النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 34 - 47
that Allah Ta'ala has planted mountains on the earth to hold it in place
because any violent movement of the earth would be catastrophic to those
who live on it.
(falak) فَلَك Each floating in an orbit - 21:33) The word) كُلُّ فِىُ فَلَكٍ يُسْبَحُونَ
is used for circle or anything round. For this reason the word Jűf (falak) is
also used sometimes for sky. In this verse it means the orbits of the sun
and the moon in which they revolve. The Qur'anic words do not specify
the location of the orbits in the space but space research has now
established that these orbits are located in the space much below the sky.
This verse apparently indicates that the Sun also moves around an orbit.
The scientists previously did not believe in the rotation of the Sun, but the
most modern research has now accepted it.
Verses 34 - 47
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرِ مِنُ قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ د آفَائِنُ مِّتَّ فَهُمُ الْخُلِدُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ * وَنَبْلُوْكُمُ بِالشّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ، وَإِلَيْنَا
تُرُجَعُوْنَ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَإِذَا رَاكَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَّتَّخِذُوْنَكَ إِلاَّ هُزُوًا "
اَهذَا الَّذِىُ يَذْكُرُ الْهَتَكُمُ، وَهُمْ بِذِكُرِالرَّحُمُنِ هُمْ كُفِرُونَ ﴿٣٦)
خُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ * سَأُورِيْكُمُ انْتِىُ فَلاَ تَسُتَعْجِلُون ﴿٣٧)
وَيَقُوْلُوْنَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعُدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ صدِقِيْنَ ﴿٣٨﴾ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوْا حِيْنَ لاَ يَكُفُّوْنَ عَنْ وُجُوُهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلاَ عَنْ ظُهُوُرِهِمْ
وَلاَهُمْ يُنْصَرُوْنَ ﴿٣٩﴾ بَلْ تَأْتِيهِمُ بَغْتَةٌ فَتَبْهَتُهُمُ فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ
رَدَّهَا وَلاَهُمْ يُنْظَرُوْنَ ﴿٤﴾ وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهُزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ
بِالَّذِيْنَ سَخِرُوْا مِنْهُمُ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ ﴿أَ﴾﴾ قُلْ مَنْ يَّكُلَؤُكُمْ
بِالَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مِنَ الرَّحُمُنِ * بَلُ هُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرٍ رَبِّهِمْ مُّعُرِضُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
أَمْ لَهُمُ آلِهَةْ تَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنُ دُوْنِنَاء لاَيَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ نَصْرَ أَنْفُسِهِمُ وَلاَهُمْ
مِنَّا يُصُحَبُونَ ﴿٤٣) بَلْ مَتَّعْنَا هَؤُلَاءِ وَابَاءَهُمْ حَتَّى طَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 34 - 47
الْعُمُرُ ، أَفَلاَ يَرَوْنَ أَنَّا نَأْتِى الْأَرْضَ نَنْقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا - أَفَهُمُ
الْغُلِبُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾ قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنْذِرُكُمْ بِالْوَحْىٍ ◌ٍوَلاَ يَسْمَعُ الصُّمُّ الدُّعَاءَ
إِذَا مَا يُنْذَرُوْنَ ﴿٤٥﴾ وَلَئِنُ مَّسَّتْهُمُ نَفْحَةٌ مِّنُ عَذَابٍ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُوُلُنَّ
يَوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظُلِمِيْنَ ﴿٤٦﴾ وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِيْنَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيْمَةِ
فَلاَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا، وَإِنُ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرُدَلِ آَتَيْنَا بِهَاء
وَكَفَى بِنَا حُسِيْنَ ﴿٤٧﴾
And We did not assign immortality to any human (even)
before you. So, if you die, will they then live for ever?
[34] Every one has to taste death. And We test you all
through bad and good (situations) with a trial. And to
Us you are to be returned. [35]
And when disbelievers see you, they do nothing but
make mockery of you (saying) "Is this the one who talks
of your gods?" - while they themselves are the denier of
even mentioning the Rahman (All-Merciful). [36]
Man is made of haste. I shall show you My signs, so do
not seek haste from Me. [37] And they say, "When will
this promise be (fulfilled), if you are true?" [38] Only if
the disbelievers were to know the time when they will
not (be able to) keep off the fire from their faces or from
their backs, nor will they be helped. [39] Rather, it will
come upon them suddenly and will baffle them. So they
will not be able to turn it back, nor will they be given
respite. [40]
And messengers have been mocked at before you. So
those who laughed at them were besieged by what they
have been mocking at. [41]
Say, "Who will guard you, during night and day, against
the Rahman (All-Merciful)?" Rather, to the
remembrance of their Lord they are averse. [42] Or do
they have gods who protect them besides Us? They are
not able to help even themselves, nor are they allowed
by Us to have company. [43]

