Surah 26. Ash-Shu'ara

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-33 [2], 34-51 [3], 52-68 [4], 69-104 [5], 105-122 [6], 123-140 [7], 141-159 [8], 160-175 [9], 176-191 [10], 192-227 [11]

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Quran Text of Verse 69-104وَ اتْلُAnd reciteعَلَیْهِمْto themنَبَاَ(the) newsاِبْرٰهِیْمَۘ(of) Ibrahim اِذْWhenقَالَhe saidلِاَبِیْهِto his fatherوَ قَوْمِهٖand his peopleمَاWhatتَعْبُدُوْنَ (do) you worship قَالُوْاThey saidنَعْبُدُWe worshipاَصْنَامًاidolsفَنَظَلُّso we will remainلَهَاto themعٰكِفِیْنَ devoted قَالَHe saidهَلْDoیَسْمَعُوْنَكُمْthey hear youاِذْwhenتَدْعُوْنَۙyou call اَوْOrیَنْفَعُوْنَكُمْ(do) they benefit youاَوْorیَضُرُّوْنَ they harm (you) قَالُوْاThey saidبَلْNayوَجَدْنَاۤbut we foundاٰبَآءَنَاour forefathersكَذٰلِكَlike thatیَفْعَلُوْنَ doing قَالَHe saidاَفَرَءَیْتُمْDo you seeمَّاwhatكُنْتُمْyou have beenتَعْبُدُوْنَۙworshipping اَنْتُمْYouوَ اٰبَآؤُكُمُand your forefathersالْاَقْدَمُوْنَؗۖand your forefathers فَاِنَّهُمْIndeed theyعَدُوٌّ(are) enemiesلِّیْۤto meاِلَّاexceptرَبَّ(the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَۙ(of) the worlds الَّذِیْThe One Whoخَلَقَنِیْcreated meفَهُوَand Heیَهْدِیْنِۙguides me وَ الَّذِیْAnd the One Whoهُوَ[He]یُطْعِمُنِیْgives me foodوَ یَسْقِیْنِۙand gives me drink وَ اِذَاAnd whenمَرِضْتُI am illفَهُوَthen Heیَشْفِیْنِ۪ۙcures me وَ الَّذِیْAnd the One Whoیُمِیْتُنِیْwill cause me to dieثُمَّthenیُحْیِیْنِۙhe will give me life وَ الَّذِیْۤAnd the One WhoاَطْمَعُI hopeاَنْthatیَّغْفِرَHe will forgiveلِیْfor meخَطِیْٓـَٔتِیْmy faultsیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالدِّیْنِؕ(of) the Judgment رَبِّMy Lord!هَبْGrantلِیْ[for] meحُكْمًاwisdomوَّ اَلْحِقْنِیْand join meبِالصّٰلِحِیْنَۙwith the righteous 26. Ash-Shu'ara Page 371وَ اجْعَلْAnd grantلِّیْ[for] meلِسَانَa mentionصِدْقٍ(of) honorفِیamongالْاٰخِرِیْنَۙthe later (generations) وَ اجْعَلْنِیْAnd make meمِنْofوَّرَثَةِ(the) inheritorsجَنَّةِ(of) Garden(s)النَّعِیْمِۙ(of) Delight وَ اغْفِرْAnd forgiveلِاَبِیْۤmy fatherاِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَisمِنَofالضَّآلِّیْنَۙthose astray وَ لَاAnd (do) notتُخْزِنِیْdisgrace meیَوْمَ(on the) Dayیُبْعَثُوْنَۙthey are resurrected یَوْمَ(The) Dayلَاnotیَنْفَعُwill benefitمَالٌwealthوَّ لَاand notبَنُوْنَۙsons اِلَّاExceptمَنْ(he) whoاَتَیcomesاللّٰهَ(to) Allahبِقَلْبٍwith a heartسَلِیْمٍؕsound وَ اُزْلِفَتِAnd (will be) brought nearالْجَنَّةُthe Paradiseلِلْمُتَّقِیْنَۙfor the righteous وَ بُرِّزَتِAnd (will be) made manifestالْجَحِیْمُthe Hellfireلِلْغٰوِیْنَۙto the deviators وَ قِیْلَAnd it will be saidلَهُمْto themاَیْنَWhereمَا(is) thatكُنْتُمْyou usedتَعْبُدُوْنَۙ(to) worship مِنْBesides AllahدُوْنِBesides Allahاللّٰهِ ؕBesides AllahهَلْCanیَنْصُرُوْنَكُمْthey help youاَوْorیَنْتَصِرُوْنَؕhelp themselves فَكُبْكِبُوْاThen they will be overturnedفِیْهَاinto itهُمْtheyوَ الْغَاوٗنَۙand the deviators وَ جُنُوْدُAnd (the) hostsاِبْلِیْسَ(of) Iblisاَجْمَعُوْنَؕall together قَالُوْاThey (will) sayوَ هُمْwhile theyفِیْهَاin itیَخْتَصِمُوْنَۙ(are) disputing تَاللّٰهِBy Allahاِنْindeedكُنَّاwe wereلَفِیْsurely inضَلٰلٍerrorمُّبِیْنٍۙclear اِذْWhenنُسَوِّیْكُمْwe equated youبِرَبِّwith (the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَ (of) the worlds وَ مَاۤAnd notاَضَلَّنَاۤmisguided usاِلَّاexceptالْمُجْرِمُوْنَ the criminals فَمَاSo (now) notلَنَاwe haveمِنْanyشَافِعِیْنَۙintercessors وَ لَاAnd notصَدِیْقٍa friendحَمِیْمٍ close فَلَوْThen ifاَنَّthatلَنَاwe hadكَرَّةًa returnفَنَكُوْنَthen we could beمِنَofالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً ؕsurely is a Signوَ مَاbut notكَانَareاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themمُّؤْمِنِیْنَ believers وَ اِنَّAnd indeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَهُوَsurely Heالْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالرَّحِیْمُ۠ the Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 69-104

(26:69) And recount to them the story of Abraham:⁵⁰

(26:70) when he asked his father and his people: "What do you worship?"⁵¹

(26:71) They answered: "There are some idols that we worship and are devoted to them with constancy."⁵²

(26:72) He asked: "Do they hear you when you call them

(26:73) or do they cause you any benefit or harm?"

(26:74) They answered: "No; but we found our forefathers doing so."⁵³

(26:75) Thereupon, Abraham said: "Have you seen (with your eyes) those whom you have been worshipping,

(26:76) you and your forefathers of yore?⁵⁴

(26:77) They are all enemies to me;⁵⁵ all, except the Lord of the Universe⁵⁶

(26:78) Who created me⁵⁷ and Who guides me;

(26:79) Who gives me food and drink,

(26:80) and Who, when I am ill, heals me;⁵⁸

(26:81) Who will cause me to die and then will again restore me to life;

(26:82) Who, I hope, will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement."⁵⁹

(26:83) (And then Abraham prayed): "My Lord, endow me with knowledge and wisdom⁶⁰ and join me with the righteous,⁶¹

(26:84) and grant me an honourable reputation among posterity,⁶²

(26:85) and make me of those who will inherit the Garden of Bliss,

(26:86) and forgive my father for he is among those who strayed,⁶³

(26:87) and disgrace me not on the Day when people will be raised to life,⁶⁴

(26:88) the Day when nothing will avail, neither wealth nor offspring,

(26:89) but only he that brings to Allah a sound heart will (attain to success)."⁶⁵

(26:90) (On that Day)⁶⁶the Garden will be brought near to the God-fearing,

(26:91) and the Fire will be uncovered for those who strayed,⁶⁷

(26:92) and they will be asked: "Where are the gods that you worshipped

(26:93) beside Allah? Can they be of any help to you, or even be of any help to themselves?"

(26:94) Then the idols and those who strayed will be hurled into the Fire headlong, one upon another,⁶⁸

(26:95) and so too the hosts of Iblis, all of them.

(26:96) There they will quarrel with one another and the erring ones will say (to their deities):

(26:97) "By Allah, we were surely in clear error

(26:98) when we assigned to you a position equal to that of the Lord of the Universe.

(26:99) It is none but those steeped in guilt who led us into this error,⁶⁹

(26:100) and now we have none to intercede on our behalf,⁷⁰

(26:101) nor do we have a truly sincere friend.⁷¹

(26:102) If only we could return we would be among the believers."⁷²

(26:103) Surely there is a Sign in this,⁷³ but most of them would not believe.

(26:104) Verily Your Lord is Immensely Mighty, Ever Compassionate.

