Sūrat Ibrāhīm
سورۃ ابراہیم
Sūrat Ibrāhīm (14)
Sūrat Ibrāhīm was revealed in Mecca. It contains fifty-two (52) verses and seven (7) sections (rukūʿ).
On those who plot against God's messengers — concluding commentary from Sūrat al-Raʿd (tail)
The unbelievers (kuffār) say, "You are not a messenger." Say: "Sufficient is Allah as a witness between me and you, and whoever possesses knowledge of the Book." Those who came before them also plotted, yet God's plan (makr) encompasses all plots. God knows what every soul earns. The disbelievers will soon come to know whose is the ultimate abode.
الر ۚ كِتَابٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ لِتُخۡرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ
Alif Lām Rāʾ. Kitābun anzalnāhu ilayka li-tukhrija 'n-nāsa min aẓ-ẓulumāti ilā 'n-nūri bi-idhni rabbihim ilā ṣirāṭi 'l-ʿazīzi 'l-ḥamīd.
"Alif Lām Rāʾ. A Book We have revealed to you so that you may bring mankind out of darkness into the light, by the permission of their Lord — to the path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy." (Ibrāhīm 14:1)
Translation: A mighty, exalted Book — this is the Qurʾān — which We have sent down to you so that you may bring people out of the shadows of unbelief and ignorance into the light of faith and guidance, by the leave of their Lord, towards the path of God Who is full of glory and worthy of all praise.
Commentary: This opening verse declares the fundamental purpose of the Qurʾān: it is not a mere collection of regulations but a divine light sent to liberate humanity from the darkness of shirk (associating partners with God), spiritual blindness, and moral confusion, and to guide them onto the straight path (ṣirāṭ) of God, Who is both ʿAzīz — indomitable in power — and Ḥamīd — deserving of all praise and gratitude. The verse teaches that the plural ẓulumāt (darknesses) is used because unbelief has many forms, whereas the singular nūr (light) indicates that truth is one. Note also that bī-idhni rabbihim (by their Lord's leave) affirms that guidance ultimately comes only from Allah, and the Prophet Muḥammadﷺis the means (wasīla), not the independent source.
ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ۗ وَوَيۡلٌ لِّلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنۡ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
Allāhi 'lladhī lahu mā fī 's-samāwāti wa-mā fī 'l-arḍ. Wa-waylun li'l-kāfirīna min ʿadhābin shadīd.
"Allah — to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Woe to the disbelievers for a severe punishment!" (Ibrāhīm 14:2)
Translation: Allah — all that is in the heavens and on the earth belongs to Him. The disbelievers are in dire ruin, for a severe torment awaits them.
Commentary: After naming the path as that of the ʿAzīz al-Ḥamīd, the verse immediately identifies who this God is: the absolute sovereign of the heavens and earth. Having established this sovereignty, it issues a solemn warning — wayl (woe, ruin) — to those who reject Him. The commentary asks: what is the condition of these disbelievers?
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَحِبُّونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبۡغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ
Alladhīna yastaḥibbūna 'l-ḥayāta 'd-dunyā ʿalā 'l-ākhirati wa-yaṣuddūna ʿan sabīli 'llāhi wa-yabghūnahā ʿiwajā.
"Those who prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter, and hinder others from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked." (Ibrāhīm 14:3)
Translation: The disbelievers are those who love the life of this world and prefer it over the Hereafter, who turn others away from the path of Allah, and who seek to distort and make that path crooked.
Commentary: Three defining traits mark the disbeliever: (1) love of this world to the exclusion of the Hereafter; (2) actively blocking others from God's path; and (3) desiring to misrepresent that path as crooked (ʿiwaj), i.e., portraying the way of faith as unjust or unreasonable. The author notes: such people not only go astray themselves but lead others astray — and the ruin (wayl) they face is proportionally severe. Their error is a profound one because the path of salāma (safety and well-being) is plain, yet they work to obscure it.
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوۡمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمۡ
Wa-mā arsalnā min rasūlin illā bi-lisāni qawmihi li-yubayyina lahum.
"We have not sent any messenger except in the language of his people, so that he might make things clear to them." (Ibrāhīm 14:4)
Translation: We have not sent a single messenger except in the tongue of his own people, so that he might make matters clear to them. Then Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Commentary: Each messenger speaks the language of his people because communication, persuasion, and clarity require a shared tongue. However, lisān here means not merely speech but the full cultural and conceptual idiom of a people. After the messenger's work of communication (bayān) is done, the result — guidance or misguidance — rests with God. He guides those whose inward nature (fiṭra) is wholesome and sound; those whose hearts harbour wilful corruption He allows to remain in their error. This is not arbitrary: God's will operates in accordance with His wisdom (ḥikma). The verse ends with al-ʿAzīz al-Ḥakīm — He is both indomitable and deeply wise in all He decrees.
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أَنۡ أَخۡرِجۡ قَوۡمَكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ
Wa-laqad arsalnā Mūsā bi-āyātinā an akhrij qawmaka mina 'ẓ-ẓulumāti ilā 'n-nūr.
"And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, saying: 'Bring your people out of darkness into the light.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:5)
Translation: We certainly sent Moses (upon him be peace) with Our clear signs, commanding him: "Bring your people out of the darknesses and into the light, and remind them of the days of God (ayyām Allāh) — the memorable occasions and blessings He has bestowed." In this there are signs for every patient and grateful person.
Commentary: The story of Moses (upon him be peace) is invoked to parallel the mission of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ: both were sent to bring their people from darkness into light. The phrase ayyām Allāh refers to two things: the divine blessings and favours Allah has bestowed upon a community, and the historical occasions when God's power manifested — as in the deliverance of the Children of Israel from Pharaoh. Reminding people of such occasions is itself an act of tarbiya (spiritual formation). The verse closes by identifying who benefits: ṣabbār shakkūr — those who bear hardship with patient endurance (ṣabr) and acknowledge God's blessings with gratitude (shukr). These two virtues together constitute the complete posture of the believer.
وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنجَىٰكُم مِّنۡ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ يَسُومُونَكُمۡ سُوٓءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمۡ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ عَظِيمٌ
Wa-idh qāla Mūsā li-qawmihi 'dhkurū niʿmata 'llāhi ʿalaykum idh anjākum min āli Firʿawna yasūmūnakum sūʾa 'l-ʿadhābi wa-yudhabbiḥūna abnāʾakum wa-yastaḥyūna nisāʾakum. Wa-fī dhālikum balāʾun min rabbikum ʿaẓīm.
"And when Moses said to his people: 'Remember the favour of Allah upon you when He saved you from the people of Pharaoh — they inflicted on you grievous suffering, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women. And in that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:6)
Translation: Call to mind when Moses (upon him be peace) said to his people: "Remember the blessing of Allah upon you — how He saved you from the people of Pharaoh who subjected you to the worst of torments: slaughtering your sons and letting your women live. In this there was a mighty trial from your Lord."
Commentary: The reminder of Pharaoh's oppression serves multiple purposes. It recalls how dire the condition of the Children of Israel once was — subjected to the most humiliating servitude, their male children massacred, their women left alive only to serve as slaves. The word balāʾ (trial) in this context is significant: the author notes that such trials, even when they are forms of divine punishment upon the oppressor, serve as a testing ground (imtiḥān) for the oppressed — do they turn to God with patience, or do they lose faith? God, Who is the Musabbib al-asbāb (the Creator of all causes) and ʿAllām al-ghuyūb (the Knower of all hidden things), directs all such events towards His purposes.
وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَئِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ
Wa-idh taʾadhdhana rabbukum la-in shakartum la-azīdannakum wa-la-in kafartum inna ʿadhābī la-shadīd.
"And when your Lord proclaimed: 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you in favour; but if you disbelieve, My punishment is indeed severe.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:7)
Translation: And remember when your Lord made it known: "If you give thanks, I shall assuredly increase you in blessings; but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is truly severe."
Commentary: This verse establishes the divine law of gratitude and ingratitude. Shukr (gratitude) does not mean merely verbal praise; it means recognising a blessing for what it is, attributing it to its true source, and putting it to the use for which it was intended. Gratitude in this sense earns increase (ziyāda) — more of the blessing itself, and more divine favour. Conversely, kufr in the sense of ingratitude (nāshukrī) — misusing blessings, denying their source, or employing them in disobedience — draws down divine punishment. The author notes the elegant grammar: the increase for shukr is expressed with the emphatic la-azīdannakum (I shall most certainly increase you), while the punishment for kufr is described but not made equally emphatic, reflecting divine mercy.
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِن تَكۡفُرُوٓاْ أَنتُمۡ وَمَن فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ
Wa-qāla Mūsā in takfurū antum wa-man fī 'l-arḍi jamīʿan fa-inna 'llāha la-ghaniyyun ḥamīd.
"And Moses said: 'If you disbelieve — you and all who are on earth together — then indeed Allah is Free of all need, Praiseworthy.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:8)
Translation: Moses (upon him be peace) said: "If you and all who are on the earth together were to disbelieve, it would not harm Allah in the slightest — for He is entirely self-sufficient (ghanī), praised and praiseworthy in Himself."
Commentary: This verse makes explicit what was implicit above: God does not need our gratitude. His ghinā (self-sufficiency) is absolute. He commands gratitude not for His own benefit but for ours — because gratitude is the condition of the soul that is aligned with reality and receives divine increase. The coupling of ghanī and ḥamīd is significant: God is both free from need and inherently deserving of all praise, not by our bestowing praise upon Him, but by His own nature.
أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ قَوۡمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ ۛ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ ۛ لَا يَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَرَدُّوٓاْ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ فِىٓ أَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡ
Alam yatikum nabaʾu 'lladhīna min qablikum qawmi Nūḥin wa-ʿādin wa-Thamūda wa'lladhīna min baʿdihim. Lā yaʿlamuhum illa 'llāh. Jāʾathum rusuluhum bi'l-bayyināti fa-raddū aydiyahum fī afwāhihim.
"Has the news not reached you of those before you — the people of Noah, ʿĀd, and Thamūd, and those who came after them whom none knows except Allah? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they put their hands to their mouths." (Ibrāhīm 14:9)
Translation: Has there not reached you the account of those before you — the people of Noah, of ʿĀd, of Thamūd, and those who came after them whose number none knows but Allah? Their messengers came to them with clear signs and proofs, yet they thrust their hands into their own mouths — in astonishment, stubbornness, or mockery — and said…
Commentary: Three possible meanings are offered by the commentators for raddū aydiyahum fī afwāhihim: (1) they clamped their hands over their own mouths in amazement and disbelief; (2) they raised their hands to strike the messengers, i.e., they responded with aggression; (3) they bit their own fingers in rage and frustration — a gesture of extreme distress and contempt. The historical succession is significant: Noah, ʿĀd, Thamūd — each people known for its defiance — followed by countless others whose names are lost to human memory but not to God. The message is one of universal pattern: every community receives messengers with proofs, yet rejection is the frequent response.
وَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا كَفَرۡنَا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدۡعُونَنَآ إِلَيۡهِ مُرِيبٍ
Wa-qālū innā kafarnā bi-mā ursiltum bihi wa-innā la-fī shakkin mimmā tadʿūnanā ilayhi murīb.
"They said: 'We disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and indeed we are in deep, disturbing doubt about what you call us to.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:9)
Translation: They said openly: "We reject what you have been sent with. We are in grave, unsettling doubt about that to which you call us."
Commentary: The word murīb (disquieting, deeply troubling) indicates not ordinary intellectual uncertainty but an anxiety-producing doubt — one that agitates the heart. The disbelievers here are not merely sceptics; they are actively hostile and wish to communicate their rejection in the sharpest terms.
قَالَتۡ رُسُلُهُمۡ أَفِى ٱللَّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ۖ يَدۡعُوكُمۡ لِيَغۡفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمۡ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمۡ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى
Qālat rusuluhum a-fi'llāhi shakkun fāṭiri 's-samāwāti wa'l-arḍ. Yadʿūkum li-yaghfira lakum min dhunūbikum wa-yuʾakhkhirakum ilā ajalin musammā.
"Their messengers said: 'Is there doubt about Allah — the Originator of the heavens and earth? He calls you so that He may forgive you your sins and grant you reprieve until a stated term.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:10)
Translation: Their messengers replied: "Is there really doubt about Allah — the Creator Who originated the heavens and the earth from nothing? He summons you so that He may forgive your sins and defer your punishment until an appointed time."
Commentary: The messengers respond to the profession of doubt with rhetorical astonishment: can there truly be doubt about the existence of Allah, whose creative work is displayed in the very heavens and earth? The divine invitation (daʿwa) is reframed as an act of mercy: God calls not to punish but to forgive and to give more time (ta'khīr — a reprieve to repent). This is characteristic of the Sunnī Ḥanafī understanding: God's call is always first a call to mercy.
قَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعۡبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأۡتُونَا بِسُلۡطَـٰنٍ مُّبِينٍ
Qālū in antum illā basharun mithlunā turīdūna an taṣuddūnā ʿammā kāna yaʿbudu ābāʾunā fa'tūnā bi-sulṭānin mubīn.
"They said: 'You are only human beings like us. You wish to turn us away from what our forefathers worshipped. So bring us a clear authority.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:10)
Translation: The disbelievers said: "You are no more than human beings like ourselves. You want to turn us away from what our ancestors worshipped. Bring us, then, a clear and manifest authority."
Commentary: The objection of the disbelievers rests on two things: the humanity of the prophets (as if divine selection of a human being is impossible) and the appeal to ancestral custom (taqlīd al-ābāʾ). Both are challenged by the messengers' response, which follows.
قَالَتۡ لَهُمۡ رُسُلُهُمۡ إِن نَّحۡنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ
Qālat lahum rusuluhum in naḥnu illā basharun mithlukum wa-lākinna 'llāha yamunnu ʿalā man yashāʾu min ʿibādih.
"Their messengers said to them: 'We are indeed only human beings like you; but Allah bestows His grace upon whomsoever He wills of His servants.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:11)
Translation: The messengers acknowledged: "Yes, we are indeed human beings like you — but Allah confers His grace and favour upon whomsoever He chooses from among His servants. It is not our business to bring signs by our own power; that belongs to Allah alone. And upon Allah let the believers rely."
Commentary: The messengers acknowledge their humanity without embarrassment. The humanity of the prophets is not a deficiency; it is precisely what makes them exemplars for other humans. What distinguishes them is not their substance but the divine election (ikhtiyār) and grace (manna) bestowed upon them. The verse closes with the command to tawakkul — complete reliance on Allah — which is the highest station of the believer according to Sufi understanding.
Translation (summary of messengers' continued speech): "And why should we not place our trust in Allah, when He has already shown us our paths? We shall certainly bear with patience whatever harm you inflict on us. Let all who trust do so in Allah alone."
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِرُسُلِهِمۡ لَنُخۡرِجَنَّكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِنَآ أَوۡ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا
Wa-qāla 'lladhīna kafarū li-rusulihim la-nukhrijannakum min arḍinā aw la-taʿūdunna fī millatinā.
"And those who disbelieved said to their messengers: 'We shall surely expel you from our land, or you must return to our way of life.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:13)
Translation: The disbelievers said to their messengers: "We shall certainly drive you from our land, unless you return to our religion and our way."
Commentary: Expulsion and forced assimilation — these are the twin threats of every oppressive power that cannot refute the truth intellectually and resorts to coercion. The messengers were not intimidated; their Lord revealed to them what follows.
فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ لَنُهۡلِكَنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Fa-awḥā ilayhim rabbuhum la-nuhlikanna 'ẓ-ẓālimīn.
"Then their Lord revealed to them: 'We shall certainly destroy the wrongdoers.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:13)
Translation: Their Lord revealed to them in response: "We will certainly destroy the wrongdoers."
Commentary: Divine revelation here serves as comfort to the besieged messengers. The ẓālimūn (wrongdoers) who threaten expulsion shall themselves be destroyed. History vindicates this: every people that drove out the prophets and persisted in oppression met its end.
وَلَنُسۡكِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامِى وَخَافَ وَعِيدِ
Wa-la-nuskinannakumu 'l-arḍa min baʿdihim. Dhālika li-man khāfa maqāmī wa-khāfa waʿīd.
"And We shall settle you in the land after them. This is for whoever fears My station and fears My threat." (Ibrāhīm 14:14)
Translation: And We will establish you in the land after them — this is for whoever stands in awe of My presence and fears My warning.
Commentary: Inheritance of the earth (istikhlāf fī'l-arḍ) is promised to the God-fearing after the destruction of the oppressors. The double mention of khāfa (feared) — "fears My station" and "fears My threat" — encompasses both khashya (awe in the presence of divine majesty) and khawf (practical fear of divine punishment). The believer needs both.
وَٱسۡتَفۡتَحُواْ وَخَابَ كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
Wa-'staftaḥū wa-khāba kullu jabbārin ʿanīd.
"They sought victory, and every obstinate tyrant was brought to disappointment." (Ibrāhīm 14:15)
Translation: The messengers prayed for God's victory and judgment, and every stubborn, arrogant tyrant was frustrated and destroyed.
Commentary: Jabbār ʿanīd — the overbearing, headstrong oppressor who resists the truth. Such a person is destined for failure (khayba) because he sets himself against the order of the universe.
مِّن وَرَآئِهِۦ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسۡقَىٰ مِن مَّآءٍ صَدِيدٍ
Min warāʾihi jahannamu wa-yusqā min māʾin ṣadīd.
"Behind him is Hell, and he is made to drink a fluid of festering pus." (Ibrāhīm 14:16)
Translation: Behind him — awaiting him — is Hell; and he shall be made to drink of festering pus-water.
Commentary: Ṣadīd — the liquid that oozes from wounds, a mixture of blood and corruption. This terrifying image describes the punishment of the jabbār ʿanīd. He sought to drink his fill of the pleasures of this world through tyranny; in the Hereafter, his drink will be the most repulsive imaginable.
يَتَجَرَّعُهُۥ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُسِيغُهُۥ وَيَأۡتِيهِ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمَيِّتٍ
Yatajarraʿuhu wa-lā yakādu yusīghuhu wa-yaʾtīhi 'l-mawtu min kulli makānin wa-mā huwa bi-mayyit.
