Topic: Prayers Of
View Aspects
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا ءَامِنًا وَٱرْزُقْ أَهْلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُم بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُۥ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُۥٓ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
3:98; 14:36; 27:92; 28:58.
3:98; 14:36; 27:92; 28:58.
3:98; 14:36; 27:92: 28:58; 29:68; 106:5.
Important Words:
مصیر (destination) is derived from صار meaning, he returned, or he became. مصیر is thus a place or condition to which a person or thing comes or returns; a destination (Aqrab).
Commentary:
When Abraham offered the prayer, there was no town existing near the Ka‘bah. There existed only the House of God. So Abraham prayed that in that wildest of wildernesses there might grow up a town, and that that town might become a place of security, affording peace to mankind. In fulfilment of this prayer, there grew up the town of Mecca which has remained a place of peace and security for thousands of years. The prayer also implied that the Baitullah, would be the means of bringing peace and security to mankind. This was destined to come about in two ways: Firstly, those who accepted and followed Islam were to become secure from all evils and to become recipients of God’s blessings. Secondly, Islam was to be the means of bringing about peace and concord among the different nations of the world.
While praying to God to grant sustenance to the dwellers of Mecca, Abraham restricted his prayer only to its good and righteous dwellers. The reason for this was that when Abraham had previously prayed to God to raise Reformers and Religious Leaders from his progeny, God had replied that such men would be raised from among the righteous only (2:125). So when he prayed a second time to God to grant sustenance to the people of Mecca, he was more careful and confined his prayer to the righteous only. This shows how submissive and careful God’s Prophets are. But Abraham had now evidently become overly cautious, for this time God answered, saying, that He would grant sustenance to all men, irrespective of whether they were righteous or not, because He was the Provider for the whole universe, not for the righteous only. The wicked, however, shall be duly punished for their crimes.
Another reason why Abraham restricted his prayer to the righteous was that he wished Mecca to be the abode of the righteous alone; but God knew that even that sacred town was not going to remain untarnished throughout the long centuries of history.
a
3:98; 14:36; 27:92; 28:58.
a
3:98; 14:36; 27:92: 28:58; 29:68; 106:5.
133
Important Words:
مصیر (destination) is derived from صار meaning, he returned, or he became. مصیر is thus a place or condition to which a person or thing comes or returns; a destination (Aqrab).
Commentary:
When Abraham offered the prayer, there was no town existing near the Ka‘bah. There existed only the House of God. So Abraham prayed that in that wildest of wildernesses there might grow up a town, and that that town might become a place of security, affording peace to mankind. In fulfilment of this prayer, there grew up the town of Mecca which has remained a place of peace and security for thousands of years. The prayer also implied that the Baitullah, would be the means of bringing peace and security to mankind. This was destined to come about in two ways: Firstly, those who accepted and followed Islam were to become secure from all evils and to become recipients of God’s blessings. Secondly, Islam was to be the means of bringing about peace and concord among the different nations of the world.
While praying to God to grant sustenance to the dwellers of Mecca, Abraham restricted his prayer only to its good and righteous dwellers. The reason for this was that when Abraham had previously prayed to God to raise Reformers and Religious Leaders from his progeny, God had replied that such men would be raised from among the righteous only (2:125). So when he prayed a second time to God to grant sustenance to the people of Mecca, he was more careful and confined his prayer to the righteous only. This shows how submissive and careful God’s Prophets are. But Abraham had now evidently become overly cautious, for this time God answered, saying, that He would grant sustenance to all men, irrespective of whether they were righteous or not, because He was the Provider for the whole universe, not for the righteous only. The wicked, however, shall be duly punished for their crimes.
Another reason why Abraham restricted his prayer to the righteous was that he wished Mecca to be the abode of the righteous alone; but God knew that even that sacred town was not going to remain untarnished throughout the long centuries of history.
b
3:98; 14:36; 27:92; 28:58.
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
14:41.
14:41.
Was Abraham the founder or only the rebuilder of the Ka‘bah is a question that has given rise to much discussion. Some hold that Abraham was the first builder of the place, others trace its origin to Adam. The Qur’an (3:97) and authentic Traditions favour the view that even prior to the erection of a building on this site by Abraham some sort of structure did exist, but it had fallen into ruins and only a trace of it had remained. The word al-Qawa‘id in the verse shows that the foundations of the House were there which Abraham and Ishmael had raised. Moreover, Abraham’s prayer at the time he had separated from the child Ishmael and his mother at Mecca, viz. Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House (14:38), shows that the Ka‘bah had existed even before Abraham had settled his wife and son in the Valley of Mecca. The Hadith also supports this view (Bukhari). Historical records too lend support to the view that the Ka‘bah is of anti
14:41.
Commentary:
When the unfitness of the Israelites for prophethood had been proved, the question naturally arose: What nation would then be the rightful heir to this favour of God? To answer this, reference is here made to the history of the building of the Ka‘bah by Abraham and Ishmael, and it is added (vv. 128-130) that while constructing the Ka‘bah, Abraham and Ishmael had offered certain prayers which were to bear fruit. These prayers were to the effect that the children of Abraham through Ishmael might multiply and prosper and there might be raised among them a great Prophet. Whether Abraham was the founder or only the rebuilder of the Ka‘bah is a point that has given rise to much discussion. Some hold that Abraham was the first builder of the place, others trace the origin of the House to the days of Adam and hold that Abraham only rebuilt it on its old ruins. The Quran and authentic traditions favour the view that even prior to the erection of a building on this site by Abraham, some sort of structure did exist. Even in the verse under comment the words القواعد من البیت which may mean "the foundations that were left of the house," hint at the fact that a previous structure did exist but it had fallen into ruins and only a trace of the foundations remained. Elsewhere the Quran speaks of the Ka‘bah, as the first House founded (or built) for (the good of) mankind (3:97). Now as people lived even before Abraham and some Prophets had also been raised before him, it stands to reason that some place of worship did exist for them and as the Ka‘bah is the first house of that nature, it must be taken to have priority over all others.
Moreover, the Quran represents Abraham offering the following prayer at the time of his separation from Ishmael and his mother at Mecca: Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House(14:38). From this verse it is clear that the Ka‘bah existed even before Abraham.
The sayings of the Holy Prophet also support this view. Describing the retreat of Abraham after leaving Hagar and Ishmael at the place where Mecca now stands, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "Hagar inquired of Abraham why he was leaving them in a valley without any friend or sympathizer and without any food to eat. She asked the same question several times, but Abraham (probably overpowered by feelings) kept silent and made no reply. At last, she asked whether he was doing this under the order of God, and this time Abraham replied in the affirmative. Thereupon, Hagar said that in that case God would never let them perish. Then Abraham returned, and standing on a hillock, where he could not be seen by Hagar, he turned his face to the Ka‘bah, and raising both of his hands, offered the prayer: Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House (Bukhari).
