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 (Verse 21) Acrimonious Exchanges between Allies At this point in the sūrah we note an even higher level of the inimitable style of the Qur’ān, and its power of imagery, expression and harmony between scenes and ideas. A short while ago we saw obstinate tyrants coming to grief, with an image of hell looming large behind them as they are made to suffer their greatest disappointment in this life. Now we see them on the Day of Judgement. It is at once an extraordinary and powerful scene, full of movement, reaction and dialogue between the weak and the powerful, and between both and Satan. They will all appear before God, and then the weak will say to those who acted with arrogance: ‘We were your followers: can you relieve us of something of God’s punishment?’ [And the others] will reply: Had God given us guidance, we would have guided you. It is now all one for us whether we grieve impatiently or endure with patience. There is no escape for us now.’ And when everything will have been decided, Satan will say: ‘God has made you a true promise. I, too, made promises to you, but I did not keep them. Yet I had no power at all over you, except that I called you and you responded to me. Hence, do not now blame me, but blame yourselves. It is not for me to respond to your cries, nor for you to respond to mine. I have already disclaimed your associating me with God.’ Indeed, for all wrongdoers there is grievous suffering in store. Those who believe and do righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens through which running waters flow, wherein they will abide, by their Lord’s leave. Their greeting shall be: Peace. (Verses 21-23) We have now moved from this world’s stage to that of the next where everyone appears before God: “They will all appear before God.” They all come forward: the arrogant tyrants who reject His message and their weak subordinates, joined by Satan, and also those who believed in the messengers and did righteous deeds. In fact they have always been exposed before God, but now they know and feel that there is no screen to give them cover or protection. They all appear in front of Him, and now the dialogue starts: “Then the weak will say to those who acted with arrogance: ‘We were your followers: can you relieve us of something of God’s punishment?’” (Verse 21) The weak are those who forfeited the most essential quality of the human being honoured by God when they forfeited their rights to freedom of thought, belief and choice, making themselves no more than the slaves of arrogant despots. They submitted themselves like servants to such despots like themselves in preference to submission to God alone. Such weakness is no excuse; indeed it is their crime. God does not like that anyone should feel weak. Indeed he calls on all people to seek His protection, and find strength in His support. He does not like that anyone should abandon, willingly or unwillingly, his or her share of freedom, which is a privilege for which they deserve honour. No material force, great as it may be, can force into submission a human being who wants to remain free and hold on to his human dignity. The maximum that brute force can achieve is to have power over the body, imprisoning and tormenting it. As for the mind, conscience and spirit, these cannot be imprisoned by anyone unless the victim so agrees to hand them over. Who has the power to make such weak people follow despots in faith, thought and behaviour? Who has the power to make them submit to anyone other than God, their Creator who is the only One to provide them with their means of sustenance? The answer is none other than their own weak souls. They are not weak because of any lack of material power, or because they have less dignity, wealth, or position than despots. All these are of little consequence. They are external or superficial aspects, and lacking them does not mean any real weakness. Instead, they are weak in their souls and dignity. They do not truly appreciate man’s most essential quality. The oppressed represent the majority while the despots are in the minority. How come, then, that the majority are subjugated by the minority? It is only a weakness of spirit and soul, and forfeiture of the dignity with which God has graced human beings. Despots cannot humiliate and subjugate the masses unless the masses are willing to be subjugated. The masses are always able to stand up to tyrants, if only they choose to do so. What is lacking, then, is the will. Humiliation does not come about without a susceptibility to being humiliated. In fact the tyrants rely only on this susceptibility. Here we see those weak and humble ‘followers’ as they come on the stage of the hereafter. Addressing arrogant tyrants, they say: “We were your followers: can you relieve us of something of God’s punishment?” (Verse 21) We have followed you and, as a result, we are now facing this painful destiny. Or maybe it is that after seeing the punishment that awaits them they try to reproach the tyrants for having led them to this end. The sūrah quotes what they say, which carries overtones of humility. The arrogant tyrants reply to their question, saying: “Had God given us guidance, we would have guided you.” (Verse 21) Why should you blame us when we are facing the same destiny as you? We have not followed guidance ourselves and left you to go astray. Had God given us guidance we would have led you to it, just as we led you to error when we went astray. They attribute both their guidance and error to God, now acknowledging His great power, when once they had denied these. They exercised their tyranny, subjugating the weak to their power, in a manner which took no account of God’s power. They now try to absolve themselves by attributing their error and role in leading other people astray to God. But God does not command anyone to go astray, as He says: “Never does God enjoin what is indecent.” (7: 28) They go on to implicitly reproach the weak, telling them that there is no use in panic or patient endurance. God’s punishment is due and it cannot be averted. The time has passed when panic could have helped those who went astray to return to God in repentance. Similarly, patience in adversity used to be of benefit, because God would bestow His mercy on those who were patient. But now this is all over. There is no more room for escape: “It is now all one for us, whether we grieve impatiently or endure with patience. There is no escape for us now.” (Verse 21)
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Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
