Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
with a great enthusiasm, but the advances made by non-Arabs in the ac-
quirement of the Arabic language and its promotion and wider dissemi-
nation did not lag behind the Arabs.
It is certainly an astonishing fact that, in our time, the number of
books on Arabic language, usage and grammar present in the world hap-
pen to have been written by non-Arabs. And their contribution to the ser-
vices rendered for the collection and documentation of the Qur'an and
Sunnah, and in its exegesis and explication, has not been any lesser
than Arabs.
So, it was in this manner that the language of the Holy Prophet
and the Book he was given, despite being Arabic, overtook the whole
world. At least, for all practical purposes of Da'wah (Call) and Tabligh
(Spreading of the Message), the difference of Arab and non-Arab was
eliminated. In every country and community, and among peoples speak-
ing non-Arab languages, rose such 'Ulama' who communicated to their
own people the teachings of Qur'an and Sunnah through their indige-
nous languages, easily and effectively. Thus, the wisdom of sending a
messenger speaking the language of the addressed people stood realized
and proved.
Toward the end of the verse it was said that it is for the convenience
of people that Allah Ta'ala has sent His messengers speaking their lan-
guage, so that they can explain His injunctions to them clearly and satis-
factorily. But, it is still beyond human control to bring someone onto the
right path. The truth is that it lies in the power of Allah Ta'ala alone.
Whom He wills He lets go astray and whom He wills He would give guid-
ance. He is Mighty, and Wise.
Verses 5 - 8
وَلَقَدُ اَرُسَلْنَا مُوسَى بَأْتِنَآ أَنْ أَخُرِجُ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمْتِ إِلىَ النُّوْرة
وَذَكِرُهُمْ بِأَيْمِ اللّهِ ، إِنَّ فِىُ ذُلِكَ لأَيْتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُوُرٍ ﴿﴿ وَإِذُ
قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوُمِهِ اذْكُرُوا نِعُمَةَ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنْحُكُمُ مِّنُ الِ
فِرُعَوْنَ يَسُوُمُوْنَكُمُ سُوَّءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَّبّحُوْنَ ابْنَاءَ كُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُوْنَ

250
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
نِسَآءَ كُمُ ، وَفِىُ ذُلِكُمْ بَلَاءٌ مِّنُ رَّبِّكُمُ عَظِيمٌ ﴿﴿ وَإِذْ تَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمُ
لَئِنُ شَكَرْتُمْ لَاَزِيُدَّتَّكُمُ وَلَّيْنُ كَفَرَّتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِىُ لَشَدِيْدٌ ﴿٢﴾ وَقَالَ
مُؤُسُىَ إِنْ تَكْفُرُونَا أَنْتُمُ وَمَنُ فِى الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ
حَمِيْدٌ ﴿1﴾
And surely, We sent Musa with Our signs saying, "Bring
your people out of (all sorts of) darkness* into the light
and remind them of the days of Allah .** Surely, there
are signs therein for every man of patience and grati-
tude. [5]
And when Musa said to his people, "Remember Allah's
blessing upon you when He delivered you from Pha-
raoh's people who have been inflicting on you a grie-
vous torment, slaughtering your sons and leaving your
women alive. And in that there was a great trial from
your Lord." [6]
And when your Lord declared, "If you express gratitude,
I shall certainly give you more, and if you are ungrate-
ful, then My punishment is severe." [7]
And Musa said, "If you are ungrateful, you and all those
on earth, then, Allah is free of all needs, worthy of every
praise. " [8]
Commentary
The first verse cited above (5) mentions that Allah Ta'ala sent Sayyid-
na Musa Scal with His 'Ayat' (verses or signs) to bring his people out
from the darkness of disbelief and disobedience into the light of faith
and obedience.
The word: Su (Ayat ) could mean the verses of the Torah for its very
purpose was to spread the light of truth. 'Ayat' is at times used in the
sense of miracles. At this place, this meaning could also apply for Allah
Ta'ala had particularly blessed Sayyidna Musa ka with nine miracles
out of which the miracle of his staff turning into a snake and his hand
becoming radiant have been mentioned at several places in the Qur'an.
If 'Ayat' is taken in the sense of miracles, it would mean that Sayyidna
*. Please see footnote on the first verse of this Surah.
*
. The 'Days of Allah' here refers to the events of the past when Allah had graced
some people with His favours and subjected some others to His punishment.

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
Musa Xcell was sent with such open miracles that no sane human being,
once he had seen them, could ever go on sticking to his earlier denial and
disobedience.
A Subtle Point
It will be noted that the word used in this verse is: ' (qawm) while
asking Sayyidna Musa Sua to bring his people from darkness into the
light. But, when this very subject was taken up in the first verse of this
particular Surah by addressing the Holy Prophet , the word:
(qawm) was not used there. Instead, used there was the word: 'uf
(an-nas) :ِلِتُخُرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمُتِ إِلَى النُّور (that you may take the people [that is,
the human beings] out of [all sorts of] darkness into the light). Implied
here is the sense that the Divinely ordained mission of Sayyidna Musa
del as a prophet was only for his people, the Bani Isra'il, and for others
in Egypt while the coming of the Holy Prophet #2 was destined for the
human beings of the entire world.
Then, it was said : ◌ِوَذَكِّرُهُمُ بأيم اللّه (and remind them of the days of
Allah).
'The Days of Allah'
The word: ju (ayyam) is the plural of yowm (day) which is
well-known. The expression: JU ffi (Ayyamullah) is used in two senses
and both can be applied here. (1) Firstly, it could denote the particular
days in which some war or revolution has occured, for example, the bat-
tles of Badr, Uhud, Ahzab, Hunain and other events of this nature, or
they may refer to major events when punishment overtook past commu-
nities which pulverized or destroyed nations and peoples known to be
great and powerful. If so, the objective behind reminding these people of
the 'Days of Allah' would be to warn them against the evil end of their
disbelief.
(2) "And remind them of 'the Days of Allah" carries another meaning
also, that is, the blessings and favours of Allah Ta'ala. In this case, re-
minding them of these Days would be a form of constructive admonition
which, when directed at someone basically good by reminding him of the
favour done by his benefactor, would result in his being ashamed of his
hostility and disobedience.

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
The general pattern of the Qur'anic method of reform is to tie a com-
mand given with relevant ways to act upon it which appear synchron-
ized with it. Here, in the first sentence, Sayyidna Musa
has been com-
manded to either recite the verses of Allah or show miracles to his
people and bring them out from the darkness of disbelief into the light of
faith. How would this be done? The sentences that follow give the meth-
od: There are two ways of bringing the disobedient ones to the right
path: (1) Putting the fear of punishment in their hearts; (2) to remind
them of Divine blessings and favours and to persuade them to take to
being obedient to Allah. The sentence: ◌ِذَكِّرُهُمُ بأييم اللَّه (and remind them of
the Days of Allah) could mean both. If so, the sense would be that he
should tell them about the evil fate of those who disobeyed from among
the past communities, how punishment came upon them and how they
were either killed in the Jihad or were disgraced. May be, by being so re-
minded, they take a lesson and save themselves from it. Similar to this
there are so many usual blessings of Allah Ta'ala which keep coming to
them day and night, and also the special ones which were turned to-
wards them in the hour of their need, for example, the shade of clouds
over their heads in the wilderness of Tih (the desert of Sinai), the coming
of Mann and Salva as food, the gushing forth of streams from stones
when they needed water. So, they could be reminded of these and many
other blessings of this nature and invited to believe in the Oneness of
Allah and follow the path of obedience to Allah Ta'ala.
إِنَّ فِىُ ذَلِكَ لأَيْتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّار:Said in the last sentence of the first verse (5) was
„'s (Surely, there are signs therein for every man of patience and grati-
tude). Here, 'ayat' means signs and proofs. The word: jú. (sabbar) is a
form of exaggeration derived from: " (sabr) which means very patient
and much enduring, while the word: "<'s (shakur) is a form of exaggera-
tion derived from: ' (shukr) which means very grateful. The sentence
means that the Days of Allah - that is, past events whether related to
the punishment of the deniers of truth, or to the blessings and favours of
Allah Ta'ala - are full of the signs and proofs of the perfect power and elo-
quent wisdom of Allah Ta'ala, particularly for a person who is much ob-
serving of patience and gratitude.
The sense is that these open signs and proofs, though they are for
the guidance of every observer, but certainly unfortunate are the disbe-

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
lievers who just do not care to ponder over them and, as a result, remain
deprived of the benefit they would have derived from them. People who
really benefit from these signs and proofs are those who have combined
in their person the best of patience and gratitude. The reference here is
to true believers - as it appears in a narration of Sayyidna Anas 4ee car-
ried by al-Baihaqi where the Holy Prophet
has been reported to have
said: 'Iman is composed of two parts, half of it is patience and the other
half, gratitude.' (Mazhari)
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud tee said: Sabr is the half of 'Iman.
Based on a narration of Sayyidna Şuhayb 4,
appearing in the Sahih of
Muslim and the Musnad of Ahmad, the Holy Prophet
has been re-
ported to have said: Every state of affairs for a true believer is nothing
but good. This is a quality of life no one else has been blessed with. This
is because a true believer, if he finds comfort, blessing, honour or recogni-
tion, shows his gratitude before Allah Ta'ala for these which then be-
comes a source of good for him both physically and spiritually (in the ma-
terial world, the blessings Divinely promised increase, and abide, while
in the world to come, the Hereafter, one receives the greatest of rewards
for his or her gratitude). And, if a true believer is hit by pain or hard-
ship, he observes patience against it. Because of his patience, that hard-
ship turns into ease and comfort for him. In the present world, this hap-
pens when the observers of patience are blessed with the company of
Allah Ta'ala as said in the Holy Qur'an:َإِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصُّبْرِين (Surely , Allah is
with those who observe patience'- 8:46). And anyone who has Allah with
him ultimately finds his hardship changed into comfort. As for the Here-
after, we know that there the supreme reward for having observed pa-
tience is limitless with Allah Ta'ala, as said in the Holy Qur'an: why
but then, paid in full to those who observe patience) الصَّبِرُوُنَ اجُرَهُمُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
shall be their reward without reckoning - 39:10).
To sum up, no state in which a true believer is can be called bad. It is
good all along. A fall would make him rise again and when hit by hard-
ships he would emerge stronger and more polished.
So, 'Iman is a priceless asset which transforms even shocks of hard-
ship into drafts of comfort. Sayyidna Abu Al-Darda'
ge said that he had
heard the Holy Prophet & say: 'Allah Ta'ala told Sayyidna Isa XEM: I
am going to create a community after you who are such that if they have

