Al-Anbya 21:72
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 327
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.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 21:71–75
The Migration of Ibrahim to Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), accompanied by Lut
Allah tells us that He saved Ibrahim from the fire lit by his people, and brought him out from among them, migrating to the land of Ash-Sham, to the sacred regions thereof.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً
(And We bestowed upon him Ishaq, and Ya`qub Nafilatan.) `Ata' and Mujahid said, "Nafilatan means as a gift." Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Al-Hakam bin `Uyaynah said, "The gift of a son who has a son," meaning that Ya`qub was the son of Ishaq, as Allah says:
فَبَشَّرْنَهَا بِإِسْحَقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَقَ يَعْقُوبَ
(But We gave her glad tidings of Ishaq, and after Ishaq, of Ya`qub) 11:71. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "He asked for one son, and said,
رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ الصَّلِحِينِ
("My Lord! Grant me from the righteous.") So Allah gave him Ishaq, and gave him Ya`qub in addition.
وَكُلاًّ جَعَلْنَا صَلِحِينَ
(Each one We made righteous. ) means, both of them were good and righteous people.
وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً
(And We made them leaders,) means, examples to be followed.
يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا
(guiding by Our command,) inviting to Him by His leave. Allah says:
وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلوة وَإِيتَآءَ الزَّكَوةِ
(and We revealed to them the doing of good deeds, performing Salah, and the giving of Zakah,) Here the general is followed by the specific.
وَكَانُواْ لَنَا عَبِدِينَ
(and of Us (Alone) they were the worshippers.) means, they did what they enjoined others to do.
The Prophet Lut
Then Allah mentions Lut, whose full name was Lut bin Haran bin Azar. He believed in Ibrahim and followed him, and migrated with him, as Allah says:
فََامَنَ لَهُ لُوطٌ وَقَالَ إِنِّى مُهَاجِرٌ إِلَى رَبِّى
(So Lut believed in him. He (Ibrahim) said: "I will emigrate for the sake of my Lord") 29:26. Allah gave him wisdom and knowledge; He sent Revelation to him, made him a Prophet and appointed him to Sadum (Sodom) and its vicinity, but they rejected him and resisted him, so Allah utterly destroyed them, as He tells us in several places in His Book. Allah says;
وَلُوطاً آتَيْنَهُ حُكْماً وَعِلْماً وَنَجَّيْنَهُ مِنَ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَت تَّعْمَلُ الْخَبَئِثَ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَسِقِينَ - وَأَدْخَلْنَهُ فِى رَحْمَتِنَآ إِنَّهُ مِنَ الصَّلِحِينَ
(and We saved him from the town who practised Al-Khaba'ith. Verily, they were a people given to evil, and were rebellious. And We admitted him to Our mercy; truly, he was of the righteous.)
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