe willsیُذْهِبْكُمْHe can remove youوَ یَاْتِand bringبِخَلْقٍa creationجَدِیْدٍۙnew وَّ مَاAnd notذٰلِكَ(is) thatعَلَیonاللّٰهِAllahبِعَزِیْزٍ great وَ بَرَزُوْاAnd they will come forthلِلّٰهِbefore Allahجَمِیْعًاall togetherفَقَالَthen will sayالضُّعَفٰٓؤُاthe weakلِلَّذِیْنَto those whoاسْتَكْبَرُوْۤاwere arrogantاِنَّاIndeed, weكُنَّاwe wereلَكُمْyourتَبَعًاfollowersفَهَلْso canاَنْتُمْyou (be)مُّغْنُوْنَthe one who availsعَنَّاusمِنْfromعَذَابِ(the) punishmentاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمِنْanythingشَیْءٍ ؕanythingقَالُوْاThey will sayلَوْIfهَدٰىنَاAllah had guided usاللّٰهُAllah had guided usلَهَدَیْنٰكُمْ ؕsurely we would have guided youسَوَآءٌ(It is) sameعَلَیْنَاۤfor usاَجَزِعْنَاۤwhether we show intoleranceاَمْorصَبَرْنَاwe are patientمَاnotلَنَا(is) for usمِنْanyمَّحِیْصٍ۠place of escape

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Translation of Verse 13-21

13. And those who disbelieved said to their messengers: “Verily we will drive you out from our land, or else you will return to our religion.”²² So their Lord revealed to them, “verily We will destroy the wrong-doers”.

14.” And verily We will make you to dwell in the land after them. This (reward) is for him who fears standing before Me and fears My Warning.”

15. And they sought judgment, and (the judgment was) that every obstinate tyrant meets with frustration.²³

16. Hell is in front of him,²⁴ and he will be made to drink boiling, festering water.²⁵

17. Which he will sip in gulps, but will not be able to swallow easily, death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die; and then will have to face a harsh punishment.

18. The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is like this: Their deeds are like ashes which a strong wind scatters on a stormy day.²⁶ The have no control on anything that they have earned. That is the extreme- straying.

19. Do you not see that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth? If He will, He can remove you and bring in a new creation.²⁷

20. And that is no great matter for Allah.

21. And (it will so happen that) they all will appear before Allah. Then the weak ones will say to the arrogant ones: “Verily we were your followers, will you then avert from us anything of Allah’s punishment?” they will say: “Had Allah guided us, we should have guided you. Whether we rage or patiently endure is all the same for us, for us there is no place of escape.”²⁸

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Commentary

22. This is what the disbelievers said. It would not be correct to conclude from this that the prophets followed the religion of the disbelievers. The fact is that all prophets followed the religion of nature, that is they believed in one God, but since they were known to be propagating monotheism with their attainment of prophethood, the disbelievers thought that earlier they were their coreligionists. They assured them if they gave up their dawah work and returned to their original fold, they would not be disturbed.

23. That is: Their judgment was delivered in this world only, and it was given in such a way that Allah’s punishment overtook them and the opponents of the messengers were destroyed, and those who responded to the dawah of the messengers were saved.

24. After undergoing punishment in the world, they will have to undergo the terrible punishment in the Hell.

25. The image of this horrifying punishment sends shivers down our spine. If man gives it a serious thought, his heart would definitely melt and he would be anxious to seek out ways of saving himself from the punishment of the Hell.

From a reference to context it is seen that this warning is given to those who were in the forefront of the opponents of the prophet and were subjecting his followers to inhuman sufferings. In this verse they have been told that they might go on doing their worst, but in the very near future they would have to face the consequences in the form of the most painful punishment.

It should be noted that the severity of the punishment is matched with the depravity of the crime. Their beliefs were filthy, their deeds were filthy, and they used to eat and have filthy food and property. They deserved, therefore, to get as a punishment, a filthy thing like pus to drink.

26. Kufr or disbelief makes all deeds inconsequential, whether those deeds may be religious rites, apparent virtues or charity or welfare work. Those who might have performed virtuous deeds on the basis of their disbelief, would be burnt down on account of their disbelief, therefore, all their religious achievements will prove to be a heap of ashes only, which would be swept away by the Doomsday wind.

27. Whoever would observe this universe with open eyes would clearly see great wisdom in its creation and order. There is nothing without a purpose in it. How can then the creation of man be without any purpose, when he is the most important member of this great assembly. The fact is that his Creator has created man for a very high purpose. Therefore, it is necessary that man should understand his purpose of creation and he should live his life according to that purpose. If he does not do so, it does not affect Allah in any way, it only takes him to his failure and frustration. Allah has power to wipe out the entire mankind from this world and to bring a new creation in its place. Actually, man should be grateful to God that He has given him this opportunity to pass away safely from the testing ground of this world to receive His everlasting bounties and favours.

28. This is the picture of the helplessness of the leaders and the eminent persons, whom the people followed blindly, and believed that they were leading them rightly. When on the Day of Judgment both the followers and the leaders will be pushed, in consequence of their sins, to receive their punishment the followers will request their leaders to find out a way for their escape from the punishment. But they will openly admit of their helplessness. At that time their followers will realize what a great blunder was committed by them in following these leaders.

Before the people meet this unseemly end Qur’an is warning them to take heed and to act intelligently, they should not be misled by the misguiding leaders, should accept the guidance of the messenger of Allah and should follow the path which Qur’an has opened for them.