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 |
| 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
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) = * | ||
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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Sayyid Qutb Overview (Verses 18 - 20) So Easy for God The fitting comment on the destiny of tyrants and the misery they are made to suffer is part of a scene painting the situation of the unbelievers, with its assertion of God’s power, a power which can easily do away with them all and replace them with a new creation. This picture follows the last confrontation that takes place in this life. The curtains are drawn here before they open again to show what happens to both sides in the life to come. “The works of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes which the wind blows about fiercely on a stormy day. They cannot achieve any benefit from all that they might have earned. This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.” (Verse 18) The image of ashes being blown about on a stormy day adds action to the concept that the unbelievers’ works will come to nothing. People cannot hold on to any part of their actions, or make use of them. This image gives a far more profound effect than any expression of the same meaning of total loss in intellectual terms. This scene expresses a basic truth about what the unbelievers do. Actions that have no basis in faith, and are not controlled by that bond relating every action to its motive, and relating that motive to God remain loose, lacking a solid entity. They are like ashes or flying particles. It is not the action itself that carries paramount value, but rather the motivation behind it. Action is a mechanical movement, but its motive is what differentiates man from machine. The comment which follows is also very apt: “This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.” (Verse 18) Just like the ashes blown far away by fierce winds, so too have they gone far astray. The following verses then speak of the fate of the unbelievers of olden times in order to demonstrate the fate of the unbelieving Arabs of the Quraysh. These verses threaten them with God’s ability to replace them with a new creation: “Do you not see that God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the truth. If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation. This is no difficult thing for God.” (Verses 19-20) This switch from a discussion about faith and disbelief, and the dispute between God’s messengers and the unbelievers in un-Islamic societies, to a picture of the heavens and the earth is very natural in the Qur’ān. It is also natural in human feelings and perceptions. This is a further indication of the divine source of the Qur’ān. There is a secret but intelligible discourse between man and the universe. Human nature responds instinctively to this secret communication once it tunes in to it and receives its signals. Those who do not pick up on these signals and indicators must examine their receptive faculties. For these must be faulty. Eyes may turn blind, and ears may become deaf, and a person may be dumb. Those who cannot receive the signals of the universe have defective faculties. Hence they are unsuited to positions of leadership. This includes all those who accept a materialistic philosophy which produces what is falsely called ‘scientific doctrines’. Science cannot function with faulty faculties and a defective means of contact with the universe. Such people are described in the Qur’ān as blind. It is not possible for human life to prosper under a system, doctrine or philosophy promoted by someone who is blind. The fact that the heavens and the earth have been created with the truth gives the impression of limitless ability and solid stability. The truth is solid and stable even in the sound the word ‘truth’ makes. This contrasts completely with the ashes blown about fiercely on a stormy day, dispersed far and wide, as it contrasts with people going far astray. In light of the fate suffered by despots who stubbornly took the wrong side in the battle between truth and falsehood, a strong warning is issued: “If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation.” (Verse 19) He who is able to create the heavens and the earth can easily replace the human race with a different one, or bring about a new community of humans in place of the present one. Again the connotations of taking a community away to replace it with another fits properly with the image of ashes blown far away. “This is no difficult thing for God.” (Verse 20) The creation of the heavens and the earth testify that it is indeed easy for God. The fate of earlier unbelieving communities also testifies to it, and so do the ashes scattered hither and thither. It is indeed a remarkable feature of the Qur’ānic style that imagery and connotations slot together in perfect harmony. Overview (Verses 18 - 20) So Easy for God The fitting comment on the destiny of tyrants and the misery they are made to suffer is part of a scene painting the situation of the unbelievers, with its assertion of God’s power, a power which can easily do away with them all and replace them with a new creation. This picture follows the last confrontation that takes place in this life. The curtains are drawn here before they open again to show what happens to both sides in the life to come. “The works of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes which the wind blows about fiercely on a stormy day. They cannot achieve any benefit from all that they might have earned. This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.” (Verse 18) The image of ashes being blown about on a stormy day adds action to the concept that the unbelievers’ works will come to nothing. People cannot hold on to any part of their actions, or make use of them. This image gives a far more profound effect than any expression of the same meaning of total loss in intellectual terms. This scene expresses a basic truth about what the unbelievers do. Actions that have no basis in faith, and are not controlled by that bond relating every action to its motive, and relating that motive to God remain loose, lacking a solid entity. They are like ashes or flying particles. It is not the action itself that carries paramount value, but rather the motivation behind it. Action is a mechanical movement, but its motive is what differentiates man from machine. The comment which follows is also very apt: “This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.” (Verse 18) Just like the ashes blown far away by fierce winds, so too have they gone far astray. The following verses then speak of the fate of the unbelievers of olden times in order to demonstrate the fate of the unbelieving Arabs of the Quraysh. These verses threaten them with God’s ability to replace them with a new creation: “Do you not see that God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the truth. If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation. This is no difficult thing for God.” (Verses 19-20) This switch from a discussion about faith and disbelief, and