The above narrative related by the Holy Prophet shows that even before Abraham’s going to the place where Mecca now stands, it was held sacred, or else how could he have turned his face to it while offering the prayer and how could he have used the words "near Thy Sacred House". Nor does history say anything contrary to this view, because whatever information can be gleaned from it points to the fact that the Ka‘bah is a very old place. Historians of established authority and even some hostile critics of Islam, have admitted that the Ka‘bah has been held sacred from time immemorial. In this connection the following quotation may also be of interest. "Diodorus Siculus, Sicily (60 B.C.), speaking of the region now known as Hejaz, says that it was 'specially honoured by the natives' and adds, 'an altar is there built of hard stone and very old in years,...to which the neighbouring peoples thronged from all sides' (Translation by C. M. Oldfather, London, 1935, Book III, ch. 42 vol. ii. pp. 211-213). "These words", says William Muir, "must refer to the holy house of Mecca, for we know of no other which ever commanded the universal homage of Arabia…Tradition represents the Ka‘bah as from time immemorial the scene of pilgrimage from all quarters of Arabia…So extensive an homage must have had its beginnings in an extremely remote age" (Muir, p. ciii).
Some Christian critics question the truth of the claim that Abraham came to the site of Mecca and built the Ka‘bah on the flimsy ground that the Bible is silent about it. It is not difficult to see the absurdity of this objection. There is no denying that the story of Abraham’s leaving his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael in a desert, the want of water, the extreme thirst of the boy and the providential appearance of a well are all mentioned in the Bible (Gen. 21:14-19). As, however, the Bible gives an extremely brief account of Ishmael’s life, owing to the antipathy of the Jews towards him, it is not safe to decide the matter solely on the authority of the Bible. It is an open secret that the sons of Israel looked upon the sons of Ishmael as their enemies. Therefore, far from preserving any record of the life of Ishmael, the Israelites were more likely to delete even such mention of him as might already have been contained in the Bible. At any rate, the Christians have no historical ground to reject the narrative of the Quran, especially when the well-known national traditions of Arabia all go to confirm it. Even some Christian writers have felt constrained to admit that the story of the Quran and the Traditions is true, or, at least, highly probable. "Freytag (Einl. p. 339) says that there is no good reason for doubting that the Caaba was founded as stated in this passage" (Rodwell under 2:128). Lieut. Burton in his Pilgrimage (iii. 336) refers to the Arab tradition which he says "speaks clearly and consistently as to the fact of Abraham having visited Mecca to build the Caaba", and considers it not to be without foundation. The Jerusalem Targum also speaks "of the visits of the 'very old man' Abraham to the tent of his nomad son, far away in the Arabian desert" (Jewish Foundation of Islam, p. 84). The Talmud supports the view that Abraham went twice to see Ishmael after the latter had grown up to be a young man and had married (Selections translated by H. Polano, London, Tamuz 5636, p. 51).
b
14:41.
a
14:41.
134
Commentary:
When the unfitness of the Israelites for prophethood had been proved, the question naturally arose: What nation would then be the rightful heir to this favour of God? To answer this, reference is here made to the history of the building of the Ka‘bah by Abraham and Ishmael, and it is added (vv. 128-130) that while constructing the Ka‘bah, Abraham and Ishmael had offered certain prayers which were to bear fruit. These prayers were to the effect that the children of Abraham through Ishmael might multiply and prosper and there might be raised among them a great Prophet. Whether Abraham was the founder or only the rebuilder of the Ka‘bah is a point that has given rise to much discussion. Some hold that Abraham was the first builder of the place, others trace the origin of the House to the days of Adam and hold that Abraham only rebuilt it on its old ruins. The Quran and authentic traditions favour the view that even prior to the erection of a building on this site by Abraham, some sort of structure did exist. Even in the verse under comment the words القواعد من البیت which may mean "the foundations that were left of the house," hint at the fact that a previous structure did exist but it had fallen into ruins and only a trace of the foundations remained. Elsewhere the Quran speaks of the Ka‘bah, as the first House founded (or built) for (the good of) mankind (3:97). Now as people lived even before Abraham and some Prophets had also been raised before him, it stands to reason that some place of worship did exist for them and as the Ka‘bah is the first house of that nature, it must be taken to have priority over all others.
Moreover, the Quran represents Abraham offering the following prayer at the time of his separation from Ishmael and his mother at Mecca: Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House(14:38). From this verse it is clear that the Ka‘bah existed even before Abraham.
The sayings of the Holy Prophet also support this view. Describing the retreat of Abraham after leaving Hagar and Ishmael at the place where Mecca now stands, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "Hagar inquired of Abraham why he was leaving them in a valley without any friend or sympathizer and without any food to eat. She asked the same question several times, but Abraham (probably overpowered by feelings) kept silent and made no reply. At last, she asked whether he was doing this under the order of God, and this time Abraham replied in the affirmative. Thereupon, Hagar said that in that case God would never let them perish. Then Abraham returned, and standing on a hillock, where he could not be seen by Hagar, he turned his face to the Ka‘bah, and raising both of his hands, offered the prayer: Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House (Bukhari).
The above narrative related by the Holy Prophet shows that even before Abraham’s going to the place where Mecca now stands, it was held sacred, or else how could he have turned his face to it while offering the prayer and how could he have used the words "near Thy Sacred House". Nor does history say anything contrary to this view, because whatever information can be gleaned from it points to the fact that the Ka‘bah is a very old place. Historians of established authority and even some hostile critics of Islam, have admitted that the Ka‘bah has been held sacred from time immemorial. In this connection the following quotation may also be of interest. "Diodorus Siculus, Sicily (60 B.C.), speaking of the region now known as Hejaz, says that it was 'specially honoured by the natives' and adds, 'an altar is there built of hard stone and very old in years,...to which the neighbouring peoples thronged from all sides' (Translation by C. M. Oldfather, London, 1935, Book III, ch. 42 vol. ii. pp. 211-213). "These words", says William Muir, "must refer to the holy house of Mecca, for we know of no other which ever commanded the universal homage of Arabia…Tradition represents the Ka‘bah as from time immemorial the scene of pilgrimage from all quarters of Arabia…So extensive an homage must have had its beginnings in an extremely remote age" (Muir, p. ciii).