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 34 - 47
But We have given benefits to these and their fathers so
much so that life prolonged against them. So do they
not see that We are coming to the land reducing it from
its sides? Then, are they the ones to prevail? [44]
Say, "I simply warn you by revelation, and the deaf do
not listen to the call, when they are warned." [45] And if
they are touched by a whiff of the punishment of your
Lord, they will certainly say, "Woe to us! We were
wrongdoers indeed." [46]
And We shall place scales to do justice on the Day of
Judgment. So no one shall be wronged in any way. And
even if it (any act, good or evil) is to the measure of a
mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And We are enough
to take account. [47]
Commentary
And We did not assign immortality to any) وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرِ مِّنُ قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ
human (even) before you. - 21:34) The preceding verses give a strong and
logical rebuttal of the unfounded and exaggerated beliefs of the infidels
and polytheists to the effect that Sayyidna Masih and Sayyidna 'Uzair
(LuJI Logle are the associates of God or that Masih and the Angels are
God's children. Unable to come up with a satisfactory answer to the
rational and logical arguments given by the Qur'an, the infidels of
Makkah were in despair and wished for the death of the Holy Prophet
This has been mentioned in some other verses also, like e.g. . . JA
&JI (52:30). In this verse (34) Allah Ta'ala has given two answers to their
pitiable wish. One, that even if the Holy Prophet
died early how would
it help them? If they thought that they could use the death of the Holy
Prophet g as an argument against his prophethood, they were very
much mistaken, because all the other Prophets whose prophethood they
themselves had accepted, also died when their time came. Thus, if the
death of their own prophets did not alter their position as prophets, how
could the death of the Holy Prophet
change his position? Secondly, if
their purpose in wishing for his early death was only to appease their
frustration, then they should have known that death is universal, and
everybody has to die sooner or later.
که زند گانئ مانیز جاودانی نیست
ا گر بمرد عدو جائے شاد مانی نیست
If an enemy dies, it is not to be rejoiced, because our own life is
not eternal.

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 34 - 47
What is death?
said ◌ِكُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْن 'Every soul
'Every soul has to taste death'. Here
the word soul refers to the living things of the earth, who must all face
death, but does not include the angels. There is a difference of opinion
about whether the angels will also die or not on the Day of Judgment.
Some say that every living thing will die, though momentarily,
irrespective of whether they are of the earth or the skies. But others
maintain that angels and hurs and ghilman of Paradise are excluded
from this general rule. (Only God knows best) (Ruh ul-Ma'ani) Majority of
the scholars believe that death is the departure of soul from the mortal
human frame, while soul itself is a subtle ethereal living thing which is
made of light and resides in human body just as fragrance resides in the
rose. Ibn al-Qayyim has convincingly proved this point in his book. (Ruh
ul-Ma'anī)
The term ◌ِذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْت means that every individual will feel the pain of
death - 21:35, because considering the manner in which body and soul are
conjoined together their separation should obviously entail some pain.
There are some saintly persons who regard death as a deliverance from
the trials and tribulations of the worldly life and a means of bringing
them closer to their Supreme love, that is Allah. This pleasure does not
negate the agony of death, because where the reward is high, a little pain
is easily tolerated.
Worldly comforts and discomforts are a test
وَنَبْلُوْكُمُ بِالشِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً
And We test you all through bad and good (situations) with a
trial. - 21:35
It means that man is tested both by good things and by bad things.5
(bad) includes unpleasant things such as illness, grief, pain, poverty etc.
while " (good) means desirable things, like good health, happiness,
comfort and abundance. Man is subjected to these conditions in this world
for test and the test is that he should show patience and endurance in the
face of adversity and should offer thanks to Allah when his life is peaceful
and comfortable. Wise men have said that, it is more difficult to be
steadfast and consistent in offering thanks to Allah for His gifts than to
persevere and show patience in difficult circumstances. Sayyidna 'Umar
is reported to have said:
بُلينا بالضّراء فصبرنا وبلينا بالسّراء فلم نصبِر (روح المعانى)
"We were tested by discomforts and We bore it with patience,

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 34 - 47
but when we were tested by pleasures, we could not observe
patience (i.e. we could not offer gratitude to Allah as was due)".
(Ruh ul-Ma'ani)
Haste is undesirable
ajal) means) عَجَل. (21:37 - .Man is made of haste) خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ
haste or hurry. The word is used in situations when one desires things to
happen before their time, and this trait is bad by its very nature. In
another place also the word is used to denote human weakness. For
instance ◌ًوَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُوُلا i.e. Man is prone to haste - 17:11, meaning that he
is very impatient. When Sayyidna Musa Sel went to the mount Tur in a
hurry leaving his people behind, he was censured by Allah Ta'ala.
Prophets and the devout people who try to excel each other in the
performance of righteous deeds have been commended and their zeal to
do good deeds does not constitute haste and hurry because they do not try
to do these deeds before their time. In fact they do the deeds on time, but
try to excel each other in quantity and quality.
Here ◌ٍخُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَل (Man is made of haste - 21:37) means that haste
and hurry is one of the many weaknesses which are inherent in human
nature. When a man is identified by some intrinsic trait of his character,
the Arabs used to say that he is 'made of that trait. For instance a short
tempered man would be called a 'man made of anger'.
آيات I shall show you my signs - 21:37) Here the word) سَأُورِيُكُمُ التِى
(signs) refers to those miracles and events which bear evidence to the
honesty of the Holy Prophet
and the truth of his message. (Qurtubi)
These miracles also occurred during the battle of Badr ( og;e) when the
Muslims who were considered weak and worthy of contempt gained a
great victory over their enemies.
Weighing of actions on the Day of Judgment and the scales to be
used for this purpose
And We shall place scales to do justice on the) وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِيْنَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيْمَةِ
Day of Judgment - 21:47) The word مَوَازِين is plural of مِيزَان ,which means a
scale. In this verse the word is used plural which some exegesists have
explained by saying that for measuring deeds and actions of people many
scales will be used. Different balances may be used for different
individuals, or different balances may be used for different types of deeds.

