Ibrahim 14:20
Abraham · Juz 13 · Page 258
وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٖ ٢٠
And that is not difficult for Allāh.
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 14:18–20
The people of Arabia who rejected the Prophet Muhammad were those very people who had already accepted God and religion. Then why did they reject him? The reason for this was that in his case Truth was revealed in its abstract form, while they used to consider as true only that which had reached them through their ‘ancestors’. They recognized the religion of their ‘National Heroes’, but failed to recognize the religion of ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah’. Those who find religion under the influence of national traditions make a display of religiosity, but are, in fact, engaged in superficial activities in the name of religion. This has nothing to do with the spirit of the religion. What God requires is real religiousness and not just performance of certain rituals. God approves of a man who has discovered the truth by means of his own mental striving; who has made observations of God in the realm of the unseen; who has recognized truth in its absolute form and supported it; whose soul has bathed in God’s sea; who is restless in God’s love and whose eyes have shed tears with the fear of God. The religiousness of the first type of people is entirely superficial and outward, and of no value in the eyes of God. On the contrary, the religion of the second type of people is the real one. This is imbedded in the innermost recesses of human existence. A study of the universe reveals that its creation is based on realities; in such a universe only good deeds have value and not suppositions and wishful thinking.
Page 258
14:19
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ إِن يَشَأۡ يُذۡهِبۡكُمۡ وَيَأۡتِ بِخَلۡقٖ جَدِيدٖ ١٩
Have you not seen [i.e., considered] that Allāh created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He wills, He can do away with you and produce a new creation.
14:20
وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٖ ٢٠
And that is not difficult for Allāh.
14:21
وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعٗا فَقَالَ ٱلضُّعَفَٰٓؤُاْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمۡ تَبَعٗا فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّغۡنُونَ عَنَّا مِنۡ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ قَالُواْ لَوۡ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَيۡنَٰكُمۡۖ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡنَآ أَجَزِعۡنَآ أَمۡ صَبَرۡنَا مَا لَنَا مِن مَّحِيصٖ ٢١
And they will come out [for judgement] before Allāh all together, and the weak will say to those who were arrogant, "Indeed, we were your followers, so can you avail us anything against the punishment of Allāh?" They will say, "If Allāh had guided us, we would have guided you. It is all the same for us whether we show intolerance or are patient: there is for us no place of escape."
14:22
وَقَالَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمۡ وَعۡدَ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمۡ فَأَخۡلَفۡتُكُمۡۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّن سُلۡطَٰنٍ إِلَّآ أَن دَعَوۡتُكُمۡ فَٱسۡتَجَبۡتُمۡ لِيۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۖ مَّآ أَنَا۠ بِمُصۡرِخِكُمۡ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُصۡرِخِيَّ إِنِّي كَفَرۡتُ بِمَآ أَشۡرَكۡتُمُونِ مِن قَبۡلُۗ إِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ٢٢
And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, "Indeed, Allāh had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allāh] before.1 Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment."
1 translator’s note
- By your obedience to me instead of Him during life on earth. ↩
14:23
وَأُدۡخِلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡۖ تَحِيَّتُهُمۡ فِيهَا سَلَٰمٌ ٢٣
And those who believed and did righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein by permission of their Lord; and their greeting therein will be, "Peace!"
14:24
أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا كَلِمَةٗ طَيِّبَةٗ كَشَجَرَةٖ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصۡلُهَا ثَابِتٞ وَفَرۡعُهَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ ٢٤
Have you not considered how Allāh presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky?