Verses 58–72
21. Al-Anbiyaa · The Prophets
Makkan112 verses
فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرًۭا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ
21:58So he broke them into pieces—all except the biggest of them—so that they might come back to it.
قَالُوا۟ مَن فَعَلَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
21:59They said, ‘Whoever has done this to Our gods?! He is indeed a wrongdoer!’1
قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا فَتًۭى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُۥٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ
21:60They said, ‘We heard a young man mentioning them. He is called ‘‘Abraham.’’ ’
قَالُوا۟ فَأْتُوا۟ بِهِۦ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِ ٱلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ
21:61They said, ‘Bring him before the people’s eyes so that they may bear witness [against him].’
قَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ
21:62They said, ‘Was it you who did this to our gods, O Abraham?’
قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ
21:63He said, ‘No, it was this biggest one of them who did it! Ask them, if they can speak.’
فَرَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ
21:64Thereat they came to themselves and said [to one another], ‘Indeed it is you who are the wrongdoers!’
ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ
21:65Then they hung their heads. [However, they said,] ‘You certainly know that they cannot speak.’2
قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ
21:66He said, ‘Then, do you worship besides Allah that which cannot cause you any benefit or harm?
أُفٍّۢ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
21:67Fie on you and what you worship besides Allah! Do you not exercise your reason?’
قَالُوا۟ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَٰعِلِينَ
21:68They said, ‘Burn him, and help your gods, if you are to do anything!’3
قُلْنَا يَٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرْدًۭا وَسَلَٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
21:69We said, ‘O fire! Be cool and safe for Abraham!’
وَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًۭا فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ
21:70They plotted to harm him, but We made them the biggest losers.
وَنَجَّيْنَٰهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّتِى بَٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَٰلَمِينَ
21:71We delivered him and Lot toward the land, which We have blessed for all nations.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةًۭ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا جَعَلْنَا صَٰلِحِينَ
21:72And We gave him Isaac, and Jacob as well for a grandson, and each of them We made righteous.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 62
1.Some stupid people have blamed Ibrahim (a.s.) due to their mode of argument that he has lid. Though it is entirely clarified that the whole answer of Ibrahim (a.s.) is conditional and that if it can speak then this work is done by its elders, and if it was not, then the whole matter stands solved. Thus it is implied from his elders and not clarified about it and perhaps they have implied their own personality or Allah the Great and no question arises of falsity in his statement.
Verse 69
2.It should be clear that in spite of the efforts of an unbeliever none can harm a person whom Allah wants to save and protect. And it is the truth that in the present era belief is devoid of majority and the unbelievers too have become ambitious otherwise none can dare to bum the pious people. Anyhow the faithful believers should keep this point in view that “if the enemy is strong the guide is stronger” (Persian saying).
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
How surprising! worshipping lifeless stones is not injustice and breaking them up to liberate the humanity from them is injustice!
- 1
It is really astounding that polytheists are inquiring as to who has killed their gods while they should have considered as to what their gods did to those who had broken them.
- 2
It was a divine revenge that the intellects of infidels were put under a covering and they worriedly told Ibrahim (a.s.): You know they cannot speak! In this way they gave a weapon to Ibrahim (a.s.) to use against them in propagating faith. That those who cannot defend themselves, cannot inform who had attacked them and cannot reply any question. How can they be gods? And which reason can accept them as gods?
- 3
What a pity! The gods are in need of the help of their creatures! While people are still prepared to consider them as gods. In the same way some people considered their guides those who themselves needed guidance and even requested the people to put them straight if they went astray.
Benefit
That Ibrahim (a.s.) did not burn in the fire shows that the system of cause and effect is under Allah’s control. If He desires He could make it a cause and if He desires He could bum him.