Some Christian critics question the truth of the claim that Abraham came to the site of Mecca and built the Ka‘bah on the flimsy ground that the Bible is silent about it. It is not difficult to see the absurdity of this objection. There is no denying that the story of Abraham’s leaving his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael in a desert, the want of water, the extreme thirst of the boy and the providential appearance of a well are all mentioned in the Bible (Gen. 21:14-19). As, however, the Bible gives an extremely brief account of Ishmael’s life, owing to the antipathy of the Jews towards him, it is not safe to decide the matter solely on the authority of the Bible. It is an open secret that the sons of Israel looked upon the sons of Ishmael as their enemies. Therefore, far from preserving any record of the life of Ishmael, the Israelites were more likely to delete even such mention of him as might already have been contained in the Bible. At any rate, the Christians have no historical ground to reject the narrative of the Quran, especially when the well-known national traditions of Arabia all go to confirm it. Even some Christian writers have felt constrained to admit that the story of the Quran and the Traditions is true, or, at least, highly probable. "Freytag (Einl. p. 339) says that there is no good reason for doubting that the Caaba was founded as stated in this passage" (Rodwell under 2:128). Lieut. Burton in his Pilgrimage (iii. 336) refers to the Arab tradition which he says "speaks clearly and consistently as to the fact of Abraham having visited Mecca to build the Caaba", and considers it not to be without foundation. The Jerusalem Targum also speaks "of the visits of the 'very old man' Abraham to the tent of his nomad son, far away in the Arabian desert" (Jewish Foundation of Islam, p. 84). The Talmud supports the view that Abraham went twice to see Ishmael after the latter had grown up to be a young man and had married (Selections translated by H. Polano, London, Tamuz 5636, p. 51).
a
14:41.
146
Was Abraham the founder or only the rebuilder of the Ka‘bah is a question that has given rise to much discussion. Some hold that Abraham was the first builder of the place, others trace its origin to Adam. The Qur’an (3:97) and authentic Traditions favour the view that even prior to the erection of a building on this site by Abraham some sort of structure did exist, but it had fallen into ruins and only a trace of it had remained. The word al-Qawa‘id in the verse shows that the foundations of the House were there which Abraham and Ishmael had raised. Moreover, Abraham’s prayer at the time he had separated from the child Ishmael and his mother at Mecca, viz. Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House (14:38), shows that the Ka‘bah had existed even before Abraham had settled his wife and son in the Valley of Mecca. The Hadith also supports this view (Bukhari). Historical records too lend support to the view that the Ka‘bah is of anti
رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
عربی میں مَنَاسِکَنَا کا لفظ ہے جس کے معنے ہیں ’’ہماری عبادات‘‘ لیکن ہماری سے مراد چونکہ یہ ہے کہ جو ہمارے لئے مناسب ہو‘ اس لئے ’’مناسب حال‘‘ کے الفاظ خطوط وحدانی میں رکھے گئے ہیں۔
Important Words:
مناسکنا (our ways of worship). The word مناسك is the plural of منسك which is derived from نسك which means, he devoted himself to religious worship; he performed acts of worship for God; he slaughtered animals of sacrifice to win God’s pleasure. مناسك الحج means, the religious rites or ceremonies of Pilgrimage; and also the places where these ceremonies are performed (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
Having built the House, Abraham and his son Ishmael turn towards God with the supplication that He may afford them the power to lead a life of devotion and submissiveness and show them the ways of such worship as may be performed in the Ka‘bah.
This prayer of Abraham and Ishmael also brings out the very important point that even such righteous persons who stand high in the estimation of God need constant prayer for the further purification of their souls and for the consecration of their good deeds by God, because, however noble and righteous the deeds of man may outwardly appear to be, they sometimes lack the true inner spirit and lead to evil consequences.
Abraham and Ishmael here use the words مسلم (Muslim) for themselves and also pray that from among their posterity too there may be bornمسلم (Muslim) people who may be submissive and resigned to the will of God. This helps to explain another verse of the Quran which says of Abraham that it was he who first gave the name "Muslim" to the believers in the Holy Prophet (22:79). It is not of course meant that Abraham used the word مسلم in the above quoted verse as a proper name, but his using that word in his prayer certainly suggests that from among his progeny would be born a people who would not only bear that name but would also possess the spirit of اسلام i.e. submission to the will of God.
1
عربی میں مَنَاسِکَنَا کا لفظ ہے جس کے معنے ہیں ’’ہماری عبادات‘‘ لیکن ہماری سے مراد چونکہ یہ ہے کہ جو ہمارے لئے مناسب ہو‘ اس لئے ’’مناسب حال‘‘ کے الفاظ خطوط وحدانی میں رکھے گئے ہیں۔
135
Important Words:
مناسکنا (our ways of worship). The word مناسك is the plural of منسك which is derived from نسك which means, he devoted himself to religious worship; he performed acts of worship for God; he slaughtered animals of sacrifice to win God’s pleasure. مناسك الحج means, the religious rites or ceremonies of Pilgrimage; and also the places where these ceremonies are performed (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
Having built the House, Abraham and his son Ishmael turn towards God with the supplication that He may afford them the power to lead a life of devotion and submissiveness and show them the ways of such worship as may be performed in the Ka‘bah.
This prayer of Abraham and Ishmael also brings out the very important point that even such righteous persons who stand high in the estimation of God need constant prayer for the further purification of their souls and for the consecration of their good deeds by God, because, however noble and righteous the deeds of man may outwardly appear to be, they sometimes lack the true inner spirit and lead to evil consequences.
Abraham and Ishmael here use the words مسلم (Muslim) for themselves and also pray that from among their posterity too there may be bornمسلم (Muslim) people who may be submissive and resigned to the will of God. This helps to explain another verse of the Quran which says of Abraham that it was he who first gave the name "Muslim" to the believers in the Holy Prophet (22:79). It is not of course meant that Abraham used the word مسلم in the above quoted verse as a proper name, but his using that word in his prayer certainly suggests that from among his progeny would be born a people who would not only bear that name but would also possess the spirit of اسلام i.e. submission to the will of God.
رَبَّنَا وَٱبْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
2:152; 3:165; 62:3.
