As-Saffat 37:91
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 449
فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِهِمۡ فَقَالَ أَلَا تَأۡكُلُونَ ٩١
Then he turned to their gods and said, "Do you not eat?1
1 translator’s note
- Consume the offerings placed before them. ↩
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Tazkirul Quran
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Commentary on 37:88–101
The people of Abraham’s community were perhaps going out of town to participate in some festival. Members of his household invited him to accompany them, but he managed somehow to excuse himself. When all the people had left, he entered the temple during the night and broke the deities kept there. It is important to note here that Abraham did so after continuous logical persuasion had failed to yield any result. When his people did not realise or accept the falsity of the deities by means of rational pleadings, by breaking the deities Abraham demonstrated that they were just a sham. Had they been genuine deities, they would have saved themselves from being smashed. This infuriated the people of Abraham’s community so much that they decided to kill him and throw him into a fire. But God saved him from it. Thereafter, he left his native place, Mesopotamia (now called Iraq). At that time, he prayed, ‘O, God ! Bless me with a pious and righteous offspring so that, by teaching and training, I may make him a believer and a Muslim who, after me, will continue to perform the mission of preaching the oneness of God.’
Page 449
37:77
وَجَعَلۡنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥ هُمُ ٱلۡبَاقِينَ ٧٧
And We made his descendants those remaining [on the earth]
37:78
وَتَرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ٧٨
And left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:
37:79
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ نُوحٖ فِي ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٧٩
"Peace upon Noah among the worlds."
37:80
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٨٠
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
37:81
إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٨١
Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.
37:82
ثُمَّ أَغۡرَقۡنَا ٱلۡأٓخَرِينَ ٨٢
Then We drowned the others [i.e., disbelievers].
37:83
۞ وَإِنَّ مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ لَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٨٣
And indeed, among his kind was Abraham,
37:84
إِذۡ جَآءَ رَبَّهُۥ بِقَلۡبٖ سَلِيمٍ ٨٤
When he came to his Lord with a sound heart
37:85
إِذۡ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦ مَاذَا تَعۡبُدُونَ ٨٥
[And] when he said to his father and his people, "What do you worship?
37:86
أَئِفۡكًا ءَالِهَةٗ دُونَ ٱللَّهِ تُرِيدُونَ ٨٦
Is it falsehood [as] gods other than Allāh you desire?
37:87
فَمَا ظَنُّكُم بِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٨٧
Then what is your thought about the Lord of the worlds?"
37:88
فَنَظَرَ نَظۡرَةٗ فِي ٱلنُّجُومِ ٨٨
And he cast a look at the stars
37:89
فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَقِيمٞ ٨٩
And said, "Indeed, I am [about to be] ill."
37:90
فَتَوَلَّوۡاْ عَنۡهُ مُدۡبِرِينَ ٩٠
So they turned away from him, departing.
37:91
فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِهِمۡ فَقَالَ أَلَا تَأۡكُلُونَ ٩١
Then he turned to their gods and said, "Do you not eat?1
1 translator’s note
- Consume the offerings placed before them. ↩
37:92
مَا لَكُمۡ لَا تَنطِقُونَ ٩٢
What is [wrong] with you that you do not speak?"
37:93
فَرَاغَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ضَرۡبَۢا بِٱلۡيَمِينِ ٩٣
And he turned upon them a blow with [his] right hand.
37:94
فَأَقۡبَلُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ يَزِفُّونَ ٩٤
Then they [i.e., the people] came toward him, hastening.
37:95
قَالَ أَتَعۡبُدُونَ مَا تَنۡحِتُونَ ٩٥
He said, "Do you worship that which you [yourselves] carve,
37:96
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ٩٦
While Allāh created you and that which you do?"
37:97
قَالُواْ ٱبۡنُواْ لَهُۥ بُنۡيَٰنٗا فَأَلۡقُوهُ فِي ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ٩٧
They said, "Construct for him a structure [i.e., furnace] and throw him into the burning fire."
37:98
فَأَرَادُواْ بِهِۦ كَيۡدٗا فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡأَسۡفَلِينَ ٩٨
And they intended for him a plan [i.e., harm], but We made them the most debased.
37:99
وَقَالَ إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي سَيَهۡدِينِ ٩٩
And [then] he said, "Indeed, I will go to [where I am ordered by] my Lord; He will guide me.
37:100
رَبِّ هَبۡ لِي مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ١٠٠
My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous."
37:101
فَبَشَّرۡنَٰهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ حَلِيمٖ ١٠١
So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy.
37:102
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعۡيَ قَالَ يَٰبُنَيَّ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰ فِي ٱلۡمَنَامِ أَنِّيٓ أَذۡبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرۡ مَاذَا تَرَىٰۚ قَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفۡعَلۡ مَا تُؤۡمَرُۖ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ١٠٢
And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion,1 he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allāh wills, of the steadfast."
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the ability to work and be of assistance. ↩