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Commentary

50. This refers to that period in Abraham’s life when, after his designation as a Prophet, there ensued a conflict between him and his family, on the one side, and between him and his nation on the other, regarding doctrinal questions such as monotheism, and polytheism. Various episodes from this period of his life are mentioned in the following verses of the Qur’an: al-Baqarah 2:258-60, al-An‘am 6:75-83; Maryam 19:41-50; al-Anbiya 21:51-70, al-Saffat 37:83- 113 and al-MumtahaNuh 60:4-5.

The Qur’an brings out the historical details of this period of the Prophet Abraham’s life. This is because the Arabs, in general, and the Quraysh, in particular, considered themselves to be the followers of Abraham and claimed to be of his religion. Apart from the polytheists of Arabia, the Christians and the Jews also claimed that Abraham was their religious leader and guide. The Qur’an warns them over and over again that the religion which Abraham brought was the same as that of Muhammad (peace be upon him) with whom they were in conflict. Abraham was not a polytheist, rather he fought against polytheism and because of this he Had to forsake his father, family, nation, country and live the life of an exile in Syria, Palestine and Hijaz. Likewise, he was neither a Jew nor a Christian; Judaism and Christianity, as we know, emerged several centuries after him.

Neither the polytheists nor the Jews nor the Christians Had any answer to this historical argument. They all accepted that the worship of idols started among the Arabs many centuries after Abraham. This clearly proved that the religious beliefs and practices of their faith were not part of that ancient religion which was taught by Abraham, and that the true religion was indeed one that was free from the prevalent corruptions, one that was based on the worship of the One True God. The Qur’4n states this very clearly: “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he was a Muslim, wholly-devoted to God. And he certainly was not amongst those who associated others with Allah in His divinity” (Surah Al ‘Imran 3:67).

51. Abraham’s purpose in asking this question was not to find out what they believed, for he saw the idols being worshipped. Abraham’s real intent was to show people the worthlessness of the idols before whom they prostrated themselves. The same question was posed in Surah al-Anbiya’: “What are these images to which you are clinging with devotion?” (21:52).

52. This answer was also not simply meant to inform the people concerned that they worshipped idols because that was obvious to both — the one asking the question and the one answering it. The kernel of the answer was their assertion of, and satisfaction with, their faith, as though they were saying: “Yes, we know that these are idols made of wood and stone, but our religious faith demands that we keep worshipping them with total devotion.”

53, That is to say that the true reason for their worshipping the idols was not that they were convinced that those idols and images accepted their supplications and prayers, or that they could harm or benefit them. They rather worshipped them because they believed that that Had been the hallowed practice of their forefathers. In saying so, they virtually admitted that their religion Had no other grounds to stand on except blind imitation of the ways of their forefathers. In other words, they were saying that there was nothing novel in their statement that those idols were made of wood or stone. They, themselves, could see that and they also knew well that objects made of wood do not listen to any supplication and stones are devoid of the capacity to do anything for anyone. But did that mean that their forefathers, who Had been worshipping those idols for centuries, were fools? Not at all; they believed that there must have been some good reason for them to worship such lifeless objects. They were convinced that they should do the same, for the simple reason that their ancestors Had done so.

54. Is the truth of a religion confirmed by the fact that it has been followed by generations after generations of people for a great many centuries? Should generations after generations keep on following their ancestors blindly, without ever caring to examine whether or not the deities they worshipped Had the Attributes of God, and whether or not those deities Had any power to influence their destinies?

55. Abraham virtually contended the following: “When I reflect, | come to the conclusion that were I to worship idols and images, I will ruin my life in this world as well as in the Hereafter. I consider the worship of these idols and images not only without any benefit but clearly harmful for myself. So, for me worshipping them is like worshipping my own foe.” Abraham’s assertion also alludes to the following verses: “They Had taken other gods beside Allah that they may be a source of strength for them. By no means! They shall soon deny their worship and shall become their adversaries instead” (Maryam 19:81-—2).

That is, on the Day of Judgement, those idols will bear witness against their own worshippers and will say that they Had never asked anyone to worship them; in fact, they did not even know who worshipped them.

There is a subtle point here which provides some guidance as to the way in which one ought to preach the Message of Islam: Abraham did not say to the audience that those idols were their enemies. Instead, he said that they were his enemies. If Abraham Had said that they were their enemies, his audience would have been offended and could have asked him to explain how they could be regarded as their enemies. But when Abraham said that they were his enemies, this provided the others with occasion to reflect about their own good in the manner Abraham did. In this way, Abraham appealed to the inborn and natural tendency of human beings which makes them seek their own benefit. He told them that he found it harmful for himself to worship such idols, and that no one does that which is harmful to himself. This way of conveying the Message was bound to make the audience feel inclined to think about their own good and to give serious thought that by not heeding the Message they might unwittingly harm themselves.