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 (Verse 21) Acrimonious Exchanges between Allies At this point in the sūrah we note an even higher level of the inimitable style of the Qur’ān, and its power of imagery, expression and harmony between scenes and ideas. A short while ago we saw obstinate tyrants coming to grief, with an image of hell looming large behind them as they are made to suffer their greatest disappointment in this life. Now we see them on the Day of Judgement. It is at once an extraordinary and powerful scene, full of movement, reaction and dialogue between the weak and the powerful, and between both and Satan. They will all appear before God, and then the weak will say to those who acted with arrogance: ‘We were your followers: can you relieve us of something of God’s punishment?’ [And the others] will reply: Had God given us guidance, we would have guided you. It is now all one for us whether we grieve impatiently or endure with patience. There is no escape for us now.’ And when everything will have been decided, Satan will say: ‘God has made you a true promise. I, too, made promises to you, but I did not keep them. Yet I had no power at all over you, except that I called you and you responded to me. Hence, do not now blame me, but blame yourselves. It is not for me to respond to your cries, nor for you to respond to mine. I have already disclaimed your associating me with God.’ Indeed, for all wrongdoers there is grievous suffering in store. Those who believe and do righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens through which running waters flow, wherein they will abide, by their Lord’s leave. Their greeting shall be: Peace. (Verses 21-23) We have now moved from this world’s stage to that of the next where everyone appears before God: “They will all appear before God.” They all come forward: the arrogant tyrants who reject His message and their weak subordinates, joined by Satan, and also those who believed in the messengers and did righteous deeds. In fact they have always been exposed before God, but now they know and feel that there is no screen to give them cover or protection. They all appear in front of Him, and now the dialogue starts: “Then the weak will say to those who acted with arrogance: ‘We were your followers: can you relieve us of something of God’s punishment?’” (Verse 21) The weak are those who forfeited the most essential quality of the human being honoured by God when they forfeited their rights to freedom of thought, belief and choice, making themselves no more than the slaves of arrogant despots. They submitted themselves like servants to such despots like themselves in preference to submission to God alone. Such weakness is no excuse; indeed it is their crime. God does not like that anyone should feel weak. Indeed he calls on all people to seek His protection, and find strength in His support. He does not like that anyone should abandon, willingly or unwillingly, his or her share of freedom, which is a privilege for which they deserve honour. No material force, great as it may be, can force into submission a human being who wants to remain free and hold on to his human dignity. The maximum that brute force can achieve is to have power over the body, imprisoning and tormenting it. As for the mind, conscience and spirit, these cannot be imprisoned by anyone unless the victim so agrees to hand them over. Who has the power to make such weak people follow despots in faith, thought and behaviour? Who has the power to make them submit to anyone other than God, their Creator who is the only One to provide them with their means of sustenance? The answer is none other than their own weak souls. They are not weak because of any lack of material power, or because they have less dignity, wealth, or position than despots. All these are of little consequence. They are external or superficial aspects, and lacking them does not mean any real weakness. Instead, they are weak in their souls and dignity. They do not truly appreciate man’s most essential quality. The oppressed represent the majority while the despots are in the minority. How come, then, that the majority are subjugated by the minority? It is only a weakness of spirit and soul, and forfeiture of the dignity with which God has graced human beings. Despots cannot humiliate and subjugate the masses unless the masses are willing to be subjugated. The masses are always able to stand up to tyrants, if only they choose to do so. What is lacking, then, is the will. Humiliation does not come about without a susceptibility to being humiliated. In fact the tyrants rely only on this susceptibility. Here we see those weak and humble ‘followers’ as they come on the stage of the hereafter. Addressing arrogant tyrants, they say: “We were your followers: can you relieve us of something of God’s punishment?” (Verse 21) We have followed you and, as a result, we are now facing this painful destiny. Or maybe it is that after seeing the punishment that awaits them they try to reproach the tyrants for having led them to this end. The sūrah quotes what they say, which carries overtones of humility. The arrogant tyrants reply to their question, saying: “Had God given us guidance, we would have guided you.” (Verse 21) Why should you blame us when we are facing the same destiny as you? We have not followed guidance ourselves and left you to go astray. Had God given us guidance we would have led you to it, just as we led you to error when we went astray. They attribute both their guidance and error to God, now acknowledging His great power, when once they had denied these. They exercised their tyranny, subjugating the weak to their power, in a manner which took no account of God’s power. They now try to absolve themselves by attributing their error and role in leading other people astray to God. But God does not command anyone to go astray, as He says: “Never does God enjoin what is indecent.” (7: 28) They go on to implicitly reproach the weak, telling them that there is no use in panic or patient endurance. God’s punishment is due and it cannot be averted. The time has passed when panic could have helped those who went astray to return to God in repentance. Similarly, patience in adversity used to be of benefit, because God would bestow His mercy on those who were patient. But now this is all over. There is no more room for escape: “It is now all one for us, whether we grieve impatiently or endure with patience. There is no escape for us now.” (Verse 21)
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- 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