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But majority of scholars agree that there will be only one balance to
weigh all the deeds, and that the word has been used in plural because it
will serve the purpose of many balances and measure the deeds of all the
children of Sayyidna 'Adam &Cell from the earliest time to the Day of
Judgment, whose count only Allah knows. hus (Qist) means justice and
fairness. Thus the meaning of the verse is that the balance will measure
fairly and justly and no injustice will be done to any one. Mustadrak of
Hakim has reported through Sayyidna Salman 4
that the Holy Prophet
said that the balance that will be used on the Day of Judgment for
weighing deeds and actions will be so enormous in size and span that it
could enclose the earth and the sky within its fold for measurement.
(Mazhari)
Hafiz Abu al-Qasim Lalkai has narrated in his Sunan () through
Sayyidnā Anas
that the Holy Prophet
said that an angel will be
posted on the balance and every man will be brought before it. In case his
good deeds overweigh his sins the angel will announce loudly, which
everyone present will hear, that so and so has passed his test and now he
will never be deprived of anything. And if the sins of a person overweigh
his virtues, then the angel will announce that the wretched so and so has
failed his test and has been made destitute for ever. Hafiz has also
reported on the authority of Sayyidna Hudhaifah 400 , that the angel who
will be posted on the balance on the Day of Judgment is none other but
Sayyidna Jibra'il KKEl.
Hakim, Baihaqi and 'Ajurri have narrated through Sayyidah 'A'ishah
that she enquired from the Holy Prophet # whether he will رضى الله عنها
remember his family members on the Day of Judgment; to which he
replied that on that Day there will be three occasions when no one will
remember any one. Firstly, when people will be brought before the scale
of justice for the weighment of their deeds. Until it is known whether
one's virtues overweigh the sins or otherwise, everyone would forget
every one else. Secondly, when the records of deeds will be thrown in the
air, until they are either placed in the right hand (which will be a sign of
salvation) or in the left hand or from behind (which will be a sign of
punishment) it would indicate God's wrath. Thirdly, the occasion to cross
the bridge of Șirat (blje) i.e. until this bridge is crossed, no one will
remember any one else. (Mazhari)

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Sūrah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 34 - 47
And even if it (any act, good or evil) is to) وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنُ خَرُدَلِ آَتَیْنَا بِهَا
the measure of a mustard seed, we will bring it forth - 21:47) It means that
on the Day of Reckoning, all the deeds of every person, big or small, good
or bad, will be brought forth so that they may be subjected to reckoning
and weighment.
Method of the weighment of deeds
One possibility is that deeds and actions of a person recorded by
angels will be weighed as indicated by the famous Hadith generally
known as alhaji Lius (hadith al-bitaqah1). The other possibility is that
deeds of a person will be converted into absolute substances which will
then be weighed. By and large the traditions support the second view,
and a majority of scholars have adopted this version. The verse gus;
And they will find what they did all there - 18:49) and the like) عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا
in the Holy Qur'an and many traditions also confirm the second view.
Accountability of Deeds
Tirmidhi has reported through Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que J' , that a
man came to the Holy Prophet
and narrated to him that he had two
slaves who called him a liar, were dishonest in their dealings and did not
obey his orders. In retaliation he scolded them and also beat them. How,
then would his chastisement of his slaves be judged in relation to their
misconduct. The Holy Prophet
replied that their misdeed would be
weighed against the punishment which he inflicted on them and if the
two were equally balanced, then the matter would rest there, but in case
their crimes exceed his punishment it would be regarded as a favour
bestowed on them by him. But, on the other hand, if the punishment
awarded to them exceeded their misdeeds, then he would be made subject
to punishment and retaliation for his excess. Then the man rose and sat
down in a corner and started weeping. The Holy Prophet g asked him
whether he had not read this verse ◌ِوَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسُطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيمَة (And We shall
place scales to do justice on the day of judgment - 21:47). Then the man
said that he had no choice but to free his slaves so that he might escape
accountability. (Qurțubi)
1. The author has referred here to a long hadith in which it is mentioned that while
reckoning a person's deeds, a card will be placed in the balance on which the
kalimah JI yı JI y will be written. This card will weigh more than a heap of bad
deeds. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 51 - 73
Verses 48 - 50
y
وَلَقَدْ أَنَّيْنَا مُوسَى وَهُرُوْنَ الْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَاءً وَّذِكْرًا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾
الَّذِيْنَ يَخْشَوُنَ رَبَّهُمُ بِالْغَيْبِ وَهُمْ مِّنَ السَّاعَةِ مُشْفِقُونَ ﴿٤٩)
ع
وَلهُذَا ذِكُرٌ مُّبَرَكْ آَنْزَلْنُهُ ﴿ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُوْنَ
And We gave Musa and Harun criterion and a light and
an advice for the God-fearing, [48] those who have awe
of their Lord, though unseen, and are apprehensive of
the Hour. [49] And this is a blessed advice We have sent
down. Is it then you are rejecting it? [50]
Commentary
Criterion and light and an advice for the) الْفُرُقَانَ وَضِيَاءً وَّذِكْرًا لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ
God-fearing - 21:48) The three attributes which belong to Torah are su"
(criterion) which differentiates between right and wrong second is se
(light) which provides light and manifestation of truth to hearts, and the
third is 33 (advice) which is a source of guidance for the people. Some
explain 30% as help from God which was available to Sayyidna Musa
at all times. It was manifest when he was raised in the Pharaoh's house,
then at the time of his contest with the Egyptian magicians which
resulted in the Pharaoh's discomfiture, and again when he was pursued
by the Pharaoh and his army and Allah saved him by causing dry
passageways to appear in the river and, after the Bani Isra'il had crossed
over to the other side, by drowning the Pharaoh and his army. Even after
this incident Allah's help was available to him at all times. Qurtubi has
pointed out that whereas . (light) and $3 (advice) are the attributes of
Torah, ou's (criterion) is something else and not an attribute of Torah,
because of the use of the conjunctive letter Wało () after the word ou
(Allah knows best).
Verses 51 - 73
وَلَقَدْ أَتَيْنَآ إِبْرِهِيُمَ رُشْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عُلِمِيْنَ ﴿أَمْ﴾ إِذْ قَالَ
لاَبِيْهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَاهَذِهِ التَّمَاثِيْلُ الَّتِىَّ أَنْتُمْ لَهَا عُكِفُونَ ﴿٢﴾ قَالُوا

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وَجَدْنَآ أَبَاءَنَا لَهَا عِبِدِيْنَ ﴿٥٣﴾ قَالَ لَقَدُ كُنْتُمُ أَنْتُمْ وَابَاؤُ كُمْ فِىُ
ضَللِ مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿٥٤﴾ قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا بِالْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنْتَ مِنَ اللّعِبِيْنَ ﴿٥٥﴾
قَالَ بَلْ رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الَّذِى فَطَرَهُنَّ ◌ٍ وَأَنَا عَلى
ذلِكُمْ مِّنَ الشُّهِدِيْنَ ﴿٥٦﴾ وَتَاللّهِ لَاَكِيْدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا
مُدْبِيْنَ ﴿٥٧﴾ فَجَعَلَهُمُ جُذْدًا إِلاَّ كَبِيْرًا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ
﴿٥٨﴾ قَالُوا مَنْ فَعَلَ هَذَا بِلِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظُلِمِينَ ﴿٩﴾ قَالُوا
سَمِعْنَا فَتَّى يَّذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ، إِبْرِهِيُمُ ﴿٦٠﴾ قَالُوا فَأَتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنٍ
النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ﴿٦١﴾ قَالُوَا ◌َنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا بِلِهَتِنَا
◌ِبْرِهِيُمُ ﴿١٢﴾ قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَة ◌ٌ كَبِيْرُهُمْ هذَا فَسُثَلُوُهُمْ إِنْ كَانُوا
يَنْطِقُوْنَ ﴿٦٣﴾ فَرَجَعُوَّا إِلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوا إِنَّكُمُ أَنْتُمُ الظُّلِمُوْنَ
لا
ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمُ، لَقَدْ عَلِمُتَ مَا هؤُلاءِ يَنْطِقُونَ
٤
﴿٦٥﴾ قَالَ أَفْتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُكُمُ شَيْئًا وَّلاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ
﴿٢﴾ أُفٍ لَّكُمْ وَ لِمَا تَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّهِ ، أَفَلاَ تَعُقِلُونَ ﴿ ٦٧﴾
قَالُوا حَرِّقُوْهُ وَانْصُرُوَّ الِهَتَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَعِلِيْنَ ﴿٦٨) قُلْنَا يَتَارُ كُوُنِى
بَرْدًا وَّ سَلْمًا عَلَىِّ إِبْرِهِيُمَ ﴿٢٩﴾ وَآَرَادُوْا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنُهُمُ
الْآَخْسَرِيْنَ ﴿١٠﴾ وَنَجَّيْنْهُ وَلُوْطًا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِىُ بَرَكُنَا فِيْهَا
لِلْغَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٧١﴾ وَوَهَبْنَا لَةَ إِسْخِقَ * وَيَعْقُوُبَ نَافِلَةٌ، وَكُلاَّ جَعَلْنَا
صلِحِيْنَ ﴿٧٢﴾ وَجَعَلُنُهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَّهُدُونَ بِأَمُرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ فِعُلَ
الْخَيْرتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلوَةِ وَإِيْتَاءَ الزَّكوةِ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَبِدِيْنَ ﴿٧٣﴾
جلا
And earlier We had given Ibrahim his guidance, and We
knew him well, [51] when he said to his father and his
people, "What are these statues you are devoted to?" [52]
..
They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them,"

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[53] He said, "Surely you and your fathers have been in
open error." [54] They said, "Did you come to us with
truth or are you of those who make fun?" [55] He said,
"No, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth,
who has created them, and I am one of those who bear
witness to it. [56] And I swear by Allah that I will do
something to your idols after you are gone, turning
your backs." [57]
Then, he turned them into pieces, save the big one of
them, so that they may come back to him. [58] They
said, "Who has done this to our gods? He is one of the
wrongdoers, indeed". [59] Some of them said, "We have
heard a youth speaking of them. He is called Ibrahim."
[60] They said, "Then, bring him before the eyes of the
people, so that they may see". [61] They said, "Is it you O
Ibrahim who has done this to our gods?" [62] He said,
"Rather, this is done by this chief of theirs. So, ask
them if they were to speak." [63] So they turned to
themselves and said, "In fact, you are the wrongdoers,"
[64] Then, they reversed their position upside down
(saying) "You already knew that they do not speak." [65]
He said, "Do you then worship, beside Allah, what does
neither benefit you in the least nor harm you? [66] Fie
upon you and upon what you worship other than Allah.
Do you then not understand?" [67] They said, "(O people)
burn him and help your gods, if you are to take action."
[68]
We said, "O fire, be cold and safe for Ibrahim." [69] And
they intended to harm him, but We made them the
worst losers. [70] And We rescued him and Lut towards
the land we blessed for all the worlds. [71] And We
blessed him with Ishaq and Ya'qub as gift, and each one
of them We made righteous. [72] And We made them the
imams who guide (people) under Our command, and We
inspired them to do good deeds and to establish salah
and pay zakah. And Us alone they worshipped. [73]
Commentary
And I swear by Allah that I will do something to) وَتَاللَّهِ لَاَكِيْدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُمْ
your idols - 21:57) The wording of the verse indicates that Sayyidna
Ibrahim &Cel spoke these words before his community. But this

