Verses 48–77

Chapter 21: Al-Anbiyāʾ (The Prophets) · Printed edition: Volume 28, pp. 77–99

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ الْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَاءً وَذِكْراً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ٤٨ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ وَهُمْ مِنْ السَّاعَةِ مُشْفِقُونَ ٤٩ وَهَذَا ذِكْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُونَ ٥٠ وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ ٥١ إِذْ قَالَ لأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَذِهِ التَّمَاثِيلُ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ لَهَا عَاكِفُونَ ٥٢ قَالُوا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا لَهَا عَابِدِينَ ٥٣ قَالَ لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ فِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ ٥٤ قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا بِالْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنْتَ مِنْ اللاَّعِبِينَ ٥٥ قَالَ بَل رَبُّكُمْ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الَّذِي فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ مِنْ الشَّاهِدِينَ ٥٦ وَتَاللَّهِ لأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا مُدْبِرِينَ ٥٧ فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذاً إِلاَّ كَبِيراً لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ ٥٨ قَالُوا مَنْ فَعَلَ هَذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا إِنَّهُ لَمِنْ الظَّالِمِينَ ٥٩ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ٦٠ قَالُوا فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ٦١ قَالُوا أَأَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ٦٢ قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِنْ كَانُوا يَنطِقُونَ ٦٣ فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوا إِنَّكُمْ أَنْتُمْ الظَّالِمُونَ ٦٤ ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَؤُلاءِ يَنطِقُونَ ٦٥ قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئاً وَلا يَضُرُّكُمْ ٦٦ أُفٍّ لَكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ ٦٧ قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ ٦٨ قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْداً وَسَلاماً عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ ٦٩ وَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْداً فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ الأَخْسَرِينَ ٧٠ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَلُوطاً إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَالَمِينَ ٧١ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً وَكُلاًّ جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ ٧٢ وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَةِ الصَّلاةِ وَإِيتَاءَ الزَّكَاةِ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ ٧٣ وَلُوطاً آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْماً وَعِلْماً وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنْ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تَعْمَلُ الْخَبَائِثَ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَاسِقِينَ ٧٤ وَأَدْخَلْنَاهُ فِي رَحْمَتِنَا إِنَّهُ مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ ٧٥ وَنُوحاً إِذْ نَادَى مِنْ قَبْلُ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنْ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ ٧٦ وَنَصَرْنَاهُ مِنْ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ٧٧

48. And certainly We gave to Moses and Aaron the Criterion and a light and a reminder for those who would guard (against evil).
49. (For) those who fear their Lord in secret and they are fearful of the Hour.
50. And this is a blessed reminder which We have revealed; will you then deny it?
51. And certainly We gave to Abraham his rectitude before, and We knew him fully well.
52. When he said to his father and his people: What are these images to whose worship you cleave?
53. They said: We found our fathers worshiping them.
54. He said: Certainly you have been, (both) you and your fathers, in manifest error.
55. They said: Have you brought us the truth, or are you one of the triflers?
56. He said: Nay! your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who brought them into existence, and I am of those who bear witness to this:
57. And, by Allah! I will certainly plot against your idols after you go away, turning back.
58. So he broke them into pieces, except their chief, that haply they may return to it.
59. They said: Who has done this to our gods? Most surely he is one of the unjust.
60. They said: We heard a youth called Abraham speak of them.
61. Said they: Then bring him before the eyes of the people; perhaps they may bear witness.
62. They said: Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?
63. He said: Nay, it was this chief of them that did it. Ask them, if they can speak.
64. So they turned to themselves and said: Surely you yourselves are the unjust;
65. Then they were made to hang down their heads: Certainly you know that they do not speak.
66. He said: What! Do you then serve besides Allah what brings you not any benefit at all, nor does it harm you?
67. Fie on you and on what you serve besides Allah; what! do you not then understand?
68. They said: Burn him and help your gods, if you are going to do (anything).
69. We said: O fire! Be coolness and peace to Abraham;
70. And they desired a war on him, but We made them the greatest losers.
71. And We delivered him as well as Lot (removing them) to the land which We had blessed for all people.
72. And We gave him Isaac and Jacob, as an additional gift, and We made (them) all good.
73. And We made them Imams who guided (people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of alms, and Us (alone) did they serve;
74. And (as for) Lot, We gave him wisdom and knowledge, and We delivered him from the town which wrought abominations; surely they were an evil people, transgressors;
75. And We took him into Our mercy; surely he was of the good.
76. And Noah, when he cried aforetime, so We answered him, and delivered him and his followers from the great calamity.
77. And We helped him against the people who rejected Our communications; surely they were an evil people, so We drowned them all.

Introduction

After a full discussion of prophethood on the basis of resurrection, God continues in these verses by referring to the stories of a number of noble prophets whom He sent to the people. He supported them with wisdom and religious law (shariah), and delivered from the hands of the oppressors in their nations. These accounts continue the previous thread of proving the legislation of religion, warning and threatening the polytheists, and giving good news to the believers.

There are seventeen prophets in total who are mentioned in this chapter: Moses, Aaron, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, David, Solomon, Job, Ishmael, Enoch (Idrīs), Ezekiel (Dhū al-Kifl), Jonah, Zechariah, John and Jesus. Seven of them are mentioned in the current set of verses. They start with Moses and Aaron, followed by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Lot who were their predecessors. They are then followed by Noah who was their predecessor.

Commentary

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ الْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَاءً وَذِكْراً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ٤٨ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ وَهُمْ مِنْ السَّاعَةِ مُشْفِقُونَ ٤٩

(21:48-49) And certainly We gave to Moses and Aaron the Criterion (al-furqān) and a light (ḍiyāʾan) and a reminder (dhikran) for those who would guard (against evil) (lil-muttaqīn). (For) those who fear their Lord in secret and they are fearful of the Hour.

In a sense this is a return to what was mentioned briefly before: And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation (). It elaborates on that by referring to what the prophets were given—that is, their teachings and codes of religious law—and what they were supported with—that is, the destruction of their enemies through equitable judgment.

The subsequent verse [] shows that “the Criterion” (al-furqān), “the light” and “the reminder” refer to the Torah. That is what God gave to Moses and his brother Aaron who was his partner in the prophetic mission.

Furqān is an infinitive, like farq (lit. “to separate, to distinguish”), with the difference that furqān is more expressive [of the root meaning] than farq. According to al-Rāghib, it has been said that furqān is not an infinitive, but it is a noun [that is, “separation, distinction”]. The Torah is called furqān because it separates or differentiates truth from falsehood in belief and action. The verse is similar to: And when We gave Moses the Book and the Criterion (al-furqān) that you might walk aright (). It is called “light” because it illuminates their path to happiness and success in this world and the Hereafter. It is called a “reminder” because it contains aphorisms, admonitions and lessons through which one is reminded of God.

Why does the verse say al-furqān in the definite form [with the definite article al-]? A possible answer is that one of the names of the Torah is al-Furqān, as opposed to ḍiyāʾ (light) and dhikr (reminder) [which are its attributes]. Another possible answer is that the Torah is a criterion (furqān) for everyone, while it is a light and reminder only for the God-conscious, because others do not benefit from it. That is why “light” and “reminder” are in the indefinite form (nakirah) so that they can be qualified by lil-muttaqīn (meaning, “for those who would guard against evil”), as opposed to al-furqān [which is in the unconditional form and not qualified by the end of the verse]. The Torah is called a light and reminder elsewhere in the Qur’an: …in which was guidance and light (), and: So ask the followers of the reminder ().

وَهَذَا ذِكْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُونَ ٥٠

(21:50) And this is a blessed reminder (dhikrun mubārakun) which We have revealed; will you then deny it?

The demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to the Qur’an. It is called a “blessed” reminder because it comprises of abundant, constant and persistent good. Believers and unbelievers alike in human society benefit from this Book. Humanity is blessed by it whether they acknowledge it or deny it, and whether they confirm its truth or reject it.

This can be shown by analyzing the welfare and development of the human population today, compared to the when the Qur’an was revealed and prior to that. Then one would realize that this has been a blessed reminder whose teachings have guided humanity even though the ignorant do not know its textual form; even though the deniers reject its truth and are ungrateful for its great bounty; and even though Muslims have facilitated their ignorance, denial and ungratefulness through their own neglect of their Book. The Messenger said: O Lord, verily my people have treated this Qur’an as a forsaken thing ().

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ ٥١

(21:51) And certainly (laqad) We gave to Abraham his rectitude (rushdahu) before, and We knew him fully well.

This goes back to what preceded Moses, Aaron and the revelation of the Torah, as indicated by “before.” It means that the giving of the Torah to Moses and Aaron was not an unprecedented thing that We did. On the contrary, “I swear (laqad) that We gave Abraham his rectitude before that.”

Rushd is the opposite of ghayy (error) and it means “to hit the truth.” Abraham’s rectitude was his pure, primary and inherent (fiṭrī) disposition toward monotheism and other true teachings. Saying “his rectitude” implies a special sense of rectitude that was exclusive to him, and shows his worthiness. This is confirmed by what He says afterwards: “And We knew Him fully well,” which is a way of saying that We knew his specific condition and maximum capacity.

The meaning is: “I swear that We certainly gave Abraham the rectitude and ability to reach the truth that he was capable and worthy of, and We knew fully well his maximum capacity and worthiness.” What God gave him, as previously mentioned, was what he realized through the purity of his primary nature and the light of his vision—and that was the truth of monotheism and other true teachings. He realized them without being taught by a teacher, reminded by a reminder or prompted by a prompter.

إِذْ قَالَ لأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَذِهِ التَّمَاثِيلُ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ لَهَا عَاكِفُونَ ٥٢

(21:52) When he said to his father and his people: What are these images (al-tamāthīl) to whose worship you cleave (ʿākifūn, from ʿukūf)?

A timthāl is “an image or depiction.” Its plural is tamāthīl. ʿUkūf means “to turn to something and adhere to it in glorification.” That is according to al-Rāghib’s definition of the two terms.