56. Out of all the beings worshipped in the world, there was only One Being in whose worship Abraham saw his own good— worshipping his own Lord, God, the Lord of the Universe. Worshipping Him was to worship the One Who, far from being his enemy Had, in fact, cherishingly sustained him.

Thereafter, Abraham explains in a few sentences the reasons why only God, the Lord of the Universe, ought to be worshipped. He tries to show people that they Had no good reason to worship any deities other than-God. And if they did so, the only possible reason could be that they were blindly imitating the ways of their forefathers. Such an attitude was quite obviously devoid of any reasonable sanction whereas Abraham Had eminently sound grounds for worshipping the One True God ~ grounds that even the polytheists could not deny.

57. This is the first reason why God, and He Alone, is worthy of worship.

The audience were well aware that God was their Creator. The unbelievers also recognized that none other than God Had any part in creating them. Abraham’s people, notwithstanding the fact that they were polytheists, believed that even the deities whom they worshipped, let alone all other deities, Had been created * by God. Except for atheists, no one has ever doubted that God is the Creator of the Universe. Therefore, Abraham’s first argument was that he considered no one other than His Creator to be worthy of worship. How could any other being who Had nothing to dé with creating him, said Abraham, have any claim on his devotion and. worship? It was clear to Abraham that a created being should naturally worship Him Who was his Creator. There was absolutely no reason for him to worship anyone who did not create him.

58. The second reason for worshipping God -- and none other than God - was this: Had God left man to himself, after creating him, and Had He not been concerned with his needs, there could have been some reason for turning to someone else for support. But along with creating man God took upon Himself the responsibility of guiding, rearing, caring, and protecting him and tending to the fulfilment of all of his needs. The moment a child enters the world, milk is produced in the mother’s breast and, simultaneously, some invisible power teaches the child how to suck the milk and take it down through its throat. This training and guidance, which starts at birth, continues throughout life until one’s death. All that is needed for the growth and maintenance of one’s life at various stages is found in the earth and the sky. Furthermore, man is endowed with faculties and powers which enable him to benefit from these provisions. The guidance necessary for every sphere of life has also been provided for.

Additionally, God has established an intricate system to protect the human body from all kinds of diseases and dangerous germs and from their harmful - effects — a system that human beings have, until now, not even been able to completely understand. Had God not created these mechanisms of protection, even a small prick from a thorn could have been fatal for man. When such All Embracing Care, Mercy and Protection from the Creator continually support - and sustain man in all aspects of his life, what can be an act of greater ignorance folly and thanklessness than to bow one’s head in devotion before others than God and to call upon any others than God to relieve distress and provide aid?

59. This is the third reason why God and God Alone should be worshipped man’s relationship with God is not confined to this world alone. It does. not - start at birth nor does it end when he breathes his last. For what happens after « death is also entirely in God’s Hand. God Who created him also takes him away from this world at a given moment and no power can prevent Him from - doing so. No medicine, no physician, no god or goddess has ever been able to stop God from taking man away from the realm of existence. Even those who were turned into gods and were worshipped by others have not been able to secure the deferment of their hour of death. Only God decides the time of death, and when that appointed time comes, each one of us has to depart willingly or grudgingly. It is also God Alone Who will decide when to resurrect the dead and take account of their deeds. At that time too no power will be able to stop anyone from rising from the dead. All will have to rise from the slumber of death and stand before God for His Judgement, where He Alone: will be their Judge and no one will have the least share in God’s Authority. No one will have the slightest authority to interfere with God’s judgement. God Alone will decide whether to forgive a person or to punish him. No one will be: able to save he who is awarded the decree of punishment by God and no one will have any say regarding he who is forgiven. Those who were regarded an intercessor in this world will, themselves, be totally dependent on God’s Mercy and Grace for their salvation. Hence, those who worship anyone other than God are inviting their own doom. What could be more unfortunate than to turn to others than God for support and help when it is God Alone Who decides, what treatment will be meted out to each person.

