Surah 19. Maryam

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-40 [2], 41-50 [3], 51-65 [4], 66-82 [5], 83-98 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 41-50وَ اذْكُرْAnd mentionفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookاِبْرٰهِیْمَ ؕ۬IbrahimاِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَwasصِدِّیْقًاa man of truthنَّبِیًّا a Prophet اِذْWhenقَالَhe saidلِاَبِیْهِto his fatherیٰۤاَبَتِO my father!لِمَWhyتَعْبُدُ(do) you worshipمَاthat whichلَاnotیَسْمَعُhearsوَ لَاand notیُبْصِرُseesوَ لَاand notیُغْنِیْbenefitsعَنْكَ[to] youشَیْـًٔا (in) anything یٰۤاَبَتِO my father!اِنِّیْIndeed [I]قَدْverilyجَآءَنِیْ(has) come to meمِنَofالْعِلْمِthe knowledgeمَاwhatلَمْnotیَاْتِكَcame to youفَاتَّبِعْنِیْۤso follow meاَهْدِكَI will guide youصِرَاطًا(to) the pathسَوِیًّا even یٰۤاَبَتِO my father!لَا(Do) notتَعْبُدِworshipالشَّیْطٰنَ ؕthe ShaitaanاِنَّIndeedالشَّیْطٰنَthe Shaitaanكَانَisلِلرَّحْمٰنِto the Most Graciousعَصِیًّا disobedient یٰۤاَبَتِO my father!اِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearاَنْthatیَّمَسَّكَwill touch youعَذَابٌa punishmentمِّنَfromالرَّحْمٰنِthe Most Graciousفَتَكُوْنَso you would beلِلشَّیْطٰنِto the Shaitaanوَلِیًّا a friend قَالَHe saidاَرَاغِبٌDo you hateاَنْتَDo you hateعَنْ(from)اٰلِهَتِیْmy godsیٰۤاِبْرٰهِیْمُ ۚO IbrahimلَىِٕنْSurely, ifلَّمْnotتَنْتَهِyou desistلَاَرْجُمَنَّكَsurely, I will stone youوَ اهْجُرْنِیْso leave meمَلِیًّا (for) a prolonged time قَالَHe saidسَلٰمٌPeace (be)عَلَیْكَ ۚon youسَاَسْتَغْفِرُI will ask forgivenessلَكَfor youرَبِّیْ ؕ(from) my LordاِنَّهٗIndeed Heكَانَisبِیْto meحَفِیًّا Ever Gracious وَ اَعْتَزِلُكُمْAnd I will leave youوَ مَاand whatتَدْعُوْنَyou invokeمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahوَ اَدْعُوْاand I will invokeرَبِّیْ ۖؗmy LordعَسٰۤیMay beاَلَّاۤthat notاَكُوْنَI will beبِدُعَآءِin invocationرَبِّیْ(to) my Lordشَقِیًّا unblessed فَلَمَّاSo whenاعْتَزَلَهُمْhe left themوَ مَاand whatیَعْبُدُوْنَthey worshippedمِنْbesides Allahدُوْنِbesides Allahاللّٰهِ ۙbesides Allahوَهَبْنَا[and] We bestowedلَهٗۤ[to] himاِسْحٰقَIshaqوَ یَعْقُوْبَ ؕand Yaqubوَ كُلًّاand each (of them)جَعَلْنَاWe madeنَبِیًّا a Prophet وَ وَهَبْنَاAnd We bestowedلَهُمْto themمِّنْofرَّحْمَتِنَاOur Mercyوَ جَعَلْنَاand We madeلَهُمْfor themلِسَانَa truthful mentionصِدْقٍa truthful mentionعَلِیًّا۠high

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Translation of Verse 41-50

(19:41) (O Muhammad), recite in the Book the account of Abraham.²⁶ Most surely he was a man of truth, a Prophet.

(19:42) (And remind people) when he said to his father: "Father! Why do you worship that which neither sees nor hears, and which can be of no avail to you?

(19:43) Father, a knowledge that has not reached you has come to me. So follow me that I may guide you to a Straight Way.

(19:44) Father, do not serve Satan,²⁷ for Satan has indeed been a persistent rebel against the Most Compassionate Lord.

(19:45) Father, I fear that a punishment from the Most Compassionate Lord might strike you and you may end up as one of Satan's companions?"

(19:46) The father said: "Abraham, have you turned away from my gods? If you do not give this up, I shall stone you to death. Now begone from me forever."

(19:47) Abraham answered: "Peace be upon you. I shall seek pardon for you from my Lord. My Lord has always been kind to Me.

(19:48) I shall withdraw from you and all that you call upon beside Allah. I shall only call upon my Lord. I trust the prayer to my Lord will not go unanswered."

(19:49) Thereupon Abraham dissociated himself from his people and the deities they worshipped instead of Allah, and We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob and made each of them a Prophet;

(19:50) and We bestowed on them Our mercy, and granted them a truly lofty renown.²⁸

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Commentary

26. From here onwards, the discourse is addressed to the Makkans who had compelled their own sons, brothers and all manner of relatives to leave their hearths and homes for the simple reason that they worshipped the One True God. The plight of these Muslims resembled that of the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) who had earlier been forced by his father, and by his kith and kin, to say adieu to his homeland. The reason for recounting the Prophet Abraham’s (peace be on him) story to the exclusion of other Prophets, is that the Quraysh considered Abraham (peace be on him) to be their patriarch, bragging about their descent from him in order to reinforce their pre-eminence throughout the whole of Arabia.

27. The Qur’an says: ‘Do not serve Satan.’ This was said even though Abraham’s father and his people worshipped idols. The statement — “do not serve Satan’ — is made because those people followed the behests of Satan. We, thus, learn that worship does not only mean a set of rituals, but also covers obedience. Another point that emerges from this statement is that if a person unreservedly obeys someone, he is guilty of worshipping him even if he lavishes curses upon him. This is quite obvious given that human beings have never declared Satan to be the object of their devotional worship. On the contrary, they have always cursed him. (For further explanation see al-Kahf ‘18, nn. 49-50 above.)

27a. For further elaboration see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. “IM, al-Tawbah 9, n. 112, pp. 262-3.

28. This is intended to console and comfort the Muslim migrants who had been forced to forsake their homeland. They are being told that when Abraham surrendered his ties with his family, he courted no disaster. On the contrary, he eventually attained a much higher position. Likewise, the migration of the Prophet’s followers will not bring about their ruination. Rather they will rise to heights of eminence which the Makkan unbelievers could not even have dreamed of before the advent of Islam.