这节经文可以作为全章主题的总结, 本章不仅是本节的详述者, 而且其完全以本节所叙述的主题的次序处理其不同的主题, 也就是说, 先是迹象, 然后是经典, 然后是经典的哲理, 最后是民族发展的一切方法 (见本章引言)。有趣的是这里可以看到, «古兰经» 提到两篇不同的伊布拉欣的祈祷文--------一篇是关于伊司哈格的后代的, 一篇是关于伊司马仪的后代的。2:125中提到了前一篇祈祷文, 而后一篇在注释条目下的本节经文中被提到。在他的关于伊司哈格后代的祈祷文中, 伊布拉欣要求在他们中间提拔宗教领袖或复兴者, 但他没有提到他们的特殊的工作或身份--------他们是安拉派遣的普通复兴者, 将为古以色列人改过自新而相互继承。可是, 在这节经文中他在祈祷文中祈求安拉在他的后代中间提升一位负有特殊使命的伟大先知。这一差别真是伊布拉欣宗族两系支脉极为真实的写照。在本章125-130节经文提到伊布拉欣的这两篇祈祷文时, 曾暗示伊布拉欣不仅确为伊司哈卡的子孙的繁荣祈祷, 而且也为他的长子伊司马仪的子孙祈祷。伊司哈卡的后裔由于自己的罪恶行为而失去了先知品位。因此本节经文中那个主许的和为他降临而祈祷的先知一定属于伊布拉欣的另一些后裔, 即伊司玛仪的子孙。为了指出那被期望和主许的先知该是伊司马仪的后代, «古兰经» 非常适宜地提到了伊布拉欣和伊司马仪天房的建筑并提到了伊布拉欣为他长子的后代所作的祈祷。对于这一自然的结论, 基督教评论家们一般提出两种异议: (1) «圣经» 没有提到安拉曾向伊布拉欣作过有关伊司马仪的许诺, (2) 承认安拉确曾作过这样的诺言, 而不能证明这个事实, 即伊斯兰教的先知是伊司马仪的后裔。
至于第一种异议, 即使从 «圣经» 中看不到有关伊司马仪的预言, 不是说这样预言决不会有。而且, 如果可以用 «圣经» 的根据来证实对伊司哈卡及其后代的许诺确有其事, 为什么不能承认 «古兰经» 的根据, 在这一方面说来, 又为什么不能承认伊司玛仪的子女的根据, 可以证明安拉是向伊司马仪并且还向他的几个儿子作了许诺呢。可是 «圣经» 本身确提到了伊司马仪后代的未来的昌盛, 与提到伊司哈卡的儿子们的情况一样 («创世记» 16:10-12; 17:6-10; 17:18-20)。事实上, 对伊司马仪所作的许诺在实质上与对伊司哈卡所作的许诺并无不同--------他们两者都得到了祝福, 都会有成果, 两者的子孙都会特别兴旺, 两者都会成为伟大的民族, 两者的后代都受主许得到王国及领土。因此既然对两兄弟所作的许诺在性质上无实质差别, 给伊司哈卡的子女的那种奖赏, 伊司马仪的子女也必须能得到。这个事实已得到十分著名的基督教徒的肯定。(The Scofield Reference Bible, P.25)。
即使这个许约可被理解为包括伊司马仪的后代, 也还得证明穆圣是属于伊司马仪的宗族。在回答这第二个异议时, 可简单地注意一下几点: (1) 穆圣所属的古来西宗族始终相信并断言他们自己是伊司马仪的后裔, 这个声明得到全阿拉伯半岛人民的承认。 (2) 如果说古来西宗族和阿拉伯半岛的其他伊司马仪后代宗族是伊司马仪后裔是错误的, 那么, 伊司马仪的真正的后裔就要对这种声称提出抗议; 但没有听说曾有这样的异议。 (3) 在 («创世记»17:20) 中提到安拉已许诺祝福伊司马仪, 使他后代兴旺, 使他成为一个伟大民族和十二个王子的父亲。假如阿拉伯半岛的人民不是他的后裔, 受约的民族又在哪里?阿拉伯半岛的伊司马仪后代的各宗族确实是这块土地上的唯一有权声称者。 (4) 按照 («创世记» 21:8-14) 夏甲 (亚伯拉罕之妻) 为了满足萨拉 (亚伯拉罕之妻, 伊司哈卡之母) 的虚荣, 不得不离开她的家庭。如果不把她带到海佳兹 (حِجَازْ, Hijaz), 她的子孙是在哪里呢?她的流放又是在什么地方? (5) 阿拉伯地理学家一致同意巴兰 (فَارَان, Paran) 是给海佳兹的小山群所取的名称 (مُعْجَمُ الْبُلْدَان, Mu‘jamul-Buldan)。 (6) 按照 «圣经», 伊司马仪后裔 “居住的地方是从哈腓拉 (Havilah) 到书珥 (Shur)” («创世记»25:18), 而从 “哈腓拉到书珥” 这一短语是指阿拉伯半岛上反方向的两端 (J.Eadie, 季、伊迪编 Bib.Cyc.伦敦, 1862年)。(7) «圣经» 称伊司马仪为 “野人” («创世记»16:12), اَعْرَابِی (A‘rabi) 这词, 即 “沙漠的居住者” 表示差不多相同的意义。 (8) 甚至保罗也承认夏甲与阿拉伯半岛的关系 («加拉太书» 4:25)。 (9) 凯达尔 (Kedar) 是伊司马仪的一个儿子, 大家承认他的后裔定居在阿拉伯半岛的南部 (Bib. Cyc.伦敦, 1862年)。 (10) 托里 (C.C.Torrey) 教授说: “根据希伯来传说, 阿拉伯人是伊司马仪的后代。随后在 «创世记» 25:13ff 中被指名的 “十二个王子” («创世记» 17: 20) 代表阿拉伯人的各宗教或区域; 要特别注意凯达尔 (قِيْدَار, Kedar)、杜马 (دُوْمَة, Duma--------دُوْمَةُ الْجَنْدَلْ, Dumatul-Jandal)、提玛 (تَيْمَاء, Teima) 这个伟大的民族就是阿拉伯半岛人民” (Jewish Foundation of Islam, 83页)。“从体形特征、语言、所出现的当地习惯, ……以及从 «圣经» 的证实来看, 阿拉伯人基本上大多是伊司马仪的后代” (Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, new York P. 685)。(11) “让我们始终谴责夏甲子孙们的邪恶倾向, 尤其是畜牲般的古莱西 (قُرَيْش, Kuraish) 人 (部落)” (Leaves from Three Ancient Qurans, edited by the Rev. Mingana, D.D., Intro.XIII)。
یہ رسول کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کے ظہور کے لئے دعا ہے۔
2:152; 3:165; 62:3.
The verse serves as a summary of the subject-matter of the entire Surah which constitutes not only its enlargement but treats the various subjects in exactly the same order in which they have been mentioned in this verse, i.e. first come the Signs, then the Book, then the Wisdom of the Law, and last of all the Means of national progress (See Introduction to the Surah).
