Surah Ibrahim 14:35-41 - Quran Translation Commentary

(14:36) My Lord! They⁶⁴ have indeed led astray many of the mankind.⁶⁵ Then whoso followed me is of me and whoso disobeyed me - but, surely, You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Kind.⁶⁶

(14:37) Our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring by Your sacred House⁶⁷ in a valley⁶⁸ devoid of vegetation,⁶⁹ O our Lord, that they may perform the Prayer.⁷⁰ So make the hearts of some people incline towards them,⁷¹ and provide them with fruits,⁷² haply they will give thanks.⁷³

(14:38) Our Lord! You know what we conceal and what we reveal,⁷⁴ for nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heaven.⁷⁵

(14:39) Praise be to Allah who bestowed upon me in my old age, Isma`il and Is-haq.⁷⁶ Surely, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.⁷⁷

(14:40) O my Lord! Make me a performer of Prayer, and of my offspring (too),⁷⁸ O our Lord, and accept my supplication.

(14:41) O our Lord! Forgive me,⁷⁹ my parents, and the believers the Day the reckoning is established.’ ⁸⁰

Commentary

60. Asad seeks a connection with the preceding passages: “The whole of this passage (verse 35-41) - from which the title of this surah is derived - represents a parenthetic reminder, in the form of Abraham’s prayer, of the only way to righteousness, in the deepest sense of the word, open to man: namely, recognition of God’s existence, oneness and uniqueness and, hence, a rejection of all belief in 'other powers' supposedly co-existent with Him (cf. verse 30 above). Inasmuch as this prayer implies a realization of, and gratitude for, God’s infinite bounty, it connects directly with the preceding verse 34 and the subsequent verse 42."

Shabbir `Uthmani and Mawdudi look at the passage from another angle. In Mawdudi’s words, “After mentioning God’s favours to all mankind, reference is made here to the favours which were specially bestowed on the Quraysh. The Quraysh are told that when their ancestor, Abraham (peace be on him), settled in Makka with the robust hope that his descendants would live in obedience to their Lord, God lavished a great variety of favours upon them in response to Abraham’s prayer. But in return for all those favours, the Quraysh acted in brazen disregard of Abraham’s expectations of them, embraced erroneous doctrines and engaged in every kind of misdeed.”

61. Although himself a Sufi, Thanwi warns that the lesson that some extremist Sufis have derived from this verse, that, following Ibrahim’s example, wife and children can be abandoned to Allah’s care, is wrong. Ibrahim did it on Allah’s command, which Hajar too ascertained by demanding to know, “Is this by Allah’s command?”

62. By ordering its territory as sacred and inviolate, Allah made Makkah and its surrounding areas, sitting as an island in a sea of violence, debauchery and immorality, a place of peace and security, that has no second to its unique position on the planet (Au.).

63. The question that arises is whether Ibrahim feared that he or his children would worship idols? Majid says that the reference here is to his immediate progeny, and not to his entire race. Imam Razi considers various answers and then concludes that one of the plausible answers is that he supplicated against what the Sufis call as the “shirk al-khafiyy,”( minor and unobvious form of Association) which consists in the heart’s attachment, in any degree, to anyone other than Allah.

Alusi is not satisfied with the answer. He has a different explanation: “I believe the state and status of the unsinfulness of the prophets is not a natural physical quality that they are endowed with and by virtue of which they remain sinless. It is by Divine Will, and a blessing on them from Allah.” In that sense, it is continuation of the grace which was sought by Ibrahim.

Asad adds: “The term `Idols’ (asnam, sing., sanam) does not apply exclusively to actual, concrete representation of false ‘deities’: for shirk - that is, an attribution of divine powers or qualities to anyone or anything beside God - may consist also, as Razi points out, in a worshipful devotion to all manner of ‘causative agencies and outward means to an end’ - an obvious allusion to wealth, power, luck, people’s favor or disfavor, and so forth - ‘whereas genuine faith in the oneness and uniqueness of God (at-tawhid al-mahd) consists in divesting oneself of all inner attachment to [such] causative agencies and in being convinced that there exists no real directing power apart from God.’”

Thanwi does not miss out another implication. He writes: “The verse shows that even Prophets did not feel themselves safe from Satan’s contriving. Should lower men, however perfect, ever feel secure?”

64. “They:” “That is, idols and images which are to the idolatrous people visible representation of God or gods and fraught with Divine glory and majesty” (Majid).

