Ibrahim 14:10
Abraham · Juz 13 · Page 256
۞ قَالَتۡ رُسُلُهُمۡ أَفِي ٱللَّهِ شَكّٞ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يَدۡعُوكُمۡ لِيَغۡفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمۡ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمۡ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمّٗىۚ قَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعۡبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأۡتُونَا بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٖ ١٠
Their messengers said, "Can there be doubt about Allāh, Creator of the heavens and earth? He invites you that He may forgive you of your sins, and He delays you [i.e., your death] for a specified term." They said, "You are not but men like us who wish to avert us from what our fathers were worshipping. So bring us a clear authority [i.e., evidence]."
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 14:10–12
The Argument between the Prophets and the Disbelievers
Allah narrates to us the arguments that ensued between the disbelievers and their Messengers. When their nations doubted the Message of worshipping Allah alone without partners, the Messengers said,
أَفِى اللَّهِ شَكٌّ
((What!) Can there be a doubt about Allah...) about His Lordship and having the exclusive right to be worshipped alone, being the only Creator of all creatures Verily, none besides Allah is worthy of worship, alone without partners with Him. Most nations were, and still are, affirming the existence of the Creator, but they call upon intermediaries besides Him whom they think will benefit them or bring them closer to Allah. Their Messengers said to them,
يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ
(He calls you that He may forgive you of your sins) in the Hereafter,
وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى
(and give you respite for a term appointed.), in this worldly life. Allah said in other Ayat,
وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُواْ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُمْ مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ
(Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace to every owner of grace.) 10:3 However, their nations went on arguing against their prophethood, after they had to submit to the first evidence (that Allah Alone created everything).
Disbelievers reject Prophethood because the Messengers were Humans!
Their nations said,
إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا
(You are no more than human beings like us!) so why should we follow you just because you say so, even though we did not witness a miracle by your hands,
فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَنٍ مُّبِينٍ
(Then bring us a clear authority.), a miracle of our choice.
قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ
(Their Messengers said to them: "We are no more than human beings like you...") affirming that truly, they were only human being like their nations,
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
(but Allah bestows His grace to whom He wills of His servants.), with prophethood and messengership which is His choice,
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُمْ بِسُلْطَنٍ
(It is not ours to bring you an authority) according to your choice,
إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ
((except by the permission of Allah. ), after we beg Him and He provides us with a miracle,
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
(And in Allah (alone) let the believers put their trust.) in all their affairs. Their Messengers said to them next,
وَمَا لَنَآ أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ
(And why should we not put our trust in Allah), after He had guided us to the best, most clear and plain way,
وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى مَآ آذَيْتُمُونَا
(And we shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may cause us), such as foolish actions and abusive statements,
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
(and in Allah (alone) let those who trust, put their trust.)
Page 256
14:6
وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنجَىٰكُم مِّنۡ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ يَسُومُونَكُمۡ سُوٓءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ وَيَسۡتَحۡيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمۡۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ عَظِيمٞ ٦
And [recall, O Children of Israel], when Moses said to his people, "Remember the favor of Allāh upon you when He saved you from the people of Pharaoh, who were afflicting you with the worst torment and were slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.
14:7
وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَئِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٞ ٧
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'"
14:8
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِن تَكۡفُرُوٓاْ أَنتُمۡ وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ ٨
And Moses said, "If you should disbelieve, you and whoever is on the earth entirely - indeed, Allāh is Free of need and Praiseworthy."
14:9
أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ قَوۡمِ نُوحٖ وَعَادٖ وَثَمُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۚ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَرَدُّوٓاْ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ فِيٓ أَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡ وَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا كَفَرۡنَا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَفِي شَكّٖ مِّمَّا تَدۡعُونَنَآ إِلَيۡهِ مُرِيبٖ ٩
Has there not reached you the news of those before you - the people of Noah and ʿAad and Thamūd and those after them? No one knows them [i.e., their number] but Allāh. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they returned their hands to their mouths1 and said, "Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and indeed we are, about that to which you invite us, in disquieting doubt."
1 translator’s note
- Several explanations have been given as to the meaning. Based upon the conclusion of the verse, Ibn Katheer preferred that this was a gesture of denial and rejection. ↩
14:10
۞ قَالَتۡ رُسُلُهُمۡ أَفِي ٱللَّهِ شَكّٞ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يَدۡعُوكُمۡ لِيَغۡفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمۡ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمۡ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمّٗىۚ قَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعۡبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأۡتُونَا بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٖ ١٠
Their messengers said, "Can there be doubt about Allāh, Creator of the heavens and earth? He invites you that He may forgive you of your sins, and He delays you [i.e., your death] for a specified term." They said, "You are not but men like us who wish to avert us from what our fathers were worshipping. So bring us a clear authority [i.e., evidence]."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy