Surah 14. Ibrahim

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-12 [2], 13-21 [3], 22-27 [4], 28-34 [5], 35-41 [6], 42-52 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 28-34اَلَمْHave notتَرَyou seenاِلَی[to]الَّذِیْنَthose whoبَدَّلُوْا(have) changedنِعْمَتَ(the) Favorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahكُفْرًا(for) disbeliefوَّ اَحَلُّوْاand they ledقَوْمَهُمْtheir peopleدَارَ(to the) houseالْبَوَارِۙ(of) destruction جَهَنَّمَ ۚHellیَصْلَوْنَهَا ؕ(in) it they will burnوَ بِئْسَand a wretchedالْقَرَارُ place to settle وَ جَعَلُوْاAnd they set upلِلّٰهِto Allahاَنْدَادًاequalsلِّیُضِلُّوْاso that they misleadعَنْfromسَبِیْلِهٖ ؕHis PathقُلْSayتَمَتَّعُوْاEnjoyفَاِنَّbut indeedمَصِیْرَكُمْyour destinationاِلَی(is) toالنَّارِ the Fire قُلْSayلِّعِبَادِیَto My slavesالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveیُقِیْمُوا(to) establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayersوَ یُنْفِقُوْاand (to) spendمِمَّاfrom whatرَزَقْنٰهُمْWe have provided themسِرًّاsecretlyوَّ عَلَانِیَةًand publiclyمِّنْbeforeقَبْلِbeforeاَنْ[that]یَّاْتِیَcomesیَوْمٌa Dayلَّاnotبَیْعٌany tradeفِیْهِin itوَ لَاand notخِلٰلٌ any friendship اَللّٰهُAllahالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthوَ اَنْزَلَand sent downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterفَاَخْرَجَthen brought forthبِهٖfrom itمِنَofالثَّمَرٰتِthe fruitsرِزْقًا(as) a provisionلَّكُمْ ۚfor youوَ سَخَّرَand subjectedلَكُمُfor youالْفُلْكَthe shipsلِتَجْرِیَso that they may sailفِیinالْبَحْرِthe seaبِاَمْرِهٖ ۚby His commandوَ سَخَّرَand subjectedلَكُمُfor youالْاَنْهٰرَۚthe rivers وَ سَخَّرَAnd He subjectedلَكُمُfor youالشَّمْسَthe sunوَ الْقَمَرَand the moonدَآىِٕبَیْنِ ۚboth constantly pursuing their coursesوَ سَخَّرَand subjectedلَكُمُfor youالَّیْلَthe nightوَ النَّهَارَۚand the day 14. Ibrahim Page 260وَ اٰتٰىكُمْAnd He gave youمِّنْofكُلِّallمَاwhatسَاَلْتُمُوْهُ ؕyou asked of Himوَ اِنْAnd ifتَعُدُّوْاyou countنِعْمَتَ(the) Favor of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) Favor of Allahلَاnotتُحْصُوْهَا ؕyou will (be able to) count themاِنَّIndeedالْاِنْسَانَthe mankindلَظَلُوْمٌ(is) surely unjustكَفَّارٌ۠(and) ungrateful

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Translation of Verse 28-34

(14:28) Did you not see those who have exchanged Allah's favour with ingratitude to Him, causing their people to be cast in the abode of utter perdition

(14:29) Hell, wherein they shall roast? How wretched a place to settle in!

(14:30) They have set up rivals to Allah that they may lead people astray from His way. Tell them: "Enjoy for a while. You are doomed to end up in the Fire!"

(14:31) (O Prophet), tell those of My servants who believe that they should establish Prayer and spend out of what We have provided them with,⁴¹ both secretly and openly, before there arrives the Day when there will be no bargaining, nor any mutual befriending.⁴²

(14:32) It is Allah⁴³ Who created the heavens and the earth, Who sent down water from the heaven and thereby brought forth a variety of fruits as your sustenance, Who subjected for you the ships that they may sail in the sea by His command, Who subjected for you the rivers,

(14:33) Who subjected for you the sun and the moon and both of them are constant on their courses, Who subjected for you the night and the day,⁴⁴

(14:34) and Who gave you all that you asked Him for.⁴⁵ Were you to count the favours of Allah you shall never be able to encompass them. Verily man is highly unjust, exceedingly ungrateful.

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Commentary

41. The thrust of the statement is that the believers’ attitude should be quite different from that of the unbelievers. In sharp contrast to the unbelievers who are a thankless lot, the believers should give thanks to God, what this implies, in practice, is that they should establish Prayer and spend in the way of God.

42. Man is unable to escape God’s judgement. Neither will riches nor the influence of his friends be of any avail.

43. It is God to Whom the unbelievers do not give thanks, whom they are disinclined to obey and worship, and in Whose divinity they associate others. It must be recalled that the same God has lavished innumerable bounties on them.

44. The Qur’anic statement, meaning that ‘God has subjected for you the night and the day’ is often misunderstood. Some think that it means that the forces of nature have been placed under the control of man. Such an assumption leads people to develop a variety of odd ideas. Some even go so far as to say that to achieve mastery-over the heavens and the earth is the true-end of man’s existence. However, what the Qur’anic statement means by the subjection of the natural phenomena Is simply that God has bound them to laws which are beneficial for mankind. Had sailing in the sea not been subject to any law, it would not have been possible for man to undertake sea voyages. Had the rivers not been subject to any laws, man could not have use them for irrigation. Likewise, had the sun, the moon, the day and the night not been regulated, there could have been no life on earth, let alone any flourishing human civilization.

45. That is, God provided man with everything that his nature called for. He also provided all that was needed for man’s sustenance, and made available, in plenty, the resources that would ensure his survival and growth.