Verse:122 Commentary A large section of this Sarah, ending with the previous verse, has been dealing with different aspects of the conduct of the Israelites (that is, the Jews) in the course of their history. This account had begun with the statement which has been repeated at the end in these two verses. The statement is of a general and principal kind, and the verses which come in between the beginning and the end are, so to say, a detailed demonstration of the statement. On the one hand, it encourages the Israelites to come back to the Straight Path by reminding them of the blessings which Allah has bestowed on them; on the other hand, it warns them of the consequences of their lapses by depicting the Day of Judgment. The purpose of repeating the statement at the end of the discussion is to make the two ideas sink deep into their minds. For, what is aimed at in a discussion is the affirmation of certain basic and general principles -- being succinct, they are easily kept alive in the mind, and, being comprehensive and readily applicable to particular situations, they make it easy for one to remember the details too. In the art of writing and speaking, it is considered to be one of the most effective means of carrying conviction that, before starting on a long analytical discussion of a subject, one should define the basic ideas very briefly and clearly which are always helpful in comprehending the details and the particularities, and that, in concluding the argument, one should repeat these ideas by way of a summary. The repetition of the introductory statement here is of this very nature. Verse:123 Commentary - - - Verse:124 Commentary (34.) So far a whole section of this Surah has been dealing directly with the conduct of the Jews in the course of their history, and their present hostility to Islam, delineating the inner motives and mainsprings of this rabid opposition. As we have seen, they were proud of being the children of Jacob and of Abraham (Sayyidna Ya` qub and Sayyidna Ibrahim علیہما السلام), and believed that, being the chosen people of God, they had the exclusive privilege of being the leaders of humanity, and hence the station of prophethood could not be conferred on anyone who did not belong to their race. Now, the Holy Qur'an proceeds, in the present section of the Surah, to refute this line of thought in an indirect manner, by telling the story of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and of his elder son Sayyidna Isma'il (Ishmael علیہ السلام). This section is going to suggest some essential considerations in answer to the denial of the Holy Prophet on the part of the Jews:- (1) He alone can be a guide to humanity who is not unjust and not a transgressor, and has successfully gone through the trial imposed on him by Allah -- and these qualifications the Jews do not fulfill. (2) The Ka'bah کعبہ ، towards which the Muslims turn in Salah and which is not acceptable to the Jews, had actually been built by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and hence the orientation (Qiblah) of the Muslims is the same as was his.(3) The way of Islam is the Way of Ibrahim , علیہ السلام , and the Muslims alone are his real followers. (4) It was Sayyidna Ibrahim himself who had prayed for the Last Prophet to be sent down to humanity, and hence one who at all wishes to follow his way cannot but affirm the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and accept Islam. (5) It is wrong of the Jews to deny the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم merely on account of his not belonging to their race, for Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had two sons, Sayyidna Isma'il and Sayyidna Ishaq (علیہما السلام) (Ishmael and Isaac ), and he had prayed for divine grace to descend on both of them (Genesis, ch. 17), so that the superiority enjoyed by the children of Isaac (علیہ السلام) in their own time had now been transferred to the children of Isma'il (علیہ السلام) . What these indications aim at is to show the Jews that if they wish to have a share in the grace of Allah, they had better acknowledge the Holy Prophet g and accept Islam, the last and now the only valid form of the Abrahamic Way --Translator.

The great trials put to Ibrahim (علیہ السلام)

The section dealing with the story of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) begins with Verse 124. It recounts how he was tried by Allah in different ways, how he came out of these trials successfully, and how he was rewarded. It also tells us that when Allah promised to make him a great guide to men, and their chief, (by conferring prophethood on him, or by giving him a huge number of followers), he prayed for this reward to be bestowed on some from among his progeny too. Allah granted this prayer, but on one condition, which is also to serve as a general principle in this matter -- namely, that this dignity shall never be conferred on those who are disobedient and unjust, but on some of those from among his progeny who are obedient and just.

Now, Verse 124 gives rise to a number of very fundamental questions:- The purpose of a trial is to test the aptitude and worthiness of a man for a certain function, but Allah is all-knowing and knows every existent inside out. Then, what was the purpose of this trial? (2) What were the different forms of this trial? (3) What kind of success did Sayyidna Ibrahim attain? (4) What is the nature of the reward he received? (5) What are the various aspects of the principle which defines the conditions necessary for receiving this reward ?

As for the purpose of the trials which Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was made to undergo, we shall point out that the Arabic word رَبّ : Rabb (Lord) occurring in this verse provides the clue to the problem. In saying that it was Allah Himself who put him through the trials, the verse chooses to employ, out of all the Divine Names, the title رَبّ Rabb which indicates a specific Divine Attribute -- namely, that of making a thing attain the state of its perfection gradually and stage by stage. In other words, the trial of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was not the punishment for a crime, nor was it intended to uncover a hidden aptitude, but was a manifestation of this particular Divine Action, and a necessary part of the process of "nurturing" the prophet and making him reveal his inherent qualities to the world, so that he may be led, stage by stage, to assume his final station, already chosen for him by his Lord. We may note, in passing, that the Arabic text of the Verse places the object (Ibrahim) before the subject رَبّ (Rabb), thus indicating the glorious position of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) among the prophets We may also add that although it is Divine Knowledge and Will that chooses a man for prophethood, yet he is not allowed to assume this station until his aptitude and worthiness has openly shown itself for all men and angels to witness. This is just what had happened, as we have already seen in this Sarah, in the case of the trial of Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) before the angels.

As for the particular form in which Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was tried, the Holy Qur'an only refers to certain "things" (Kalimah کلمہ۔- literally, "word" ). According to most of the commentators, the "things" or "words" mean certain divine injunctions. But there is some difference of views among the blessed Companions and their immediate successors as to what these injunctions were, and how many. According to some, they were ten, and, according to others, thirty. But basically there is no opposition among these views, for all the injunctions which have been mentioned in this context were, in one way or another, meant to serve as trials and tests. This is what the great commentators like Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir (رح) believe to be the truth of the matter. One thing is, however, quite clear. These trials were not like academic tests, nor were intended to gauge mental capacities or the grasp of mere theories; the purpose, on the other hand, was to test the readiness in obeying Allah and the steadfastness in submitting oneself to divine commandments. This helps us to see that what really has a value in the eyes of Allah is not theoretical hair-splitting, but actual deeds, within and without.

Let us now relate the story of some of the more important trials. Since Allah intended to raise Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) to a specially exalted station among the prophets, and to confer on him the title of Khalilullah خلیلُ اللہ (the Friend of Allah), he was made to go through very severe trials. Not only his people, but his own family also was sunk deep in idol-worshipping; in opposition to their creed and customs, he was given 'Al-Din al-Hanif الدین الحنیف ', "the Pure Religion", and was asked to go out to his people, and to bring them back to the Straight Path. Unflinchingly he obeyed the divine command, and, with the courage and determination of the prophet that he was, he set out to wage a war against idol-worship and to call them to the unalloyed worship of the One God. This obviously drew upon him the ire of his people and of their king Namrud نمرود (Nimrod), who finally decided to burn him alive in a blazing fire. Seeking, as he did, nothing but the pleasure of his Lord, he gladly let himself be thrown onto the pyre., Since he had succeeded in this test, Allah commanded قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ‌ كُونِي بَرْ‌دًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ "0 fire, be coolness and safety for Ibrahim" (21:69). As one can see, the command was given to fire as such, and not to any particular one. Consequently, all fire, wherever it was present in the world, grew cold, and the fire set ablaze by Namrud نمرود did so, too. Now, excessive cold is equally painful and killing - there is a region of extreme cold in Hell دوزخ itself, called Zamharir زمہریر . So, in commanding fire to grow cold, Allah in His grace added the word Salama سلامہ (be safe).

The second trial was that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was asked to leave his homeland and to migrate to Syria along with his family. Then, he was commanded to leave even this country -- which he readily did, accompanied by his wife Hajirah (Hagar ھجر ) and his infant son Sayyidna Isma'il (Ishmael علیہ السلام), and led by the archangel Jibra'il (Gabriel علیہ السلام). Llbn Kathir. Whenever they passed through a fertile land, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) would wish to be allowed to settle there, but the archangel would inform him that Allah did not want him to do so. Finally, when they reached the barren desert which was destined to be the site of Makkah مکہ and where the Ka'bah کعبہ was to be built, he was commanded to stay there. But now began a new trial, much more difficult for man to bear. He was ordered to leave his wife and son in the desert, and to go back to Syria. "The Friend of Allah" had so annihilated his own will and desire, and was so anxious to obey his Lord that he did not allow even a moment to lapse between the command and its execution, and started on his journey without informing his wife. When she noticed that he was going away, she called after him -- but received no reply. Not even when she demanded why he was forsaking them in such a vast and lonely desert. But she was, after all, the wife of "the Friend of Allah", and could now see for herself how the matters stood. So, she asked if he had received a divine command. Only now Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) replied that it was so. Having understood the situation, she calmly remarked, "Alright. Go. The Lord who has commanded you to part from us shall Himself look after us, and not let us be destroyed."

And she sat back in the desert, full of trust and peace, with the infant on her lap. But as time passed, thirst, her own and especially that of her suckling son, compelled her to leave it behind and to go in search of water. She climbed up and down the hills of Safa صفا and Marwah مروہ ، but had, after seven attempts, to come back unsuccessfully. It is to commemorate this event that running seven times between the two hills has been made an obligatory part of the rites of the Hajj and Umrah حج وعمرہ . As she returned to her son, the mercy of Allah descended in the form of the archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) who made a spring of fresh water spout forth from the parched ground -- the same spring which is now called Zamzam زم زم . In a day or two, the water began to draw (attract) animals towards itself, and the sight of animals brought men to the place. By and by, the provisions necessary for human life became regularly available, and the future city of Makkah began to take shape.

The infant -- who was to become Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) -- began to grow up, and was soon able to take upon himself the usual functions of human life. Under divine permission, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) came now and then to see how his wife and son were doing. It is now that Allah chose to submit him to the greatest of all possible trials. The son had grown up in such unpromising circumstances, and been deprived of constant fatherly care and affection. Now, the father received the command to slaughter his son with his own hand. Says the Holy Qur'an:

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَ‌ىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ‌ مَاذَا تَرَ‌ىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ‌ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّـهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِ‌ينَ ﴿102﴾

When he had reached the age of being able to help his father in his work, the latter said, 'My son, I see in a dream that I am slaughtering you. Now, say, what do you think?' He re-plied, 'My father, do as you have been bidden; you shall find me, if Allah so wills, one of the patients '. (37: 102)

Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) took his son to the wilderness of Mina منٰیٰ , and fulfilled, so far as he himself was concerned, the divine commandment. But Allah did not really mean to have the son slaughtered, but only to test the father. If we consider the words of the Holy Qur'an just cited, we shall find that in his dream, he had not seen the accomplishment of the slaughter, but only the act of slaughtering. And this much he did perform. In this respect, revelation came to him in the form of a dream, picturing the act, perhaps for this very reason - that is to say, Allah did not want to give him a verbal command to sacrifice his son. Hence, Allah commended him for having صَدَّقْتَ الرُّ‌ؤْيَا : "confirmed the dream" (37:105). In recompense for this total submission to divine will, Allah sent down a ram from heaven to be sacrificed in place of Sayyidna Isma'il (علیہ السلام) . Now, the annual sacrifice of sheep or goats etc. Has been made a regular form of worship in commemoration of the way of Sayyidna Ibrahim۔ (علیہ السلام)

In addition to those rigorous trials, a number of other restrictions were imposed on him in the shape of certain injunctions, which too, he fulfilled as devotionally. Ten of these commandments are known as the characteristics of the Fitrah and are concerned with the cleanliness and purification of the body. These ten have been made permanent injunctions for all the later Ummahs (or communities of believers) too, and the Last Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has insistently commanded his followers to fulfill them.

Ibn Kathir (رح) has reported from the blessed Companion ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ that thirty elements make up the whole of Islam, ten of which have been mentioned in Surah , ("Al-Bara'ah, or "Al-Tawbah" ), the other ten in Surah 33 ("Al-Ahzab" ), and the last ten in Surah 23 ("Al-Mu'minun" ). These two had formed a part of the trials of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and he fulfilled these conditions with equal faithfulness. Surah 9 lays down these ten qualities as being characteristic of true believers:

التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّ‌اكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ‌ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿112﴾

"Those who repent, those who worship (Allah), those who praise (Allah), those who keep a fast, those who bow down and prostrate themselves (before Allah), those who invite others to good deeds and forbid evil deeds, those who keep within the bounds fixed by Allah. And give good tidings to the true believers." (9:112)

And the ten qualities mentioned in Surah 23:1-11 are:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿1﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ﴿2﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِ‌ضُونَ ﴿3﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ ﴿4﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُ‌وجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ﴿5﴾ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ‌ مَلُومِينَ ﴿6﴾ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَ‌اءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ﴿7﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَ‌اعُونَ ﴿8﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿9﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِ‌ثُونَ ﴿10﴾ الَّذِينَ يَرِ‌ثُونَ الْفِرْ‌دَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴿11﴾

"Those true believers shall certainly prosper who show humility in their Salah, and turn away from idle activities, and are keen to purify themselves, and guard their private parts except from their wives and what their right hands own (bondswomen) - which is not blameworthy, but whoever seeks after more than that is a transgressor - and those who preserve what has been entrusted to them and also their covenant, and who are regular in performing their Salah. Those are the inheritors who shall inherit Paradise, and they shall live there forever." (23:1-11).

And the ten qualities mentioned in Surah 35 of 33 are as follows:

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِ‌ينَ وَالصَّابِرَ‌اتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُ‌وجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِ‌ينَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرً‌ا وَالذَّاكِرَ‌اتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّـهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَ‌ةً وَأَجْرً‌ا عَظِيمًا ﴿35﴾

"Men and women who perform what Islam enjoins upon them, men and women who are true believers, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, men and women who are patient, men and women who possess humility, men and women who give in charity, men who fast and women who fast, men and women who guard their private parts, men and women who remember Allah abundantly - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (33:35)

A third question with regard to Verse 124 still remains to be answered - what degree of success did Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) attain in these trials? The Holy Qur'an defines his accomplishment in these words: وَإِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ "And Ibrahim who paid his debt in full." (53:37)

As for the reward he received, Verse 124 itself has announced it: إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا "He (Allah) said - "I am going to make you an Imam for the people." The Arabic word imam امام ، which we have not translated here, lexically signifies "leader or chief or guide." Since the present verse is related to Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، the word 'Imam امام in this context means, above all, "a prophet", though it includes the general sense of "leadership", too, as also of the title "Patriarch" which the Jews and Christians have given to him. Prophethood, let us repeat, cannot be won through personal effort; all the same, a prophet has to display his perfection in the thirty qualities we have just referred to, and even people of a lower scale must, in order to be worthy of leadership in a general sense, possess these qualities in their own degree. The Holy Qur'an makes it quite plain in another place:

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِ‌نَا لَمَّا صَبَرُ‌وا ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ ﴿24﴾

"And from among them We appointed some as leaders to guide men by Our command, when they were patient (in re-straining themselves from disobedience), and had a sure faith in Our commandments." (32:24).

This verse gives a resume of the thirty qualities in the two words, Sabr صبر (patience) and Yagin یقین (sure faith, or certitude) - the second refers to the perfection of knowledge, and the first to the perfection of actual practice.

The last question pertains to the law which lays down that the station of a guide and leader would not be granted to the unjust and the disobedient. To hold this station is, in a way, to be a vice regent of Allah, and hence this rank cannot be given to a rebel. It follows from this that Muslims, insofar as they have a choice in the matter, should not appoint as their ruler or representative a man who is a rebel against Allah or disobedient to Him.

The word zalim ظالم ("unjust" ) also shows us - and very explicitly, too - that each and every prophet is totally sinless before becoming a prophet as much as after becoming a prophet. Certain words in the Holy Qur'an, which seem to suggest the contrary, have been employed, not in a literal or technical sense, but only metaphorically - for example, in the case of Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) . To interpret such expressions in the sense of technical "sin" constitutes a very grave doctrinal error, and an insistence on such an interpretation opens the way to further errors.35

35. We may add a few words for the benefit of those who are anxious to adopt unquestioningly the literary and philosophical mores of the West. Since the Second World War, the writings of the Danish man of letters and thinker, Kierkegaard (who was a dilettante in theology too), have been casting a sort of paralysing fascination over the nien of sensibility in the West. Particularly his book "Fear and Trembling", which deals with the trial of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) avowedly in the manner of a psychological novel, is supposed to have triggered into action a number of Existentialist philosophies, and even to have furnished the point of departure for all modernistic Christian theology, specially of the Protestant persuasion.

Now, Sayyidna Ibrahim rX...JI _L was, even according to the admission of Jews and Christians, a prophet, and not " 1'homme moyen sensuel" which is the subject matter of the novel, of psychology, and, not the least, of the theology of the Dane.

Secondly, he did not merely have to go through emotional stress and strain, or through a problem of the conscience, or through a "crisis of identity" - the fear and the trembling, as the philosopher maintains -, but was equally tried in the matter of faithfully observing divine injunctions.

Thirdly, when he knew that Allah had chosen him to be a prophet, he did not grow silent and secretive and lonely - as the fancy of our literary artist would have us believe -, but proclaimed the fact to others. Without such a proclamation, he would not at all have been able to perform the function of a prophet. In fact, it has been said that "the Friend of Allah" would not take his daily meals until he had found a guest to share it with him. In short, all we wish to point out is that the nature of prophethood is a degree of reality which we can understand only partially and that too only with the help of Divine Books, and hence it is not a sphere in which human fantasy may be allowed to roam at its sweet will. Verse:125 Commentary The History of Ka'bah

In the course of the story of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، we now come to the building of the "House of Allah" - the Ka'bah کعبہ . An answer is thus being given to the Jews who used to deny the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on the ground of their assumption that prophethood could not be given to anyone outside their own clan, and who used to scoff at the Muslims for turning towards the Ka'bah کعبہ in their prayers, and to believe that the Hajj was no more than a custom of the ignorant Arabs. The earlier verse had made it clear that prophethood could not be given to the unjust and the disobedient, even if they belonged to the progeny of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) - a rule which destroys the very basis of the presumptuousness and vanity of the Jews. The present verse reminds them that the Ka'bah کعبہ was built under divine commandment by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، himself with the help of his son Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) and thus suggests that the performance of the Hajj حج and the orientation towards the Ka'bah کعبہ have both been instituted by divine decree, and that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is a direct descendant of Sayyidna Ibrahim and Sayyidna Ismail (علیہما السلام) ، and is reviving the Abrahamic Way, which the Jews too must follow.

Verse 125 briefly outlines the history of the re-construction of the Ka'bah, the characteristic qualities of the "House of Allah" and the city of Makkah, and the injunctions with regard to the respect which has to be paid to this sacred place. The Holy Qur'an returns to the subject again and again in different chapters, providing more details. We shall cite Verses 26 and 27 from the Surah "Al-Hajj" which deals particularly with the annual pilgrimage:

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِ‌كْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ‌ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّ‌كَّعِ السُّجُودِ ﴿26﴾ وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِ‌جَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ‌ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ ﴿27﴾

And when We appointed for Ibrahim the place of the House: "You shall not associate anything with Me. And keep My House clean for those who circumambulate it, who stand there for the prayers, and who bow and prostrate themselves. And proclaim the pilgrimage among men, and they shall come to you on foot and on every lean camel too, coming from every deep ravine.." (22:26-27)

Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) migrated to Makkah

Ibn Kathir reports from Mujahid etc. that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was living in Syria when he received the revelation that Allah was going to indicate to him the site of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، which he was required to build and keep clean for those who should assemble there for performing the Hajj and offering the Salah نماز . In connection with the earlier verse, we have already told the story how he was led by the archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) to the desert where the city of Makkah مکہ المکرمہ is now situated and where the remains of the earlier structure of the Ka'bah کعبہ stood only in the shape of a mound, and how he was commanded by Allah to leave his wife and infant son behind and to return to Syria. He immediately started on the journey, but was naturally anxious about his wife and child. So, when he was out of ear-shot, he prayed to Allah for them, as has been reported in the Surah "Ibrahim":

رَ‌بِّ اجْعَلْ هَـٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَام

"My Lord, make this city a place of peace, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols." (14:35)

And he prayed further:

رَّ‌بَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّ‌يَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ‌ ذِي زَرْ‌عٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّ‌مِ رَ‌بَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْ‌زُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَ‌اتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿37﴾

Our Lord, I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley which is incultivable, close to Your Holy House that they may, Our Lord, be steadfast in the prayers. So, make the hearts of men tender towards them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may be thankful." (14:37)

In the earlier commandment which had brought him to his place, Allah had asked him to keep His House clean. He knew that Allah intended the House to be kept clean not only from external dirt but also from internal filth -namely, association (Shirk شرک ) and infidelity (Kufr کفر). So, while departing from this barren desert where he was leaving his family but where a town was to grow, he prayed to Allah, firstly, to make it a place of safety and peace, and, secondly, to protect him and his children from idol-worship and association. "The Friend of Allah" had attained that degree of knowledge where one sees oneself as a mere nothing, and one makes no movement without a full realization of the truth that nothing happens independently of Divine Will, and that all one's actions and even inclinations rest in the hand of Allah. So, he turned to Allah Himself for help in being able to carry out the command to keep the House of Allah clean from association and infidelity. There is another subtle suggestion in this prayer. Allah had commanded that due respect should be paid to His "House." Now, there was a likelihood that some people might begin, out of sheer ignorance, to worship the Ka'bah itself. That is why Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) specially prayed for him and his children to be protected from association (shirk شرک). Then, out of his love for his wife and son, he prayed to Allah to provide them, in His grace, with fruits in this barren and uncultivable land where he was leaving them under divine command.

A hadith in Al-Bukhari's collection of the Traditions (Ahadith) tells us in detail how the archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) appeared and made the spring of Zamzam زم زم flow in the desert, how some people from the tribe of Jurhum جُرھُم came and settled there, and how Sayyidna Isma'il (علیہ السلام) was married to a lady of this tribe. We also learn from different Traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that the command to settle near the Ka'bah کعبہ and to keep it clean (mentioned in Verse 26-27 of the Surah "Al-Hajj" ) was at that time addressed only to Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) for his son was yet an infant. And in those circumstances the intention of the command was not to start the reconstruction of the Ka'bah کعبہ but only to place the wife and the son of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in this locality so that a human settlement should begin to take shape. On the other hand, the verse we are dealing with (2:125) repeats the same command to keep the House clean, but is addressed as much to Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) as to his father, for the son had now grown into a young and married man, and could be included in the command to rebuild the Ka'bah.

A hadith reported by Al-Bukhari says that, on one of his periodic visits to his wife and son at Makkah, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) found his son sitting under a tree, making arrows. He informed the son that Allah had entrusted him with a special task, and asked him if he would help his father. The son was, of course, as ready to obey and to serve as ever. Allah had already indicated the spot and also the area where the Ka'bah کعبہ was to be rebuilt. When they started digging the ground, the earlier foundations became visible, and it was on them that they began to raise the walls. The next verse speaks of this event وَإِذْ يَرْ‌فَعُ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ : "When Ibrahim was raising up the foundations of the House, and Ismail (too)." The order of the names indicates that the builder of the Ka'bah کعبہ is Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) while the role of Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) is that of a helper.makhan37

All the verses of the Holy Qur'an on the subject of the Ka'bah either say that the location had been indicated by Allah Himself, or report the divine command to keep the House clean, but never suggest that a new House was to be built in a new place. This in itself shows that the Ka'bah already existed in some form. Indeed, the Hadith, and history too, confirms this fact, and from these sources we learn that the earlier structure of the Ka'bah had either been destroyed at the time of the Deluge of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) (Noah) or raised into the heavens, leaving the foundations buried in the ground. Hence, Sayyidna Ibrahim and Sayyidna Ismail (علیہما السلام) were not the original founders of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، but had raised a new building on the earlier foundations.

As to who founded the Ka'bah کعبہ for the first time and when, there is no fully authenticated Hadith which could clarify this point. Certain narrations coming from the people of the Book, however, tell us that it was founded by the angels even before Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) came down to the earth. He built the Ka'bah کعبہ a second time, or renovated it. This structure remained intact upto the time of the Deluge, which destroyed it, and left it a mere mound - the shape in which Sayyidna Ibrahim and Sayyidna Ismail (علیہما السلام) found it. And they constructed a new building on the site. Since then, the Ka'bah کعبہ has undergone certain alterations, but has never been demolished completely. Before the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم assumed the prophetic functions, the Quraysh of Makkah built the Ka'bah کعبہ afresh, and he himself took part in this renovation.

Some injunctions related to the Haram حرم

(1) The word Mathabah مَثَابَة ، used in this verse, comes from the root Thaba ثبا (signifying "to come back" ), and thus denotes a place to which one returns again and again. This shows that Allah has given a position of privilege to the Ka'bah کعبہ - it shall always remain a place where people will assemble from the four corners of the world, and would long to return to it again and again. Al-Qurtubi reports the great commentator Mujahid to have said that one never has enough of visiting the Ka'bah کعبہ ، but comes back every time with a greater longing to return, and to see it again. Certain scholars have remarked that one of the signs of one's Hajj حج having been accepted by Allah is that, on one's return, one should find in one's heart a greater desire to present oneself in the House of Allah again. This is borne out by the experience of those who have had the good fortune to be there - each visit, instead of slaking the thirst, rather increases it. Considering that Makkah has nothing to offer by way of a beautiful landscape or easy access or mundane comforts, yet, its power to draw millions of people to itself every year is nothing short of miracle.

(2) This verse says that Allah has made "the House" a place of peace. "The House" refers not only to the Ka'bah itself, but also to the whole area of the Mosque which surrounds it, and is called the Haram. There are other instances in the Holy Qur'an where the word "Ka'bah" or the expression Baytullah بیت اللہ ("House of Allah" ) connotes the whole area of the Haram. For example, the phrase هَدْيًا بَالِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ : "an offering to reach the Ka` bah" (5:95) refers to the Haram, for the verse deals with the subject of animal sacrifice, while it is not legitimate to offer such a sacrifice inside the Ka'bah. So, Verse 125 means that the whole of the Haram has been made a place of peace - that is to say, people have been forbidden from shedding blood or taking revenge within these precincts (ibn al-` Arabi). In fact, this commandment was one of the residues of the Way of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) which were still alive in the Age of Ignorance (Al-Jahiliyyah الجاھلیہ), and all kinds of bloodshed or battle, individual or collective, were held to be forbidden inside this sanctuary, so much so that a man would never let himself take his revenge, even if he came upon the murderer of his brother or father in the Haram. The Islamic Shari'ah has preserved this injunction. The ban was lifted only for the sake of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on the day of the conquest of Makkah, and that too only for a few hours, and was reimposed for ever immediately after - the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself announced it in his address on the occasion. (Al-Bukhari)

Now, as for the man who commits, within these precincts, a crime for which the Shari'ah has laid down a specific physical punishment (Hadd حد) or allowed the victim to be revenged (Qisas قصاص ), the Haram will not provide sanctuary to him - the consensus holds that such a criminal will be duly punished. (Al-Jassas and Al-Qurtubi) For, the Holy Qur'an itself says: فَإِن قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ "If they fight you [ inside the Haram ], you may kill them." (2:191) There is, however, a difference of views among the masters of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) on one point. What is to be done with the man who commits a crime outside, and then seeks a sanctuary in the Haram? Even in this case, some masters would have the criminal punished in the manner prescribed by the Shari'ah. On the other hand, Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) ، believes that if such men are allowed to save themselves from punishment in this manner, the Haram would become an easy refuge for all kinds of criminals and disorder would prevail, but in view of the sanctity of the place, the criminal would not be punished inside the Haram, but forced to come out, and then the punishment prescribed by the Shari'ah would be duly given to him.

(3) The present verse mentions "the Station of Ibrahim." It is a stone on which Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had stood while building the Ka'bah, and which miraculously acquired the print of his foot. (Ai-Bukhari) The blessed Companions Anas ؓ says that he has himself seen the mark on the stone. On the other hand, it has been reported from the blessed Companion ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas that the Haram as a whole is the "Station of Ibrahim. " Probably he meant that the two rak'ahs رکعات of the Salah نماز which this verse enjoins upon us to offer near the "Station of Ibrahim" after completing tawaf طواف (circumambulation) of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، may be offered anywhere within the precincts of the Haram, and that the prayers thus offered would be quite valid. Most of the Fuqaha' accept this view.

The Maqam of Ibrahim

(1) As to the commandment for making "the Station of Ibrahim" a place of offering one's prayers, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself has explained it through his own words and actions on the occasion of his last Hajj حج . After completing the tawaf طواف ، when he reached "the Station of Ibrahim," placed some yards away from the Ka'bah کعبہ ، he recited this very verse, and then offered two rak'ats رکعتین on the other side of this stone, with his face turned towards the Ka'bah کعبہ (Sahih Muslim). The Fuqaha' have inferred from this the rule that if one does not get the room to stand close to "the Station of Ibrahim," one may, while offering prayers, validly stand at any distance from it that one can, so long as the Ka'bah کعبہ ، as well as "the Station of Ibrahim," is in front of him.

(2) This verse shows that it is necessary (Wajib واجب) to offer two rak` ahs رکعتین after the tawaf طواف of the Ka'bah کعبہ . (Al-Jassas and Mulla ` Ali a1-Qari) But offering these prayers specifically behind the "Station of Ibrahim" is a Sunnah (the Way of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم). There is, however, no bar on offering these prayers at any other spot within the Haram, for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself has been reported to have offered them near the gate of the "House of Allah", as did the blessed Companion ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، too (a1-Jassas). In his "Al-Manasik المناسِک ", Mulla ` Ali al-Qari says that if one is not, for some reason, able to offer these necessary (Wajib واجب) prayers behind "the Station of Ibrahim," as required by the Sunnah, he may validly offer them anywhere he possibly can within the Haram, or even outside.

In fact, this is exactly what happened to Sayyidah Umm Salmah ؓ ، one of the wives of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . On the occasion of her Last Hajj حج ، she could not find the opportunity to offer these Wajib واجب prayers inside the Haram, and was able to do so when she was outside the city of Makkah itself. Most of the F u q a h a', except Imam Malik (رح) ، hold the view that if circumstances compel one to offer these prayers outside the Haram, one is not required to make an animal sacrifice by way of compensation.

(6) The divine command to طَهِّرَ‌ا بَيْتِيَ "Keep My House clean" includes purifying it from physical and external dirt as much as from internal filth like infidelity (Kufr کفر) and association (Shirk شرک ), and from impurities like greed, lust, envy, pride, vanity, hypocrisy, etc. Then, the use of the expression "My House" indicates that the commandment applies to mosques in general, for all the mosques are "the Houses of Allah", as the Holy Qur'an itself has said فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّـهُ أَن تُرْ‌فَعَ "In houses which Allah has commanded to be raised up" (24:36). Al-Qurtubi reports that the Second Khalifah ` Umar ؓ once heard a man shout in the mosque, and rebuked him for having forgotten where he was. That is to say, one should pay due respect to a mosque, and refrain from speaking loudly, and, above all, from saying something which the Shari'ah has forbidden. In short, just as the Haram حرم must be kept clean from all kinds of dirt and filth, external and internal, so must every mosque. Those who enter a mosque must keep their bodies and their clothes free from dirt, filth and even from bad smells, and also keep their hearts free from Shirk شرک ، hypocrisy, pride, malice and greed etc. The Holy Prophet g has asked the people not to enter a mosque, if they have just eaten raw onion or garlic, and has also forbidden very small children and mad men to enter a mosque for fear of their polluting it.