60. Here, hukm does not mean Prophet hood, for Abraham Had already been appointed a Prophet. Even if we were to believe that this supplication goes back to the time before Abraham’s Prophet hood, it cannot refer to his Prophet hood for that is not granted to anyone upon his asking. It is something that God Himself bestows on those whom He wills. Therefore, hukm here means wisdom, knowledge, true understanding and true discernment. Abraham’s supplication is almost identical to that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him): “O Allah, give me the ability to see things as they really are ...” (See Razi, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Shu‘ara’ 26:83 - Ed.)

61. That is: “O God! Grant me the company of the righteous in this world and raise me among the righteous in the Hereafter.” The prayer that someone - be raised with the righteous in the Hereafter amounts to praying for salvation.

This should, indeed, be the supplication of everyone who believes in the Hereafter and in accountability to God. Yet even as far as this world is concerned, a pious person hopes that God will save him from living in the company: of perverse and wicked people and will join him with the pious.

When society becomes corrupt to the core, a pious person is not simply tormented when he sees the effects of immorality around him. He also suffers because it becomes difficult for him to maintain his own moral purity. This explains why he who is pious remains in a state of distress until either the’ society in which he lives is reformed or he forsakes that society and finds for himself another in which Truth and righteousness prevail.

62. Abraham prayed that posterity might remember him as a pious and righteous person rather than as someone who was wicked and who Had left a trail of wickedness behind him. He prayed that God might grant him the ability to do those good deeds by dint of which his life might serve as a guiding light for humanity, that he might become one of the benefactors of humankind.

Clearly, this was not a supplication for fame and personal esteem but for attaining that true and lasting eminence which is only achieved by the performance of substantively good deeds. A person attaining to a high station obtains two worldly benefits. First, by virtue of such eminence, humanity is provided with a good and inspiring role model which helps guide those who seek to live righteously. Second, this good example left by one man continues to benefit countless millions by inspiring them to do good, and by dint of that good example that man continues to reap rewards for all the good deeds done by others under the influence of that good example. On the Day of Judgement, millions of human beings will vouch for the fact that such and such a person Had caused a spring of good deeds to flow, springs from which generation after generation of people. quenched their thirst for righteousness.

63. Some Qur’anic commentators have interpreted Abraham’s prayer for his father to mean that since forgiveness is conditional upon acceptance of Islam, therefore Abraham’s prayer for his father was, in fact, a prayer that he may be enabled, by God, to accept Islam. This interpretation, however, is not corroborated by other verses of the Qur’an. For example, when the Prophet Abraham left his home due to the unjust treatment meted out to him by his father, he said: “Peace be upon you. I shall seek pardon for you from my Lord” (Maryam 19:47.) It was because of this promise that Abraham considered himself bound to pray for his father. According to another verse, he not only prayed for his father but both for his father and mother: “O my Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day when the Reckoning will take place” (Ibrahim 14: 41), Abraham later realized, however, that no enemy of the Truth, not even the father of a believer, merited a prayer for forgiveness: “And Abraham’s prayer for the forgiveness of his father was only because of a promise which he Had made to him. Then, when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Surely Abraham was most tender-hearted, much forbearing” (al-Tawbah 9: 114)

64. Abraham’s prayer amounted to pleading to God that he be spared the disgrace of seeing his father punished on the Day of Judgement in the presence of multitudes of people.

65. It is hard to say with certainty whether these two sentences are part of Abraham’s prayer or they are from God and are, thus, additional to that prayer.

Were we to consider them a part of Abraham's prayer, it would mean that Abraham was conscious of these facts while he was praying to God for his father’s forgiveness. On the other hand, if we assume the latter, then these words would be regarded as God’s comments on Abraham’s prayer.

The present verse states that if anything could benefit a man on the Day of Judgement, it would be neither his wealth nor his offspring. It is only a true and sound heart that will be of any avail on Judgement Day, a heart that remains pure from the contamination ensuing from associating others with God in His Divinity and from disobedience of His commands. Wealth and offspring can only be beneficial if a person’s heart is truthful. Wealth will only be of assistance if a person has spent it in the Way of God, and done so with true and sincere intention.

A person’s children will also be of no avail unless he has brought them up in true Faith backed by righteous behavior. Otherwise, not even a Prophet will be able to save his sinful father from punishment if the latter died in a state of unbelief and transgression and Had not contributed to the good upbringing of his son.

