Az-Zukhruf 43:26
The Ornaments of Gold · Juz 25 · Page 491
وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّنِي بَرَآءٞ مِّمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ ٢٦
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Abraham said to his father and his people, "Indeed, I am disassociated from that which you worship
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
Change
Commentary on 43:26–27
Commentary
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ (And [ recall ] when Ibrahim said to his father and to his people, 43:26) At the end of the previous verses, Allah Ta’ ala had stated that the 'mushrikin' (polytheists) of Arabia had no argument in favour of their 'shirk' (polytheism) except that they were carrying on the customs of their forefathers. Obviously, sticking to such customs against logical and historical arguments is far from truth and justice. Now the point made in the present verses is that, even if they are adamant on following their ancestors, why do they not follow Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) who is the most noble of their ancestors, and it is taken by themselves as a matter of pride to be among his offspring. He was not only a believer in 'tauhid' (Oneness of Allah) who emphatically directed all his children to remain adherent to this belief, but his life-long behavior also indicates that following forefathers against logical and historical proofs is not permissible. When he was ordained prophethood in the world, all his people were polytheists in pursuit of the customs of their forefathers, but he, instead of blindly following his forefathers, announced his dissociation from his people, according to the dictates of positive proofs; hence his declaration: إِنَّنِي بَرَاءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ "I disown that which you worship" (43:26).
We find from this verse that if anyone lives among a group or people who are misguided or involved in bad deeds, and his silence about their attitude may be construed as being agreeable to them, then it is not enough for him to simply correct his own beliefs and deeds, rather he has to disown their beliefs and deeds as well. This is what Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) did - he not only made his belief and actions distinctly different in practice, but he also disowned their belief and deeds vocally.
Page 491
43:23
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِي قَرۡيَةٖ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتۡرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقۡتَدُونَ ٢٣
And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following."
43:24
۞ قَٰلَ أَوَلَوۡ جِئۡتُكُم بِأَهۡدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَكُمۡۖ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ ٢٤
[Each warner] said, "Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?" They said, "Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers."
43:25
فَٱنتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡۖ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ٢٥
So We took retribution from them; then see how was the end of the deniers.
43:26
وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّنِي بَرَآءٞ مِّمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ ٢٦
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Abraham said to his father and his people, "Indeed, I am disassociated from that which you worship
43:27
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنِي فَإِنَّهُۥ سَيَهۡدِينِ ٢٧
Except for He who created me; and indeed, He will guide me."
43:28
وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةَۢ بَاقِيَةٗ فِي عَقِبِهِۦ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢٨
And he made it1 a word remaining among his descendants that they might return [to it].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., his testimony that none is worthy of worship except Allāh. ↩
43:29
بَلۡ مَتَّعۡتُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَرَسُولٞ مُّبِينٞ ٢٩
However, I gave enjoyment to these [people of Makkah] and their fathers1 until there came to them the truth and a clear Messenger.2
43:30
وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا سِحۡرٞ وَإِنَّا بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ ٣٠
But when the truth came to them, they said, "This is magic, and indeed we are, concerning it, disbelievers."
43:31
وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡقَرۡيَتَيۡنِ عَظِيمٍ ٣١
And they said, "Why was this Qur’ān not sent down upon a great man from [one of] the two cities?"1
1 translator’s note
- Referring to Makkah and aṭ-Ṭā’if. ↩
43:32
أَهُمۡ يَقۡسِمُونَ رَحۡمَتَ رَبِّكَۚ نَحۡنُ قَسَمۡنَا بَيۡنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۚ وَرَفَعۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٖ دَرَجَٰتٖ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُهُم بَعۡضٗا سُخۡرِيّٗاۗ وَرَحۡمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ ٣٢
Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and have raised some of them above others in degrees [of rank] that they may make use of one another for service. But the mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate.
43:33
وَلَوۡلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ لَّجَعَلۡنَا لِمَن يَكۡفُرُ بِٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمۡ سُقُفٗا مِّن فِضَّةٖ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيۡهَا يَظۡهَرُونَ ٣٣
And if it were not that the people would become one community [of disbelievers],1 We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful - for their houses - ceilings and stairways of silver upon which to mount.
1 translator’s note
- Who assumed that Allāh's generosity to them was a sign of His approval or who would hasten to disbelief in order to obtain wealth. ↩