What he meant by “these images” was the idols which they had put up for worship and were offering sacrifices to. His question was about the reality of the idols so that he could get to know their significance. This was the first time he had gone into society. He had entered a religious society which worshiped images and idols. His question was in fact a combination of two questions: a question to his “father” about the idols [here], which was before his question to his people, mentioned in Sūrah al-Anʿām [ff]. The meaning of the verse is clear.

قَالُوا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا لَهَا عَابِدِينَ ٥٣

(21:53) They said: We found our fathers worshiping them.

This is the answer of his people to him. His question about the reality of the idols [the “what” question] was in reality a question about the reason for worshiping the idols [the “why”]. That is why they justified their act as an ethnic practice and said that it was the custom of their fathers and grandfathers to worship them.

قَالَ لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ فِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ ٥٤

(21:54) He said: Certainly you have been, (both) you and your fathers, in manifest error.

The reason why they were in manifest error is seen in his argument against them after breaking the idols: What! Do you then serve besides Allah what brings you not any benefit at all, nor does it harm you? ()

قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا بِالْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنْتَ مِنْ اللاَّعِبِينَ ٥٥

(21:55) They said: Have you brought us the truth, or are you one of the triflers?

This is an expression of their surprise and suspicion. It is the nature of an undiscerning blind follower that, when confronted with an opposing view, he deems it unlikely and does not acknowledge the possibility that someone might challenge his belief. That is why they asked him: Have you brought us the truth, or are you one of the triflers? Based on the context, “the truth” here means “something earnest and serious.” That is: Are you serious in what you are saying, or is this a joke?

قَالَ بَل رَبُّكُمْ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الَّذِي فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ مِنْ الشَّاهِدِينَ ٥٦

(21:56) He said: Nay! your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who brought them into existence, and I am of those who bear witness to this.

As you can see, he told them that their Lord is the same as the Lord of the heavens, Which is the same as the Creator of the heavens and the earth: God. This was completely contrary to their position on lordship and divinity, because they believed that they have a god or gods apart from the god or gods of the heavens and the earth, all of whom are other than God. Their view was that He is neither their god nor the god of the heavens or the earth. Rather, they believed that He is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and the Creator of all.

Thus, his words “Nay! your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who brought them into existence” refute their position on divinity in all respects, and assert that there is no god but God. This equates to monotheism.

… and I am of those who bear witness to this: Here he is saying that he is committed to the implications and consequences of what he just said. His shahādah (witness, testimony) to it means that he both acknowledges it and adheres to it, because knowledge of something is different from adhering to it, for the two may diverge, as He says [about Pharaoh and his people]: And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them ().

His testimony completes his answer to their question as to whether he was earnest or trifling in what he was saying. The answer is: No, on the contrary, I know it and adhere to it in practice.

This is the meaning of the verse according to the context. Commentators have given other interpretations for these verses and also for the previous and subsequent stories. We skipped them because there is no benefit in addressing them. They comply with neither the thread of the verses nor the beliefs of the idolaters.

وَتَاللَّهِ لأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا مُدْبِرِينَ ٥٧

(21:57) And, by Allah! I will certainly plot against (la-akīdanna, from kayd) your idols after you go away.

The word “and” adds this verse to “Nay! your Lord… (), which means that this is also something that he said. It means: “He said: By Allah! I will certainly plot against your idols…” Kayd means “to make a secret plot of something unpleasant against someone.” “After you go away” indicates that they used to leave the town or the house of the idols at certain times, perhaps for a festival or another similar custom, such that the place would remain empty.

And, by Allah! I will certainly plot against your idols: It can be inferred from the context of the story and the nature of this statement that he did not literally say this to his people, but this is a statement of his intention to do harm to their idols. A firm intention is often referred to as something that one “says.” For example, sometimes it is said, “I will certainly do this because of what I said,” meaning “because of the decision that I made.”

It is unlikely that he actually said this to his people who were a nation of big, powerful, influential, ardent and fanatical idolaters. At that time there were no monotheists apart from him amongst them, as this event was at the beginning of Abraham’s call. It would not be prudent for him to tell the people of his intention to harm their idols, especially explicitly stating that it was a plot by him for a day when no one will be in town or in the house of idols. This is equivalent to disclosing a secret to exactly the same people that one does not want to find out about it. At most he might have said this to some of the people from whom the statement would not spread; but as for proclaiming the secret to all of them, definitely not.

فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذاً إِلاَّ كَبِيراً لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ ٥٨

(21:58) So he broke them into pieces (judhādhan, from jadhdh), except their chief, that haply they may return to it.

Al-Rāghib says:

Jadhdh means “to break and fragment something.” Broken stones of gold and fragments of gold are called judhādh. This is what is meant in His words: So he broke them into pieces ().

It means that he broke all of the idols into pieces except for their chief.

… that haply they may return to it: Based on the context, this expression of hope [indicated by “haply”] is apparently meant to show what his action resembled. That is, his breaking of all but the chief idol was the action of someone who wants the people to see what had happened to their idols—being all broken into pieces—and find the chief idol unbroken among them, so that they would refer to the chief idol and accuse it of breaking the rest. It is much like someone who kills a group of people but spares one so that he may be accused of their murder.

Thus, the pronoun “it” in “to it” (ilayhi) refers to “their chief.” This is confirmed by Abraham’s subsequent words, where he says, “their chief did it” () in response to their question, “Have you done this to our gods…?” ().

The majority of exegetes believe that the pronoun in ilayhi [which can be translated as “to him”] refers to Abraham. The meaning would thus be: “He then broke the idols and spared their chief so that the people might refer to Abraham. Then he would argue with them, overcome them and make it evident to them that their idols are not gods.” Some claim that the pronoun refers to God, which would mean: “He then broke them but spared the chief idol so that the people might return to God in worship, because they see the idols in such a state. Through the breaking of their idols they would realize that these idols are not gods as they had presumed.”

It is evident that in both of these interpretations, except their chief would be redundant, despite the contrived and unsuccessful efforts of some exegetes to give it some position. What prevented them from referring the pronoun to the chief idol is that the expression of hope would be incorrect based on this interpretation. However, the reader now knows that this expression represents how the event would appear to one who sees it from outside, not that Abraham really had such a hope.

قَالُوا مَنْ فَعَلَ هَٰذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ٥٩

(21:59) They said: Who (man) has done this to our gods? Most surely he is one of the unjust.

They said this question out of remorse and also in search for the perpetrator of this injustice. This is supported by what He says next: They said: We heard a youth called Abraham speak of them (). Some exegetes have suggested that the Arabic particle man (lit. “who”) is a relative pronoun [as opposed to an interrogative one]. But based on the above points this is not correct.

… Most surely he is one of the unjust: Their judgment was that he was unjust and had to be punished for his wrongdoing. In their view, their gods had the right to be revered, so he wronged them by transgressing this right. The people also had the right that their gods and what was sacred to them must be honored and respected. Thus, he also wronged the people by transgressing their right. Finally, he wronged himself as well by transgressing his limit and doing something that he had no right to do.

قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ٦٠

(21:60) They said: We heard a youth called Abraham speak of them.

Based on the context, “speak” here means “speak ill.” That is: We heard a youth speak ill of the gods. Therefore, if anyone is behind this crime, it must be him, for only someone bold like him would commit a crime like this.

Ibrāhīm is marfūʿ in terms of inflection, indicating that it is a predicate for an omitted subject. The implied meaning is: “He is called Abraham” (huwa Ibrāhīm). So says al-Zamakhsharī.

قَالُوا فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ٦١

(21:61) Said they: Then bring him before the eyes of the people; perhaps they may bear witness.

Bringing him before the eyes of the people means bringing him before a public assembly where everyone can see. The place was where he broke the idols, based on Abraham’s reference to the chief idol when he says: Nay, it was this chief of them ().

… they may bear witness: Apparently this means that they wanted the people to bear witness to his speaking ill of their gods. That would make him confess to smashing the idols. Some exegetes have suggested that they wanted the people to witness Abraham’s punishment, but this is an unlikely interpretation.

قَالُوا أَأَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَٰذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ٦٢

(21:62) They said: Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?

This question is meant to determine the doer of the act; otherwise the very occurrence of the act was given and certain to them. The expression “our gods” implies that they did not consider him to be an idol worshiper.

قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِنْ كَانُوا يَنْطِقُونَ ٦٣

(21:63) Nay, it was this chief of them that did it. Ask them, if they can speak.

His claim here—that it was this chief of them that did it—was an argument that was meant to trap the opponent into a concession. It implicitly refutes the divinity of their idols, which he explicitly states later: What! Do you then serve besides Allah what brings you not any benefit at all, nor does it harm you?… (). It was not meant literally for sure, and such statements are common in debates and arguments.

The meaning is: He said, “What we see—that they are all broken into pieces while their chief is standing untouched—testifies that their chief has done it.” This sets the ground for him to say: Ask them... ().

… Ask them, if they can speak: He ordered the people to ask the idols about the fact of the matter and who did this to them, so that they [the idols] would inform their worshipers—if they could speak. In other words, if they can speak is a condition, where its apodosis is omitted but implied by: Ask them.

In summary, the verse can have its literal meaning. There is no need for any complication or contrivance of assuming some omission in the verse, or assuming that some parts of the verse have been shifted from their original position, which should have otherwise come sooner or later. The first part of the verse which ascribes the act to their chief is meant to compel the opponent to concede. It also sets the grounds for the subsequent part, where he tells them to ask the idols if they can speak. This in turn is meant to lead them to admit that their gods cannot speak.

Some exegetes have said that if they can speak qualifies the first part of the verse: Nay, it was this chief of them that did it. The implied meaning would be: “If they could speak, then their chief did it, but since their speech is impossible, so too is his action.” This means that therefore ask them is a parenthetical remark.

Some have said: The subject of “did it” is omitted, and the meaning is: “Nay, whoever did it did it.” Then what follows is another independent sentence: “Here is their chief, so ask them….”

Others have made other suggestions, but they are all explanations which involve contrivances and complications that are far from God’s Book.

فَرَجَعُوا إِلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوا إِنَّكُمْ أَنْتُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ٦٤

(21:64) So they turned to themselves and said: Surely you yourselves are the unjust;

This is consequential to ask them, if they can speak. The proof and argument was completed against them when they heard that from him, for they could see that the idols were inanimate objects without any sense or ability to speak. Therefore they all judged themselves to be unjust, not Abraham. “Returning to oneself” is a metaphor for self-examination and realization.

