Al-Anbya 21:69
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 327
قُلۡنَا يَٰنَارُ كُونِي بَرۡدٗا وَسَلَٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٦٩
We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham."
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Commentary on 21:68–70
How Ibrahim was thrown into the Fire and how Allah controlled it
When their arguments were refuted and their incapability became clear, when truth was made manifest and falsehood was defeated, they resorted to using their power and strength, and said:
حَرِّقُوهُ وَانصُرُواْ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَعِلِينَ
("Burn him and help your gods, if you will be doing.") So they gathered together a huge amount of wood. As-Suddi said, "I if a woman was sick, she would make a vow that if she recovered she would bring wood to burn Ibrahim. Then they made a hole in the ground and set it aflame, and it burned with huge sparks and immense flames. There had never been a fire like it. They put Ibrahim, peace be upon him, into a catapult, at the suggestion of a nomadic Kurdish man from Persia." Shu`ayb Al-Jaba'i said, "His name was Hayzan, and Allah caused the earth to swallow him up, and he will remain sinking into it until the Day of Resurrection. When they threw him he said, `Sufficient for me is Allah, and He is the best disposer of affairs.' " This is similar to what Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that Ibrahim said, "`Sufficient for me is Allah, and He is the best disposer of affairs," when he was thrown into the fire, and Muhammad ﷺ said it when they said:
إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُواْ لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَناً وَقَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
(Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them. But it increased them in faith, and they said: "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.") 3:173. Sa`id bin Jubayr reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "When Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, the keeper (angel) of the rain said: `When will I be commanded to send rain' But the command of Allah was more swift. Allah said:
ينَارُ كُونِى بَرْداً وَسَلَمَا عَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ
(O fire! Be you cool and safety for Ibrahim!), and there was no fire left on earth that was not extinguished." Ibn `Abbas and Abu Al-`Aliyah said: "Were it not for the fact that Allah said,
وَسَلَماً
(and safety), Ibrahim would have been harmed by its coldness." Qatadah said: "On that day there was no creature that did not try to extinguish the fire for Ibrahim, except for the gecko." Az-Zuhri said: "The Prophet commanded that it should be killed, and called it a harmful vermin."
وَأَرَادُواْ بِهِ كَيْداً فَجَعَلْنَهُمُ الاٌّخْسَرِينَ
(And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers.) they were defeated and humiliated, because they wanted to plot against the Prophet of Allah, but Allah planned against them and saved him from the fire, and thus they were defeated.
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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