Overview - Surah 14: Ibrahim (Abraham )
The basic theme of the Surah is Allah's guidance through His prophets. The purpose of this guidance is to take the people from darkness to light. Many people in the past had doubts about their prophets.They laughed at them and they threatened to kill them or expel them from their towns. However, the lasting word is the "good word." The Surah also mentions Prophet Ibrahim's prayer when he established the city of Makkah.
Sections:
- The purpose of the Qur'an is to lead humankind to light.
- Prophets and their people.
- Non-believers threatened the Prophets, but Allah's promise to the Prophets.
- Satan misleads the disbelievers in this world, but in the hereafter he would leave them in the lurch.
- The ingratitude of people
- Prophet Ibrahim's prayer for Makkah, for its people and for his own children
- Allah is aware of what the wrongdoers are doing, their respite and end.
The Surah derives its name from Ibrahim, the father of all prophets who came after him.
There are 52 ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 52 |
| Total Words * | 830 |
| Root Words * | 234 |
| Unique Root Words * | 4 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 72nd (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 11th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
1st Pledge of Aqabah, Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
Nuh, Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq, Musa
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| Surah Index
Abraham, God (replaces humans with another) , Astronomy (celestial mechanics) (solar and lunar orbits), Charity, Commandments (general religious) , Disbelievers, Earth (changed into another earth) , Earth (rotation of) , Hell, History (study it) , Hydrology, Iblis, Isaac, Ishmael, Judgement (Day) , Ka’bah, Moses, Noah, Pharaoh, Prayer (of Abraham) , Prophet (prophecy in language of target population) , Prophet (purpose of) , Revelation, Sea, Ships, Thamud, Weather (rain) , Weather (wind)
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Theme 1: The fundamental message of all prophets is the same.
Theme 2: Allah, ‘He is the one who takes people out of the various levels darknesses into the Light through revelation.’
Its subject matter, namely faith, revelation and the divine message, God’s Oneness, resurrection, reckoning and reward permeate Makkan surahs. Just as every surah in the Qur’an has its distinctive character, this surah adopts a unique approach in presenting its material, with highlights and shading that accentuate the principles and issues it tackles. These may not be different from the principles and issues other surahs illustrate, but they are tackled here from a different angle so as to generate special effect and emphasis. Furthermore, certain aspects are added and others omitted, giving the reader and the listener the overall impression that they deal with new issues and principles. [Ref: Qutb, Fi Dhilal]
- The general ambience of the Surah derives from its name, Ibrahim, the father of all prophets who came after him. He was a blessed man, most grateful to God, most clement, tender-hearted, and devout. All the connotations of these attributes are felt throughout this Surah, in its main issues, general approach, mode of expression as also in its rhythm.
The surah begins with an outline of the mission of God’s Messenger and the book revealed to him: “This is a book which We have bestowed on you from on high so that you might bring forth all mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light, to the path of the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due.” It concludes with the same point, highlighting the truth of God’s oneness which is at the heart of the divine message: “This is a message to all mankind. Let them be warned thereby, and let them know that He is the One and only God. Let those who are endowed with insight take heed.”
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
8th Century AH
8th Century AH
1141 AH 1763 CE
1141 AH 1763 CE
17th Century
17th Century
18th Century
18th Century
17th Century
17th Century
3rd /4th Century Hijrah
3rd /4th Century Hijrah
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah
1st Century Hijrah
Surah Yunus, Hud, Yusuf and now Ibrahim begin the Surah with the letters Alif Lam Ra. The following surah, al-Hijr will also begin with the same letters.
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 4* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | أ ل ه | 38 | 2851 |
| 2. | ر ب ب | 17 | 980 |
| 3. | ٱلَّذِى | 15 | 1464 |
| 4. | ق و ل | 15 | 1722 |
| 5. | إِلَىٰ | 12 | 742 |
| 6. | أ ر ض | 11 | 461 |
| 7. | ر س ل | 10 | 513 |
| 8. | ق و م | 10 | 660 |
| 9. | ظ ل م | 9 | 315 |
| 10. | س م و | 9 | 381 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| أ ل ه | 38 | 2851 |
| ر ب ب | 17 | 980 |
| ٱلَّذِى | 15 | 1464 |
| ق و ل | 15 | 1722 |
| إِلَىٰ | 12 | 742 |
| أ ر ض | 11 | 461 |
| ر س ل | 10 | 513 |
| ق و م | 10 | 660 |
| ظ ل م | 9 | 315 |
| س م و | 9 | 381 |
It appears from the tone of this Surah that it belongs to a group of Surahs which were revealed during the last stages of the Makkan period. For instance ayah 13: “And those who disbelieved said to their messengers, “We will surely drive you out of our land, or you must return to our religion.” So their Lord inspired to them, “We will surely destroy the wrongdoers.” clearly indicates that the persecution of the Muslims was most intense at the time of the revelation of this Surah and that the people of Makkah were bent on expelling the Muslims, just like the disbelievers of the former Prophets.