It may be of interest to note here that the Qur’an speaks of two separate prayers of Abraham—one about the progeny of Isaac and the other about that of Ishmael. The former prayer is mentioned in 2:125 and the latter in the verse under comment. In his prayer about the progeny of Isaac, Abraham asks that Imams or Reformers may be raised from among them, but he makes no mention of their special work or status—they are ordinary Divine Reformers who will follow one another for the reformation of the Israelites. In his prayer in the present verse, however, he prays to God to raise among his progeny a great Prophet
2:152; 3:165; 62:3.
Important Words:
آیات (Signs) is the plural of آیة which means, a sign, token, or mark by which a person or thing is known or recognized; it properly signifies any apparent thing inseparable from a thing not equally apparent, so that when one perceives the former, one knows that one also perceives the latter which one cannot perceive by itself; it also means a miracle, a wonder. The word is also used in the sense of a sentence; a part of speech; a verse (Lane & Aqrab).
کتاب (Book) means, anything written; a book; a prescribed law (Aqrab). See also 2:54.
حکمة (Wisdom) is derived from حکم (hakama). They say, حکمه i.e. he prevented or restrained him (from acting in an evil manner). حکم بالامر means, he judged and decreed in the matter. حکم (hakuma) means, he became wise (Aqrab). حکمةmeans, what prevents or restrains one from ignorant behaviour; knowledge or science; knowledge of the true nature of things; wisdom or wisdom underlying a commandment; an action according to the requirements thereof (Mufradat & Lane).
یزکیھم (purify them) is derived from زکی (zakka) which again is derived from زکا meaning, he or it grew and increased and developed; he or it became purified. زکی means, he purified; he caused to grow and increase. تزکیة means, the act of purifying and increasing (Aqrab).
العزیز (the Mighty) is derived from عز i.e. he was or became mighty, potent or powerful; or high, elevated or illustrious; or hard and resisting. عزیز means, mighty and powerful or high and elevated; or hard and resisting. It also sometimes means, distressing or grievous. العزیز used as the attributive name of God means, the Mighty Who overcomes everything; the Incomparable or Unparalleled (Lane). See also 2:207 and 5:55.
الحکیم (the Wise) is derived from the same root from which حکمة (for which see above) is derived. حکیم means, possessing knowledge or science or wisdom; wise; a sage; a philosopher; a physician; one who performs or executes affairs firmly, soundly, thoroughly, skilfully and well. الحکیم is one of the names of God meaning the All-Wise (Lane). Applied to the Quran the word would signify the book that is full of wisdom and is free from all defect and imperfection, having no incongruity or unsoundness; or the book which judiciously decides religious differences.
Commentary:
In this verse which is one of the most important, attention is drawn to the prayer of Abraham when he was leaving his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael to live in the arid valley of Mecca. The great prayer was to the effect that God might raise from among the Meccans a Prophet, who should (1) lay before the people Signs of God that may carry conviction to their minds; (2) teach them the Law of God; (3) initiate them into the philosophy of divine commandments, because until the wisdom underlying a commandment is brought home, one does not feel disposed to attend to it, but rather looks upon it as a burden, as was the case with the Christians who, unable to understand the underlying wisdom of the Mosaic Law, began to look upon it as a curse (Rom. 4:15; Gal. 3:13); and finally (4) purify the lives of men and open out to them the avenues of progress. See also 2:152.
This prayer of Abraham, offered from the very depth of his heart, was fulfilled in the person of the Holy Prophet. The wonderful way in which the Holy Prophet combined in his person the four characteristics mentioned in this prayer is a fact of history to which even his most hostile critics have testified. By universal consent the Prophet of Islam has been acclaimed as "the most successful Prophet".
The fact that Abraham did not here pray for many Prophets, but for one Prophet only shows that while offering this prayer, he had in view a very great Prophet, a Master-Prophet who was to transcend all. This prayer of Abraham has been applied by the Holy Prophet to himself. He is reported to have said انا دعوة ابراھیم i.e. "I am the prayer (personified) of Abraham" (Jarir & ‘Asakir).
As mentioned in the introductory remarks in the beginning of this chapter, the verse under comment serves as a summary of the entire chapter which is not only an enlargement of the subject matter of this verse but treats its various subjects in exactly the same order in which they have been mentioned in this verse, i.e. first come the Signs, then the Book, then the Wisdom of the Law, and last of all the means of national progress.
It may be of interest to note here that the Quran speaks of two separate prayers of Abraham—one about the progeny of Isaac and the other about that of Ishmael. The former prayer has been mentioned in 2:125 and the latter in the verse under comment. In his prayer about the progeny of Isaac, Abraham asks that Imams or Reformers may be raised from among them, but he makes no mention of their special work or status—they are ordinary Reformers who will follow one another for the reformation of the Israelites. On the other hand, when Abraham prays about the progeny of Ishmael, he begs his Lord to raise among them a special Prophet with a specific and lofty mission. Again, when God answers the first-mentioned prayer of Abraham, He does not make any mention of the Reformers to be raised but leaves their appearance to be inferred only by implication; but He does make a pointed reference to the fact that in spite of these Reformers, the Israelites will end as transgressors. On the contrary, God makes no such mention about the progeny of Ishmael, thereby hinting that after the Promised Prophet has been raised, their glorious days will continue till the end of the world. This is indeed a marvellously true portrait of the two branches of the House of Abraham.
In making mention of the prayers of Abraham in verses 127 to 130 the Quran makes an allusion to the fact that Abraham did not only pray for the prosperity of the children of Isaac but also for the posterity of Ishmael, his firstborn. When the offspring of Isaac lost the gift of prophethood on account of their evil deeds, the next descendants of Abraham were the children of Ishmael and thus the Promised Prophet must belong to the House of the latter. In order to point out that the expected Prophet was to be an Ishmaelite, the Quran makes mention of the construction of the Ka‘bah by Abraham and Ishmael and of the prayers offered by Abraham for the posterity of his eldest son.
To this natural conclusion Christian critics generally bring forward two objections (1) that the Bible makes no mention of any promise having been made by God to Abraham concerning Ishmael, and (2) that, admitting that God did make such a promise, there is no proof of the fact that the Prophet of Islam was descended from Ishmael.