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explanation leaves a little doubt in one's mind because Sayyidna Ibrahim
¿El had excused himself from going to the Eid festival by pleading illness
( - I am sick - 37:89). And when they found their idols broken, they
started a search for the culprit. If they already knew what he had said
about their idols and that he had stayed behind alone when they had
gone to attend the Eid function, then it was fairly obvious that he had
broken the idols. Then where was the need for them to go looking for the
offender? There are more than one explanations to this situation. One,
that since Sayyidna Ibrahim Nyel was the only one holding these views
and enjoyed no standing in the community, people might have ignored
and even forgotten what he had said as something of no consequence.
(Bayan ul-Qur'an). Two, that those who were looking for the culprit were
a different lot of people and were not aware of what he (Sayyidna
Ibrahim &gel )had said about their idols. While in a third version Mujahid
and Qatadah are of the view that Sayyidna Ibrahim &gel did not speak
these words before other people, but only pictured the situation in his
mind, or had said that only at heart, or he might have spoken them
before one or two old persons after the people had left for the festival.
Later, when the idols were found broken and the people started looking
for the one who did it, these old men revealed the secret to them. (Qurtubi)
which means جذّ is the plural for جُذَاذ The word (21:58) فَجَعَلَهُمُ جُذْذًا
fragment or piece. Thus its meaning is that Sayyidna Ibrahim Xcel broke
the idols into small pieces.
Gs W (Save the big one of them - 21:58) That is, only the biggest
idol was left intact and all the rest were broken. It is possible that the one
which was left unbroken was either bigger in size or higher in esteem
with the unbelievers.
So that they may come back to him - 21:58) There can be) لَعَلَّهُمُ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ
three explanations to this expression. One, if the object of JI (to him) is
Sayyidna Ibrahim Seal then the meaning would be that he himself
wanted the unbelievers to ask him why he had broken the idols which
would give him a chance to sneer at them that what they worshipped
could not even look after themselves. The second meaning of 30;" !
could be that he destroyed the idols in the hope that when the unbelievers
saw them in pieces it might convince them of the futility of idol-worship
and cause their return toward the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim Sal .

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The third explanation is given by Kalbi. He says that the object of Í is
$ (the big). In that case the explanation would be that when the
unbelievers, on their return saw the idols in pieces except the big one,
who had a hammer resting on his shoulder, they might turn towards it for
an explanation and getting no response from it they would see for
themselves the helplessness of the idol.
The words of Sayyidna Ibrahim &dl were not untrue, but only
allusions
He said, "Rather, this is done by) قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَه، قَ كَبِيُرُهُمُ لهُذَا فَسُثَلُوُهُمُ إِنْ كَانُوا يَنْطِقُونَ
this chief of theirs. So, ask them if they were to speak." - 21:63) When the
community of Sayyidna Ibrahim &ya got hold of him and asked him to
confess his guilt, he said "The big one among them has done it. Why don't
you ask him, if he can speak"?
The point to consider here is that the idols were broken by Sayyidna
Ibrahim &gal and its denial and attributing the deed to the big idol, was
contrary to fact and constituted an untruth. The exalted position of
Sayyidna Ibrahim & renders such a conclusion untenable. The
exegesists have put forward several explanations to sort out this matter.
One of them is that his statement is in the nature of an assumption i.e.
why not consider the possibility that the deed was done by the big idol?
And a supposition which is contrary to facts is not a lie as the Qur'an itself
says ◌َإِنْ كَانَ لِلرَّحُمْنِ وَلَدْ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْعَابِدِين (If the Rahman [All-Merciful] has a son
then I am the first to serve him - 43:81). But the most convincing and
straight forward explanation is the one adopted by al-Bahr ul-Muhit,
Qurtubi and Ruh ul-Ma'ani, which says that it is a metaphoric attribution
العليا that is the act which was done by Sayyidna Ibrahim , (اسناد مجازى)
was attributed to the big idol by way of metaphoric attribution because it
was this idol which, by reason of the reverence that it commanded in the
whole community, persuaded Sayyidna Ibrahim Se to do what he did
with the smaller idols. It is like amputating a thief's hand and then telling
him that none but his own misdeeds are responsible for the amputation.
Sayyidna Ibrahim && had also attributed the breaking of the idols to
the big idol by placing an axe on its shoulder or in its hands, thus
pointing an accusing finger towards it. He reinforced this suspicion by his
word when he suggested to the unbelievers that they should enquire from
the big idol as to who had destroyed the other idols. It is a case of

