Topic: Made An (Imam)
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۞ وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَٰتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
2:131; 16:121-122; 60:5.
لَا یَنَالُ عَھْدِی الظّٰلِمِیْنَ : یعنی اولاد ابراہیم میں سے جو ظالم ہو جائیں گے ان کو امام نہیں بنایا جائے گا۔
2:131; 16:121-122; 60:5.
Ibtila’ implies two things, (a) the learning of the state or the condition of the object, and becoming acquainted with what was unknown of the case thereof; (b) the manifesting of the goodness or badness of the object (Lane).
Kalimat is the plural of Kalimah which means, a commandment (Mufradat).
Imam means, any object that is followed, whether a man or a book (Mufradat).
2:131; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
Important Words:
ابتلی (tried) is derived from بلی which means, it became old and worn out. بلاه and ابتلاه both mean, he tried or tested him or it, and this is so because a trial or a test makes one, as it were, old and worn out. بلاء means, a trial or test whether resulting in praise or disgrace (Aqrab).
اماما (Leader of men) is derived from ام. They say ام القوم or ام بالقوم i.e. he led the people; he was or became Imam or leader of the people. The verb ام also means, he sought or aimed at a thing. The امام is a person whose example is followed, i.e. a leader or a model (Lane).
کلمات (commands) is the plural of کلمة and has a variety of meanings, e.g., a word; a clause or sentence; a command or order. Here it means, a command (Mufradat). See also 2:38.
Commentary:
It is pointed out in this verse that when God tried Abraham with certain commands and found him perfect in obedience, He expressed His wish to make him a Leader of men. Thereupon Abraham, ever solicitous to make others also share God’s blessings, begged Him to extend the same to his progeny as well. In reply, he was told that this covenant would not apply to transgressors, which implied that Leaders and Reformers would be raised from his posterity, but that transgressors would not share this blessing.
The Quran refers to this covenant in order to remind the Jews that their deprivation of prophethood was quite in conformity with the promise given to Abraham which contained a clear condition that such of his descendants as defied God’s commandments would be deprived of the promised favour. The Jews are therefore told that being transgressors, they have been deprived of the blessing of prophethood. A brief reference to this covenant is also found in Gen. 17:9-14, but the Quran has mentioned it in a better and more definite form.
c
2:131; 16:121-122; 60:5.
3
لَا یَنَالُ عَھْدِی الظّٰلِمِیْنَ : یعنی اولاد ابراہیم میں سے جو ظالم ہو جائیں گے ان کو امام نہیں بنایا جائے گا۔
c
2:131; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
131
Important Words:
ابتلی (tried) is derived from بلی which means, it became old and worn out. بلاه and ابتلاه both mean, he tried or tested him or it, and this is so because a trial or a test makes one, as it were, old and worn out. بلاء means, a trial or test whether resulting in praise or disgrace (Aqrab).
اماما (Leader of men) is derived from ام. They say ام القوم or ام بالقوم i.e. he led the people; he was or became Imam or leader of the people. The verb ام also means, he sought or aimed at a thing. The امام is a person whose example is followed, i.e. a leader or a model (Lane).
کلمات (commands) is the plural of کلمة and has a variety of meanings, e.g., a word; a clause or sentence; a command or order. Here it means, a command (Mufradat). See also 2:38.
Commentary:
It is pointed out in this verse that when God tried Abraham with certain commands and found him perfect in obedience, He expressed His wish to make him a Leader of men. Thereupon Abraham, ever solicitous to make others also share God’s blessings, begged Him to extend the same to his progeny as well. In reply, he was told that this covenant would not apply to transgressors, which implied that Leaders and Reformers would be raised from his posterity, but that transgressors would not share this blessing.
The Quran refers to this covenant in order to remind the Jews that their deprivation of prophethood was quite in conformity with the promise given to Abraham which contained a clear condition that such of his descendants as defied God’s commandments would be deprived of the promised favour. The Jews are therefore told that being transgressors, they have been deprived of the blessing of prophethood. A brief reference to this covenant is also found in Gen. 17:9-14, but the Quran has mentioned it in a better and more definite form.
a
2:131; 16:121-122; 60:5.
142A
Ibtila’ implies two things, (a) the learning of the state or the condition of the object, and becoming acquainted with what was unknown of the case thereof; (b) the manifesting of the goodness or badness of the object (Lane).
142B
Kalimat is the plural of Kalimah which means, a commandment (Mufradat).
143
Imam means, any object that is followed, whether a man or a book (Mufradat).
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
سَفِہَ نَفْسَہٗ کے معنے ہیں اَھْلَکَ نَفْسَہٗ وَاَوْبَقَھَا (لسان العرب) یعنی اپنے نفس کو ہلاک کر دیا۔
3:96; 4:126; 6:162.
2:125; 3:34; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
The different forms of the word Safiha, Safaha and Safuha give different meanings, Safiha meaning, he was ignorant or foolish or light-witted. When the word is used with Nafsa-hu as its seeming object as in this verse, it does not actually become transitive but simply looks so (Lisan & Mufradat). The words also mean: "Who has ruined his soul."
3:96; 4:126; 6:162.
2:125; 3:34; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
Important Words:
یرغب (will turn away) is derived from رغب which is used either with the preposition فی or عن giving different meanings. رغب فیه means, he sought or desired it; and رغب عنه means, he turned away from it or he left or loathed it ( Aqrab).
سفه نفسه (is foolish of mind). The word سفه is used in three different forms: سفه (1) (safiha), (2) (safaha), and (3) (safuha). All these give different meanings. The Quran uses the first form, i.e. سفه (safiha) which means, he was ignorant or he behaved ignorantly; he was foolish or he acted foolishly; he was lightwitted or he behaved light-wittedly. When the word سفه is used with نفسه as its seeming object as in the verse under comment, it does not actually become transitive but simply looks so (as does the verb خسر which see under 2:28). In fact, as most lexicographers have explained, the expression سفه نفسهis really either سفه فی نفسه or سفه ھو نفسا or سفھت نفسه and means, either he is foolish of mind, or he is foolish himself, or his mind acts foolishly (Aqrab, Mufradat, Lisan & Lane).
اصطفیناه (him did We choose) is derived from صفا which means, it became pure and clean. اصفاه بکذا means, he chose him for that, or he honoured him with that. اصطفاه means, he chose or selected him from among others; he chose him in preference to others (Aqrab).
Commentary:
The attention of Jews and Christians is drawn to the point that when it has been proved that, in accordance with the prayer of Abraham, a Prophet was to appear from among the children of Ishmael and that Prophet has actually appeared, it is incumbent upon them to ponder over his claims and not to belie the prayer of Abraham and go against their own religion. The verse emphasizes the fact that anybody who departs from the way of the great patriarch of the People of the Book betrays his own folly. The religion of Abraham leads to salvation, whereas defection from it leads to ruin and deprivation.
a
3:96; 4:126; 6:162.
b
2:125; 3:34; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
3
سَفِہَ نَفْسَہٗ کے معنے ہیں اَھْلَکَ نَفْسَہٗ وَاَوْبَقَھَا (لسان العرب) یعنی اپنے نفس کو ہلاک کر دیا۔
a
3:96; 4:126; 6:162.
b
2:125; 3:34; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
137
Important Words:
یرغب (will turn away) is derived from رغب which is used either with the preposition فی or عن giving different meanings. رغب فیه means, he sought or desired it; and رغب عنه means, he turned away from it or he left or loathed it ( Aqrab).
سفه نفسه (is foolish of mind). The word سفه is used in three different forms: سفه (1) (safiha), (2) (safaha), and (3) (safuha). All these give different meanings. The Quran uses the first form, i.e. سفه (safiha) which means, he was ignorant or he behaved ignorantly; he was foolish or he acted foolishly; he was lightwitted or he behaved light-wittedly. When the word سفه is used with نفسه as its seeming object as in the verse under comment, it does not actually become transitive but simply looks so (as does the verb خسر which see under 2:28). In fact, as most lexicographers have explained, the expression سفه نفسهis really either سفه فی نفسه or سفه ھو نفسا or سفھت نفسه and means, either he is foolish of mind, or he is foolish himself, or his mind acts foolishly (Aqrab, Mufradat, Lisan & Lane).
اصطفیناه (him did We choose) is derived from صفا which means, it became pure and clean. اصفاه بکذا means, he chose him for that, or he honoured him with that. اصطفاه means, he chose or selected him from among others; he chose him in preference to others (Aqrab).
Commentary:
The attention of Jews and Christians is drawn to the point that when it has been proved that, in accordance with the prayer of Abraham, a Prophet was to appear from among the children of Ishmael and that Prophet has actually appeared, it is incumbent upon them to ponder over his claims and not to belie the prayer of Abraham and go against their own religion. The verse emphasizes the fact that anybody who departs from the way of the great patriarch of the People of the Book betrays his own folly. The religion of Abraham leads to salvation, whereas defection from it leads to ruin and deprivation.
a
3:96; 4:126; 6:162.
b
2:125; 3:34; 16:121, 122; 60:5.
148
The different forms of the word Safiha, Safaha and Safuha give different meanings, Safiha meaning, he was ignorant or foolish or light-witted. When the word is used with Nafsa-hu as its seeming object as in this verse, it does not actually become transitive but simply looks so (Lisan & Mufradat). The words also mean: "Who has ruined his soul."
شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
2:131.
یعنی اللہ تعالیٰ کے۔
2:131.
2:131.
Commentary:
As Abraham believed that all his good qualities were Divine gifts, therefore he was grateful to God.
The straight path mentioned in the verse is the path which leads to God. The word مستقیم signifies the straight and shortest line between two points. Man represents one end of the line and God represents the other, and the straight and shortest path in religion is the line which joins man to God. The verse exhorts Muslims to develop in themselves the qualities that made Abraham the chosen one of God and to steer clear of the path of iniquity and transgression followed by Meccans and Jews. The former altogether rejected the Divine Law and were satisfied with man-made customs and usages and the latter differed and disagreed with regard to its meaning and application and defied and broke it.
f
2:131.
1
یعنی اللہ تعالیٰ کے۔
b
2:131.
1922
Commentary:
As Abraham believed that all his good qualities were Divine gifts, therefore he was grateful to God.
The straight path mentioned in the verse is the path which leads to God. The word مستقیم signifies the straight and shortest line between two points. Man represents one end of the line and God represents the other, and the straight and shortest path in religion is the line which joins man to God. The verse exhorts Muslims to develop in themselves the qualities that made Abraham the chosen one of God and to steer clear of the path of iniquity and transgression followed by Meccans and Jews. The former altogether rejected the Divine Law and were satisfied with man-made customs and usages and the latter differed and disagreed with regard to its meaning and application and defied and broke it.
b
2:131.