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
what they desire and things turn out the way they want them to, then,
they would be grateful, and if they have to face an unpleasant situation,
against their wish and pleasure, then, they would accept it as a source of
reward from Allah, and would observe patience. And this wisdom and
forbearance demonstrated by them would not be the outcome of their
own personal wisdom and forbearance, rather, We shall be bestowing
upon them a certain part of Our Own Wisdom and Forbearance. (Mazhari)
The substance of the reality of gratitude (shukr) is that one should
not spend out the blessings given by Allah Ta'ala in what is Haram, in
things which are not permitted, and in being disobedient to Him. One
should also show gratitude by saying so as well, and by modeling and
channelizing one's deeds in a manner that they would go on to become ac-
cording to His good pleasure.
And the substance of the reality of patience (sabr) is that we should
not worry about what comes to be against our wishes, taste or tempera-
ment, and that we avoid being ungrateful in what we say or do; and that
we keep hoping for the mercy of Allah Ta'ala in this mortal life too, and
be certain of the great reward of patience due in the Hereafter as well.
The second verse (6) carries details of what was said earlier, that is,
when Sayyidna Musa Meal was commanded to remind his people, the
Bani Isra'il, of the particular Divine blessing which changed their lives.
Before the coming of Sayyidna Musa Seal, they were living as slaves of
the Pharaoh. Even as slaves, they were not treated humanly. Boys born
among them were killed at birth. Only girls were left to survive and
serve. After the appearance of Sayyidna Musa &Cel, such was his bara-
kah that Allah Ta'ala had them delivered from the punishing clutches of
the Pharaoh.
The Outcome of Gratitude and Ingratitude
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنُ شَكَرْتُمْ لَاَزِيْدَنَّكُمُ وَلَئِنُ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ :In the third verse (7), it was said
queste (And when your Lord declared, "If you express gratitude, I
shall certainly give you more, and if you are ungrateful, then My punish-
ment is severe."). The word: 33G (ta'adhdhana) is used in the sense of
making known or announcing. The sense of the verse is that Allah Ta'ala
has announced it for all to hear: 'If you are thankful for My blessings
and do not waste them in acts of disobedience to Me and in deeds which

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 5 - 8
have been prohibited, and try your best to mould your deeds to suit My
pleasure, then, I shall increase these blessings for you.' This increase
could be in the amount and volume of blessings, or it could be in their
continuity and permanence as well. The Holy Prophet g said: 'A person
who is blessed with the Taufiq to be grateful shall never be deprived of
barakah and increase in blessings.' (Reported by Ibn Marduwayh from Ibn
'Abbas - Mazhari)
And then it was said: If you are ungrateful for My blessings then se-
vere is My punishment too. The sum total of ungratefulness is that one
spends out the blessings given by Allah Ta'ala in acts disobedient to Him
and in things and ways which are impermissible; or, that one is tardy in
fulfilling what has been made obligatory on him or her. As for the severe
punishment against ungratefuness for blessings in the present world, it
is possible that these blessings may be taken back all of a sudden; or,
one may fall into some unwelcome circumstances as a result of which he
remains unable to make use of that blessing, and finds punishment wait-
ing for him in the Hereafter as well.
It is worth remembering at this point that in this verse, Allah Ta'ala
does promise good return, reward and increase in blessing, and that too
in an emphatic manner: Ky (I shall certainly give you more). But, in
contrast to this, for the ungrateful it was not said: y (I shall certain-
ly punish you). Instead of that, given here is a limited warning which
conveys the sense that 'My punishment too, to whomsoever it reaches, is
very severe.' In this particular interpretation, there is a hint that it is
not necessary that every ungrateful person has to undergo punishment -
the likelihood of forgiveness also exists.
قَالَ مُوُسْىَ إِنْ تَكُفُرُوَّا أَنْتُمُ وَمَنُ فِى الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا:In the last verse here (8), it was said
(And Musa said, "If you are ungrateful, you and all those on earth, then,
Allah is free of all needs, worthy of every praise.)" This was said by Sayy-
idna Musa &cal to his people. He is telling them that should they or, for
that matter, all inhabitants of the earth become ungrateful to Allah
Ta'ala, it is not going to cause any loss to Allah Ta'ala. As for Him, He
needs no praise or gratitude for Himself. He is Independent. He is bey-
ond that. He is intrinsically Praised and deserving of praise. If you do
not praise Him, the angels do, all of them, and so does every particle of
this universe.

256
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 9 - 15
So, whatever good there is in gratitude, that is for you alone. There-
fore, when you are asked to be grateful by Allah Ta'ala, there is no gain
for Him in doing so. In fact, it is His infinite mercy reaching out to you in
your interest.
Verses 9 - 15
أَلَمُ يَأْتِكُمُ نَبَؤُا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمُ قَوْمٍ نُوحٍ وَّعَادٍ وَنَّمُوُدَةُ وَالَّذِيْنَ مِنْ
بَعُدِهِمْ ءٌ لاَيَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللّهُ جَآءَ تُهُمُ رُسُلُهُمُ بِالْبَّنْتِ فَرَدُّوَا آَيْدِيَهُمُ
فِىُ أَفْوَاهِهِمُ وَقَالُوَّا إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَآ أُرُسِلْتُمُ بِهِ وَإِنَّا لَفِىُ شَكٍ مِّمَّا
تَدْعُوْنَنَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيُبٍ ﴿٤﴾ قَالَتْ رُسُلُهُمُ أَفِى اللُّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ السَّمُوْتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ ، يَدْعُوْكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَلَكُمْ مِّنْ ذُنُوبِكُمُ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمُ إِلَىّ اَجَلٍ
مُّسَمَّى ﴿ قَالُوًّا إِنُ أَنْتُمُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثُلُنَا تُرِيُدُوْنَ آَنُ تَصُدُّوْنَا عَمَّا كَانَ
يَعْبُدُ أَبَآؤُنَا فَأْتُوْنَا بسُلُطْنِ مُّبَيْنِ ﴿١٠﴾ قَالَتُ لَهُمُ رُسُلُهُمُ إِنُ نَّحُنُ إِلاَّ
بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمُ وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَنْ يَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ، وَمَا كَانَ لَنَّ
أَنْ تَأْتِيَكُمُ بِسُلُطْنٍ إِلاَّ بِذُنِ اللَّهِ ، وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
﴿١١)﴾ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللهِ وَقَدُ هَدْنَا سُبُلَنَاء وَلَنَصُبِرَنَّ عَلَى
مَآَ اذَيْتُمُوْنَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّل الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ ﴿١٢﴾ وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوا لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكُمُ مِّنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُوُدُنَّ فِىٌ مِلَتِنَاء فَأَوْحَىّ
إِلَيْهِمُ رَبُّهُمْ لَنُهُلِكَنَّالظُّلِمِيْنَ ﴿٢)﴾ وَلَنُسُكِنَنَّكُمُ الأَرْضَ مِنْ بَعُدِهِمْ
ـ ذُلِكَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامِىُ وَخَافَ وَعِيْدِ ﴿١٤﴾ وَاسْتَفْتَحُواْ وَخَابَ
كُلُّ جَبَّارِ عَنِيْدٍ ﴿١٥)
Has there not come to you the news of those before you,
the people of Nuh, 'Ad and Thamud and of those after
them. No one knows them except Allah. Their prophets
came to them with clear signs, but they turned their
hands into their mouths and said, "We reject what you
٠

257
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 16 - 17
are sent with, and we are certainly in confounding
doubt about what you are calling us to." [9]
Their prophets said, "Is there any doubt about Allah, the
Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you, so
that He may forgive you some of your sins and give you
time upto a specified term." They said, "You are nothing
but a human being like us. You want to prevent us from
what our forefathers used to worship. So, bring us some
clear authority." [10]
Their prophets said to them, "We are no more than a
human being like you, but Allah favours whom He wills
from His servants. It is not for us to bring you an author-
ity without Allah's permission. And in Allah the believ-
ers must place their trust. [11] And what is wrong with
us that we should not put our trust in Allah when He
has guided us to our paths? And certainly we shall en-
dure with patience whatever you afflict us with. And in
Allah should trust those who trust." [12]
And the disbelievers said to their prophets, "We shall
certainly expel you from our land unless you come back
to our faith." So, their Lord revealed to them, "We shall
surely destroy the transgressors, [13] and shall certainly
have you dwell in the land after them. This is for the
one who is fearful of standing before Me and is fearful of
My warning." [14] And they sought help and every obsti-
nate tyrant failed. [15]
Verses 16 - 17
مِّنُ وَّرَآئِهِ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسُقَى مِنْ مَّاءٍ صَدِيدٍ ﴿١) يَّتَحَرَّعُه، وَلاَ يَكَادُ
يُسِيْغُهُ، وَيَأْتِيُهِ الْمَوْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَّمَا هُوَ بِمَّيِّتٍ * وَ مِنُ وَّرَآئِه
عَذَابٌ غَلِيْظٌ ﴿١٧)
The Hell is before him, and he shall be made to drink
pus-fluid, [16] which he will arduously sip, and hardly
swallow. Death will come upon him from every place,
yet he shall not die, and before him, there is a heavy
punishment. [17]

258
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 18 - 22
Verses 18 - 22
مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادِ رِاشْتَدَّتُ بِهِ الرِّيْحُ فِىُ يَوْمٍ
عَاصِفٍ ﴿ لاَيَقُدِرُوُنَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا عَلَى شَىْءٍ ﴿ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلْلُ
الْبَعِيُدُ ﴿١٨)﴾ آلَمُ تَرَنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرُضَ بِالْحَقِّ﴿ إِنْ يَّشَأْ
يُذُهِبُكُمُ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ﴿١٢)﴾ وَّمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللّهِ بِعَزِيزِ ﴿٢﴾
وَبَرَزُوا لِلْهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ الضُّعَفُوا لِلَّذِيْنَ اسْتَكْبَرُوَا إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا
فَهَلُ انْتُمُ مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا مِنْ عَذَابِ اللهِ مِنْ شَىْءٍ ﴿ قَالُوا لَوُهَدْنَا اللهُ
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لَهَدَيُنْكُمُ ، سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآَ اجَزِعُنَآ آَمُ صَبَرْنَا مَالَنَا مِنُ مَّحِيُص
وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ الْآَمُرُ إِنَّ اللّهَ وَعَدَكُمُ وَعُدَ الْحَقِّ وَ
وَعَدْتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمُ ، وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُمُ مِّنُ سُلُطْنٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ
دَعَوْتُكُمُ فَاسْتَحَبْتُمُ لِىٌُّ فَلاَ تَلُوُمُوُنِىُ وَلُوُمُوّا أَنْفُسَكُمُ - مَآ أَنَا
بِمُصُرِخِكُمْ وَمَآ أَنْتُمُ بِمُصُرِخِىَّءُ إِنِّىُ كَفَرُتُ بِمَّآ أَشْرَكُتُمُوْنِ مِنْ
قَبْلُ﴿ إِنَّ الظُّلِمِيْنَ لَهُمُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٢﴾
The deeds of those who disbelieve their Lord are like
ashes blown away by the wind on a stormy day. They
will not be able to gain anything out of what they did.
That is the wandering away from the path. [18]
Have you not seen that Allah has created the heavens
and the earth in a proper way? If He wills, He can put
you away and bring a new creation; [19] and that is not
difficult for Allah. [20]
And all of them shall appear before Allah. Then, the
weak shall say to the arrogant, "We were your followers.
So, can you relieve us a little from Allah's punishment?"
They will say, "Had Allah guided us, we would have
guided you. It is all the same for us whether we deplore
or endure, we have no way out." [21]
And the Satan will say when the matter will have been
decided, "Allah promised you a truthful promise while I

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gave you a promise and did not fulfill it. And I had no au-
thority over you, except that I invited you and you ac-
cepted my call. Hence, do not blame me, but blame your-
selves. Neither I can come to your help, nor can you
come to my help. I disown your associating me with
Allah in the past. Surely, there is a painful punishment
for the unjust." [22]
Verse 23
وَأُدْخِلَ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ جَنْتٍ تَحُرِئٌ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا
الْآَنُهْرُ خُلِدِيْنَ فِيهَا بِذْنِ رَبّهِمُ - تَحِيَّتُهُمُ فِيُهَا سَلْمٌ ﴿٢٣﴾
And those who believed and did good deeds shall be ad-
mitted to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, living
there for ever by the will of Allah. There they shall greet
each other with "Salam." [23]
Verses 24 - 25
أَلَمُ تَرَكَيُفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيَّةٍ أَصُلُهَا ثَابِتٌ
وَّفَرُعُهَا فِى السَّمَآءِ ﴿٢٤﴾ تُؤْتِىٌّ أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِيْنٍ بِذْنِ رَبِّهَا *
وَيَضُرِبُ اللّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمُ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾
Have you not seen how Allah has set forth a parable: 'A
good word is like a good tree, having its root firm and
its branches in the sky. [24] It brings its fruits at all times
with the will of its Lord.' And Allah sets forth the par-
ables for the people, so that they may take lesson. [25]
Verses 26 - 29
وَمَثَلُ كُلِمَةٍ خَبِيْثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيْثَةٍ راجُثْثَّتُ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَالَهَا
مِنُ قَرَار ﴿٢٦﴾ يُثَّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابتِ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَا
وَفِى الْأُخِرَةِ وَيُضِلُّاللهُ الظُّلِمِيْنَ بِّ وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ﴿٢﴾ أَلَمُ تَرَ
إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ بَدَّلُوا نِعُمَتَ اللّهِ كُفُرًا وَاحَلُوا قَوْمَهُمُ دَارَالْبَوَارِ ﴿٢٨﴾

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 26 - 29
جَهَنَّمَ يَصُلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ ﴿٢٩﴾
And the parable of a bad word is like a bad tree, re-
moved from the top soil, having no firm root. [26] Allah
keeps the believers firm with the stable word in the
worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah lets the un-
just go astray. And Allah does what He wills. [27]
Have you not seen those who changed the favour of
Allah with disbelief and landed their people in the
house of destruction, [28] the Jahannam. They shall
enter it. And it is an evil abode. [29]
Commentary
In verse 18, Allah Ta'ala has likened the deeds of disbelievers to
ashes which, if blown away by the wind, would scatter all over leaving
no traces behind and making it impossible for somone interested to re-
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا :trieve them and put them back to some use. So, the verse
The deeds of those who disbelieve) برَبّهمْ اعْمَالُهُمُ كَرَمَادِا نِ شُنَدَّتُ بِهِ الرّيحُ فِىُ يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ
their Lord are like ashes blown away by the wind on a stormy day - 18)
means that the deeds of disbelievers - though, they may obviously be
good too - still, they too do not find acceptance with Allah Ta'ala. There-
fore, they are all wasted.
After that, in the verses cited immediately above, the similitude of a
believer and his deeds has been given first (24) which is followed by a si-
militude of disbelievers and hypocrites (26). In the earlier verse, a believ-
er and his deeds have been likened to a tree with strong trunks, and
roots going deep down the ground watered by underground streams.
Deep-set roots give strength and stability to this tree so that strong
winds would not throw them off the ground. And being high above the
ground level, its fruit too remains protected against polluting agents.
Then, another attribute of this tree is that its branches should be fairly
elevated skywards. And the third attribute of this tree is that its fruit
could be eaten during all seasons and under all conditions.
What tree is that and where is it found? About that, the sayings of
the commentators differ. In all likelihood, that is a date-palm. This view
is supported by experience, observation, and by Hadith narrations as
well. That the trunk of the date-palm is high and strong can be noticed
physically. That its roots go deep down the ground is also well-known,

261
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 26 - 29
and its fruit too is eaten at all times and in different ways and condi-
tions. From the time its fruit shows up on the tree upto the time it be-
comes ripe, it is eaten in all possible forms and situations as is or as
transformed into chutneys and jams and in a myriad other preparations.
After the fruit becomes ripe, it can be stored throughout the year. It
somehow comes handy morning and evening, day and night, summer
and winter, almost every season, every time. Even the pith of the tree is
eaten while sweet juice is extracted from it. Mats and other articles of
use are made from its leaves. Date stones make fine fodder for animals.
In contrast, other trees yield their fruit during particular seasons and
they become available within those seasons. They are not stored natural-
ly, nor everything in them is put to some or the other use.
Based on a narration of Sayyidna Anas dee, Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn
Hibban and Hakim have reported that the Holy Prophet _ said: The
'good tree' () - mentioned in the Qur'an) is the date-tree; and the
'bad tree' ( 3 - also mentioned in the Qur'an) is the tree of Hanzal
[colocynth, citrullus colocynthis] (Mazhari)
According to a report from Mujahid appearing in the Musnad of
Ahmad, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar Age said: Once we were present in
the company of the Holy Prophet seg when someone brought the pith of a
date-palm for him. At that time, he asked his Companions: 'Out of the
many trees, there is the tree which is like a believer (at this point, in a
narration of Şahin al-Bukhari, it has been mentioned that the Holy
Prophet ag also said: The leaves of this tree do not fall in any season).
Tell me which tree is that?' Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar says that he felt like tell-
ing him that it was the date tree. But, present there in the sitting were
many senior Companions like Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna 'Umar
I observed their silence and did not have the courage to .رضى الله عنهم أجمعين
say that. After that, the Holy Prophet @ himself said: 'That is the date
tree.'
One of the reasons why a believer has been likened to this tree is
that the faith in Kalimah Tayyibah is his root, which is deep-set and
strong. The accidents of the world cannot shake it out. There is no
dearth of examples among the most perfect of all believers, the Sahabah
and the Tabi in, rather among the staunch believers of every period of
time, that they cared more about their 'Iman and less for their life or