(7) The verse shows that "the House of Allah" is meant for people to make tawaf طواف of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، to do I` tikaf اعتکاف (to seek a retreat for worship and meditation), and to offer their prayers. In the case of those who come from outside to perform the Hajj حج ، the tawaf طواف carries greater merit than offering prayers. Lastly, the verse makes it clear that it is absolutely permissible to offer one's prayers inside the "House of Allah", whether the prayers are fard فرض (obligatory) or nafl نفل (supererogatory) (Jasss). Verse:126 Commentary The prayers of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام)

Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) always carried out the commandments of Allah without losing a moment, and was ready to make all kinds of sacrifices in His way, whether they involved worldly goods, or wife and children, or his own likes and dislikes. All the same, having affection and love for one's family is not only a natural urge in man, but also a divine commandment. This is what manifests itself in the present verses, where we find him praying for the well-being of his family in this world as much as in the other.

The prayer begins with the word Rabb رَبّ , which lexically signifies One who gives nurture." Thus, it teaches us the proper mode of praying to Allah, for this form of address in itself draws the mercy and grace of Allah on the man who is praying. The first thing Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) prayed for was that Allah may turn the barren desert where he had left his family under divine commandment, into a city, so that his wife and son should not feel lonely, and that their daily needs should be easily satisfied. The same prayer occurs in Surah "Ibrahim" (14:35), but employs the construction Al-balad البلد ("the city" ), while the present verse employs Baladan بلداً ("a city" ). The difference probably arises from the fact that the prayer reported here was made when the place was still a desert and Sayyidna Ibrahim wished "a city" to grow in this barren land, while the prayer reported in Surah "Ibrahim" was made when "the city" had already risen and was quite well-known, for near the end of the same Surah we find him saying الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ‌ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ "Praise be to Allah who has given me, in my old age, Ismail and Ishaq " (14:39), which suggests that the second prayer was made after the birth of Sayyidna Ishaq (Isaac علیہ السلام), an event that occurred thirteen years after the birth of Sayyidna Ismail (Ishmael علیہما السلام). (Ibn Kathir)

Coming back to the verse under discussion, we see that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) also prayed for this city to be made "a place of peace" - that is to say, safe from slaughter and plunder as from calamities, and secure against the domination of the infidels. The prayer was, granted. Makkah became a thriving city, which is now a place of pilgrimage for Muslims who come to it in millions every year. It also became safe and secure, for no infidel has ever been able to conquer it or dominate over it. The Holy Qur'an itself narrates the story of "Ashab al-Fil اصحاب الفیل " ("the People of the Elephant" ) who were destroyed for having ventured to invade Makkah. The city has also been safe from slaughter and plunder. Even before the advent of Islam, the Arabs in the Age of Ignorance, for all their deviation into infidelity and association, deeply respected the Ka'bah کعبہ and its environs as a matter of their creed - in spite of being vengeful, they would never take their revenge so long as the enemy remained within the precincts of the Haram حرم . In fact, the inhabitants of Makkah themselves were respected throughout Arabia, and the trading caravans passing to and fro between Makkah and Syria or Yemen were never interrupted. Allah has given security even to birds and animals inside the Haram حرم ، and forbidden all kinds of hunting within this area. So, even birds and animals distinctly show a feeling of security inside the Haram حرم ، and are not scared of men. The sanctity of the place was emphasised and enforced by Islam even further. As for the slaughter which took place in the Haram حرم at the hands of Hajjaj ibn Yusuf or the Qaramitah, it was the work of those who called themselves Muslims, and not an invasion by infidels. If a man chooses to set fire to his own house, it does not falsify the general rule of the security provided to it against outsiders. Moreover, incidents like these have been very rare since the days of Sayyidna Ibrahim i , and, then, we also know the dreadful fate of those who had dared to pollute "the House of Allah." In short, Allah has, in answer to his prayer, made the city so secure that even the Dajjal (Anti-Christ) shall not have the power to enter it.

Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had also prayed for the people of Makkah to be provided with fruits. The surrounding land was uncultivable, but, in answer to the prayer, Allah made the neighbouring city of Taif very fertile and productive in fruits, which started coming to Makkah. According to certain traditions of the Israelites, Taif was originally situated in Syria, but was transferred to the present locality by the Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) under divine command.

The Ibrahimic wisdom

One may also notice that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) did not pray for the land of Makkah to be made fertile, but suggested in his prayer that the fruits might come to Makkah from somewhere else as an import. He probably intended that his descendants should not get unduly absorbed in agriculture, for his purpose in founding the settlement was that his people لیقوموا الصلاۃ "should be steadfast in the prayers." In other words, he wanted the essential function of his descendants to protect "the House of Allah" and to engage themselves in acts of worship. Otherwise, he could have prayed for Makkah itself to be made fertile, and Allah would have granted the prayer as easily.

The point becomes all the more clear if we consider the word Thamarat (plural of Thamarah ثمرات۔ "fruit" ). This word appears in the same context again in another verse يُجْبَىٰ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَ‌اتُ كُلِّ شَيْ the fruits of all kinds of things are drawn towards it (the city) " (28:57). If it is the fruits of trees that are intended here, the word "Yujba يُجْبَىٰ ("drawn" ) is a sufficient indication that in granting the prayer Allah had not promised to produce them in Makkah itself, but to send them to the city from other places. On the other hand, the verse does not speak of "the fruits of all kinds of trees", but of "the fruits of all kinds of things." Obviously, the intention is to generalize the sense of "fruits" - a word which in common idiom implies the product obtained from a thing or an activity. The word should, then, cover not only the fruits of trees, but also the products of all kinds of crafts and industries in fact, all that is needed to sustain human life. Now, everyone can see for himself that Makkah possesses neither agriculture nor industry, and yet enjoys the benefits of these as much as any prosperous city in the world.

Verse 126 also provides an example of the rectitude of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) The first phrase of his prayer for the well-being and prosperity of the people of Makkah seems to suggest that he wished to include the infidels as much as the faithful. But earlier when he had prayed for all his descendants without making any distinction between the faithful and the infidels (as reported in Verse 124), Allah had answered that the prayer would be granted in the case of the faithful, but not in the case of the unjust - that is, mushrikin مشرکین (associators). On that occasion, he had prayed for the position of imamah (leadership). But the fear of Allah and the solicitude for being totally obedient to Him was so deeply ingrained in the heart of "the Friend of Allah" that even in praying for the prosperity of his people the earlier proviso came to his mind, and he at once added a rejoinder to the effect that he was praying only for the faithful. Allah was pleased with his rectitude, and told him that the worldly prosperity would be given to the disbelievers too, but that in the other world the faithful would be the only ones to prosper, while the disbelievers would receive nothing more than the punishment due to them. Verse:127 Commentary Verse 127 shows another essential quality of this great prophet. In obedience to Allah, he had left the fertile land of Syria and made his wife and child to settle in the barren desert, and now he was taking up the labour of building "the House of Allah." This was a moment when a man who had been bearing such hardships in the way of Allah could normally be expected to feel satisfied with himself and relax in a mood of self-congratulation. But "the Friend of Allah" recognized the Majesty of Allah, and knew that no creature can possibly worship or obey his Creator as is His due, but within his own limited powers. Consequently, he also knew that in performing the hardest or the greatest tasks one should not be proud of one's attainment, but should, in all humility, pray to Allah to accept the little effort one has been capable of making - and that, too, with the grace of Allah Himself. That is exactly what Sayyidna Ibrahim did when he started, along with his young son, to build the Ka'bah. That is to say, he prayed to Allah to accept this deed, for Allah hears all prayers, and knows the intentions of His creatures. Verse:128 Commentary Verse 128 reports that he further prayed to Allah "to make" him and his son obedient to His commandments and to His Will. This prayer too proceeds from the same sense of fear and awe, and from the same knowledge. He has, all his life, been performing exemplary deeds of obedience, and yet he prays to "be made" obedient. It is so, because the more one grows in one's knowledge of Divine Majesty, the more one comes to realize that one is not being faithful and obedient as is due.