As regards the first objection, it should be borne in mind that even if the Bible be shown to contain no prophecy about Ishmael, the absence of such a mention in it cannot be considered as conclusive testimony that such a prophecy was not actually made. It is no secret that Sarah, the mother of Isaac, hated Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. This hatred of their mother for the House of Ishmael was inherited by her sons, the Israelites (Gen. 16:12). In these circumstances it would be idle to search for any express prophecy in favour of Ishmael and his progeny in the Bible; particularly when it was for a long time subjected to all sorts of interference on the part of the Israelites. Moreover, if the Biblical evidence can be taken to establish the existence of a promise about Isaac and his sons, why should not the evidence of the Quran and, for that matter, of the children of Ishmael, be accepted to establish the fact that promises were held out by God to Ishmael and his sons also. But the undeniable fact is that the Bible does contain references to the future prosperity of the sons of Ishmael similar to those it contains about the sons of Isaac. The following are some of these references:
(1) "And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised" (Gen. 17:9, 10). This covenant was made with Abraham before the birth of Isaac and after Ishmael had been born, which shows that it applied to Ishmael and his children.
(2) "And the angel of the Lord said unto her (Ishmael’s mother), I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man (it appears that here some expression like "Arab" or the dweller of a desert country, has been translated as "wild"); his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren"; i.e., although all will constantly oppose him and be jealous of him, yet he will succeed (Gen. 16:10-12).
(3) Further evidence of Ishmael and his posterity being included in the covenant which God established between Himself and Abraham and his seed after him is furnished by Gen. 17:6-8 which says, "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Now, has not the land of Canaan remained in the possession of the Ishmaelites for over 1,300 years? If the Arab Muslims are not the seed of Abraham, why has Canaan continued in their possession for so long?
(4) Again in Gen. 17:18-20, we read:
"And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! and God said,…And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." It will thus be seen that the promises made for Ishmael are similar to those made for Isaac; nay, they are even greater in number, for, with regard to Ishmael, God says, (a) "I have blessed him"; (b) "I will make him fruitful"; (c) "I will multiply him exceedingly"; (d) "twelve princes shall he beget"; and (e) "I will make him a great nation".
(5) Further evidence of the fact that Ishmael was included in God’s covenant is furnished by the fact that circumcision which was instituted by God as a token of His covenant with Abraham and his seed after him, has continued among the descendants of Ishmael. Though Islam also enjoined it, yet it was already in vogue among the Arabs, which shows that they were the seed of Abraham and were consequently included in the covenant of which circumcision was instituted as a symbol.
In order to exclude Ishmael from God’s covenant, Christian writers sometimes bring forward the plea that the offspring of a handmaid cannot be included in Abraham’s seed. But this is entirely baseless; for, even conceding, for the sake of argument, that Ishmael’s mother was a handmaid, it has been clearly said with reference to Ishmael: "And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation because he is thy seed" (Gen. 41:13).
The above-quoted verses of the Bible show (1) that Ishmael was born according to the promise of God given to Abraham before Ishmael’s birth; (2) that God blessed Ishmael and his mother, Hagar; (3) that He promised to make Ishmael and his mother fruitful and to multiply them exceedingly; (4) that God was with Ishmael; and (5) that the covenant of God with Abraham about the circumcision of every male child among his progeny applied to Ishmael and his children.
As a matter of fact, the promise made to Ishmael does not differ very much from that made to Isaac; they are both to be blessed, both to be made fruitful, the descendants of both to multiply exceedingly and both are to be made great nations, and kingdom and dominion is promised to the progeny of both. So when the nature of the promise made to both the brothers does not substantially differ, the kind of reward granted to the children of Isaac will have also to be admitted for the children of Ishmael. It would be wrong to think that as in Gen. 17:21 it is written that God will establish His covenant with Isaac, so Prophets were meant to be raised from among his children only, for a similar covenant was made with Abraham even before the birth of Isaac, and this clearly applied to Ishmael. This covenant is contained in Gen. 17:10, 11 according to which Ishmael was circumcised at the age of 13 and thenceforward circumcision became a religious rite with the posterity of Ishmael. It is therefore beyond any shadow of doubt that the covenant referred to above was intended for the children of Ishmael quite as much as for the children of Isaac. This fact has even been admitted by some eminent Christian writers of established authority (The Scofield Reference Bible, p. 25).
So far about verbal promises. Now let us see how God practically treated Ishmael. We read in Gen. 21:14-20, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer."
This shows that God rendered miraculous help to Ishmael and brought into existence a well of water for his sake. It is now for the Christians to show what extraordinary thing God wrought for Isaac that may be compared with this. In the above passage it is also said that "God was with the lad", which means that Ishmael grew up under the special protection of the Lord.
Further evidence of the fact that Ishmael was looked upon as the seed of Abraham, on a par with Isaac, is furnished by the following circumstances:
In Gen. 25:6, we read that when Abraham grew old and was nearing his end, he sent away the sons of the concubines. And then the Bible goes on to say: "And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred three score and fifteen years, and Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah." (Gen. 25:7-9). Now, if Ishmael was also treated as the offspring of a concubine, he ought to have been treated as the other children, who were the issue of concubines, were treated. But such was not the case; for when Abraham died, the children of the concubines were away and only Ishmael and Isaac were present, and both of them participated in the burial ceremony of their father. This shows that Ishmael was not treated as the offspring of a concubine, but was looked upon as the equal of Isaac and was treated accordingly.
In reply to the second objection that even if the covenant be understood to include the sons of Ishmael, it is yet to be proved that the Holy Prophet belonged to the House of Ishmael, the following points may briefly be noted:
(1) The best way to know the origin of a race is to refer to the traditions and the testimony of the race itself; and, as we all know, the Quraish, the tribe to which the Holy Prophet belonged, always believed and declared themselves to be the descendants of Ishmael and this claim was recognized by all the people of Arabia.
(2) If the claim of the Quraish and, for that matter, that of other Ishmaelite tribes of Arabia, to Ishmaelite descent had been false, the real descendants of Ishmael would have protested against such a false claim; but no such objection is known to have been ever raised.
(3) In Gen. 17:20 God had promised to bless Ishmael, to multiply his progeny, to make him a great nation and the father of twelve princes. If the people of Arabia are not his descendants, where is the promised nation? The Ishmaelite tribes of Arabia are indeed the only claimants in the field,
(4) According to Gen. 21:8-14 Hagar had to leave her home in order to satisfy the vanity of Sarah. If she was not taken to Hedjaz, where are her descendants found, and which is the place of her banishment?
(5) After her banishment Hagar dwelt in the wilderness of Paran (Gen. 21:21). Christian writers have tried to prove that Paran is Feiran near Jebel Serbal in the Sinai Peninsula. But the great English commentator of the Old Testament, who devoted his whole life to the study of the Bible, Dr. S. R. Driver, has had to confess after all that "the site of Paran, from which the wilderness derives its name, is, however, unknown" (Deut. p.4). On the contrary, the Arab geographers are all agreed that Paran is the name given to the hills of Hedjaz (Mu‘jamul-Buldan).