65. Majid comments and quotes: “The name of the idolatrous peoples both ancient and modern, is legion; and nations after nations, not all of them of the lowest savagery, are known to have succumbed to the influence of idolatry. `Its tendency to revive ethnographically is embarrassing ... The modern Brahmans, professed followers of Vedic doctrine, are among the greatest idolaters of the world. Early Christianity by no means abrogated the Jewish law against image-worship, yet image-worship became and still remains widely spread and deeply rooted in Christendom.’ (PC. II. p. 168).”

66. Qatadah used to say, “Listen people, what was it that Ibrahim have to say (about his pagan people). He did not curse them nor called them names.”

And, it is reported of the Prophet that,

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بن عَمْرٍو، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَلا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ: فَمَنْ تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ، وَقَوْلَ عِيسَى: إِنْ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ، فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ:"اللَّهُمَّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي"، وَبَكَى، فَقَالَ اللَّهُ لِجِبْرِيلَ:"اذْهَبْ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ، وَاسْأَلْهُ مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟"، فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ، فَسَأَلَهُ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِجِبْرِيلَ:"اذْهَبْ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، فَقُلْ لَهُ: إِنَّا سَنُرْضِيكَ فِي أُمَّتِكَ وَلا نَسُوءُكَ"

"Once he recited this verse, “My Lord! They have indeed led astray many of the mankind. Then whoso followed me is of me and whoso disobeyed me - but, surely, You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Kind.” Thereafter he recited the words of `Isa ibn Maryam (5: 118): “If You punish them, then, surely they are Your slaves. But if You forgive them, then, surely, You are the All-mighty, the All-wise.” Then he raised his hands and supplicated, “O Allah, my Ummah. O Allah, my Ummah,” and cried. Allah said to Jibril, “Jibril! Go to Muhammad – and, although Allah knows - ask him, ‘What makes you cry?’ Jibril came down to him and asked him. The Prophet told him what made him cry. Allah said, “Jibril! Go to Muhammad and say to him, ‘We shall satisfy you in the matter of your Ummah, and shall not cause you any pain’” (Ibn Jarir).

The above hadith is in the Sahih of Ibn Hibban and other books (Au.).

67. This confirms that the Sacred House was already there in existence, in some form or the other (Qurtubi).

Another possibility is that the supplication was made after the construction, although, the place was marked for such a House, the day Allah created the heavens and the earth (Au.).

68. Majid quotes various Western scholars, “‘The city lies in a hollow among the hills’ (Ebr. XV. p. 150). ‘Mecca lies in a valley imprisoned by stony hills, the last word of desolation’ (Lady Cobbold, Pilgrimage to Mecca, p. 139). It would be difficult to meet with a more forbidding site, even amongst the mixed rock-masses of Tihama, the lowest-lying and with desolate part of this stern province of Hijaz ... In the badly-ventilated corridor, scorched all through in endless summer by the pitiless sun of Arabia, without the shelter of a single palm-tree, the population in order to slake their thirst were reduced to the uncertain flow of Zamzam.’ (Lammen, Islam: Beliefs and Institutions, p. 16).”

The honest Western scholars might note with some disappointment that the “uncertain flow of Zamzam” has never failed, right up to this day, when thousands of gallons of water is drawn from it every day with the help of several power-operated pumps (Au.).

69. This supplication was made at the time when Ibrahim had left Hajar with Isma`il in her lap at the deserted spot, which was later to become Makkah. When he turned to go back Hajar followed him to some distance asking him whether he was leaving them there, and if so, was it by Allah’s command. He said yes without turning. Then, as they became out of sight, he turned and prayed in these words (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi and others).

However, the full content suggests that this is a collection of supplications that Ibrahim made on various occasions at various times (Au.). Ibn Kathir and Thanwi have also stated something to this effect.

For details of Ibrahim’s journey from Syria to the deserted valley in Makkah, see Surah Al-Baqarah, note 253 of this work.

The place is still as barren as it was four thousand years ago (Au.). No tree bears any fruit there. All the fruits found in the town are brought from outside (Ibn Kathir).

Majid again comments and quotes: “‘The old geographers observe that the whole Haram area or sanctuary around the city is almost without cultivation or date-palms (Ebr. XV. p. 150). ‘For many miles around Mecca ... the general features are rugged rocks without a trace of foliage. Even at the present day ... Mecca can hardly boast a garden or cultivated field, and only here and there is a tree’ (Miur, op. cit. p.2). The city of Makkah, about forty-eight miles east of the Red Sea, lies in the world zone of maximum heat and dryness, and the whole tract, which is rainless, experiencing great extremes of heat in summer. ‘The thermometer in Makka can register almost unbearable heat’ (Hitti, op. cit. p. 104).”

