Al-Anbya 21:66
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 327
قَالَ أَفَتَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمۡ ٦٦
He said, "Then do you worship instead of Allāh that which does not benefit you at all or harm you?
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 21:64–67
The People's admission of their gods' incapability, and Ibrahim's preaching
Allah tells us that when Ibrahim said what he said, his people
فَرَجَعُواْ إِلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ
(turned to themselves) meaning, they blamed themselves for not taking precautions and protecting their gods. They said:
إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ الظَّلِمُونَ
(Verily, you are the wrongdoers) i.e., because you neglected them and did not guard them.
ثُمَّ نُكِسُواْ عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ
(Then they turned to themselves) means, they looked at the ground, and said:
لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَؤُلاءِ يَنطِقُونَ
(Indeed you (Ibrahim) know well that these speak not!) Qatadah said: "The people admitted their guilt and confusion, and said,
لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَؤُلاءِ يَنطِقُونَ
("Indeed you know well that these speak not!") `So how can you tell us to ask them, if they cannot speak and you know that they cannot speak' At this point, when they admitted that, Ibrahim said to them:
أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ
(Do you then worship besides Allah, things that can neither profit you nor harm you) meaning, if they can- not speak and they can neither benefit you nor harm you, then why do you worship them instead of Allah
أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ
(Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense) `Do you not realize the extent of the mis- guidance and extreme disbelief which you are following, which no one could accept but one who is an igno- rant and evil wrong- doer' He defeated them in argument and left them with no way out. Allah said:
وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ
e(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people) 6:83
Page 327
21:58
فَجَعَلَهُمۡ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرٗا لَّهُمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٥٨
So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question].
21:59
قَالُواْ مَن فَعَلَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٥٩
They said, "Who has done this to our gods? Indeed, he is of the wrongdoers."
21:60
قَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا فَتٗى يَذۡكُرُهُمۡ يُقَالُ لَهُۥٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ ٦٠
They said, "We heard a young man mention them who is called Abraham."
21:61
قَالُواْ فَأۡتُواْ بِهِۦ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡيُنِ ٱلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَشۡهَدُونَ ٦١
They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people that they may testify."1
1 translator’s note
- To what they had heard him say. It may also mean "...that they may witness [what will be done to him as punishment]." ↩
21:62
قَالُوٓاْ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلۡتَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَٰٓإِبۡرَٰهِيمُ ٦٢
They said, "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?"
21:63
قَالَ بَلۡ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمۡ هَٰذَا فَسۡـَٔلُوهُمۡ إِن كَانُواْ يَنطِقُونَ ٦٣
He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak."
21:64
فَرَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّكُمۡ أَنتُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٦٤
So they returned to [blaming] themselves and said [to each other], "Indeed, you are the wrongdoers."
21:65
ثُمَّ نُكِسُواْ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمۡ لَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتَ مَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ ٦٥
Then they reversed themselves,1 [saying], "You have already known that these do not speak!"
1 translator’s note
- After first admitting their error, they were seized by pride and obstinacy. ↩
21:66
قَالَ أَفَتَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمۡ ٦٦
He said, "Then do you worship instead of Allāh that which does not benefit you at all or harm you?
21:67
أُفّٖ لَّكُمۡ وَلِمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ٦٧
Uff1 to you and to what you worship instead of Allāh. Then will you not use reason?"
1 translator’s note
- An exclamation of anger and displeasure. ↩
21:68
قَالُواْ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوٓاْ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ فَٰعِلِينَ ٦٨
They said, "Burn him and support your gods - if you are to act."
21:69
قُلۡنَا يَٰنَارُ كُونِي بَرۡدٗا وَسَلَٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٦٩
We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham."
21:70
وَأَرَادُواْ بِهِۦ كَيۡدٗا فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡأَخۡسَرِينَ ٧٠
And they intended for him a plan [i.e., harm], but We made them the greatest losers.
21:71
وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلَّتِي بَٰرَكۡنَا فِيهَا لِلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٧١
And We delivered him and Lot to the land which We had blessed for the worlds [i.e., peoples].
21:72
وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسۡحَٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ نَافِلَةٗۖ وَكُلّٗا جَعَلۡنَا صَٰلِحِينَ ٧٢
And We gave him Isaac and Jacob in addition, and all [of them] We made righteous.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy