سورة إبراهيم   

Surah Name: Ibrahim-AS Meaning: Abraham

  • Revealed at Makkah
  • Surah Ibrahim-AS is also a Makkan Surah. The hallmark of all Makkan Surahs is the lavish evidence they present of the authenticity of the Prophethood and the Unity of Allah-SWT . The Madni Surahs are comparatively richer in terms of injunctions. This Surah presents the story of Prophet Ibrahim-AS as evidence and is thus named after him-AS.
  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 7
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 52
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 14
  • Rukū / Section 2 contains Āyāt / Parts 6
  • Siparah/ Volume 13

bismillah

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

Waith taaththana rabbukum lain shakartum laazeedannakum walain kafartum inna AAathabee lashadeed(un)

And recall when your Rabb-SWT proclaimed: if you give thanks I-SWT will increase you, and if you disbelieve. My-SWT torment is severe.

(14:7)

وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِن تَكْفُرُواْ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

Waqala moosa in takfuroo antum waman fee alardi jameeAAan fainna Allaha laghaniyyun hameed(un)

And Musa-AS said: if you disbelieve-you and all those on the earth-then verily Allaah-SWT is Self-sufficient, Praiseworthy.

(14:8)

أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللّهُ جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَرَدُّواْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِي أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَقَالُواْ إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِ وَإِنَّا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَنَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ

Alam yatikum nabao allatheena min qablikum qawmi noohin waAAadin wathamooda wa(a)llatheena min baAAdihim la yaAAlamuhum illa Allahu jaathum rusuluhum bi(a)lbayyinati faraddoo aydiyahum fee afwahihim waqaloo inna kafarnabima orsiltum bihi wainna lafee shakkin mimma tadAAoonana ilayhi mureeb(un)

Has not the tidings come to you of those before you: the people of Nuh-AS and the 'Ad and the Thamud and those after them? None knows them save Allaah-SWT . There came to them their Messengers-AS with evidences, but they put their hands to their mouths, and said: verily we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and regarding that to which you call us we are in doubt disquieting.

(14:9)

قَالَتْ رُسُلُهُمْ أَفِي اللّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَـمًّى قَالُواْ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَآؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

Qalat rusuluhum afee Allahi shakkun fatiri a(l)ssamawati waalardi yadAAookum liyaghfira lakum min thunoobikum wayuakhkhirakum ila ajalin musamman qaloo in antum illa basharun mithluna tureedoona an tasuddoona AAamma kana yaAAbudu abaona fatoona bisultanin mubeen(in)

Their Messengers-AS said: What! Is there doubt about Allah-SWT, the Maker of the heavens and the earth? He-SWT calls you that He-SWT may forgive you of your sins and retain you till a term fixed. They said: you are but like us; you mean to turn us aside from what our fathers have been worshipping; so bring us a manifest authority.

(14:10)

قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَعلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

Qalat lahum rusuluhum in nahnu illa basharun mithlukum walakinna Allaha yamunnu AAala man yashao min AAibadihi wama kana lana an natiyakum bisultanin illa biithni Allahi waAAala Allahi falyatawakkali almuminoon(a)

Their Messengers-AS said to them: we are nothing but human beings like you, but Allaah-SWT bestows favour on whom He-SWT will of His-SWT bondmen, and it is not for us to bring you a miracle except by the Command of Allaah-SWT . On Allaah-SWT then let the believers rely.

(14:11)

وَمَا لَنَا أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانَا سُبُلَنَا وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى مَا آذَيْتُمُونَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

Wama lana alla natawakkala AAala Allahi waqad hadana subulanawalanasbiranna AAala ma athaytumoona waAAala Allahi falyatawakkali almutawakkiloon(a)

And why should we not rely on Allaah-SWT when He-SWT surely has guided us  on our ways. And we shall surely bear with patience that with which you afflict us; and in Allaah-SWT then let the trustful put their trust.

(14:12)

In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

Prophet Musa-AS also reminded his people of Allaah-SWT ’s Promise that He-SWT would increase His-SWT Favours further if they displayed gratitude.

The Essence of Gratitude

The essence of gratitude is to try one's level best to obey Allah-SWT, be diligent in worships, conduct mutual interactions and to earn and spend within the perimeters of Shari'ah. And one must also verbally express gratitude, which will certainly increase His-SWT Favours. This increase can be in terms of quantity as well as the duration. However, if people resort to ingratitude, in which disbelief tops the list followed by bad conduct. His-SWT Afflictions are indeed tormenting. However, if beliefs are straight, laziness or negligence in actions can also lead to trouble. This may include losing the bounties being enjoyed or a hindrance in their flow or may be punishment in the Akhirah. Nevertheless, He-SWT has left room for Mercy, and may forgive at His-SWT Will.

Prophet Musa-AS,also made it clear to his people that regardless of whether they were grateful or not, the Magnificence of Allaah-SWT was to remain unaffected. Not only they but even if the entire creation also resorts to ingratitude it would make no difference to Him-SWT . It would only harm the ungrateful while the Glory and Magnificence of Allaah-SWT will remain absolutely unaffected. He-SWT also reminded his people of the performances of the nations gone by. The People of Prophet Nuh-AS or the Ad and the Thamud, or many other nations known only to Allaah-SWT have been wiped off from the pages of history. Today people do not even know their names. He-SWT blessed them all with Prophets-AS and Messengers-AS with spectacular miracles. But the unfortunate people not only refused to accept the faith but also exerted all their energies in impeding the Prophetic mission. They disdainfully announced their defiance adding that they did not even remotely consider their doctrines of Monotheism, Prophethood and Resurrection to be correct; rather it all appeared dubious and confusing to them. They wondered how could it be possible that the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe was only One Being-SWT ? It was totally bizarre, they said.

Their Prophets-AS and Messengers-AS were appalled by their ignorance. It was amazing how could they ever doubt the existence and the Omnipotence of Allaah-SWT when the heavens and the earth and myriads of His-SWT creation therein, and the smooth running of the universe, all endorse His-SWT Creativity and Omnipotence. So the question or doubt over His-SWT Existence does not even arise. As for the Prophethood, He-SWT had made their appointment a source of blessing their nations with His-SWT Mercy, because till then they had grossly erred by living slavish to their desires, denying His-SWT Being and His-SWT Attributes and ascribing partners to Him-SWT . He-SWT wished to relent and invited them to obedience lest their sins invoked the looming havoc and they are destroyed before completing their natural term of life. Allah-SWT ’s Mercy does not deprive anyone; so He-SWT sent the Prophets-AS to invite people to His-SWT obedience, in order to complete their normal span of life and to safely return to Him-SWT to enjoy eternal salvation.

Yet those unfortunate nations failed to pick up the point. They argued that they too were human beings like them with similar needs of food, shelter, clothing and sleep, and could not possibly be accepted as Allaah-SWT ’s Messengers-AS In their opinion the Prophets-AS were trying to divert the masses away from the path of their forefathers merely to become leaders. Had they truly been Allah-SWT ’s Prophets-AS “they would have been above human needs. It has already been discussed that Prophethood has been conferred only on human beings, but humanity of the Prophets-AS is par excellence. The ordinary human beings, full of weaknesses, evaluate them by their own standards and thus deny them. One group refuses to believe asserting that a human being cannot be Allaah-SWT ’s Messenger while the other accepts but negates his humanity. Both of these schools are misguided. May Allaah-SWT protect us! A similar opinion is held by the ignorant regarding the Sufi saints and the Aulia'RUA who are believed to be supernatural beings. Anyway, the defiant nations asked them to substantiate their claim with some clear miracle, and the Prophet-AS‘s could only regret their obstinacy.

Miracle and Karamah

The Prophets-AS said that it was indeed foolish to demand super human acts from them as they, too, were created human and possessed human traits similar to them. It is Allaah-SWT Who-SWT may shower His-SWT Blessings on whom He-SWT Pleases. He-SWT has blessed them with the light of Prophethood and elevated them to a level of sanctity and His-SWT Nearness beyond the very imagination of even an angel. This Divine Favour further augments their passion for obedience and submission to Him-SWT . As for the manifestation of a miracle, it is not at their discretion, but by Allah-SWT‘s Command. He-SWT may make it happen at their hands if it pleases Him-SWT . A miracle or a Karamah are Divine Acts manifested respectively at the hands of a Prophet-AS or a Wali. These Prophets-AS added that they would never claim to perform a miracle only to uphold their authenticity. If the people expected such a claim from them it meant that they had not appreciated the very essence of faith, which demands total submission and not to establish one personal superioty

Tawakkal

Tawakkal means to gear into action all available means for the fulfilment of a task and leaving the results to Allah-SWT, rather than demanding the outcome one desires. It can never be expected of the Prophets-AS not to rely on Allaah-SWT as they are being fully acquainted with the Divine Path, unlike those stranded in the quagmire of doubts. They are given the opportunity to present themselves before Him-SWT several times a day. It is this ecstasy derived from His-SWT Nearness, which overshadows the pain inflicted by their opponents. Otherwise it could never have been possible for a single person, or a small group to stand up against the atrocities of the majority. It became possible only due to the pleasure of beholding His-SWT Splendour. Remember that whoever is so blessed will only rely on Him-SWT without paying any heed to anything else.

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