It is significant. that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) included his descendants too in his prayer. This shows that the "men of Allah" who never hesitate in sacrificing themselves and their children in the way of Allah, yet love them deeply. All the same, they know what the proper requirements of parental love are, and how they should be fulfilled. This is something beyond the reach of average men, who suppose the well-being of their children to reside in physical health and comfort alone, and spend all their love and care on providing just this to their family. But those who have received the favour of Allah show a much greater solicitude for the spiritual well-being of their children than for the physical, being more anxious as to what happens to them in the other world than in this. So, the great prophet prayed to Allah to make a group from among his descendants fully obedient to Him. This prayer aims at another advantage as well. Experience tells us that if those who enjoy a respectable position in their community, and their descendants keep to the right path, they are naturally held in esteem, and their conduct inspires others to reform themselves. (AI-Bahr al-Muhit) Allah heard this prayer too, and among the descendants of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) there has always been a group of people obedient to Allah and firm in the Straight Path. Even in the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah جاھلیہ ) when the whole world, and Arabia in particular, was lost in the darkness of idol-worship and Shirk شرک ، there still remained some men from among his descendants who had faith in the One God, who believed in the other world, and were obedient to Allah - for example, Zayd ibn ` Amr bin Nufayl, and Quss ibn Sa` idah. It has also been reported that ` Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, the grand-father of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، shunned idol-worship and Shirk شرک (Al-Bahr al-Muhit)

We might add an explanatory note about the word Manasik مناسک (the plural of Mansik) which occurs in Verse 128. This word signifies the different actions involved in the performance of the Hajj, and also the different places where the rites are performed - like ` Arafah عرفات ، Muzdalifah مزدلفہ or Mina منی . Both the meanings of the word are intended here, and the substance of the last part of the prayer is that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) wanted the rites of the Hajj to be explained and their locations to be indicated. The verb which has been employed in this connection is Arina أَرِ‌نَا - "show us." Now, seeing is done through the eyes, and also through the heart. So, the different locations of the rites were shown to him through the Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) and the injunctions regarding the Hajj were explained in detail. Verse:129 Commentary The prayer of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

Let us start by commenting on certain words which occur in this verse. The Arabic word Yatlu يَتْلُو (translated in English as "recite", or "read out" ) comes from the word Tilawah, (تلاوہ) which lexically signifies "to follow, to obey", but in the terminology of the Qur'an and the Hadith denotes the recitation or reading of the Holy Qur'an or of a Di-vine Book, for one who reads a Divine Book is also required to obey it fully.

The word also suggests that it is obligatory to read the Holy Qur'an exactly as it has been revealed by Allah, and not to add or sub-tract a word on one's own part, not even to change the pronunciation of a word which often may, in the Arabic language, change the very meaning of the word concerned. In his "Mufradat al-Qur'an مفردات القرآن ", Imam al-Raghib al-Isfahani (رح) says that the word Tilawah cannot, in current idiom, be applied to the reading of any book other than the Word of Allah.

The word Kitab کتاب (Book) in this verse, of course, refers to the Holy Qur'an itself. As to the word Hikmah حکمہ (usually translated in English as "wisdom" ), it carries various meanings in Arabic - for example, arriving at the truth , justice, exact knowledge, etc. (al-Qamus). According to al-Raghib al-Isfahani (رح) ، when the word is used in speaking of Allah, it connotes the total and perfect knowledge of all existents, and flawless creation; but when applied to someone other than Allah, it connotes a proper knowledge of the existents, and good deeds. In connection with the present verse, Maulana Mahmud al-Hasan has interpreted the word as "profound truths, or subtle realities", while Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) has taken it to mean "the art of understanding properly". The commentators from among the blessed Companions and their immediate successors, whose interpretations come directly from the teachings of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself, have advanced different connotations of the word Hikmah حکمہ - some say that it refers to the commentary and exegesis of the Holy Qur'an, others believe that it means the proper understanding of the religion (Din دین ), or the injunctions of the Shari'ah, or such commandments of Allah which have been received through the word of the Holy Prophet g . But the truth of the matter is that in spite of the apparent variety of expressions used, the substance of all these statements is the same - namely, the Way (Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet and the Hadith. This is the interpretation reported from Qatadah by Ibn Kathir and Ibn Jarir.

Commentary

Now, to proceed with the commentary, let us consider why Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in praying for the well-being of his descendants in this world and in the other, requested Allah to send a prophet from among them. The reason is twofold. Firstly, the appearance of a prophet from among them would in itself be an honour and a blessing. Secondly, the prophet being a member of their own group, they would be thoroughly familiar with his past and present and with his ways, and thus find it easy to have trust in him, and to profit from his guidance. According to a hadith, in accepting this prayer Allah promised that this prophet would be sent in the last of all ages. (Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir)

According to a hadith reported by Imam Ahmad in his "Musnad", the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that Allah had chosen him as the Last Prophet at a time when Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) was not yet born and only his clay was being prepared, and that he was the manifestation of the prayer of his father, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، of the good tidings brought by Sayyidna ` Isa (Jesus Christ (علیہ السلام) and of the dream seen by his mother. The good-tidings refer to the announcement made by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) as reported in the Holy Qur'an:

مُبَشِّرً‌ا بِرَ‌سُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ

I have brought the good-tidings of a prophet who is to come after me, and his name is Ahmad." (61:6)

And the mother of the Holy Prophet had, during her pregnancy, seen in a dream that a light went out of her which illumined the places in far-off Syria. Then, the words of the present prayer of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) have been repeated in two different places in the Holy Qur'an - once in Surah "'Al` Imran" (Ch.3) and then in Surah "Al-Jumu` ah" (Ch. 62). Both the passages where these words have been repeated speak of the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ، and thus show that he is the prophet whom Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had prayed for.

All these verses - namely, the present verse from Surah "Al-Baqarah", and the other two from Surah "'Al-` Imran" and Sarah "Al-Jumu` ah" respectively - say the same thing about the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the same words. That is to say, they define the purpose of his being sent to the world as the Messenger of Allah and his functions as a prophet. These functions are threefold. Firstly, to recite the verses; secondly, to teach the Book and also to teach "wisdom"; and thirdly, "to purify" the people. Now, let us examine the three in detail.

(1) The verse speaks separately of "reciting" the Holy Qur'an and of "teaching" it. Since "reciting" pertains to the words, and "teaching" to their meanings, the explicit distinction between the two shows that the words of the Holy Qur'an are no less important in themselves and for themselves than their meanings, and that the recitation and preservation of the words is obligatory, and constitutes an act of worship. In order to understand this aspect of the question we have only to recall that the first and immediate listeners and disciples of the Holy Prophet not only knew Arabic very well but were themselves very eloquent speakers of the language, some of them being even poets. For an audience like this it should have apparently been enough to recite the Holy Qur'an, without any explanation or commentary, for them to be taught - in their case, the "reciting" and the "teaching" should have, for all practical purpose, become one and the same thing. Why has the Holy Qur'an, then, mentioned them separately as two distinct prophetic functions?

If one considers the question seriously, one can easily draw two important conclusions. To begin with, one would come to see that the Holy Qur'an is not like other books where meanings are the ultimate object, while words have only a secondary place as being no more than a vehicle for the ideas, and can hence tolerate minor changes and modifications so long as the meaning does not suffer. In the case of man-made books, it would thus be totally frivolous to go on reading the words without paying any attention to the meanings. On the contrary, in the case of the Holy Qur'an the words are in themselves as necessary and inalienable a part of the intention as the meanings, and the Shari` ah has laid down particular injunctions with regard to the words of the Holy Qur'an. That is why in the Science of the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh اصول افقہ) the Holy Qur'an has been defined as comprehending words and meaning both. In other words, if the meanings of the Holy Qur'an are expressed in a different language, or even if certain other Arabic words are substituted for the revealed ones, such a version shall not be entitled to the name "Qur'an", in spite of the meanings being intact. Consequently, if one were to recite this modified version in Salah, one's prayers shall not be valid. Similarly, a reading of this version shall not bring one the reward promised in the Hadith for the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, nor shall any of the injunctions related to the Holy Qur'an apply to it. Hence the Fuqaha' have forbidden the printing and publication of a translation of the Holy Qur'an without the Arabic text. It is quite wrong to speak of an "Urdu Qur'an" or "English Qur'an", simply be-cause a translation of the original into any language whatsoever cannot properly be called "the Qur'an".