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metaphoric attribution (اسناد مجازى) which is very well illustrated in an
Arabic saying انبت الربيع البقلة ,that is the spring rains have raised crops.
Although in actual fact it is God who produces and nourishes the crops,
yet it has been ascribed to a visible cause, and no one can call it a lie. In
the same manner Sayyidna Ibrahim && was not telling an untruth
when he attributed the act to the big idol. His adoption of this act of
dissimulation in fact served many religious interests; one of them being to
make the people aware of the possibility that perhaps the big idol was
infuriated with the smaller idols because they too were worshipped with
the same degree of reverence as itself. If they could be made to think on
these lines, it could have opened the route to belief in the Oneness of
Allah. If the big idol was not willing to accept the idols as objects of
worship how could Allah, the Creator of all living things, agree to share
His authority with anyone?
Secondly, perhaps they also wondered that if the idols whom they
worshipped were really as powerful as they thought them to be, how
could anyone have broken them with impunity? Thirdly, if the charge of
breaking the smaller idols could be laid against the big idol, then it would
be quite pertinent to ask that in that event it should also have the power
of speech. That is why Sayyidna Ibrahim ◌َِّالث said ◌َفَسُئَلُوُهُمُ إِنْ كَانُوا يَنْطِقُون (So,
ask them if they were to speak. - 21:63). Thus it is really not necessary to
put far fetched meanings into his words which should be interpreted in a
plain, straight forward manner. He attributed the deed to the big idol by
way of metaphoric attribution. This was not contrary to facts nor did it
constitute an untruth.
Three untruths ascribed to Sayyidna Ibrahim Se
Now the point to consider is that the Holy Prophet
himself has said
انّ ابراهيم عليه السلام لم يكذب غير ثلاث according to some authentic traditions that
(Bukhari and Muslim). That is Sayyidna Ibrahim &cd never spoke an
untruth except on three occasions, and then those three occasions have
been described in the same hadith in some detail. The saying goes on to
narrate that two out of the three untruths were spoken solely in the way
of Allah. One of them is this verse i.e. ◌ْبَلُ فَعَلَه، كَبِيرُهُم (Rather this is done by
this chief - 21:63). The second one relates to Eid day when he said to his
family " (I am sick - 37:89), and the third one was spoken to save his
wife, from harm. This happened when he was travelling with his wife

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Sayyidah Sarah رضى الله عنها , and passed through a settlement whose ruler
was cruel and depraved and who used to seize the wives of other people
and subject them to sexual abuse. However, he spared those who were
accompanied by their fathers or brothers. When Sayyidna Ibrahim Sel
reached this city, the ruler was informed about the arrival of the couple.
So he got Sayyidah Sarah رضى الله عنها arrested and brought before him.
When the ruler's men came to arrest her, they enquired from Sayyidna
Ibrahim && about his relationship with her. Fearing the evil intentions
of the wicked ruler Sayyidna Ibrahim &&all said that she was his sister. (It
is this episode which is referred to in the hadith as the third lie) Despite
this declaration they took her away with them. Sayyidna Ibrahim
had already briefed her that she should also tell the ruler that she was his
sister, because according to Islamic relationship they were brother and
sister as they were the only two Muslims in that land and hence according
to Muslim brotherhood that relationship was valid. Sayyidna Ibrahim
SKEll lacked the strength to defend himself and his wife against the ruler
and his men, so he started praying to invoke Allah's Mercy. When
Sayyidah Sarah Le dl , was brought before the ruler, he started
making advances to her, and in punishment he was turned into a cripple.
Then he begged her to pray for him to return to normal in which case he
would let her go without harm. When Sayyidah Sarah رضى الله عنها prayed
for him and he returned to normal, he broke his promise and again tried
to molest her and again became a cripple. This was repeated thrice and
ultimately he gave up and sent back Sayyidah Sarah to Sayyidna
Ibrahim Cel . This is a summary of the hadith. However, three lies have
been ascribed to Sayyidna Ibrahim SEE clearly in this hadith which is
against the position and dignity of the prophethood. But the hadith
contains in itself a refutation of this charge i.e. none of the three episodes
reveal that a deliberate lie was told. They were mere dissimulations (45)
which are permissible and legitimate if spoken in defense of oneself from
cruelty and do not fall within the definition of a lie. The reasoning for this
is given in the hadith itself i.e. Sayyidna Ibrahim Skal had told Sayyidah
Sarah that he had informed the ruler's men that she was his sister and
that she should also say the same, because they were indeed brother and
sister in the wider sense of universal Muslim brotherhood. This is called
tauriyah (dissembling) where the words used may be interpreted
differently, so that the listener understands them one way whereas the

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speaker means something else. Tauriyah is permissible by consensus of
Islamic jurists if used to save oneself from injustice. This is totally
different from Shiite's Taqqiyah (4%), which is an outright lie. In
Taqqaiya one does not only speak a lie but also acts on it, while in the
case of tauriyah it is not a lie in the real sense as the speaker uses words
which are capable of conveying his intentions as in the case of Sayyidna
Ibrahim
calling Sayyidah Sarah as his sister which was true in the
sense that both were Muslims and Islam constitutes a universal
brotherhood. Same argument can be put forward in the case of his other
two utterances. It has been explained above that he said بَلُ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُم as a
tauriyah to refer the act toward the big idol by way of metaphor ( !
in common parlance the word Saqeem, إنّى سَقِيمٌ ,As for his saying .(مجازى
('") means sick but it also means depressed, dejected, despondent and
weak. Sayyidna Ibrahim &CE said "a- 2) in the latter sense which was
absolutely true keeping in considering his feelings against the
unbelievers, but the people took it in the popular sense i.e. sickness. Then
the wording of the hadith that two out of the three lies were to promote
belief in the One and true Allah suggests that they were not sins, because
no one can hope to please Allah by committing an act of sin.
It is sheer ignorance to deny the authenticity of the lies of
Sayyidna Ibrahim &
Some Muslims who are influenced by the writings of western
orientalists and Mirza Qadyani have declared this saying as unauthentic
despite the fact that its narrators are reliable persons, because it accuses
Sayyidna Ibrahim &ka of lying which is against the spirit of Qur'an, and
that it is better to declare all the narrators of the saying as unreliable
rather than to label Sayyidna Ibrahim & as a liar. From this they also
made a rule that any saying, no matter how authentic its source might
be, should be rejected if it is in conflict with the teachings of Qur'an. This
ruling is absolutely valid and acceptable to entire Ummah, but the point is
that the religious scholars have spent all their lives in researching each
and every hadith, and none of those which they have accepted as
authentic conflicts with the teachings of the Qur'an. Such people lacking
knowledge and being misguided do not hesitate to reject a hadith and
then justify the rejection by arguing that it is in conflict with the Qur'an.
In the present case the saying itself makes it clear that the words which