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 26 - 29
wealth or anything else. The second reason is their concern for purity
and taste for decency in that they are not affected by the pollutants of
the world - just like a large tree which remains unaffected by the impur-
ities of the land surface. As for these two attributes, they bear similarity
to: Lt GLoi (with its roots firm - 24) while the third reason is that the
way the branches of the date-palm are high and skyward so are the
fruits of the 'Iman of a believer, that is, their deeds which are also raised
toward the heavens. It appears in the Qur'an: ◌ُإِلَيْهِ يَصُعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيْب that is,
'good words are raised towards Allah Ta'ala.' The sense is that what a be-
liever does in the form of Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, Tasbih (pro-
claiming His purity), Tahlil (saying la ilaha illallah) and the recitation
of the Qur'an keeps reaching Allah Ta'ala morning and evening.
The fourth reason is that the way the date fruit is eaten day and
night at all times, in all seasons and under all conditions, it is in the
same way that the good deeds of a believer continue day and night at all
times, in all seasons and under all conditions. And the way everything
about the date-palm is useful and beneficial, in the same way, every
word and deed, movement and rest, and the effects generated by them,
prove beneficial for the whole world - on condition that he or she be a per-
fect believer, and be a faithful practitioner of the teachings of Allah and
His Rasul
The Similitude of Disbelievers (Kuffar)
In contrast, the second image given is that of disbelievers. They have
been likened to a 'bad tree' ( 83). It is similar to the example of the
'good tree' which refers to the statement of Muslim creed: Sur y a1 0 (la
ilaha illallah : There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah), that is,
'Iman or faith. And, in this manner, the equation of the 'bad word' with
the 'bad tree' denotes words and deeds of disbelief. As stated in the
Hadith quoted earlier, the 'bad tree' has been identified as: Jas (hanzal)
and, according to others, it is garlic.
As for the 'bad tree,' the Qur'an describes it by saying that its roots
do not go deep into the earth, therefore, anyone can pull out the whole of
it at will. This is what the expression: أُجُنَّتُ مِنْ فَوْق الْأَرْض (translated as: 're-
moved from the top soil) means - because the real meaning of the word:
.1 : (ujtuththat) is to remove the body of something as a whole.

263
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 26 - 29
That the deeds of a disbeliever have been likened to such a tree is
fairly obvious. First of all, the beliefs of a disbeliever have no root or
foundation. In no time, they would lose their ground. Secondly, they are
affected by the filth of the world around them. Thirdly, the fruits of their
tree, that is, their deeds, are worthless in the sight of Allah.
The Special Effect of 'Iman
Described in the second verse (27) is the special effect of the 'Iman or
faith of a believer and the saying of la ilaha illallah: Vid y: "Allah
keeps the believers firm with the stable word in the worldly life and in
the Hereafter". It means that the Kalimah Tayyibah, the pivotal guiding
principle of a believer, is a 'stable word,' stable like a strong and firmly
established tree which is kept standing powerfully and surviving eternal-
ly by Allah Ta'ala, in this world, and in the Hereafter as well. However,
the condition is that this blessed statement is uttered with unalloyed sin-
cerity and that the sense of: J'yI JI y (la ilaha illallah : there is no deity
worthy of worship except Allah) is understood fully and clearly following
which it should be adopted as the guiding principle of life.
In other words, one who believes in Kalimah Tayyibah is supported
and strengthened with the grace of Allah Ta'ala because of which he or
she stands firm by this conviction right upto the time of death, no matter
how many challenges and unwelcome happenings have to be encoun-
tered in its defence. As for the 'Akhirah or the Hereafter, one is helped
with this Kalimah when it is made to stay on and keep emitting its bene-
ficial effects. It has been said in a Hadith of Şahin al-Bukhari that "Akhi-
rah' (Hereafter) in this verse means Barzakh (the post-death and
pre-Resurrection state of life) that is, the world of the grave.
The Reward and Punishment of the Grave Stand Proved from
the Qur'an and Sunnah
According to Hadith, the Holy Prophet
said: When a believer will
be questioned in the grave, he or she will remain firm on this Kalimah,
even in a place so awesome and a state so punishing, of course, with Di-
vine will and support, and bear witness to the blessed statement: la
ilaha illallah. And then he said: This is what the saying of the Qur'an:
Allah keeps the believers firm) يُثَّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا بالْقَوْلِ الثَّابتِ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِى الأَخِرَةِ
with the stable word in the worldly life and in the Hereafter - 27) means.
(This Hadith was narrated by Sayyidna Bara' ibn 'Azib). Similar ahadith have