In short, the word Yatlu یتلو in the present verse leaves no doubt as to the fact that the "recitation of the verses" is an end in itself, for one does not "recite" meanings, but words. Of course, it goes without saying that Allah has sent the Holy Qur'an for us to understand it and to follow its guidance. To be content with memorizing the words alone and being indifferent to the meanings would merely show one's ignorance of the nature of the Book of Allah, and one's ungratefulness. But there are so many people these days who suppose that the Holy Qur'an is like other books, and believe that it is a waste of time to read or memorize its words without knowing what they mean. In view of this wide-spread error, we cannot insist too much on the truth that the recitation of the words of the Holy Qur'an is in itself a regular act of worship and brings a great reward.

This is borne out by the practice of the Holy Prophet and his blessed Companions. They knew the meanings of the Holy Qur'an as no one else can, and yet they never thought that once they had understood it and acted upon it, nothing more was required of them. On the contrary, they kept reciting the Holy Qur'an again and again as long as they lived. Some of the Companions used to recite the whole Book of Allah in a single day, some in two days, and some in three. Reciting the Holy Qur'an in one week has always been quite a usual practice among the Muslims, which is indicated by the division of the Holy Qur'an into seven stages (Manazil منازل ). In fact, by instituting the recitation of the Holy Qur'an as an act of worship, carrying a reward of its own, and by giving it a separate and regular position among the prophetic functions, Allah has been very merciful to those Muslims who are not for some reason yet able to understand the meanings, and has saved them from the misfortune of being indifferent to the words and thus being totally deprived of the blessings which flow from His Book. Even such Muslims should, no doubt, keep trying to understand the meanings too so that they may receive the blessings in full, and the ultimate purpose of the Revelation may be realized.

(2) According to the present verses, "teaching the Book" is a prophetic function distinct from "reciting the Verses". We can easily infer from it the principle that in order to understand the Holy Qur'an it is not sufficient merely to know the Arabic language, but that it also requires the "teaching" of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . As everyone knows, in order to learn a science or art - be it medicine or engineering, or something as ordinary as cookery - it is not enough to read a book or to be proficient in a language. Had it been the only qualification required, one could have easily mastered all the sciences and the arts on which one could find books written in the language one knew. To learn the meanest craft, then, one needs the regular and constant guidance of a teacher. This being so, how can one hope to understand, unaided, the Holy Qur'an which has something to say on the most difficult subjects possible, ranging from theology to philosophy and physics? Had a competence in the Arabic language been sufficient for this task, scores of Jewish and Christian scholars and men of letters in the Arabic countries today would have been counted among the greatest commentators as would have been Abu Jahl ابو جھل and Abu Lahab ابو لہب in the days of the Holy Prophet . By distinguishing "the teaching of the Book" from "the reciting of the verses" as a distinct prophetic function, the Holy Qur'an has underlined the fact that in order to understand the Book of Allah properly it is not enough, even for those who know Arabic very well, merely to listen to a recitation of the verses, but that such an understanding can be acquired only through the teaching of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and that to separate the one from the other, and to make an attempt at interpretation on one' s own is no more than a self-delusion. Had it not really been necessary to explain and teach the meanings of the Holy Qur'an, why should have Allah sent us a Messenger? There were many other ways of conveying His Book to men. But Allah knows everything, and is All-Wise. He knows that an understanding of His Book depends on the guidance of a teacher much more than that of human sciences and arts does - in fact, on the guidance, not of an ordinary teacher, but of one who in his turn receives guidance from Allah Himself directly through Revelation (Wahy وحی ), and who is designated in Islamic terminology as a Nabiyy نبی (Prophet) and a Rasul رسول (Messenger of Allah). According to the Holy Qur'an itself, Allah has sent the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to men for the express purpose of explaining to them in detail the injunctions and the meanings of the Divine Book لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ : "So that you should explain to men what We have revealed for them". (16:44)

According to the present verse, the prophetic function of "teaching the Book" also includes the "teaching of Hikmah حِکمہ As we have shown above, although this word carries various meanings in the Arabic language, yet, with reference to this verse and similar ones, the blessed Companions and their immediate successors have interpreted Hikmah حِکمہ as "the Sunnah" or the Way of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . It means that along with "teaching the Book" the prophetic functions include the teaching of the principles and modes of spiritual discipline. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has himself said, اِنَّما بُعثِتُ مَعَلِماً have been sent only as a teacher." From this, it necessarily follows that his followers are required to be disciples, and that every Muslim, man or woman, should as a Muslim be a life-long student, keen to learn what the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has taught. If one cannot for some reason master the different sciences connected with the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah, one must try to acquire at least a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the basic doctrines of Islam and of the fundamental injunctions of the Shari'ah which are absolutely indispensable for every Muslim.

(3) "Purifying the people" is also an essential prophetic function. The Arabic word Tazkiyah تذکیہ denotes purifying a thing or person from all kinds of filth, internal as well as external. One can see for oneself what the different kinds of external filth are - the Shari'ah has clearly defined them. The internal varieties include, on the one hand, false beliefs like infidelity (Kufr کفر ), association (Shirk شرک ), or total reliance on someone other than Allah, and, on the other hand, pride, vanity malice, jealousy, love of worldly things, etc. Although the evil nature of such beliefs and tendencies has been fully explained in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah, yet in making the purification of the people" a distinct and separate prophetic function the present verse indicates that just as a mere knowledge of words and technical terms does not make one the master of a science or art, in the same way a knowledge, or even a proper understanding of its principles does not by itself make one perfect in the science or art concerned. To attain any degree of perfection one must also learn to put the principles into practice, and "realize" them in oneself and for oneself, which again requires the supervision of an authentic teacher and guide. In the Way of Sufis (Tariqah) the function of the spiritual guide (Shaykh) is to help the disciple in obeying the injunctions of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah so thoroughly that it becomes a matter, not of effort, but of habit - so to say, his very "nature".36

36. At this point, we must sound a note of warning. It has grown, in our day, almost habitual to speak of Islam as "the religion of action" - if not of "activism". In such phrases, the implication is never absent that "action" is tc be considered as an anti-thesis of "thought", and "practice" as that of "theory" - as if there is a dichotomy, and the two activities can hardly be reconciled with each other. And there is always the insinuation that in order to be worthy of any respect one must make an either/or kind of choice in favour of "action" and "practice" as against "thought" and "theory".

Such formulations are no older than four centuries, and are the necessary products of certain dilemmas which historically arose in the society of the Christian West. They do not and cannot, as such, belong to a religious or metaphysical approach to things. In so far as an activity can be described as specifically "human", it cannot be purely automatic, but is preceded by thought. In other words, all "practice" is governed by a "theory", and all "action" guided by "thought" or some principle, good or bad. The rule is so general that it applies even to the action of those who have been promoting the dichotomy. As far as the Islamic way of looking at things is concerned, it goes without saying that no action or practice, however good, can have the slightest merit or spiritual efficacy until and unless it carries a divine sanction.

It logically follows that the foremost duty of a Muslim is to acquaint himself with divine commandments, and then to obey them.

One can, if one likes, give to the first the name of "theory", and the second the name of "practice". But there is no dichotomy involved, nor any choice called for۔

No "practice" can be valid without being informed by "theory", and no "theory" can be of much avail without being put into "practice". It is "theory" which makes "practice" meaningful, and it is through "practice" alone that one acquires a true knowledge of "theory". They are not two entities, but only two ways of considering the same reality. What finally matters is "realization" or making the essential truths "real" to oneself.