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may be interpreted as lies is only tauriyah. As for the question why the
words of tauriyah are called lies in the saying, the answer is that the
slightest slip of those who are close to God is taken seriously, as can be
seen in the previous Surah Taha when Sayyidna 'Adam's Sal slip and
mistake is referred by the word Las (disobeyed - 21:121) and se (got
misled - 20:121). It can be seen that whereas small mistakes can be
forgiven and set aside in the case of common people, the same slips are
considered as serious offences when committed by those who are dear to
Allah Ta'ala. The Holy Qur'an recounts at many places Allah's
displeasure over prophets in such situations. The hadith of Shafa ah
(intercession before Allah Ta'ala) which is famous and well known says
that on the Day of Resurrection all people will gather together and
request prophets from Sayyidna 'Adam & upto the last prophet who
came before the coming of the Holy Prophet
one by one for Shafa'ah
(intercession) that they be judged quickly. Every prophet will excuse
himself from Shafa'ah (intercession) recounting one or more of his slips or
mistakes. At last the entire humanity will approach the last of the
prophets Sayyidna Muhammad
and he will perform ashshafa'ah
al-kubra. According to this saying Sayyidna Ibrahim del will excuse
himself quoting these utterances which though said as tauriyah and
were, therefore, not lies in actual fact, were, none the less, below the
dignity of a prophet. This lapse has been described as a lie in the hadith.
This was well within the prerogative of the Holy Prophet #g, and to the
extent of narration of this saying we too may repeat it. But it is not
permitted to anyone, except, when quoting the Qur'an or this hadith, to
say that Sayyidna Ibrahim Scal had told a lie. The same view has been
taken by Qurtubi and al-Bahr ul-Muhit in the commentary of Surah
Ța-Ha in connection with Sayyidna Adam El.
Reference to a delicate hint regarding sincerity of action arising
from the saying
Out of the three lies which have been attributed to Sayyidna Ibrahim
Sell in the saying two are said to be in the way of Allah Ta'ala, but the
third lie which was about Sayyidah Sarah Que Jl ~~ , was not said to be in
the way of Allah Ta'ala, although saving the chastity of one's wife is very
much a part of religious duty. On this point, in the commentary by
Qurtubi, a very delicate suggestion by Qazi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-'Arabi has

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been reproduced which is apt to shatter the peace of mind of the pious
and God fearing persons: in saving the chastity of one's wife, though an
act of religious duty, there was also an element of personal interest in
protecting his wife's honour. Because of the mixed motives this third
incident has been excluded from the category of acts which are performed
for Allah Ta'ala, because Allah Ta'ala has said ◌ُآلاَ لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِص (Look, to
Allah alone belongs the pure faith - 39:3). Had some common man like us
been involved in such an incident, then the act would have surely
qualified as an act which are performed to win the goodwill of God. But in
view of the exalted position of the prophets, the smallest degree of
personal motive was regarded against the perfect quality of their
devotion.
How the fire of Namrud turned into pleasant garden for Sayyidna
Ibrahim XE
Those who do not believe in miracles and supernatural events have
given strange meaning to this episode. The philosophical assumption: that
attributes which are attached with and complementary to something are
not separable - is by itself fallacious. The fact is that nothing in this world
is essential to or inseparable from something else. God gave to fire an
attribute that it should burn and to water that it should cool, but these
attributes are customary and habitual but not rationally necessary. No
philosopher has so for been able to advance a convincing argument about
these attributes being rational.
Thus these attributes being only habitual, they can be changed
whenever God so wills. If God so wills, fire can act as a coolant and water
as a burning agent, and it cannot be held as rationally impossible. This is
what happens when Allah Ta'ala reveals His miracles in support of the
missions of His prophets. Thus He commanded the fire of Namrud to cool
down and the fire obeyed, and if the word is, (cool) was not followed by
the word L. (safe) the fire would have cooled like ice and would have
caused him harm. The Qur'an says about the people of Nuh &9 when
they were drowned in water that أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا (they were drowned, and
admitted into a Fire - 71:25).
(Burn him - 21:68) that is the entire community and Namrud
decided to burn him in fire. The historic version is that for full one month
the entire population of the city were busy collecting fire wood for this