"He gulps it down but can hardly swallow it, and death approaches him from every side, yet he does not die." (Ibrāhīm 14:17)
Translation: He gulps it down with great difficulty, barely able to swallow it, as death approaches him from every direction — yet he does not die. And beyond that awaits a grievous punishment.
Commentary: The most horrifying aspect of Hell's torment is not death but the endless continuation of suffering without the relief of death. The tyrant who wielded the power of life and death over others finds himself unable to control his own end. The punishment fits the crime.
The parable of the works of the disbelievers:
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمۡ ۖ أَعۡمَـٰلُهُمۡ كَرَمَادٍ ٱشۡتَدَّتۡ بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى يَوۡمٍ عَاصِفٍ
Mathalu 'lladhīna kafarū bi-rabbihim aʿmāluhum ka-ramādin 'shtaddat bihi 'r-rīḥu fī yawmin ʿāṣif.
"The parable of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their deeds are like ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day." (Ibrāhīm 14:18)
Translation: The likeness of those who disbelieve in their Lord is this: their deeds are like ashes, swept away by a fierce wind on a stormy day. They will gain nothing from what they have done. That is the profound, far-reaching misguidance.
Commentary: Ashes (ramād) are what remains after fire has consumed substance. They appear as if there is something there, but in reality there is nothing of substance left. The wind of divine judgment on the Day of Reckoning scatters even these last apparent remains. This is the condition of those who do good deeds — charity, social work, acts of generosity — but without imān (faith) and tawḥīd (divine unity): their deeds have no lasting substance. The author notes that this is not to say that good deeds done without faith have no worldly benefit; they may do temporal good. But in the scale of the Hereafter, where only God's pleasure matters, such works weigh nothing.
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ ۚ إِن يَشَأۡ يُذۡهِبۡكُمۡ وَيَأۡتِ بِخَلۡقٍ جَدِيدٍ
Alam tara anna 'llāha khalaqa 's-samāwāti wa'l-arḍa bi'l-ḥaqq. In yashā' yudhhib-kum wa-yaʾti bi-khalqin jadīd.
"Do you not see that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He wills, He can take you away and bring forth a new creation." (Ibrāhīm 14:19)
Translation: Do you not see that Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth — in accordance with wisdom and its real demands? If He wills, He can remove you entirely and bring a new creation in your place.
Commentary: The creation was made bi'l-ḥaqq — with truth, in accordance with the real and necessary order of things, not in sport or caprice. This foundation legitimises divine judgment: a God who creates with truth judges with truth. The sovereign freedom to replace one creation with another is both a warning and a reminder of absolute divine power.
وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ
Wa-mā dhālika ʿalā 'llāhi bi-ʿazīz.
"And that is not difficult for Allah." (Ibrāhīm 14:20)
Translation: Nor is that in any way difficult for Allah.
Commentary: One finds it natural to seek protection from Satan during such reflections, as the author notes with the formula aʿūdhu bi'llāhi mina 'sh-shayṭāni 'r-rajīm — and then continues.
The scene of the Last Day:
وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ ٱلضُّعَفَـٰٓؤُاْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمۡ تَبَعًا فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّغۡنُونَ عَنَّا مِنۡ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىۡءٍ
Wa-barazū li'llāhi jamīʿan fa-qāla 'ḍ-ḍuʿafāʾu lil-ladhīna 'stakbarū innā kunnā lakum tabaʿan fa-hal antum mughnūna ʿannā min ʿadhābi 'llāhi min shayʾ.
"They will all appear before Allah, and the weak will say to those who were arrogant: 'We were your followers — can you protect us at all from Allah's punishment?'" (Ibrāhīm 14:21)
Translation: They will all stand exposed before Allah. Then the weak — the common followers — will say to those who were arrogant: "We were your followers; can you now do anything to shield us from Allah's punishment?" They will reply: "Had Allah guided us, we would have guided you. It is all one now whether we wail or keep silent — there is no escape for us."
Commentary: The Qurʾān describes the painful unravelling of the relationships of this world. The leaders — political, social, or religious — who led their followers into disbelief now stand exposed. Their followers demand protection; the leaders offer nothing. The excuse "had God guided us, we would have guided you" is here exposed as a lie by the logic of the situation itself: you had full capacity and chose misguidance. The author observes that it is a habit of those who find no excuse for their evil to blame God — but in truth, God's guidance is offered to those whose inner nature (fiṭra) is receptive to it.
Satan's address in Hell:
وَقَالَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمۡ وَعۡدَ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمۡ فَأَخۡلَفۡتُكُمۡ
Wa-qāla 'sh-shayṭānu lammā quḍiya 'l-amru inna 'llāha waʿadakum waʿda 'l-ḥaqqi wa-waʿadtukum fa-akhlaftukum.
"And Satan will say when the matter is concluded: 'Allah made you a true promise; I made you a promise too, but I betrayed you.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:22)
Translation: When all matters have been settled and the people of Paradise have entered their abode and the people of Hell theirs, Satan will say: "Allah made you a true, realised promise. I too made you a promise — but I broke it. I had no authority over you. I only called you, and you responded. So blame not me; blame yourselves. I cannot rescue you, nor can you rescue me. I disbelieve in what you associated with me before. The wrongdoers shall have a painful punishment."
Commentary: This extraordinary speech is Satan's final, honest admission. He acknowledges that his power over human beings was never coercive — he had no sulṭān (dominion) over them. He only called, and they chose to respond. The word dakhal (I entered/I intervened) used elsewhere for Satan's influence implies he slipped in through open doors — the open doors of desire, arrogance, and neglect. His declaration innī kafartu bi-mā ashraktumūni min qabl — "I disbelieve in your associating me as a partner with God" — is an ultimate, devastating reversal: the very object of their worship declares himself no god. The author notes that this passage should be a stark reminder to all who defer to any authority — political, social, scholarly — while neglecting the commands of Allah: they follow Satan's footsteps without realising it.