In the West itself, and as late as the end of the Middle Ages, there were people who knew that theoria and praxis went together in the terminology of spiritual disciplines. In fact, the Greek word does, in its original meaning, say all that we have been trying to explain here. For, even if "theory" in modern European languages has come to mean just a 'speculation', or a 'supposition', even a 'fancy', the Greek verb theoreo signified "to see", and the noun theoros denoted the "man who sees". Thus, theoria was not merely a fancy, but a truth which could be "seen", or actively realized.

Now that we are on the subject of purification (tazkiyah تزکیہ ), we might add another important consideration. From the days of the First Prophet to the days of the Last (علیہم السلام) it has been the Way of Allah that in order to guide men and to show them the Straight Path, He has been sending them not only His Books but His prophets also. This indicates the general principle that for their guidance men need, on the one hand, a Divine Teaching revealed in the form of a Book, and, on the other, a human teacher in the form of a prophet who should train and discipline them into absorbing the divine guidance fully. Men need not merely one of these, but both. For, a man alone can be the teacher of another man, and not a book - which serves only as an aid. That is why Islam began with a Book and a Prophet, and the two, working together, produced a society of men who are unparalleled in history for their rectitude. For the coming generations too, the two basic principles of guidance have continued to function in the form of the Shari'ah and the Men of Allah". The Holy Qur'an has emphasised the point again and again. Let us quote a few instances: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ ﴿119﴾: "0 believers, fear Allah, and be with the truth-ful" (9:119). In summing up the qualities of "the truthful" (Al-Sadiqun الصدیقون ), another verse ends with the words: أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ "It is they who are truthful, and it is they who are the God-fearing". (2:177) As we have explained in our commentary on the first chapter, the Surah "Al-Fatihah الفاتحة " is the quintessence of the Holy Qur'an, and the essence of this Surah is the guidance towards the Straight Path (Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim السیرۃ المتقیم). Now, in order to indicate the Straight Path the Holy Qur'an has, instead of calling it the Path of the Qur'an or the Path of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم or the Path of the Sunnah, spoken of the Men of Allah who can show the Straight Path to the seeker. Says the Holy Qur'an: صِرَ‌اطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ‌ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ ﴿7﴾ the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who are misguided". (1:7) An-other verse provides greater specification - فَأُولَـٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِين : "Those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace - the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous." (4:69) Similarly, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has, for the benefit of all the later generations of Muslims, explicitly named certain personalities who should be followed in religious matters: یا ایھا الناس انِّی ترکتُ فیکم ما اَن اَخَذتم بہ لَن تضِلُّوا کتاب اللہ عِترَتِی اَھلِ بیتی " I am leaving behind me two things; if you stand firm by them you will never fall into misguidance - firstly, the Book of Allah, and, secondly, my descendants and the members of my family." (Tirmidhi ترمذی) A hadith reported by Al-Bukhari says: اقتدوا بالذین من بعدی ابی بکر و عمر "After me, follow Abu Bakr and ` Umar." And a third hadith says: علیکم بسنتی و سنۃ الخلفاء الراشدین "You must adopt my way (the Sunnah) and the way of Al-Khulafa' al-Rashidin" - that is, the first four rightly-guided Caliphs.

In short, whether it be religion or the different sciences and arts, the acquisition of knowledge in the proper sense of the term depends on profiting from authentic books and authentic teachers. In the case of religion, however, people are, while turning to these two modes, liable to fall into the error of putting exclusive or excessive emphasis on one of them alone, which brings them more harm than good. Thus, there are, on the one hand, people who neglect the Book of Allah, and begin to adore their scholars and spiritual masters, without taking the trouble of finding out whether they are obedient to the Shari` ah or not. In fact, this has been the characteristic malady of the Jews and the Christians. Speaking of them, the Holy Qur'an says: اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَ‌هُمْ وَرُ‌هْبَانَهُمْ أَرْ‌بَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ : "They have taken their rabbis and their monks as their lords apart from Allah." (9:31) Obviously, this is the royal road to Shirk شرک (association) and Kufr کفر (infidelity), on which millions have perished, and go on perishing. On the other hand, there are people who claim that the Book of Allah is by itself sufficient for them, and that in order to understand it they do not need the guidance of a teacher or a scholar or a spiritual master. This too is a form of misguidance, for an attempt to interpret the Book of Allah on one's own, without the aid of reliable specialists, inevitably draws one into all sorts of errors, makes one a slave of one's own desires and inclinations, and may, in some cases at least, lead one straight outside the pale of Islam. So, what one is required to do is to put each of these two means of knowledge in its proper place, and to profit from both. One should be quite clear about the basic principle in this respect - to Allah alone belongs the authority to lay down a commandment, and it is Allah alone we have been called upon to obey, while the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is a means of helping us to know how Allah is to be obeyed, and one obeys Him on the ground that to obey the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is to obey Allah Himself. Besides that, one should, when faced with difficulties in understanding the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith or in acting upon them, turn for help, willingly and respectfully, to the words and deeds of the masters in these subjects, and consider it to be the key to the door of salvation.

There is a second conclusion to be drawn from the fact that the present verse includes the teaching of the Book among the prophetic functions. As we know, Allah has promised to safeguard the Holy Qur'an Himselfإِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ‌ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ ﴿9﴾ : "It is We who have revealed the Guidance, and it is We who watch over it." (15:9) Consequently, every single word, every consonant and every vowel of the Holy Qur'an has remained intact upto this day, and shall remain intact as long the world lasts. Now, according to the present verse, the teaching of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is absolutely indispensable for a proper understanding of the Holy Qur'an, and without this guidance it is not possible to act upon the Holy Qur'an in a real sense. It logically follows from it that the teachings of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم should also receive divine protection in their own degree, and remain intact as a whole till the end of the world; otherwise, the preservation of the words of the Holy Qur'an would not, by itself, fully serve the purpose for which Allah has revealed it. It goes without saying that the teachings of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are identical with what is called the Sunnah or the Hadith. Although Allah has not promised the same degree of protection to the Hadith as to the Holy Qur'an, and the words of the Sunnah have not been preserved exactly in the same manner as the words of the Holy Qur'an, yet the prophetic interpretations too must, according to the present verse, remain intact, and it has, taken as a whole, remained intact upto this day.Whenever an attempt has been made to distort a Hadith or to invent spurious ones, the specialists in the science have always exposed the fraud.

Thus, in accordance with the prediction implicit in the present verse, Allah has preserved the teachings of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from the days of the blessed Companions to our own day through fully authentic collections of the Ahadith and through the masters of this subject. And this divine protection shall continue to the last day of the world. For, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself has assured us that in his Ummah there shall always remain till the end of the world a group of authentic scholars who shall jealously and watchfully guard the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith against all attempts at distortion or misrepresentation. This hadith by itself gives the lie to some contemporary writers who have, for the ulterior motive of discrediting the injunctions of the Islamic Shari'ah, been trying to propagate the notion that the whole body of the Ahadith we possess is inauthentic and hence unreliable. But anyone who has eyes to see can easily understand the stratagem - if one cannot trust the Hadith, one can no longer trust the text of the Holy Qur'an. And this is exactly what the Westerners and their local allies want to accomplish - that is, to make the Muslims turn away from the Holy Qur'an.

In the end, let us note that the three prophetic functions which Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) referred to in his prayer, and which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was sent to perform, were fulfilled in his own life-time. In order to have an idea of the great transformation which the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, the teaching of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his purifying influence brought about in men, it is enough to see what the Holy Qur'an says in praise of his Companions (رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہم)

وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى لْكُفَّارِ‌ رُ‌حَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَ‌اهُمْ رُ‌كَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرِ‌ضْوَانًا

"Those who are with him are hard against the disbelievers, merciful to one another; you see them-bowing and prostrating themselves (in prayers), seeking the bounty of Allah and His pleasure". (48:29).