… and said: Surely you yourselves are the unjust: Namely, all the people said to themselves, “Surely you yourself are the unjust ones because you worship an inanimate object which does not speak.”

Some exegetes have interpreted the verse to mean that they then turned to each other and said to one to another: “Surely you yourselves are the unjust.” However, the reader would agree that this does not fit the context, which is to prove the injustice of each and every one of them. If the verse were about what they said to one another, then they should have said: “Surely we are the unjust,” as seen in other similar verses such as: Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other. Said they: O woe to us! Surely we were inordinate (), and: Then would you begin to lament: Surely we are burdened with debt: Nay! We are deprived ().

ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَٰؤُلَاءِ يَنْطِقُونَ ٦٥

(21:65) Then they were turned (nukisū, from naks) on their heads: Certainly you know that they do not speak.

Al-Rāghib says:

Naks means turning something upside down. For instance, when a baby is born with its foot before its head, it is said nakasa al-walad. He says: Then they were turned on their heads ().

Hence, the expression they were turned on their heads is a metaphor or metonymy for them replacing falsehood with the truth that had become clear to them, and instead the replacing the truth with falsehood. It is as if the truth had risen above falsehood in their hearts, but then they were turned on their heads as they raised up falsehood. They raised the false idea that “Abraham is unjust” above the truth that “they themselves are unjust.” As a result they disputed with Abraham by saying: Certainly you know that they do not speak.

… Certainly you know that they do not speak: That is: You are defending yourself by accusing the chief idol of breaking the others into pieces, and by ordering us to make the gods speak. However, you know that they cannot speak, which shows that you are the unjust perpetrator. Thus, this statement implies that they judged Abraham to be guilty.

قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ ٦٦ أُفٍّ لَكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ٦٧

(21:66-67) He said: What! Do you then serve besides Allah what brings you not any benefit at all, nor does it harm you? Fie on you and on what you serve besides Allah; what! do you not then understand?

When Abraham heard them say, they do not speak (), he did not waste any time trying to defend himself, for he was not intending to do so from the beginning. On the contrary, he drew upon their own words and argued based on their necessary implications to complete the proof against them that their idols are not worthy of being worshiped; that is, they are not gods.

He said: What! Do you then serve besides Allah what brings you not any benefit at all, nor does it harm you? The letter fāʾ (lit. “then”) at the beginning of this verse shows that what follows is a consequence of the previous verse. Therefore, these verses imply the following line of argument: The implication of their inability to speak is that they do not know anything and cannot do anything. Because of that, it follows that they cannot be of any benefit or harm to you. Hence, serving and worshiping them would be futile, because service and worship (ʿibādah) is based on either hope of some good or fear of some evil. They have none of that; therefore, they are not gods.

… Fie on you and on what you serve besides Allah: This is an expression of disgust and disassociation from them and their gods after refuting their divinity. It is similar to his bearing witness to God’s Oneness after proving and asserting it above: and I am of those who bear witness to this ().

… do you not then understand? This is an expression of reproach.

قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانْصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ ٦٨

(21:68) They said: Burn him and help your gods, if you are going to do (anything).

Since Abraham refuted their view of the idols being gods, its implication is that breaking them is not a crime or injustice. Despite this, what he said above alluded to the chief idol as being responsible for this. He and told them to ask their [smashed] gods about this—not to defend himself against the charge of crime, but only as a prelude to refute the divinity of their gods. Therefore, in a sense he remained silent against the charge and did not deny it, which is why they judged that he was guilty and his penalty was to be burned in fire. That is why they said: Burn him and help your gods. It means: Help your gods by honoring their status and punishing whoever insults them.

… If you are going to do (anything): They said this to entice and arouse the people’s emotions.

قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ٦٩

(21:69) We said: O fire! Be coolness and peace to Abraham;

This was a takwīnī (generative, creative, existential) command to the fire, whereby its characteristics of heat, burning and destruction were transformed into coolness and peace in relation to Abraham through a miraculous and extraordinary way (kharq al-ʿādah). Therefore, it is clear that there is no way for us to fully comprehend how this happened, because rational discussions of natural occurrences are only possible when we have knowledge of ordinary causal factors that occur recurrently. Since we do not know the underlying links that run miraculous acts, we cannot analyze them rationally, but we know overall that the attention and determination of one’s soul has something to do with them. We addressed this in our discussion on miracles in the first volume of this book [under verse ].

The verse is not connected to the previous verse by a conjunction since it starts with: We said… This is because it is an answer to an implied question which is omitted for brevity. What is meant more elaborately is something along these lines: “Thus they lit a fire and threw him in it. Then it is as if one asks: What happened next? So the verse replies: We said: O fire! Be coolness and peace to Abraham….” The same point would explain why the earlier verses of the narrative start similarly with qāla (he said) and qālū (they said).

وَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَخْسَرِينَ ٧٠

(21:70) And they intended a scheme against him but We made them the greatest losers.

The meaning is: They plotted against him to extinguish his light and invalidate his argument, but We made them the greatest losers. Their first loss was that their scheme fell flat on its face and was ineffective. Then they suffered a further loss as God made him dominate them through His protection and deliverance.

وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَالَمِينَ ٧١

(21:71) And We delivered him as well as Lūṭ (removing them) to the land which We had blessed for all people.

The land referred to here is the Levant to which Abraham fled. Lot was the first to believe in him and fled with him. God says: And Lot believed in Him, and he said: I am fleeing to my Lord ().

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ۖ وَكُلًّا جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ ٧٢

(21:72) And We gave him Isaac and Jacob, as an additional gift (nāfilatan), and We made (them) all good.

Nāfilah means gift. The meaning of these two verses [] has been discussed repeatedly.

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءَ الزَّكَاةِ ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ ٧٣

(21:73) And We made them Imams who guided (people) by Our command (bi-amrinā), and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of alms, and Us (alone) did they serve.

This verse apparently refers to the placement of imamate (leadership) in Abraham’s progeny, as indicated by other verses. The pronoun “them” in “We made them” refers to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Apparently Imams who guided (people) by Our command is meant to interpret the meaning of imamate. The meaning of “the Imam guiding by God’s command” was addressed in a previous volume in our discussion on the verse: Surely I will make you an Imam of men ().

What should be clarified here is that this guidance, which is one of the aspects of imamate, does not mean showing the way, because God made Abraham an Imam after making him a prophet, as we explained above in our exposition of the verse: Surely I will make you an Imam of men… (). Prophethood is inseparable from guiding in the sense of showing the way. Therefore, what is meant by guidance in imamate must be the role of taking the people to the destination, which is a type of generative control and existential intervention in the souls by facilitating their advance toward perfection and moving them from one spiritual position to another.

Since this is an existential control and an inward manipulation, the command by which they guide is not a conventional and legislative command. Instead, it is the kind of command that is explained in His words: His command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it: Be, so it is. Therefore glory be to Him in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things (). Therefore, this command refers to spiritual effusions and inward stations to which the believers are guided through their righteous acts, and by which they are immersed in their Lord’s mercy.

The letter bāʾ in bi-amrinā (“by” in “by Our command) indicates the means or instruments of God’s guidance. This shows that the Imam, who guides by God’s command, must be characterized by this guidance to begin with. Then guidance spreads from him among the people according to their different levels and capacities.. Hence, the Imam is the link between the people and their Lord in receiving inward effusions from God and passing them to the people, just as the prophet is a link between the people and their Lord in receiving outward effusions—that is, the codes of divine law—that descend upon him via revelation and then disseminate among the people through him. The Imam is a guide who directs the souls to their [existential and spiritual] stations, just as the prophet is a guide who directs the people to true beliefs and righteous acts. Prophethood and imamate may be held together, as was the case in Abraham and his two sons.

… and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of alms: The verse says that We revealed to them the “doing” of good deeds, where “doing” is a gerund or unconjugated verb (maṣdar). The usage of a gerund in this way—where an unconjugated verb is coupled with its object—indicates the external occurrence and realization of the act. If one wants to convey that the act has not taken place, then one should either not annex the verb’s object to it, or one should use a conjugated verb with the Arabic particles an or anna before it. These two particles turn a conjugated verb into a maṣdar (unconjugated verb, infinitive, gerund,). This is what al-Jurjānī says in Dalāʾil al-iʿjāz. Therefore, if we say, “I like your being kind and doing good” or when God says, and Allah was not going to make your believing (īmānakum) to be fruitless (), the statement shows the occurrence of the act indicated by the maṣdar. But if we say, “I would like you to be kind and to do good” or when God says, and that you fast (an taṣūmū) is better for you (), the statement does not show that the verb has already taken place. That is why the verses that call the people to religion or legislate an act are usually expressed with the Arabic particle an coupled with a conjugated verb, as opposed to a maṣdar (gerund, infinitive, unconjugated verb). For example He says: I am only commanded to serve (ʿan aʿbuda) Allah (); that you shall not serve (an lā taʿbudū) aught but Him (); And that you should keep up (an aqīmū) prayer ().

… and We revealed to them the doing of good: Given the above explanation, this statement indicates the occurrence of the “good-doing,” meaning that the object of revelation was their very acts [not the command to act]. In other words, these deeds which issued from them were coupled and concomitant with revelation and an inward divine direction. This is different from legislative revelation (al-waḥy al-tashrīʿī), which firstly legislates an action, and then one performs the act according to what has been legislated.

… and Us (alone) did they serve: This supports what we said above, because it suggests that they used to serve God prior to the above mentioned revelation, and then they were further supported by that special revelation. Their previous service to Him was through actions legislated for them by prior legislative revelation. Hence, the subsequent revelation of the good-doing was of the nature of support and strengthening [inwardly], not a matter of legislation [outwardly].

The overall meaning is that they were supported by the Holy Spirit and purity, guided by a divine power that drove them to do good, keep up the prayer, and give alms (zakāh). “Alms” here refers to the specific charitable contribution according to their code of religious law (shariah).

The exegetes have interpreted the verse based on revelation being of legislative nature. This has raised some problems for them. Firstly, the object of this kind of revelation should be a verb that is to be done, not a maṣdar (unconjugated verb, gerund) [such as “good-doing”]. Secondly, legislation applies both to the prophets and their nations, but the verse ascribes revelation specifically to the former.