264
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 26 - 29
been reported from about forty Sahabah رضى الله عنهم أجمعين with reliable
chains of authorities which Ibn Kathir has put together at this stage of
his Tafsir. Ash-Shaykh Jalaluddin As-Suyuți, in his versified treatise
At-Tathbit 'Ind at-Tabyit, and by referring to seventy ahadith in Sharh
Aş-Şudur, has confirmed that these narrations have come to us in an un-
interrupted (mutawatir) succession. All these noble Sahabah " all sie,
Ar! have declared that "Akhirah' (Hereafter) in this verse refers to the
grave and the verse itself relates to the reward and punishment of the
grave.
That man, after his death and burial, lives again, answers the ques-
tions asked by the angels, then the coming of reward or punishment as a
result of success or failure in this test has been mentioned in almost ten
verses of the Holy Qur'an, by way of hint; while, in seventy mutawatir
ahadith (those passed on in uninterrupted succession), these have been
mentioned very clearly and explicitly - in which there remains no room
for a Muslim to doubt. As for the commonplace doubts like - 'in this
world of our experience, nobody sees these rewards and punishments' -
there is no room here to accomodate detailed answers to them. However,
it is quite sufficient to understand that not being able to see something
is no proof of its being not present. Nobody sees the Jinn and angels, but
they are there. The air is not seen, but it is present there. The deep
space which is being probed and examined in our time through rockets
and space vehicles was something nobody could see before this, but it did
exist. A dreamer dreams of being in some trouble in his dream, even
writhes under the pain of punishment, but people around him remain to-
tally unaware of what is happening to him.
As a matter of principle, it can be said that taking one world on the
analogy of the conditions prevailing in the other is wrong by itself. When
the Creator of the universe has told us through His Rasul that once we
pass on to another world, there is reward and punishment there, it be-
comes necessary for us to believe in it.
Towards the end of the verse (27), it was said:َويُضِلُّ اللّهُ الظُّلِمِين (And
Allah lets the unjust go astray). It means: As for the believers, Allah
Ta'ala keeps them firm on Kalimah Taiyyibah, the 'stable word' as a re-
sult of which things of comfort assemble around them right from the
grave. But, the unjust, that is, the disbelievers and polytheists, remain

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 26 - 29
deprived of this Divine help and support. They cannot answer the ques-
tions asked in the grave by angles Munkar and Nakir correctly. The out-
come is that they start experiencing a sort of punishment right from that
point onwards.
In the last sentence of verse 27, it was said: ◌ُوَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَآء (And Allah
does what He wills). It means that there is no power which can block His
intention and will. Revered Şahabah, Sayyidna Ubaiyy ibn Ka'b,
'Abdullah ibn Masud and Hudhayfah ibn Yaman رضى الله عنهم أجمعين have
said: For a believer, it is mandatory to believe that everything received
by him or her was received through the intention and will of Allah. Not
to have received it was impossible. Similarly, what was not received, it
was not possible to have received that. And they said: If you do not be-
lieve in it, and place your trust in that, your abode is Hell.
Finally, said in verses 28 and 29 was:
أَلَمُ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ بَدَّلُوا نِعُمَةَ اللّهِ كُفُرًا وَ احَلُوا قَوُمَهُمُ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئُسَ
الْقَرَارُ
Have you not seen those who changed the favour of Allah with
disbelief and landed their people in the house of destruction,
the Jahannam? They shall enter it. And it is an evil abode.
Here, au aus (the favour of Allah) could mean the common physical
blessings of Allah Ta'ala. These are tangible and perceptible and relate
to outward benefits of human beings such as food, drink, land, home and
things like that. Then it could also mean spiritual blessings and favours
as well which have come from Allah Ta'ala for the guidance of human be-
ings, for example, the prophets, the scriptures, and the signs of Divine
power and wisdom which have been placed in every inch of the human
existence, and in its countless creations, and in the heavens and its un-
fathomable and incomprehensible universe. All these serve as logistics
for the guidance of human beings.
These two kinds of blessings and favours demanded that human be-
ings should have recognized the greatness and the power of Allah Ta'ala,
been grateful to His gifts and devoted to His command. But, the disbe-
lievers and the polytheists elected to shun gratitude and obedience and
opted for ingratitude and disobedience. The result was that they led
their people to their mutual abode of destruction, that is, in Hell.