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purpose. Then after lighting the fire wood they fanned it to make it burn
ferociously for the next seven days, until the flames rose high up into the
sky. When the fire blazed with full ferocity they decided to throw
Sayyidna Ibrahim Nyel into it. But the fire was burning with such
intensity that no one dared to approach it. Then the Satan gave them the
idea to use a catapult to throw him into the fire. While people were
preparing to throw Allah's Friend (J.L) into the sea of fire all the angels
and all the creatures of the earth and sky cried out in unison at the fate
that lay in store for Sayyidna Ibrahim &C. At that Allah Ta'ala
permitted them all to help Sayyidna Ibrahim Sal. When the angels
asked Sayyidna Ibrahim & whether he needed their help. He replied
that Allah was enough to help him and that He was watching over him.
Jibra'il al-Ameen SEEl enquired whether he could render him any help to
which Sayyidna Ibrahim & replied, "of course I need help, but from
Allah, not from you". (Mazhari)
We said, "O fire, be cold and safe for) قُلْنَا يَنَارُ كُوُنِىُ بَرُدًا وَّسَلاَمًا عَلَى إِبْرِهِيُمَ
Ibrahim." - 21:69) As stated above, one explanation of the fire becoming
cool and comfortable for Sayyidna Ibrahim &El could be that it ceased to
be fire and changed into a pleasant breeze. However, the more plausible
explanation is that the fire remained as fire but did not touch the body of
Sayyidna Ibrahim &Cel , although it burnt other things around him, so
much so that it even burnt down the rope which bound him.
According to some historic versions he remained in the fire for seven
days and used to recall that those seven days were the most comfortable
time of his entire life. (Mazhari)
وَنَجِّيْنُهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِىُ بَرَكُنَا فِيْهَا لِلْغَلَمِيْنَ
And We rescued him and Lut towards the land We blessed for
all the worlds. - 71
That is, We delivered Sayyidna Ibrahim and Sayyidna Lut (>J 4,le
from the land ('Iraq) where Namrud ruled and sent them to the peaceful
land of Syria where our bounties were in abundance, not only for the
locals but for the people of the world. Syrian land abounds both inwards
and outwards bounties of Allah Ta'ala. Inward bounties in the sense that
many prophets were born in this land, and outward bounty in the sense
that it has a moderate climate and is full of natural beauty with greenery,

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 74 - 75
springs and streams all around and sustains a large variety of vegetation,
fruits and flowers.
And We blessed him with Ishaq and Ya qub as) وَوَهَبْنَا لَهْ اِسُحِقَ وَيَعُقُوُبَ نَافِلَةً
gift - 21:72) That is, Allah Ta'ala had bestowed upon him the son Ishaq
Sell as per his supplication and in addition to that a grandson Ya'qub
Stell as a gift. This is why he is referred to as nafilah which originally
means 'extra'.
Verses 74 - 75
وَلُوُطًا أَيْنُهُ حُكُمًا وَّعِلُمًا وَنَجِيْنُهُ مِنَ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِىُ كَانَتْ تَّعُمَلُ
الْخَبِثَ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فُسِقِيْنَ ﴿١٢٤﴾ وَآَدْخَلْنُهُ فِىٌ رَحْمَتِنَاء
إِنَّهَ مِنَ الصُّلِحِيْنَ ﴿٧٥﴾
As for Lut, We gave him wisdom and knowledge and We
delivered him from the town that used to do dirty deeds.
Indeed, they were the people of evil, the sinners. [74]
And We admitted him to Our mercy. Indeed, He was of
the righteous. [75]
Commentary
The name of the city from which Sayyidna Lut Se
was saved and
which has been mentioned in these verses was Sodom. There were seven
other townships under this city which were thrown upside down by
Jibra'll Mal except one which was left intact for Lut Sal and his
followers. (Ibn 'Abbas, Qurțubi)
meaning خَبِيثَه Khaba'ith) is the plural of) خَبَائِث (21:74 تَعْمَلُ الْخَبِثَ)
wickedness. Too many wicked things collectively are called Khaba'ith
(¿JLs). Their most abominable practice in which even the animals do not
indulge, was sodomy or homosexuality. It is possible that because of its
extreme wicked nature this practice is referred to as - that is in plural
instead of & in singular, as some commentators have explained. The
second explanation is that the people of Sodom also indulged in other bad
habits such as drinking, singing, shaving off beard, growing moustaches,
wearing silk clothes, stone throwing, whistling etc. (Ruh ul-Ma'ani).

208
Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 78 - 82
Verses 76 - 77
وَنُوْحًا إِذْ نَادِى مِنْ قَبْلُ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ، فَنَجَيُنْهُ وَاَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرُبِ
الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٢﴾ وَنَصَرْتُهُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذِّبُوا بِيثِنَاء ◌ِنَّهُمُ كَانُوا
قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْتُهُمْ أَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿٧٧﴾
And (remember) Nuh, when he called (for help) earlier,
so We responded to him and saved him and his family
from the terrible agony, [76] and helped him against the
people who belied Our verses. Indeed, they were the
people of evil, therefore, We drowned them all. [77]
Commentary
وَنُوْحًا إِذْ نَادِى مِنْ قَبْلُ
And (remember) Nuh, when he called (for help) earlier - 21:76
Here j#3; (earlier) means before the time of Sayyidna Ibrahim and
Sayyidna Lut عليهما السلام , whose account has just preceded in previous
verses. As for the prayer of Nuh &gel, which is referred to here briefly, the
version given in Surah Nuh is that Sayyidna Nuh & had cursed his
people, رَبِّ لَا تَذَرُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا (My Lord, leave not upon the earth of
the unbelievers even one - 71:26). It is reported at another place that
when the people of Nuh Sal did not listen to him at all, he prayed to
Allah Tarala ◌ُآنِى مَغُلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِر (I am vanquished; do Thou succour me! - 54:10)
so You take revenge from them.
So, We responded to him and saved) فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَه، فَنَجِّيُنْهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكُرُبِ الْعَظِيمِ
him and his family from the terrible agony - 21:76) Here the expression
'terrible agony' either refers to the drowning in the deluge which
annihilated the entire people or the torture which he and his followers
suffered at the hands of those people.
Verses 78 - 82
وَدَاؤُدَ وَ سُلَيُمْنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمْنِ فِى الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتُ فِيْهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ؟
وَكُنَّا لِحُكُمِهِمْ شَهِدِيْنَ ﴿٧٨﴾ فَفَهَّمُنْهَا سُلَيْمُنَ وَكُلاَّ أَيْنَا
حُكْمًا وَّ عِلْمًا، وَّسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاؤَدَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحُنَ وَالطَّيْرَ ، وَكُنَّا