As-Saffat 37:125
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 450
أَتَدۡعُونَ بَعۡلٗا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡخَٰلِقِينَ ١٢٥
Do you call upon Baʿl1 and leave the best of creators -
1 translator’s note
- The name of a great idol worshipped by the people and said to mean "lord." ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 37:125–126
The word: بَعل (ba'l) in verse 125: أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا (Do you invoke literally means husband, master etc. But, it was the name of a particular idol that the people of Sayyidna Ilyas (علیہ السلام) had taken to as the object of their worship. The history of the worship of ba` l (Baal) goes way back in time. It was worshipped in the country of Syria during the time of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and it used to be the most popular idol-god they had. Ba'labakk, (Baalbek or ancient Heliopolis in present Lebanon), the once famous city of Syria was also named after it. Some people think that Hubal, the well-known idol of the pre-Islam people of Hijaz, was this very ba` l (Qasas-ul-Qur’ an, p.28, v.2).
In the next sentence of the same verse, it was said: وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَالِقِينَ (Do you invoke Ba'l, and ignore the Best of the creators). This refers to Allah Ta ala while the expression: أَحْسَنَ الْخَالِقِينَ (alzsanul-khaligin: the best of the creators) never means that there could be, God forbid, some other creator as well. On the contrary, the drive and the sense of the statement is that He is the one most exalted of all those false objects of worship they had taken to as being some sort of a creator (Qurtubi). Some commentators have said that the word: خَالِق (khaliq: creator, maker) has been used here in the sense صَانع (sani` : maker), that is, 'He is far ahead and far better than all other makers.' What do all other makers really do? They do no more than take different components, put them together and here is something they have made. Bringing something out from nothingness into existence is what they do not have under their power and control - and Allah Ta’ ala does. He has that inherent power to make what is not become what is. (Bayan-ul-Qur’ an)
Ascribing the attribute of creation to anyone other than Allah is not permissible
At this point, it should be borne in mind that خَلَق (khalq) means to create, that is, to bring something from the state of non-being into the state of being solely on the strength of the creator's inherent power. Therefore, this attribute is particular to Allah Ta’ ala. Ascribing it to someone else is not permissible. Hence, the custom prevailing in our time that the articles of writers, compositions of poets and paintings of painters are readily referred to as their 'creations' is simply not permissible. How can people who write become 'creators' of those articles? It is not correct. Allah is the khaliq, the creator. This is Him alone - no one else can be. Therefore, their good writings should be called articles or something else that alludes to their effort, imagination, research work or whatever applies as appropriate - but, not 'creation.'
Page 450
37:103
فَلَمَّآ أَسۡلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلۡجَبِينِ ١٠٣
And when they had both submitted1 and he put him down upon his forehead,
1 translator’s note
- To the command of Allāh. ↩
37:104
وَنَٰدَيۡنَٰهُ أَن يَٰٓإِبۡرَٰهِيمُ ١٠٤
We called to him, "O Abraham,
37:105
قَدۡ صَدَّقۡتَ ٱلرُّءۡيَآۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١٠٥
You have fulfilled the vision." Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
37:106
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلۡبَلَٰٓؤُاْ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٠٦
Indeed, this was the clear trial.
37:107
وَفَدَيۡنَٰهُ بِذِبۡحٍ عَظِيمٖ ١٠٧
And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice,1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) sent a huge ram to be sacrificed in place of Ishmael. ↩
37:108
وَتَرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ١٠٨
And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:
37:109
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ١٠٩
"Peace upon Abraham."
37:110
كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١١٠
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
37:111
إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١١١
Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.
37:112
وَبَشَّرۡنَٰهُ بِإِسۡحَٰقَ نَبِيّٗا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ١١٢
And We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.1
1 translator’s note
- This verifies that the firstborn son who was to be sacrificed was Ishmael and not Isaac, as claimed by the Jews and Christians. ↩
37:113
وَبَٰرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ وَعَلَىٰٓ إِسۡحَٰقَۚ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحۡسِنٞ وَظَالِمٞ لِّنَفۡسِهِۦ مُبِينٞ ١١٣
And We blessed him and Isaac. But among their descendants is the doer of good and the clearly unjust to himself [i.e., sinner].
37:114
وَلَقَدۡ مَنَنَّا عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ ١١٤
And We did certainly confer favor upon Moses and Aaron.
37:115
وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُمَا وَقَوۡمَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلۡكَرۡبِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ١١٥
And We saved them and their people from the great affliction,
37:116
وَنَصَرۡنَٰهُمۡ فَكَانُواْ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ ١١٦
And We supported them so it was they who overcame.
37:117
وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمَا ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَبِينَ ١١٧
And We gave them the explicit Scripture [i.e., the Torah],
37:118
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُمَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ ١١٨
And We guided them on the straight path.
37:119
وَتَرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ١١٩
And We left for them [favorable mention] among later generations:
37:120
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ ١٢٠
"Peace upon Moses and Aaron."
37:121
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١٢١
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
37:122
إِنَّهُمَا مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٢٢
Indeed, they were of Our believing servants.
37:123
وَإِنَّ إِلۡيَاسَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٢٣
And indeed, Elias was from among the messengers,
37:124
إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ١٢٤
When he said to his people, "Will you not fear Allāh?
37:125
أَتَدۡعُونَ بَعۡلٗا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡخَٰلِقِينَ ١٢٥
Do you call upon Baʿl1 and leave the best of creators -
1 translator’s note
- The name of a great idol worshipped by the people and said to mean "lord." ↩
37:126
ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمۡ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٢٦
Allāh, your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers?"