- Allah never sent a Rasool [Messenger] for the guidance of a nation except one who spoke the language of those people.
- If every human being becomes a disbeliever, it makes no difference to Allah.
- The message of all Prophets and Messengers was the same.
- Allah increases his blessings if a person shows gratitude.
- Allah has based the creation of the heavens and the earth on Truth.
- Shaitan has no power except to seduce human beings.
- Greeting in paradise will be "Assalam-u-Alaikum" which means: "peace be upon you."
- A quotation from the prayers of the Prophet Ibrahim which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made a part of Muslims' daily Salah (prayers).
Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 4 - 5) In Their Own Language “Never have We sent a messenger otherwise than speaking the language of his own people, so that he might make [the truth] clear to them.” (Verse 4) This is a blessing God grants to people with every message He sends to them. For a messenger to be able to bring people out of darkness into light, by their Lord’s leave, he must be given his message in his own people’s language. This is how he is then able to explain God’s message to them. It is how the objectives of the message are fulfilled. Although the Prophet Muĥammad is a Messenger to all mankind, he is given his message in his own people’s language, so that he can explain matters to them. They are the ones who would be conveying his message to the rest of mankind. His own life is, after all, limited. Therefore, he is commanded to call first on his own people so that the Arabian Peninsula becomes purely Muslim. It will then fulfil its role as the place from which the final divine message is carried to the rest of the world. What happened in practice, as God, who knows everything, determined, was that the Prophet passed away when Islam became the religion in the whole of Arabia. The Prophet raised an army under the command of Usāmah to be dispatched to areas bordering on Arabia, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) died before the army began its march. It is true that the Prophet sent his letters and emissaries to the heads of countries outside Arabia, calling on them to accept the message of Islam, and making it clear that his message was addressed to all mankind. However, what God determined for him, which fits with the limited duration of human life, is that Muĥammad (peace be upon him) delivered his message to his own people in their own language. Then the task was completed by those who carried his message to other communities all over the world. Hence, there is no contradiction between his message being addressed to all humanity, and its being expressed in Arabic, the language of his own people. “Never have We sent a messenger otherwise than speaking the language of his own people, so that he might make [the truth] clear to them. But God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills.” (Verse 4) A messenger’s task is completed when he has made the truth clear to people. What comes out of it in the form of people following guidance or going astray is not in his power, and does not follow his desire. It is entirely up to God who has subjected human beings to a law of His own making, in keeping with His free-will. Whoever follows the way of error is left to go astray, and whoever follows the way of divine guidance reaches his destination. Both are subject to God’s will. “He is Almighty, truly Wise.” (Verse 4) He conducts life in accordance with His wisdom and careful planning. Nothing is left haphazard, without guidance or planning. This applied to the message “We have sent forth Moses with Our revelations, saying, ‘Lead your people out of darkness into the light, and remind them of the Days of God. Surely in this there are signs for everyone who is patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God]. Moses said to his people: ‘Remember the blessings God bestowed on you when He saved you from Pharaoh’s people who afflicted you with grievous torment, slaughtered your sons and spared [only] your women. That was indeed an awesome trial from your Lord. For your Lord had declared: If you are grateful, I shall certainly give you more; but if you are ungrateful, then My punishment shall be severe indeed.’ And Moses said: ‘If you and whoever lives on earth were to deny God, [know that] God is indeed Self-Sufficient, worthy of all praise.’“ (Verses 5-8) The sūrah uses the same wording to report the instructions given to Moses and those given to Muĥammad (peace be upon them both), so as to maintain the same style of expression. Muĥammad is told, “This is a book which We have bestowed on you from on high so that you might bring forth mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light.” (Verse 1) Similarly Moses is instructed, “Lead your people out of darkness into the light.” (Verse 5) The first applies to all mankind, while the second addressed Moses’s people in particular. The ultimate goal, however, was the same. “Lead your people out of darkness into the light, and remind them of the Days of God.” (Verse 5) All days are indeed God’s days, but what is intended here is that he should remind them of the days when people, or a group of them, encounter a special situation, reflecting either God’s grace or punishment, as we will see when Moses carries out this order. He reminds them of some days they themselves had witnessed, and of others belonging to the time of the peoples of Noah, the ‘Ad, and Thamūd and other communities that followed them. “Surely in this there are signs for everyone who is patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God].” (Verse 5) Some of these days occasioned adversity, making of them a sign requiring patience, while others were occasions when God’s grace was bestowed, and they invite gratitude. A person who qualifies as, ‘patient in adversity, deeply grateful [to God],’ is the one who recognizes these signs and what lies behind them. He finds in them lessons to be learnt and reminders to be appreciated. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 4 - 5) In Their Own Language “Never have We sent a messenger otherwise than speaking the language of his own people, so that he might make [the truth] clear to them.” (Verse 4) This is a blessing God grants to people with every message He sends to them. For a messenger to be able to bring people out of darkness into light, by their Lord’s leave, he must be given his message in his own people’s language. This is how he is then able to explain God’s message to them. It is how the objectives of the message are fulfilled. Although the Prophet Muĥammad is a Messenger to all mankind, he is given his message in his own people’s language, so that he can explain matters to them. They are the ones who would be conveying his message to the rest of mankind. His own life is, after all, limited. Therefore, he is commanded to call first on his own people so that the Arabian Peninsula becomes purely Muslim. It will then fulfil its role as the place from which the final divine message is carried to the rest of the world. What happened in practice, as God, who knows everything, determined, was that the Prophet passed away when Islam became the religion in the whole of Arabia. The Prophet raised an army under the command of Usāmah to be dispatched to areas bordering on Arabia, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) died before the army began its march. It is true that the Prophet sent his letters and emissaries to the heads of countries outside Arabia, calling on them to accept the message of Islam, and making it clear that his message was addressed to all mankind. However, what God determined for him, which fits with the limited duration of human life, is that Muĥammad (peace be upon him) delivered his message to his own people in their own language. Then the task was completed by those who carried his message to other communities all over the world. Hence, there is no contradiction between his message being addressed to all humanity, and its being expressed in Arabic, the language of his own people. “Never have We sent a messenger otherwise than speaking the language of his own people, so that he might make [the truth] clear to them. But God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills.” (Verse 4) A messenger’s task is completed when he has made the truth clear to people. What comes out of it in the form of people following guidance or going astray is not in his power, and does not follow his desire. It is entirely up to God who has subjected human beings to a law of His own making, in keeping with His free-will. Whoever follows the way of error is left to go astray, and whoever follows the way of divine guidance reaches his destination. Both are subject to God’s will. “He is Almighty, truly Wise.” (Verse 4) He conducts life in accordance with His wisdom and careful planning. Nothing is left haphazard, without guidance or planning. This applied to the message “We have sent forth Moses with Our revelations, saying, ‘Lead your people out of darkness into the light, and remind them of the Days of God. Surely in this there are signs for everyone who is patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God]. Moses said to his people: ‘Remember the blessings God bestowed on you when He saved you from Pharaoh’s people who afflicted you with grievous torment, slaughtered your sons and spared [only] your women. That was indeed an awesome trial from your Lord. For your Lord had declared: If you are grateful, I shall certainly give you more; but if you are ungrateful, then My punishment shall be severe indeed.’ And Moses said: ‘If you and whoever lives on earth were to deny God, [know that] God is indeed Self-Sufficient, worthy of all praise.’“ (Verses 5-8) The sūrah uses the same wording to report the instructions given to Moses and those given to Muĥammad (peace be upon them both), so as to maintain the same style of expression. Muĥammad is told, “This is a book which We have bestowed on you from on high so that you might bring forth mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light.” (Verse 1) Similarly Moses is instructed, “Lead your people out of darkness into the light.” (Verse 5) The first applies to all mankind, while the second addressed Moses’s people in particular. The ultimate goal, however, was the same. “Lead your people out of darkness into the light, and remind them of the Days of God.” (Verse 5) All days are indeed God’s days, but what is intended here is that he should remind them of the days when people, or a group of them, encounter a special situation, reflecting either God’s grace or punishment, as we will see when Moses carries out this order. He reminds them of some days they themselves had witnessed, and of others belonging to the time of the peoples of Noah, the ‘Ad, and Thamūd and other communities that followed them. “Surely in this there are signs for everyone who is patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God].” (Verse 5) Some of these days occasioned adversity, making of them a sign requiring patience, while others were occasions when God’s grace was bestowed, and they invite gratitude. A person who qualifies as, ‘patient in adversity, deeply grateful [to God],’ is the one who recognizes these signs and what lies behind them. He finds in them lessons to be learnt and reminders to be appreciated. |
- Surah 14. Ibrahim - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPRsz_Iw8bU&index=14&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 14. Ibrahim Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxZbof59L1o&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=14
- Surah 14. Ibrahim Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovTJIzV3Kno&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=14
- Surah Ibrahim Idris Akbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocfxEeDdwlc
- Surah 14. Ibrahim muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGwOA_GK3Gk&index=14&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