(6) We are told that the generations of Ishmael "dwelt from Havilah unto Shur" (Gen. 25:18) and the phrase "from Havilah unto Shur" designates the opposite extremes of Arabia (Bib. Cyc. by J. Eadie, London, 1862).
(7) The Bible calls Ishmael "a wild man" (Gen. 16:12) and the word اعرابی (A‘rabi) "a dweller of the desert" conveys almost the same sense.
(8) Even Paul has admitted Hagar’s connection with Arabia (Gal. 4:25).
(9) Kedar was a son of Ishmael and it is admitted that his descendants settled in the southern part of Arabia (Bib. Cyc. London, 1862).
(10) Prof. C. C. Torrey says: "The Arabs were Ishmaelites according to the Hebrew tradition…The 'twelve princes' (Gen. 17:20) subsequently named in Gen. 25:13ff, represent Arabian tribes or districts; notice especially Kedar, Duma (Dumatul-Jandal), Teima. The great nation is the people of Arabia." (Jewish Foundation of Islam, p.83).
(11) Similarly, the learned authors of the Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, New York, (1877, p. 685) admit that "the Arabs, from physical characteristics, language, the occurrence of native traditions…and the testimony of the Bible are mainly and essentially Ishmaelites."
(12) Lastly there is the opinion of Narsai, a Syrian writer who lived about a hundred years before the birth of the Holy Prophet. Mingana quotes Narsai as saying: "The raid of the sons of Hagar was more cruel even than famine, and the blow that they gave was more sore than disease; the wound of the sons of Abraham is like the venom of a serpent and perhaps there is a remedy for the poison of reptiles but not for theirs—let us always blame the foul inclination of the sons of Hagar, and specially the people (the tribe) of Kuraish who are like animals." (Leaves from Three Ancient Qurans, edited by the Rev. A. Mingana, D.D. Intro. xiii).
In the face of these conclusive proofs both the objections, that (1) Ishmael was not included in the covenant which God made with Abraham, and that (2) Ishmael did not settle in Arabia or that the Holy Prophet of Islam was not a descen-dant of Ishmael, fall to the ground.
Before passing on to the next verse a brief reference to Hagar, mother of Ishmael, will not be out of place here. C. J. Ellicott, Lord Bishop of Gloucester, says in his Commentary: "Hagar…was to be, not Abraham’s concubine, but his wife" (Vol. 1, p. 69). The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan ben Uzziel tell us that "Sarah…took Hagar…and set her free, and gave her to Abraham, her husband, to wife" (Translation by J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862, p. 205). This setting free of the "handmaid" or "bondwoman" does not imply that Hagar was a barbarian slave or that she was a slave from her very childhood. Sir Leonard Wooley says that she was a "civilised creature sprung from the second great centre of culture in the ancient world" (Abraham, London, 1936, p. 144).
"According to Midrash", says another authority, "Hagar had been given as a slave to Abraham by her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, who said, "My daughter had better be a slave in the house of Abraham, than mistress in any other" (Translation of the Targums by J. W. Etheridge, note 8, on page 204).
c
2:152; 3:165; 62:3.
81
这节经文可以作为全章主题的总结, 本章不仅是本节的详述者, 而且其完全以本节所叙述的主题的次序处理其不同的主题, 也就是说, 先是迹象, 然后是经典, 然后是经典的哲理, 最后是民族发展的一切方法 (见本章引言)。有趣的是这里可以看到, «古兰经» 提到两篇不同的伊布拉欣的祈祷文--------一篇是关于伊司哈格的后代的, 一篇是关于伊司马仪的后代的。2:125中提到了前一篇祈祷文, 而后一篇在注释条目下的本节经文中被提到。在他的关于伊司哈格后代的祈祷文中, 伊布拉欣要求在他们中间提拔宗教领袖或复兴者, 但他没有提到他们的特殊的工作或身份--------他们是安拉派遣的普通复兴者, 将为古以色列人改过自新而相互继承。可是, 在这节经文中他在祈祷文中祈求安拉在他的后代中间提升一位负有特殊使命的伟大先知。这一差别真是伊布拉欣宗族两系支脉极为真实的写照。在本章125-130节经文提到伊布拉欣的这两篇祈祷文时, 曾暗示伊布拉欣不仅确为伊司哈卡的子孙的繁荣祈祷, 而且也为他的长子伊司马仪的子孙祈祷。伊司哈卡的后裔由于自己的罪恶行为而失去了先知品位。因此本节经文中那个主许的和为他降临而祈祷的先知一定属于伊布拉欣的另一些后裔, 即伊司玛仪的子孙。为了指出那被期望和主许的先知该是伊司马仪的后代, «古兰经» 非常适宜地提到了伊布拉欣和伊司马仪天房的建筑并提到了伊布拉欣为他长子的后代所作的祈祷。对于这一自然的结论, 基督教评论家们一般提出两种异议: (1) «圣经» 没有提到安拉曾向伊布拉欣作过有关伊司马仪的许诺, (2) 承认安拉确曾作过这样的诺言, 而不能证明这个事实, 即伊斯兰教的先知是伊司马仪的后裔。
至于第一种异议, 即使从 «圣经» 中看不到有关伊司马仪的预言, 不是说这样预言决不会有。而且, 如果可以用 «圣经» 的根据来证实对伊司哈卡及其后代的许诺确有其事, 为什么不能承认 «古兰经» 的根据, 在这一方面说来, 又为什么不能承认伊司玛仪的子女的根据, 可以证明安拉是向伊司马仪并且还向他的几个儿子作了许诺呢。可是 «圣经» 本身确提到了伊司马仪后代的未来的昌盛, 与提到伊司哈卡的儿子们的情况一样 («创世记» 16:10-12; 17:6-10; 17:18-20)。事实上, 对伊司马仪所作的许诺在实质上与对伊司哈卡所作的许诺并无不同--------他们两者都得到了祝福, 都会有成果, 两者的子孙都会特别兴旺, 两者都会成为伟大的民族, 两者的后代都受主许得到王国及领土。因此既然对两兄弟所作的许诺在性质上无实质差别, 给伊司哈卡的子女的那种奖赏, 伊司马仪的子女也必须能得到。这个事实已得到十分著名的基督教徒的肯定。(The Scofield Reference Bible, P.25)。