70. Imam Razi writes on the implication of this passage: This shows that once a man is free of worldly worries, he should busy himself with prayers and other rituals of worship.

`Umar ibn al-Khattab is reported to have said during a Friday sermon, “Allah first granted custody of the House to the Tasm. But they violated its sanctity. So Allah destroyed them and gave it to the Jurham tribe. But in time they too violated its sanctity. So Allah destroyed them too and has given you the custody now, O Quraysh. So take care not to disobey its Lord, declare its lawful as unlawful, or neglect its rights. By Allah, one Prayer offered therein is dearer to me than a hundred elsewhere. And, you might know that sins therein are similarly treated” (Ibn Jarir).

Qurtubi adds: Most of the scholars have considered prayers offered in the Sacred House as the most reward bearing, followed by those done in the mosque at Madinah. One of the traditions in this regard says,

صَلاةٌ فِي مَسْجِدِي هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلاةٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ، إِلا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ، وَصَلاةٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاةٍ فِي مَسْجِدِي بِأَلْفِ صَلاةٍ

“Prayers in my mosque are a thousand times more reward-bearing than in any other mosque except for the Sacred House at Makkah where the Prayers are a hundred times more reward bearing than Prayers in this mosque of mine.” Hence, many scholars say that Muslims may offer their ‘Eid Prayers anywhere in a town, but in Makkah, it must be offered in the Grand Mosque alone.

The first part of the above hadith is in the Sahihayn while the whole is in several collections with Haythami declaring one version as trustworthy (Au.).

71. Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Mujahid have said that as a result of the addition of article “min” before “al-nas”, (rendering the meaning as ‘some of the people’), it is only the Muslims who are inclined towards them. If all the people had been intended, peoples of the world would have crowded into the Holy Sanctuary (Ibn Jarir).

72. Zamakhshari wrote: The supplication was accepted and, in consequence, we notice the amazing phenomenon that the shops are laden with fruits of all varieties, none of which are grown in Makkah, not at any particular time, but throughout the year.

That was in the sixth century. And so has it been throughout the centuries. Whoever visited Makkah noticed this strange phenomenon (Au.).

73. Apart from fruits, Allah provided them with water too: which is both water as well as diet. The Prophet said in a hadith in Dara Qutni,

ماء زمزم لما شرب له إن شربته تشتفي به شفاك الله وإن شربته لشبعك أشبعك الله به وإن شربته لقطع ظمئك قطعه وهي هزمة جبريل وسقيا الله إسماعيل

“Zamzam water is good for whatever it is drunk. If you seek to be cured, Allah will cure you. If you consider it as food, Allah will fill your stomach. If you drank it out of thirst, Allah will remove your thirst. It is by Jibril’s strike and Allah’s water to Isma`il.” Hence Ibn `Abbas used to say before drinking it, “O Allah! Grant me useful knowledge, wide sustenance and cure from every ailment.” And Ibn al-`Arabiyy has said, “This will last until the day of Judgment for him who has the right intention, not denying (its qualities) inwardly, nor drinking it by way of experiment; for, Allah is with those who trust Him, and He dispels the experimenters” (Qurtubi).

Except for Hakim who gave it conditional approval, most Hadith Doctors have thought that the above hadith is weak, with the first part accepted by most (Au.).

74. The allusion was perhaps to Ibrahim’s love and concern of Hajar and the child (Shawkani from Ibn Abi Hatim).

75. That is, Allah knows what desires we conceal in our hearts, and so, in fact, there is no need for supplications. Nevertheless, we do it to demonstrate our humbleness (Zamakhshari).

76. Ibrahim (asws) was a centurion by the time he finally became a father.

77. Allah (swt) of course is the Hearer. But the meaning here is, He responds to the supplications and meets with our needs (Zamakhshari).

78. Asad writes: “The particle ‘min’ (“[some] of”) preceding the word dhurriyati (‘my offspring) is obviously an allusion to 2: 124, where God says in answer to Abraham’s question about his descendants: ‘My covenant does not embrace the evildoers’ ... (and, by implication, extends) even to the unrighteous among the descendants of the Last Prophet, Muhammad.”

79. Majid offers a very useful note here, especially for those who get confused over our own Prophet’s “ghufran” as stated, e.g., in verse 2 of surah Al-Fat-h: “‘Ghufr’ is only ‘to cover with Divine grace,’ and does not necessarily presuppose sinfulness on the part of one who asks for his ‘maghfirah.’” Hence “mighfar” for helmet, which covers the head (Au.).

80. Apparently, this supplication of forgiveness, which includes Ibrahim’s parents, was made earlier to he disowning them.