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 30 - 34
The Lesson given by these verses
Described in these verses is the greatness, virtues, blissfulness and
fruitfulness of the belief in the Oneness of Allah and in the Kalimah
Țaiyyibah: JU 'yı JI y (la ilaha illallah). Also identified there are the ill ef-
fect and evil outcome of refusing to believe in them. It goes without say-
ing that Tauhid, the belief in the Oneness of Allah, is an everlasting
treasure which is full of barakah in many ways. In the present world of
our experience, it brings Divine support with it, and which continues
after that too, in the 'Akhirah and the grave. And the act of rejecting
them amounts to changing what was the blessing and favour of Allah
into what is punishment.
Verses 30 - 34
وَجَعَلُوا لِلّهِ أَنْدَادًا لِيُضِلُّوا عَنُ سَبَيْلِهِ ، قُلْ تَمَتَّعُوا فَإِنَّ مَصِيُرَ كُمُ إِلَى
النَّارِ ﴿.٣) قُلْ لِعِبَادِىَ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا يُقِيمُوا الصَّلْوَةَ وَيُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا
رَزَقُّنُهُمُ سِرًّا وَّعَلَاَنِيَةً مِّنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَّأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيْهِ وَلاَ خِلْلٌ ﴿٣١)
اَللَّهُ الَّذِيُ خَلَقَ السَّمُوْتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَآءٍ فَأَخْرَجَ
◌ِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرْتِ رِزْقَّالَّكُمُ وَسَخَّرَلَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ لِتَحُرِىَ فِى الْبَحُرِ
بِأَمْرِهٍ وَسَخَّرَلَكُمُ الأَنْهُرَ (ٌ﴾ وَسَخَّرَلَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَآئِبَيْنٍ"
وَسَخََّلَكُمُ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ﴿ٌ﴾ وَاتْكُمُ مِّنْ كُلِّ مَاسَالْتُمُوُهُ، وَإِنُ
تَعُدُّوا نِعُمَتَ اللّهِ لاَتُحْصُوُهَا ﴿ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَظَلُوْمٌ كَفَّارٌ(﴾﴾
And they have set up partners with Allah, so that they
may mislead (the people) from His path. Say, "Enjoy (for
a while). Then your ultimate journey is to the Fire." [30]
Say to My believing servants that they should establish
Salah and spend from what We have given to them, sec-
retly and openly, before there comes a day in which
there is neither trade nor friendship. [31]
Allah is the One who created the heavens and the earth
and sent down water from the sky, then brought forth
therewith sustenance for you out of the produce, and

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Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 30 - 34
subjugated the ships for you so that they may sail in the
sea with His command, and subjugated for you the riv-
ers. [32] And He subjugated for you the sun and the
moon, moving constantly, and subjugated for you the
day and the night, [33] and He gave you whatever you
asked for. And if you count the bounties of Allah, you
cannot count them all. Surely, man is very unjust, very
ungrateful. [34]
Commentary
Appearing at the beginning of Surah Ibrahim there were subjects re-
lated to the mission of messengers and prophets, and to the states of
one's ultimate return, and to the Hereafter. Mentioned after that was
the commendation of the belief in Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah and,
along with it, a condemnation of the profession of disbelief and the as-
cription of partners in the divinity of Allah which was clarified through
examples. Then, those who adopted the later attitude were censured for
the reason that they, rather than being grateful for the blessings of
Allah Ta'ala, chose to take the way of ingratitude and rejection.
Out of the verses cited above, the first deplores the behaviour of dis-
believers and polytheists and points out to their evil end. The second
verse describes the distinction of believers and tells them to abide by
some Divine injunctions in order that they can fulfill the obligation of
gratitude. In the third, fourth and fifth verses (32-34), by mentioning the
great blessings of Allah Ta'ala, people have been induced that they
should not channelize and consume these blessings to promote acts of
disobedience to Allah.
The Explanation of Verses
The word: ski (andad) is the plural of & (nidd) which means like and
equal. Idols are called 'andad' because the disbelievers, through their
deeds, used to regard them the like or equal of God. The word: s (ta-
mattu') appearing in verse 30 means the driving of temporary benefit out
of something. The verse censures the erratic view of disbelievers in that
they had set up idols as partners with Allah, and the Holy Prophet
was asked to warn these people of their coming end. Enjoy the blessings
of the mortal world for a while, they were told, but their ultimate abode
is the fire of Hell.
In the second verse (31), the Holy Prophet
has been asked:

268
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 30 - 34
(Though, the disbelievers of Makkah have turned their backs on the fa-
vour of Allah and have chosen the way of infidelity, a strange exchange
indeed, so then) 'you tell my believing servants that they should estab-
lish Salah and be particular about it, and spend in the way of Allah from
the sustenance We have given to them, spending it both secretly and
openly.' This verse carries significant glad tidings for all believing ser-
vants of Allah, and showers on them a great honour indeed. To begin
with, Allah Ta'ala has addressed them as 'His servants.' Then, He attrib-
utes the quality of faith to them. And then, He tells them how they can
achieve eternal peace and comfort and honour, which is: Be particular
and punctual in offering Salah. Avoid being sluggish when the time of
Salah becomes due. Do not fall short in observing it as true to its re-
quired etiquette. And spend out of the sustenance given to you in My
way as well. Here, both forms of spending have been declared to be per-
missible. This can be done secretly or openly. It means that Sadaqah
and Khayrat (charities in the way of Allah) can be given in a way that no
one knows about it, or these can be done in a way that others could get
to know about it. Some 'Ulama say that the obligatory Zakah and Sadaq-
atul-Fitr should be given openly so that others are prompted to do the
same. As for voluntary (Nafl) Sadaqah and Khayrat, it is better to give
these secretly, so that there remains no danger of having done it for the
sake of recognition and fair name. However, it all depends on one's inten-
tion (Niyyah) and attending conditions. If by doing it openly and publi-
cly, there emerges the least likelihood of having done it for the sake of
name and fame, the intrinsic merit of the charity (Sadaqah) so given is
destroyed, whether obligatory (Fard) or voluntary (Nafl). If the intention
is that others may also be induced to do the same, then, open and pro-
nounced giving is permissible both in what is obligatory (Fard) and what
is voluntary (Nafl).
Said in the last sentence of verse 31 was: ◌ٌمِنُ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَّأْتِىَ يَوْمُ لأَبَيْعٌ فِيْهِ وَلاَ حِلْل (be
fore there comes a day in which there is neither trade nor friendship).
The word: JSL (khilal) used here can be taken as the plural form of al-
(khullah) which means selfless friendship. Then, this word could also be
taken as a verbal noun of the derived form of alele. (mufa'alah), such as
qital, difa' etc. In that case, it would mean a friendship between two per-
sons which is mutual and sincere. This sentence relates to both the in-