According to al-Zamakhsharī, the “doing of good” and what follows it—the “keeping up of prayer” and “the giving of alms”—are gerunds that serve as objects (sing. mafʿūl). The meaning is: “We revealed to them that good should be done (in passive form)…” Thus both objections are overcome because stating a gerund in the sense of an object is equivalent to stating a conjugated verb. This solves the first problem. Moreover, since the verb is in the passive form, the subjects could be both the prophets and their nations. This solves the second problem. The exegetes have debated over his points extensively.

There are two problems with his explanation: (1) A gerund in the sense of an object is not equivalent to a conjugated verb. (2) As we said above, using a gerund implies the external occurrence and realization of the act, and this cannot be an object of legislative revelation.

The story of Abraham was mentioned above in the exposition of Sūrah al-Anʿām [under verses ], and the story of Jacob in the exposition of Sūrah Yūsuf. The story of Isaac is coming up in the exposition of Sūrah al-Ṣaffāt [under verses ], by the will of God.

وَلُوطًا آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تَعْمَلُ الْخَبَائِثَ ۗ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَاسِقِينَ ٧٤وَأَدْخَلْنَاهُ فِي رَحْمَتِنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ٧٥

(21:74-75) And (as for) Lot, We gave him wisdom (ḥukman) and knowledge, and We delivered him from the town which wrought abominations (al-khabāʾith); surely they were an evil people, transgressors; And We took him into Our mercy; surely he was of the good.

Ḥukm here means either “settlement of disputes (that is, judgment)” or “wisdom.” The town which wrought abominations was Sodom, where Lot settled after his migration with Abraham. Al-khabāʾith means “abominable and abhorrent acts.” Mercy here means either “wilāyah (guardianship, protection)” or “prophethood.” Both meanings would be plausible. The story of Lot was mentioned above in the exposition of Sūrah Hud [under verses ].

وَنُوحًا إِذْ نَادَىٰ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ ٧٦

(21:76-77) And Noah, when he cried aforetime, so We answered him, and delivered him and his household (ahl) from the great calamity (al-karb al-ʿaẓīm).

It means: “Remember Noah, who called his Lord before Abraham and others who were mentioned above, and thus We answered his call.” God narrates his call as follows: I am overcome; come Thou then to help (). His “household” (ahl) means his close relatives except his wife and his son who drowned. Karb means “profound sorrow.”

وَنَصَرْنَاهُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ٧٧

(21:77) And We helped him against the people who rejected Our communications; surely they were an evil people, so We drowned them all.

“Help” (naṣr) here implies a sense of “deliverance.” That is why it is made transitive with the particle min (lit. “from,” but here translated as “against”). The rest is clear. The story of Noah was referred to above in the exposition of Sūrah Hūd [under verses ].

Examining Narrations

1. It is narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq: Abraham opposed his people and repudiated their gods… So they went away from him, turning back () to a festival of theirs. Thereupon, Abraham went to the gods with an adze, smashed them all except for their chief, and placed the adze around its neck. When the people returned to their gods and saw what had been done to them they said: “No, by God! No one could have been bold against them and broken them but he who repudiated them and disassociated himself from them.” Burning him in fire was their most severe way of killing him.

They gathered good firewood for him until it was the day when they were supposed to burn him. Nimrod and his hosts came out on that day to a building that had been raised for him to see how he [Abraham] would be consumed by the fire. Abraham was put in a catapult, then the earth said: “O My Lord! There is no one other than him on my face who worships You. Is he to be burned with fire?” The Lord replied: “If he calls Me, I will suffice him.”

Abraham’s prayer that day was: “O One, O One! O Independent, O Independent! O He Who begets not nor was begotten, and there is no counterpart for Him!” Then he said, “In God I trust.” God said: “You have been sufficed!” He ordered the fire: “Be coolness,” whereby Abraham’s teeth started chattering from the cold. So God added: and peace to Abraham (). At that point Gabriel descended, sat with Abraham and started conversing with him in the fire.

Nimrod said: “Whoever wants to adopts a god should adopt one like Abraham’s God!” One of his chiefs claimed, “Surely I recited a formula upon the fire so that it would not burn him” but then a spark from the fire came out toward him and burned him…

Lot believed in him [Abraham]. Then he, Sarah and Lot migrated to the Levant.

2. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Surely when Abraham smashed Nimrod’s idols, Nimrod ordered that he should be tied up and they should dig a pit for him, gather firewood in it, and kindle a fire there. Abraham was flung into the fire to be burned, and they left him there until the fire went out. Then they came back and looked down in the pit, and there was Abraham, safe and free from his bonds.

When Nimrod was informed about his story, he ordered them to expatriate Abraham from his lands but not let him take livestock and possessions. Abraham argued with them about that and said: “If you take my livestock and possessions, then it is my right against you that you should return to me the part of my life that I have spent in your lands.” They took the dispute before Nimrod’s judge and he ruled that Abraham should hand over to them everything that he had acquired in their lands, and ruled that Nimrod’s people should give back to Abraham the part of his life that he had spent in their lands. When Nimrod was informed of this he commanded them to let him go with his livestock and possessions, and ordered them to expatriate him. He said, “If he stays in your lands, he will corrupt your religion and harm your gods”…

3. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: When Abraham was thrown in the fire, Gabriel met him in mid-air while he was swooping down. He told him, “O Abraham, do you need anything?” He replied, “Not from you!”

Author’s comment: The story of his being thrown with a catapult appears in a number of Sunni and Shia narrations. Similarly, Gabriel’s question, “Do you need anything?” and his reply “Not from you” are narrated through both chains.

4. Concerning verse (We said: O fire! Be coolness), ʿAlī b. Abī Tālib said: It [the fire] became cold for him to the point that it was about to hurt him, until it was ordered, and peace—such that you do not hurt him.
5. In a narration about imamate, al-Riḍā said: Then God honoured him [Abraham] by placing it [imamate] in his progeny and those who have been chosen and purified. He says: And We granted him Isaac and Jacob, as an additional gift, and We made (them) all good. And We made them Imams who guided (people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of alms, and Us (alone) did they serve (). Thus it remained in his descendants, one inheriting it from another, generation after generation, until the Prophet inherited it. God says: Most surely the nearest of people to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe and Allah is the guardian of the believers (). So it [imamate] was a special position [exclusively for the Prophet]. Then he [the Prophet] hung it [that is, the medal of imamate] on the neck of ʿAlī by God’s command and as He had prescribed. Thus it passed to his pure progeny to whom God has given knowledge and faith, as He says: And those who are given knowledge and faith will say: Certainly you tarried according to the ordinance of Allah till the Day of Resurrection (). It is exclusively in the descendants of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib until the Day of Resurrection because there is no prophet after Muḥammad.
6. Concerning verse (And We granted him Isaac and Jacob, as a nāfilah) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: The son of a son is a nāfilah.
7. Concerning verse (and We delivered him from the town which wrought abominations) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: They used to have sexual intercourse with other men.

Author’s comment: There are very many narrations on the story of Abraham. However they differ significantly from one another in details that are not traceable to the text of the Qur’an. We shall suffice to the ones mentioned above. We stated what can be deduced about his story from God’s Book in our exposition of Sūrah al-Anʿām [under verses ].

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1. That is, furqān conveys a greater degree of separation and distinction. (Trans.) ↩︎

2. The capitalized form of “the Criterion” and “al-Furqān” are based on the first interpretation, where Furqān is one of the specific names of the Torah. However, if we adopt the second interpretation then they should be lower case because they would be an adjective or attribute of the Torah, just like “light” and “reminder.” (Trans.) ↩︎

3. Abundance, stability and persistence of good are the main elements of the root mubārak (blessed). (Trans.) ↩︎

4. He could not have really hoped this because it does not make sense to expect the people to really hold an idol responsible for breaking the other idols. The author’s explanation is that this expression could have another interpretation which would be plausible, and that is by “resemblance” of the event. (Trans.) ↩︎

5. The meaning would be: He who has done this to our gods most surely is one of the unjust. (Trans.) ↩︎

6. The implied meaning is: They will tell you if they can speak. (Trans.) ↩︎

7. For instance, He says: And he made it a word to continue in his posterity (), and other verses. (Author) ↩︎

8. In this case the verb is “to do” and its object is “good” which is annexed to it. (Trans.) ↩︎

9. This would be equivalent to using particle “to” in English. “We revealed to them to do good” would be equivalent to “We revealed to them the doing of good” except that the former implies a command to be performed in future, while the latter implies an action (that is, the doing of good) which has taken place in the past. (Trans.) ↩︎

10. In this case, being kind, doing good and believing are gerunds or unconjugated verbs (sing. maṣdar). (Trans.) ↩︎

11. In other words, the object of legislative revelation should be an order to do an action, not the occurrence of an action. (Trans.) ↩︎

12. In other words, fiʿl al-khayrāt means “the good deed that is done,” iqām al-ṣalāh means “the prayer that is performed,” and ītāʾ al-zakāh means “the alms that are given.” These are the objects of doing, praying and giving, respectively, mentioned in passive form. (Trans.) ↩︎

13. According to another version: “They gathered firewood for him and kept him in custody.” (Trans.) ↩︎

14. Rawḍat al-kāfī: ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm said on the authority of his father, on the authority of Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Abī Naṣr, on the authority of Abān b. ʿUthmān, on the authority of Ḥujr. ↩︎

15. Ibid., on the authority of Abān, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Marwān, on the authority of “him who narrated it.” ↩︎

16. Ibid. on the authority of ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, on the authority of his father and a number of our co-religionists, on the authority of Sahl b. Ziyād, all on the authority of al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, on the authority of Ibrāhīm b. Abī Ziyād al-Karkhī. ↩︎

17. ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, via its chain of narration back to ʿAbd-Allāh b. Hilāl. ↩︎

18. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Fariyābī, Ibn Abī Shaybah and Ibn Jarīr. ↩︎

19. Al-Kāfī and ʿUyun akhbār al-Riḍā. ↩︎

20. Maʿānī al-akhbār, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Yaḥyā b. ʿImrān. ↩︎