The believers in Paradise:
وَأُدۡخِلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡ ۖ تَحِيَّتُهُمۡ فِيهَا سَلَـٰمٌ
Wa-udkhila 'lladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū 'ṣ-ṣāliḥāti jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā 'l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā bi-idhni rabbihim. Taḥiyyatuhum fīhā salām.
"And those who believed and did righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, dwelling therein forever by the permission of their Lord. Their greeting therein will be: 'Peace!'" (Ibrāhīm 14:23)
Translation: Those who believed and did righteous deeds will be brought into gardens beneath which rivers run, dwelling there forever by their Lord's leave. Their mutual greeting there will be salām — peace.
Commentary: The contrast is stark: Satan's followers end in unending torment; the believers enter gardens of eternal peace. The word salām encompasses complete safety from all harm, harm of body, soul, heart, and conscience. The formula bi-idhni rabbihim (by their Lord's permission) reminds that even Paradise is not something earned by one's own power — it is a divine gift, entered by God's leave. The name given to the Muslim community — ahl al-sunna — derives its very character from this reality: we enter not by our own merit but by God's mercy, raḥma, and permission.
The parable of the good word:
أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصۡلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرۡعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ
Alam tara kayfa ḍaraba 'llāhu mathalan kalimatan ṭayyibatan ka-shajaratin ṭayyibatin aṣluhā thābitun wa-farʿuhā fī 's-samāʾ.
"Do you not see how Allah sets forth a parable? A good word is like a good tree whose root is firmly fixed and whose branches reach into the sky." (Ibrāhīm 14:24)
Translation: Have you not considered how Allah has given a parable? A goodly word — meaning faith (imān) — is like a goodly tree: its root is firmly embedded, and its branches rise high into the sky.
Commentary: Kalima ṭayyiba is the declaration of faith — Lā ilāha illā Allāh. It is compared to a magnificent tree. The root (aṣl) planted deep in the earth represents the foundation of tawḥīd fixed in the heart. The branches reaching the sky represent the spiritual elevation, the living deeds, the prayers, and the good character that spring from genuine faith. Such a tree bears fruit at every season, by the permission of its Lord. This is the nature of imān: when it is real, it is generative, productive, and life-giving in every dimension.
تُؤۡتِىٓ أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينِۭ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهَا ۗ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
Tuʾtī ukulahā kulla ḥīnin bi-idhni rabbihā. Wa-yaḍribu 'llāhu 'l-amthāla li'n-nāsi laʿallahum yatadhakkarūn.
"It bears fruit at every season by the permission of its Lord. Allah sets forth parables for people so that they may reflect." (Ibrāhīm 14:25)
Translation: It yields its fruit at all times, by its Lord's permission. Allah strikes parables for people so that they may reflect and remember.
وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجۡتُثَّتۡ مِن فَوۡقِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ
Wa-mathalu kalimatin khabīthatin ka-shajaratin khabīthatin 'juththat min fawqi 'l-arḍi mā lahā min qarār.
"And the parable of a corrupt word is like a corrupt tree uprooted from the surface of the earth — it has no stability." (Ibrāhīm 14:26)
Translation: And the parable of a corrupt word — meaning disbelief (kufr) — is like a corrupt tree that has been torn up from the surface of the earth. It has no stability, no firm root.
Commentary: The contrast is complete: faith is a noble tree with deep roots and celestial branches; disbelief is a wretched tree with no roots at all, already uprooted and lying on the surface, blown about by every wind. There is no permanence, no fruit, no shelter, no shade.
يُثَبِّتُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ ٱلثَّابِتِ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ
Yuthabbittu 'llāhu 'lladhīna āmanū bi'l-qawli 'th-thābiti fī 'l-ḥayāti 'd-dunyā wa-fī 'l-ākhira.
"Allah keeps firm those who believe by means of the firm word, in the life of this world and in the Hereafter." (Ibrāhīm 14:27)
Translation: Allah makes firm those who believe with the firm, established word — both in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. And He does what He wills.
Commentary: The qawl thābit (firm word) is the declaration of faith — lā ilāha illā Allāh — and the totality of the beliefs attached to it. With this word, God makes the believer firm: in this life, by granting them stability, calmness, and right conduct; in the grave, when the angels question; and in the Hereafter, where the accounting takes place. The wrongdoers, by contrast, are left to wander without anchor.
أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ كُفۡرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ دَارَ ٱلۡبَوَارِ
Alam tara ilā 'lladhīna baddalu niʿmata 'llāhi kufran wa-aḥallū qawmahum dāra 'l-bawār.
"Do you not see those who exchanged the favour of Allah for ingratitude and settled their people in the abode of ruin?" (Ibrāhīm 14:28)
Translation: Have you not considered those who exchanged Allah's blessing for disbelief and ingratitude, and thereby led their people into the abode of destruction?
جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَوۡنَهَا ۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡقَرَارُ
"Hell — they shall burn in it. What a wretched resting-place!" (Ibrāhīm 14:29)
Translation: They will roast in Hell — what a terrible abode to settle in!
Commentary: The leaders who led their nations away from God's favour are held responsible for the ruin of their entire communities. The niʿma (blessing) here refers to the guidance of prophethood — the blessing of being given the truth — which they exchanged for the kufr of rejection. The term dār al-bawār (abode of ruin/perdition) is understood as Hell itself.
وَجَعَلُواْ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا لِّيُضِلُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ
Wa-jaʿalū li'llāhi andādan li-yuḍillū ʿan sabīlih.
"They set up rivals to Allah in order to lead people astray from His path." (Ibrāhīm 14:30)
Translation: They set up competitors (andād) with Allah in order to lead others astray from His path. Say to them: "Enjoy for a little while — your destination is the Fire."
Commentary: Andād (rivals, co-equals) — false objects of worship, whether idols, desires, leaders, or ideologies set up as alternatives to God. The purpose is stated explicitly: li-yuḍillū — to lead astray. This is an act of deliberate misguidance. The author's commentary here carries urgency: the address shifts to a sharp rebuke of such leaders.
قُل لِّعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً
Qul li-ʿibādiya 'lladhīna āmanū yuqīmū 'ṣ-ṣalāta wa-yunfiqū mimmā razaqnāhum sirran wa-ʿalāniyatan.
"Tell My servants who believe to establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and openly." (Ibrāhīm 14:31)
Translation: Tell My believing servants to establish the prayer with proper attention and to spend in charity from what We have provided them — both in private and in public — before a Day comes when there will be neither trading nor friendship.
Commentary: After the warning to the misguided leaders, the command is given to the believers: the remedy is ṣalāt (prayer) — which is the axis of the believer's life — and nafaqa (expenditure in charity), both secretly (sirran) and openly (ʿalāniyatan). Both modes are commanded: secret charity protects sincerity; public charity sets an example. The warning about the Day when lā bayʿun fīhi wa-lā khilāl (no trade and no friendship) reminds the believer that only what is sent ahead — deeds done in this life — will avail in the Hereafter.
The enumeration of divine blessings:
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخۡرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزۡقًا لَّكُمۡ
Allāhu 'lladhī khalaqa 's-samāwāti wa'l-arḍa wa-anzala mina 's-samāʾi māʾan fa-akhraja bihi mina 'th-thamarāti rizqan lakum.
"Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the sky, and by it brought forth fruits as provision for you." (Ibrāhīm 14:32)
Translation: Allah is the One Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down rain from the sky, and by means of it brought forth fruits as sustenance for you. He has made the ships subservient to you to sail the seas by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you as well.
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ دَآئِبَيۡنِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱللَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ
Wa-sakhkhara lakumu 'sh-shamsa wa'l-qamara dāʾibayni wa-sakhkhara lakumu 'l-layla wa'n-nahār.
"He has made the sun and moon subservient to you, running their courses; and He has made the night and day subservient to you." (Ibrāhīm 14:33)
Translation: He has made subservient to you the sun and moon — both running their courses in constant, faithful motion — and He has made subservient to you the night and the day.
Commentary: The word dāʾibayni (running their unceasing courses) conveys both the constancy and the obedience of the sun and moon. They are conscripted into the service of humanity, yet they are not in their own control: they have no will or power to stop. If they possessed freedom and will, they would long since have overthrown the authority over them. The contrast with the human being — who has freedom and will but frequently disobeys — is implicit and pointed.
وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَا ۗ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ
Wa-ātākum min kulli mā saʾaltumūhu. Wa-in taʿuddū niʿmata 'llāhi lā tuḥṣūhā. Inna 'l-insāna la-ẓalūmun kaffār.
"He has given you all that you asked of Him. And if you were to count Allah's blessings, you could not number them. Indeed, the human being is very unjust and very ungrateful." (Ibrāhīm 14:34)
Translation: He has given you of everything you asked of Him. And if you attempted to count Allah's blessings, you could never enumerate them. Truly, the human being is gravely unjust (ẓalūm) and deeply ungrateful (kaffār).
Commentary: The use of the intensive forms ẓalūm and kaffār — both are verbal noun patterns of exaggeration — is significant. The human being is most unjust and most ungrateful. After all these blessings, this is the general human condition. Yet this verse is not a condemnation but a call to self-awareness: if we recognise this tendency in ourselves, we can combat it with dhikr (remembrance), gratitude, and reliance on God.
The prayer of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace):
وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَلۡ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدَ ءَامِنًا وَٱجۡنُبۡنِى وَبَنِىَّ أَن نَّعۡبُدَ ٱلۡأَصۡنَامَ
Wa-idh qāla Ibrāhīmu rabbi 'jʿal hādhā 'l-balada āminan wa-'jnubnī wa-baniyya an naʿbuda 'l-aṣnām.
"And when Ibrāhīm said: 'My Lord, make this city secure, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:35)
Translation: And when Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) prayed: "My Lord, make this city — Mecca — a place of security, and keep me and my children away from worshipping idols."
Commentary: The prayer of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) for Mecca is the founding supplication of the Ḥaram — the Sacred Sanctuary. Notice that he prays first for security for the city, then for protection of himself and his offspring from idol-worship. The author notes something remarkable: Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) himself prays to be kept away from idols, despite being the great destroyer of idols — this is not because he feared his own fall, but because it demonstrates to us that no matter how exalted one's spiritual station, humility before God and constant recourse to His protection is the proper adab. Every Muslim is descended from this prayer, for the Jews, Christians, and Muslims all trace themselves to Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). The author observes that in the author's own time, many professing Muslims commit acts equivalent to idolatry — things that are "repulsive, impure, and of Satanic character" — while the pure monotheism that is the birthright of the Abrahamic tradition is being abandoned. This is a matter of profound concern.
رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضۡلَلۡنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ فَمَن تَبِعَنِى فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّى ۖ وَمَنۡ عَصَانِى فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Rabbi innahunna aḍlalna kathīran mina 'n-nāsi fa-man tabiʿanī fa-innahu minnī wa-man ʿaṣānī fa-innaka ghafūrun raḥīm.
"'My Lord, these idols have indeed led many people astray. Whoever follows me is of me, and whoever disobeys me — You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:36)
Translation: "My Lord, these idols have led many people astray. Whoever follows my way belongs to my community; and whoever disobeys me — You are Forgiving and Merciful."
Commentary: The magnanimity of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) is here displayed: even for those who disobey him, he does not curse them but entrusts them to divine mercy. The author comments: there are those among the religious scholars (mawlawīs) who are quick to label fellow Muslims as kāfir (disbelievers) or mushrik (polytheists) on the basis of certain practices. But Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), who was confronted with actual idolaters, did not say "destroy them" but entrusted them to God's mercy. God is ghafūr raḥīm — He opens paths of repentance to those who turn to Him.
رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسۡكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيۡرِ ذِى زَرۡعٍ عِندَ بَيۡتِكَ ٱلۡمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱجۡعَلۡ أَفۡـِٔدَةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَهۡوِىٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ وَٱرۡزُقۡهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَشۡكُرُونَ
Rabbanā innī askantu min dhurriyyatī bi-wādin ghayri dhī zarʿin ʿinda baytika 'l-muḥarrami rabbanā li-yuqīmū 'ṣ-ṣalāta fa-'jʿal afʾidatan mina 'n-nāsi tahwī ilayhim wa-'rzuqhum mina 'th-thamarāti laʿallahum yashkurūn.
"'Our Lord, I have settled some of my offspring in a valley without cultivation, near Your Sacred House — Our Lord, so that they may establish the prayer. So make the hearts of people incline towards them and provide them with fruits, that they may be grateful.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:37)
Translation: "Our Lord! I have settled part of my offspring in a valley devoid of cultivation — near Your Sacred, Inviolable House. Our Lord, so that they may establish the prayer. So make the hearts of people incline and yearn towards them, and grant them provisions from the fruits of the earth, that they may be grateful."
Commentary: Mecca is a rocky, barren valley with no natural resources. Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) settled his wife Hājar and his infant son Ismāʿīl (upon them be peace) there — seemingly the most precarious and imprudent act. But the author observes that the fruits of this prayer are visible to this day: Mecca, surrounded by rocky hills with no agriculture, feeds millions. During the Ḥajj, hundreds of thousands gather in ʿArafāt, and not one person goes hungry — by Allah's provision alone. In the author's own time, even when the governance of the Ḥijāz fell into the hands of those whose religious orientation was contested, the system of feeding the pilgrims and maintaining the Sanctuary continued, by God's care. The true tawakkul (reliance on God) of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) produced miraculous results across millennia.
رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ تَعۡلَمُ مَا نُخۡفِى وَمَا نُعۡلِنُ ۗ وَمَا يَخۡفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىۡءٍ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ
Rabbanā innaka taʿlamu mā nukhfī wa-mā nuʿlin. Wa-mā yakhfā ʿalā 'llāhi min shayʾin fī 'l-arḍi wa-lā fī 's-samāʾ.
"'Our Lord, You know what we conceal and what we make known. Nothing is hidden from Allah — neither on earth nor in heaven.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:38)
Translation: "Our Lord! You know what we hide and what we reveal. Nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or in the heavens."
Commentary: This verse is the heart of the prayer of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace): an acknowledgement of divine omniscience. Before God, there is no hidden agenda, no concealed motive — everything is known. This acknowledgement itself is an act of worship and a deepening of ikhbāt (humble submission).
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلۡكِبَرِ إِسۡمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
Al-ḥamdu li'llāhi 'lladhī wahaba lī ʿalā 'l-kibari Ismāʿīla wa-Isḥāqa. Inna rabbī la-samīʿu 'd-duʿāʾ.
"'All praise is to Allah Who has granted me, in old age, Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq. Indeed my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:39)
Translation: "Praise be to Allah Who, even in my old age, bestowed upon me Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq. Truly my Lord hears every supplication."
Commentary: The birth of both Ismāʿīl (upon him be peace) from Hājar and Isḥāq (upon him be peace) from Sāra, both in Ibrāhīm's (upon him be peace) advanced old age, was a miracle — answered prayer made manifest. The expression of gratitude here, al-ḥamdu li'llāh, teaches us the proper response to divine favour: immediate, heartfelt praise.
رَبِّ ٱجۡعَلۡنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلۡ دُعَآءِ
Rabbi 'jʿalnī muqīma 'ṣ-ṣalāti wa-min dhurriyyatī. Rabbanā wa-taqabbal duʿāʾ.
"'My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and my offspring as well. Our Lord, accept my supplication.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:40)
Translation: "My Lord, make me one who establishes the prayer properly, and grant this also to my progeny. Our Lord, accept my supplication."
Commentary: Notice that even Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), the Friend of God (Khalīl Allāh), prays to be made an establisher of prayer — he does not take his own worship for granted. The author draws an important lesson: just as Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) prayed for his offspring's prayer, so too should every parent pray for their children's attachment to the ṣalāt. Once a child's heart is captured by prayer, it will not be lost to sin. The child who abandons prayer should be gently disciplined — prayer is the bulwark against all evils.
رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلۡحِسَابُ
Rabbanā 'ghfir lī wa-li-wālidayya wa-li'l-muʾminīna yawma yaqūmu 'l-ḥisāb.
"'Our Lord, forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the reckoning shall stand.'" (Ibrāhīm 14:41)
Translation: "Our Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and all the believing men and women on the Day when the reckoning comes."
Commentary: The prayer ends with the widest possible embrace of supplication — for oneself, for one's parents, and for all believers. The author addresses his readers: "Friends — the Prophet Muḥammadﷺis related to the sājidīn (prostrators) — all the prophets from Ādam (upon him be peace) to the Final Messenger were submitted Muslims in their innermost being. The verse wa-taqallubaka fī 's-sājidīn (Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:219) means that the blessed light of prophethood passed through a lineage of those who prostrated to God." He also addresses a theological issue here: concerning the grandfather Āzar (mentioned as the father of Ibrāhīm in some interpretations) — he was not the biological father but a paternal uncle or guardian (ʿamm). The prophetic chain was never contaminated by outright polytheism according to Sunnī Ḥanafī ʿaqīda.
God never neglects the deeds of the wrongdoers:
وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَـٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
Wa-lā taḥsabanna 'llāha ghāfilan ʿammā yaʿmalu 'ẓ-ẓālimūn.
"Do not think Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do." (Ibrāhīm 14:42)
Translation: Never suppose that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing. He only defers them to a Day when all eyes will stare in horror.
مُهۡطِعِينَ مُقۡنِعِى رُءُوسِهِمۡ لَا يَرۡتَدُّ إِلَيۡهِمۡ طَرۡفُهُمۡ وَأَفۡـِٔدَتُهُمۡ هَوَآءٌ
Muhṭiʿīna muqniʿī ruʾūsihim lā yartaddu ilayhim ṭarfuhum wa-afʾidatuhum hawāʾ.
"Running forward with heads upraised, their gaze not returning to them, and their hearts void." (Ibrāhīm 14:43)
Translation: They will run in terror with heads lifted up and eyes fixed wide, unable to blink; their hearts will be hollow and emptied of all composure.
Commentary: This vivid description of the state of the wrongdoers on the Day of Judgment is one of the Qurʾān's most powerful passages. The commentators differ on whether muqniʿī ruʾūsihim means heads raised high (in shock and helplessness) or bowed down (in shame). Either way, the image is one of total loss of agency. Their hearts are hawāʾ — like the empty air, devoid of courage, resolve, or any sustaining thought.
وَأَنذِرِ ٱلنَّاسَ يَوۡمَ يَأۡتِيهِمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ رَبَّنَآ أَخِّرۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُّجِبۡ دَعۡوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ ٱلرُّسُلَ ۗ أَوَلَمۡ تَكُونُوٓاْ أَقۡسَمۡتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ
Wa-andhiri 'n-nāsa yawma yaʾtīhimu 'l-ʿadhābu fa-yaqūlu 'lladhīna ẓalamū rabbanā akhkhirnā ilā ajalin qarībin nujibi daʿwataka wa-nattabiʿi 'r-rusul. Awa-lam takūnū aqsamtum min qablu mā lakum min zawāl.
"Warn the people of the Day when the punishment will come and the wrongdoers will say: 'Our Lord, grant us a brief reprieve so that we may answer Your call and follow the messengers.' — 'Had you not sworn before that you would never pass away?'" (Ibrāhīm 14:44)
Translation: Warn the people of the Day when the punishment will arrive, and the wrongdoers will say: "Our Lord, give us a little more time! We will respond to Your call and follow the messengers." — God will answer: "Did you not swear before that you had no decline, no end?" They swore they would never be removed, that their power was eternal. Now their condition has changed beyond recognition.
وَسَكَنتُمۡ فِى مَسَـٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ فَعَلۡنَا بِهِمۡ وَضَرَبۡنَا لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ
Wa-sakantum fī masākini 'lladhīna ẓalamū anfusahum wa-tabayyana lakum kayfa faʿalnā bihim wa-ḍarabnā lakumu 'l-amthāl.
"You dwelt in the abodes of those who wronged themselves, and it became clear to you how We dealt with them; and We gave you parables." (Ibrāhīm 14:45)
Translation: You lived in the dwellings of those who wronged themselves. It became manifest to you how We dealt with them. And We struck for you parables — so that you would take heed.
وَقَدۡ مَكَرُواْ مَكۡرَهُمۡ وَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَكۡرُهُمۡ وَإِن كَانَ مَكۡرُهُمۡ لِتَزُولَ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ
Wa-qad makarū makrahum wa-ʿinda 'llāhi makruhum wa-in kāna makruhum li-tazūla minhu 'l-jibāl.
"They devised their scheme, but their scheme is with Allah — even if their scheme was such as to move mountains." (Ibrāhīm 14:46)
Translation: They plotted their plots, but all their plots are held and known by Allah. Even if their scheming were powerful enough to move mountains, it would avail them nothing.
Commentary: The plots of those who oppose God's messengers may appear formidable — historically and in the present day. The Qurʾān says: even mountain-moving schemes are nothing before God's knowledge and counter-plan.
فَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِفَ وَعۡدِهِۦ رُسُلَهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ
Fa-lā taḥsabanna 'llāha mukhlifa waʿdihi rusulah. Inna 'llāha ʿazīzun dhū ntiqām.
"Do not think that Allah will fail in His promise to His messengers. Indeed, Allah is Almighty, Avenger." (Ibrāhīm 14:47)
Translation: Never think that Allah will break His promise to His messengers. Allah is Almighty and possessed of the power to exact requital.
The Day of transformation:
يَوۡمَ تُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ ۖ وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡوَٰحِدِ ٱلۡقَهَّارِ
Yawma tubaddalu 'l-arḍu ghayra 'l-arḍi wa's-samāwātu wa-barazū li'llāhi 'l-wāḥidi 'l-qahhār.
"On the Day when the earth will be replaced by another earth and the heavens, and they will come forth before Allah, the One, the Overpowering." (Ibrāhīm 14:48)
Translation: This is the Day when the earth will be replaced by a different earth, and the heavens likewise transformed — and all will stand exposed before Allah, the One, the All-Compelling.
Commentary: The transformation of the heavens and earth on the Day of Resurrection is affirmed by tawātur (multiply-transmitted reports) in the tradition. The new earth will be arḍ bayḍāʾ (a white earth, pure and pristine) according to the Ḥadīth. Before the One God, the Wāḥid al-Qahhār, there is no escape and no hiding. All power, all kingdoms, all pretensions of sovereignty collapse before absolute divine majesty.
وَتَرَى ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ يَوۡمَئِذٍ مُّقَرَّنِينَ فِى ٱلۡأَصۡفَادِ
Wa-tarā 'l-mujrimīna yawmaʾidhin muqarranīna fī 'l-aṣfād.
"You will see the sinners on that Day bound together in chains." (Ibrāhīm 14:49)
Translation: On that Day, you will see the wicked chained together in fetters —
سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغۡشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ
"Their garments of liquid pitch, and their faces covered by the Fire." (Ibrāhīm 14:50)
Translation: — their garments will be of molten tar, and fire will engulf their faces.
لِيَجۡزِىَ ٱللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفۡسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتۡ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ
"So that Allah may requite every soul for what it has earned. Indeed Allah is swift in reckoning." (Ibrāhīm 14:51)
Translation: All this in order that Allah may recompense every soul precisely for what it has earned. Allah is swift in reckoning.
هَـٰذَا بَلَـٰغٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُواْ بِهِۦ وَلِيَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ
Hādhā balāghun li'n-nāsi wa-li-yundharu bihi wa-li-yaʿlamū annamā huwa ilāhun wāḥidun wa-li-yadhdhakkara ūlū 'l-albāb.
"This is a message for mankind, that they may be warned by it and know that He is One God, and that people of sound understanding may take heed." (Ibrāhīm 14:52)
Translation: This Qurʾān is a communication to all humanity, to warn them and that they may know with certainty that God is One — and that those possessed of sound minds and pure hearts may take heed and remember.
Commentary: Balāgh — a conveying, a communication that reaches its destination. The Qurʾān has been delivered; the warning is complete. The one who reads or hears has now received the balāgh. Understanding is offered to ūlū 'l-albāb — those of sound understanding, lit. "possessors of cores/kernels" — those whose faculty of reason is untarnished by desire and arrogance. This concludes the chapter of Sūrat Ibrāhīm.