the dispute between God’s messengers and the unbelievers in un-Islamic societies, to a picture of the heavens and the earth is very natural in the Qur’ān. It is also natural in human feelings and perceptions. This is a further indication of the divine source of the Qur’ān. There is a secret but intelligible discourse between man and the universe. Human nature responds instinctively to this secret communication once it tunes in to it and receives its signals. Those who do not pick up on these signals and indicators must examine their receptive faculties. For these must be faulty. Eyes may turn blind, and ears may become deaf, and a person may be dumb. Those who cannot receive the signals of the universe have defective faculties. Hence they are unsuited to positions of leadership. This includes all those who accept a materialistic philosophy which produces what is falsely called ‘scientific doctrines’. Science cannot function with faulty faculties and a defective means of contact with the universe. Such people are described in the Qur’ān as blind. It is not possible for human life to prosper under a system, doctrine or philosophy promoted by someone who is blind. The fact that the heavens and the earth have been created with the truth gives the impression of limitless ability and solid stability. The truth is solid and stable even in the sound the word ‘truth’ makes. This contrasts completely with the ashes blown about fiercely on a stormy day, dispersed far and wide, as it contrasts with people going far astray. In light of the fate suffered by despots who stubbornly took the wrong side in the battle between truth and falsehood, a strong warning is issued: “If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation.” (Verse 19) He who is able to create the heavens and the earth can easily replace the human race with a different one, or bring about a new community of humans in place of the present one. Again the connotations of taking a community away to replace it with another fits properly with the image of ashes blown far away. “This is no difficult thing for God.” (Verse 20) The creation of the heavens and the earth testify that it is indeed easy for God. The fate of earlier unbelieving communities also testifies to it, and so do the ashes scattered hither and thither. It is indeed a remarkable feature of the Qur’ānic style that imagery and connotations slot together in perfect harmony. |
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 (Verses 18 - 20) So Easy for God The fitting comment on the destiny of tyrants and the misery they are made to suffer is part of a scene painting the situation of the unbelievers, with its assertion of God’s power, a power which can easily do away with them all and replace them with a new creation. This picture follows the last confrontation that takes place in this life. The curtains are drawn here before they open again to show what happens to both sides in the life to come. “The works of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes which the wind blows about fiercely on a stormy day. They cannot achieve any benefit from all that they might have earned. This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.” (Verse 18) The image of ashes being blown about on a stormy day adds action to the concept that the unbelievers’ works will come to nothing. People cannot hold on to any part of their actions, or make use of them. This image gives a far more profound effect than any expression of the same meaning of total loss in intellectual terms. This scene expresses a basic truth about what the unbelievers do. Actions that have no basis in faith, and are not controlled by that bond relating every action to its motive, and relating that motive to God remain loose, lacking a solid entity. They are like ashes or flying particles. It is not the action itself that carries paramount value, but rather the motivation behind it. Action is a mechanical movement, but its motive is what differentiates man from machine. The comment which follows is also very apt: “This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.” (Verse 18) Just like the ashes blown far away by fierce winds, so too have they gone far astray. The following verses then speak of the fate of the unbelievers of olden times in order to demonstrate the fate of the unbelieving Arabs of the Quraysh. These verses threaten them with God’s ability to replace them with a new creation: “Do you not see that God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the truth. If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation. This is no difficult thing for God.” (Verses 19-20) This switch from a discussion about faith and disbelief, and the dispute between God’s messengers and the unbelievers in un-Islamic societies, to a picture of the heavens and the earth is very natural in the Qur’ān. It is also natural in human feelings and perceptions. This is a further indication of the divine source of the Qur’ān. There is a secret but intelligible discourse between man and the universe. Human nature responds instinctively to this secret communication once it tunes in to it and receives its signals. Those who do not pick up on these signals and indicators must examine their receptive faculties. For these must be faulty. Eyes may turn blind, and ears may become deaf, and a person may be dumb. Those who cannot receive the signals of the universe have defective faculties. Hence they are unsuited to positions of leadership. This includes all those who accept a materialistic philosophy which produces what is falsely called ‘scientific doctrines’. Science cannot function with faulty faculties and a defective means of contact with the universe. Such people are described in the Qur’ān as blind. It is not possible for human life to prosper under a system, doctrine or philosophy promoted by someone who is blind. The fact that the heavens and the earth have been created with the truth gives the impression of limitless ability and solid stability. The truth is solid and stable even in the sound the word ‘truth’ makes. This contrasts completely with the ashes blown about fiercely on a stormy day, dispersed far and wide, as it contrasts with people going far astray. In light of the fate suffered by despots who stubbornly took the wrong side in the battle between truth and falsehood, a strong warning is issued: “If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation.” (Verse 19) He who is able to create the heavens and the earth can easily replace the human race with a different one, or bring about a new community of humans in place of the present one. Again the connotations of taking a community away to replace it with another fits properly with the image of ashes blown far away. “This is no difficult thing for God.” (Verse 20) The creation of the heavens and the earth testify that it is indeed easy for God. The fate of earlier unbelieving communities also testifies to it, and so do the ashes scattered hither and thither. It is indeed a remarkable feature of the Qur’ānic style that imagery and connotations slot together in perfect harmony. |
- 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
