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 7-12وَ اِذْAnd whenتَاَذَّنَproclaimedرَبُّكُمْyour LordلَىِٕنْIfشَكَرْتُمْyou are thankfulلَاَزِیْدَنَّكُمْsurely I will increase youوَ لَىِٕنْbut ifكَفَرْتُمْyou are ungratefulاِنَّindeedعَذَابِیْMy punishmentلَشَدِیْدٌ (is) surely severe وَ قَالَAnd saidمُوْسٰۤیMusaاِنْIfتَكْفُرُوْۤاyou disbelieveاَنْتُمْyouوَ مَنْand whoeverفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِthe earthجَمِیْعًا ۙallفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahلَغَنِیٌّcertainly (is) Free of needحَمِیْدٌ Praiseworthy اَلَمْHas notیَاْتِكُمْcome to youنَبَؤُا(the) newsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoمِنْ(were) before youقَبْلِكُمْ(were) before youقَوْمِthe peopleنُوْحٍof Nuhوَّ عَادٍand Aadوَّ ثَمُوْدَ ۛؕ۬and Thamudوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoمِنْۢ(were) after themبَعْدِهِمْ ۛؕ(were) after themلَاNoneیَعْلَمُهُمْknows themاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهُ ؕAllahجَآءَتْهُمْCame to themرُسُلُهُمْtheir Messengersبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith clear proofsفَرَدُّوْۤاbut they returnedاَیْدِیَهُمْtheir handsفِیْۤinاَفْوَاهِهِمْtheir mouthsوَ قَالُوْۤاand they saidاِنَّاindeed, weكَفَرْنَا[we] disbelieveبِمَاۤin whatاُرْسِلْتُمْyou have been sentبِهٖwith [it]وَ اِنَّاand indeed, weلَفِیْ(are) surely inشَكٍّdoubtمِّمَّاabout whatتَدْعُوْنَنَاۤyou invite usاِلَیْهِto itمُرِیْبٍ suspicious قَالَتْSaidرُسُلُهُمْtheir MessengersاَفِیCan (there) be aboutاللّٰهِAllahشَكٌّany doubtفَاطِرِ(the) Creatorالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthیَدْعُوْكُمْHe invites youلِیَغْفِرَso that He may forgiveلَكُمْfor youمِّنْ[of]ذُنُوْبِكُمْyour sinsوَ یُؤَخِّرَكُمْand give you respiteاِلٰۤیforاَجَلٍa termمُّسَمًّی ؕappointedقَالُوْۤاThey saidاِنْNotاَنْتُمْyouاِلَّا(are) butبَشَرٌa humanمِّثْلُنَا ؕlike usتُرِیْدُوْنَyou wishاَنْtoتَصُدُّوْنَاhinder usعَمَّاfrom whatكَانَused toیَعْبُدُworshipاٰبَآؤُنَاour forefathersفَاْتُوْنَاSo bring usبِسُلْطٰنٍan authorityمُّبِیْنٍ clear 14. Ibrahim Page 257قَالَتْSaidلَهُمْto themرُسُلُهُمْtheir MessengersاِنْNotنَّحْنُwe (are)اِلَّاbutبَشَرٌa humanمِّثْلُكُمْlike youوَ لٰكِنَّbutاللّٰهَAllahیَمُنُّbestows His GraceعَلٰیonمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsمِنْofعِبَادِهٖ ؕHis slavesوَ مَاAnd notكَانَisلَنَاۤfor usاَنْthatنَّاْتِیَكُمْwe bring youبِسُلْطٰنٍan authorityاِلَّاexceptبِاِذْنِby the permission of Allahاللّٰهِ ؕby the permission of Allahوَ عَلَیAnd uponاللّٰهِAllahفَلْیَتَوَكَّلِso let put (their) trustالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ the believers وَ مَاAnd whatلَنَاۤ(is) for usاَلَّاthat notنَتَوَكَّلَwe put our trustعَلَیuponاللّٰهِAllahوَ قَدْwhile certainlyهَدٰىنَاHe has guided usسُبُلَنَا ؕto our waysوَ لَنَصْبِرَنَّAnd surely we will bear with patienceعَلٰیonمَاۤwhatاٰذَیْتُمُوْنَا ؕharm you may cause usوَ عَلَیAnd uponاللّٰهِAllahفَلْیَتَوَكَّلِso let put (their) trustالْمُتَوَكِّلُوْنَ۠the ones who put (their) trust

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Translation of Verse 7-12

7. And when your Lord proclaimed: “If you are grateful, I will give you more¹², and if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.”¹³

8. And Moosa said: “If you show ingratitude, you and all on earth together, then Verily Allah is Rich (cares not He is Free-from all needs) Worthy-of-all Praise. “¹⁴

9. Have not¹⁵ the chronicles of those before, reached you? Of the people of Nooh, and A’d, and Thamud ? And of those who came after them? None knows them but Allah.¹⁶ Their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they thrust their hands into their mouths,¹⁷ and said: “Verily we deny that with which (message) you have been sent, and we are in grave doubt concerning that to which you call us.”

10. Their messengers said: “Is there a doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth ?¹⁸ He calls you that He may forgive you, your sins and give you respite for an appointed term.“¹⁹ They said: “You are but men like us; you wish to turn us away from what (gods) our forefathers used to worship. Well then bring some clear authority (miracle)”.

11. Their messengers told them: “We are but men like you, but Allah grants His graces to such of His slaves as He pleases.²⁰ It is not within our power to bring you an authority (miracle) except as Allah permits. And let all the believers put their trust in Allah.”

12. And why should we not put our trust in Allah, when He has shown us our ways ?²¹ We shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt that you may cause us. And let the trusting put their trust in Allah.”

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Commentary

12. Gratefulness essentially implies three things: First that for everything he gets, man must consider it a favour from Allah and not from anybody else; secondly a feeling of indebtedness and gratitude must be generated in his heart; and thirdly he should adopt an attitude of loyalty, worship and obedience towards his real benefactor.

When the slave adopts the attitude of gratefulness towards his Master, then he becomes deserving of more rewards.

13. In the Torah this matter is narrated thus:

“But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city.” (Det. 28: 15, 16)

14. In a hadith it is mentioned that Allah says:

“O My slaves! If all your preceding and following men and jinns turn as evil as the most evi1 man, it would not lessen anything in My kingdom. “ (Sahih Muslim, Kitabul Bir)

15. In the above verse the statement of Prophet Moosa was given. Here the addressees of Quran are being addressed.

16. It refers to that part of the nations’ histories which has gone behind the veil of the unknown. The period of the nation of Thamud was circa 2500 B.C. Thereafter till the time of Prophet Moosa, there were a number of nations to whom prophets were sent, and as a consequence of those nations’ rejecting the call of their prophets, the wrath and punishment of God overtook them and they were destroyed. These events are not preserved in the pages of history, but they are definitely known to Allah.

So far as India is concerned, here also are found remains of the past nations that have been destroyed, e.g. Harappa, which is in Punjab and Mohenjodaro, which is in Sindh, and also Lothal in Gujarat. These are ancient townships that have been buried under the earth with their fully developed civilization and culture, which was discovered during the modern times. From the remains discovered it appears that their civilization was polytheistic, therefore, there should be no wonder if divine messengers were also sent to these nations, and in consequence of their rejection of the divine message God’s punishment might have visited them in the form of earthquakes and would have buried them, lock, stock and barrel means “entirely”. This period would have been after the period of the nation of Thamud and before that of Prophet Ibrahim, i.e. before/circa 2000 B.C. History has neither preserved their names nor the names of their prophets. Their knowledge is possessed by Allah only. However these remains provide a witness to the fact that in ancient India the whip of Allah’s wrath had cracked down in consequence of disbelief and polytheism.

17. Thrusting hand into the mouth is an idiom which means being enraged and expressing amazement.

18. That is: The message that we are presenting before you is the dawah of pure monotheism, whose authenticity is above board. It can create a doubt in the mind of only that person who also doubts that this universe was created by one Creator. If you certainly believe that the Creator of this universe is Allah alone, then where is the room to doubt His being the only God and His being worthy of worship?

19. That is: If you accept this message of monotheism which is being presented before you, then Allah will forgive you your acts of polytheism and sinning, which you have been committing till now, and instead of sending down His punishment on you He will allow you to have respite for the appointed term and let you live.

20. We never claimed that we are not humans, but some other creatures. We are but mortals like you, but Allah with His special favour granted us the office of His messengers.

It is elicited that the office of prophet hood is not such as a man would attain it by his efforts, but that it is a gift and grace from God, which He may grant to anybody He may like.

21. When a man with his full consciousness believes in Allah, then all his difficulties come to an end, because of his relationship with God and for him all avenues for success open up in life.