66. Verses 90-102 do not seem to be part of Abraham’s speech; they are clearly God’s Words.

67. The righteous will be able to observe the bounties and favors which abound in Paradise. In like manner, those who strayed will have the terrible sight of Hell before they are cast into it. This they will see while they are still on the Plain of Resurrection.

68. The phrase kubkibu fiha (translated by us as “will be hurled into the Fire headlong, one upon another”) has two possible meanings: (i) that they will be hurled into Hell, one upon another; and (ii) that they will go on rolling downwards into the pit of Hell. (See Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-Arab, q.v. KB B- Ed.)

69. This will be how the followers and devotees will treat their religious guides and mentors whom they used to revere in this world, whose hands and feet they kissed, whose statements they used to hold as authoritative, and to whom they made offerings. When everything is laid bare in the Hereafter and the followers will know where their leaders ended up and whereto they Had brought them, they will inculpate and curse them for their misfortune. Several verses of the Qur’an portray these scenes in vivid detail, scenes that will be witnessed in the Next Life, stressing that the blind followers of false guides will wake up and see for themselves whereto they were being led: As a nation enters Hell, it will curse the one that went before it, and when all are gathered there, the last of them shall say of the first: “Our Lord: These are the ones who led us astray. Let their torment be doubled in Hell-Fire.” He will answer: “Each will have a doubled torment; although you do not know” (al-A ‘raf 7:38).

And they who [in their life on earth] were bent on denying the Truth will [thereupon] exclaim: “Our Lord! Show us those of the jinn and humans that have led us astray: we shall trample them under our feet, so that they shall be the lowest of all!” (Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41:29).

Likewise, we find that another verse states the following: And they will say: “Our Lord! Behold, we paid heed to our leaders and our great men, and it is they. who have led us astray from the Right Path. Our Lord! Give them double the suffering, and banish them utterly from Your Grace!” (al-Ahzab 33: 67~8).

70. Those immersed in error will discover that they were mistaken about the people whom they held in great reverence. They Had looked upon them as their saviors in the After-life, as their effective intercessors with God who would come to their rescue. It will, however, become obvious to them that far from being of any help to them, they themselves will be in a state of absolute helplessness.

71. The deniers of the Truth will discover that they can count on no one as truly sympathetic to them. In addition to finding out that those around whom they centered a great many expectations could: not come to their rescue, they will also learn that there were none who even truly cared for them. For, as the Qur’an tells us, friendships in the Hereafter will be confined to the believers; as for the unbelievers, they will turn against each other. Even though they might have been bosom friends in this world, they will become foes in the Next World, will blame each other for their: misfortunes and will desire that their erstwhile friends are subjected to the maximum punishment. In the words of the Qur’an: “On that Day, [erstwhile] friends will be foes to one another — [all} save the God-fearing” (al-Zukhruf 43:67).

72. The Qur’an comments on this kind of wish as well: “... if they were sent back, they would still revert to what was forbidden to them” (al-An‘am 6:28). As for the reasons why they will not be allowed to return to the present world, we have explained that in detail. (See Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol.VI, Surah al-Muminun 23: nn. 90-2, p. 125).

73. The “sign” in the story of the Prophet Abraham has two aspects: (i) the unbelievers of Makka and especially the Quraysh claimed to be the followers of Abraham and were proud of being his descendants. In actual fact, however, they were immersed in shirk (associating others with God in His Divinity) against which Abraham Had fought all his life. Further, as far as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was concerned — he who Had brought to them the same religion that Abraham Had preached — they treated him in exactly the same manner as Abraham’s people Had treated him. The Quraysh are being reminded, in this context, that Abraham was a standard-bearer of tawhid (affirmation that God is One and that He Alone should be served) and was an enemy of shirk, and that they themselves admitted that he was not a polytheist.

Nevertheless, they did not pay any heed to the call of the Truth. (ii) The second aspect of “sign” in this story is that Abraham’s nation was obliterated from the face of the earth in such a way that not even a trace of it has remained. If any of that nation Had survived, they were Abraham and his sons, Isaac and Ishmael.

Although the Qur’an does not explicitly mention the punishment which befell Abraham’s nation, they are included among those who were struck by God’s Wrath: “Have they not heard the accounts of those who came before them — of the people of Noah and ‘Ad and Thamud, and the dwellers of Madyan (Midian), and the ruined cities? Their Messengers came to them with clear signs. Then, it was not Allah Who caused them any wrong; they rather wronged themselves” (al-Tawbah 9:70).