即使这个许约可被理解为包括伊司马仪的后代, 也还得证明穆圣是属于伊司马仪的宗族。在回答这第二个异议时, 可简单地注意一下几点: (1) 穆圣所属的古来西宗族始终相信并断言他们自己是伊司马仪的后裔, 这个声明得到全阿拉伯半岛人民的承认。 (2) 如果说古来西宗族和阿拉伯半岛的其他伊司马仪后代宗族是伊司马仪后裔是错误的, 那么, 伊司马仪的真正的后裔就要对这种声称提出抗议; 但没有听说曾有这样的异议。 (3) 在 («创世记»17:20) 中提到安拉已许诺祝福伊司马仪, 使他后代兴旺, 使他成为一个伟大民族和十二个王子的父亲。假如阿拉伯半岛的人民不是他的后裔, 受约的民族又在哪里?阿拉伯半岛的伊司马仪后代的各宗族确实是这块土地上的唯一有权声称者。 (4) 按照 («创世记» 21:8-14) 夏甲 (亚伯拉罕之妻) 为了满足萨拉 (亚伯拉罕之妻, 伊司哈卡之母) 的虚荣, 不得不离开她的家庭。如果不把她带到海佳兹 (حِجَازْ, Hijaz), 她的子孙是在哪里呢?她的流放又是在什么地方? (5) 阿拉伯地理学家一致同意巴兰 (فَارَان, Paran) 是给海佳兹的小山群所取的名称 (مُعْجَمُ الْبُلْدَان, Mu‘jamul-Buldan)。 (6) 按照 «圣经», 伊司马仪后裔 “居住的地方是从哈腓拉 (Havilah) 到书珥 (Shur)” («创世记»25:18), 而从 “哈腓拉到书珥” 这一短语是指阿拉伯半岛上反方向的两端 (J.Eadie, 季、伊迪编 Bib.Cyc.伦敦, 1862年)。(7) «圣经» 称伊司马仪为 “野人” («创世记»16:12), اَعْرَابِی (A‘rabi) 这词, 即 “沙漠的居住者” 表示差不多相同的意义。 (8) 甚至保罗也承认夏甲与阿拉伯半岛的关系 («加拉太书» 4:25)。 (9) 凯达尔 (Kedar) 是伊司马仪的一个儿子, 大家承认他的后裔定居在阿拉伯半岛的南部 (Bib. Cyc.伦敦, 1862年)。 (10) 托里 (C.C.Torrey) 教授说: “根据希伯来传说, 阿拉伯人是伊司马仪的后代。随后在 «创世记» 25:13ff 中被指名的 “十二个王子” («创世记» 17: 20) 代表阿拉伯人的各宗教或区域; 要特别注意凯达尔 (قِيْدَار, Kedar)、杜马 (دُوْمَة, Duma--------دُوْمَةُ الْجَنْدَلْ, Dumatul-Jandal)、提玛 (تَيْمَاء, Teima) 这个伟大的民族就是阿拉伯半岛人民” (Jewish Foundation of Islam, 83页)。“从体形特征、语言、所出现的当地习惯, ……以及从 «圣经» 的证实来看, 阿拉伯人基本上大多是伊司马仪的后代” (Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, new York P. 685)。(11) “让我们始终谴责夏甲子孙们的邪恶倾向, 尤其是畜牲般的古莱西 (قُرَيْش, Kuraish) 人 (部落)” (Leaves from Three Ancient Qurans, edited by the Rev. Mingana, D.D., Intro.XIII)。
2
یہ رسول کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کے ظہور کے لئے دعا ہے۔
a
2:152; 3:165; 62:3.
136
Important Words:
آیات (Signs) is the plural of آیة which means, a sign, token, or mark by which a person or thing is known or recognized; it properly signifies any apparent thing inseparable from a thing not equally apparent, so that when one perceives the former, one knows that one also perceives the latter which one cannot perceive by itself; it also means a miracle, a wonder. The word is also used in the sense of a sentence; a part of speech; a verse (Lane & Aqrab).
کتاب (Book) means, anything written; a book; a prescribed law (Aqrab). See also 2:54.
حکمة (Wisdom) is derived from حکم (hakama). They say, حکمه i.e. he prevented or restrained him (from acting in an evil manner). حکم بالامر means, he judged and decreed in the matter. حکم (hakuma) means, he became wise (Aqrab). حکمةmeans, what prevents or restrains one from ignorant behaviour; knowledge or science; knowledge of the true nature of things; wisdom or wisdom underlying a commandment; an action according to the requirements thereof (Mufradat & Lane).
یزکیھم (purify them) is derived from زکی (zakka) which again is derived from زکا meaning, he or it grew and increased and developed; he or it became purified. زکی means, he purified; he caused to grow and increase. تزکیة means, the act of purifying and increasing (Aqrab).
العزیز (the Mighty) is derived from عز i.e. he was or became mighty, potent or powerful; or high, elevated or illustrious; or hard and resisting. عزیز means, mighty and powerful or high and elevated; or hard and resisting. It also sometimes means, distressing or grievous. العزیز used as the attributive name of God means, the Mighty Who overcomes everything; the Incomparable or Unparalleled (Lane). See also 2:207 and 5:55.
الحکیم (the Wise) is derived from the same root from which حکمة (for which see above) is derived. حکیم means, possessing knowledge or science or wisdom; wise; a sage; a philosopher; a physician; one who performs or executes affairs firmly, soundly, thoroughly, skilfully and well. الحکیم is one of the names of God meaning the All-Wise (Lane). Applied to the Quran the word would signify the book that is full of wisdom and is free from all defect and imperfection, having no incongruity or unsoundness; or the book which judiciously decides religious differences.
Commentary:
In this verse which is one of the most important, attention is drawn to the prayer of Abraham when he was leaving his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael to live in the arid valley of Mecca. The great prayer was to the effect that God might raise from among the Meccans a Prophet, who should (1) lay before the people Signs of God that may carry conviction to their minds; (2) teach them the Law of God; (3) initiate them into the philosophy of divine commandments, because until the wisdom underlying a commandment is brought home, one does not feel disposed to attend to it, but rather looks upon it as a burden, as was the case with the Christians who, unable to understand the underlying wisdom of the Mosaic Law, began to look upon it as a curse (Rom. 4:15; Gal. 3:13); and finally (4) purify the lives of men and open out to them the avenues of progress. See also 2:152.
This prayer of Abraham, offered from the very depth of his heart, was fulfilled in the person of the Holy Prophet. The wonderful way in which the Holy Prophet combined in his person the four characteristics mentioned in this prayer is a fact of history to which even his most hostile critics have testified. By universal consent the Prophet of Islam has been acclaimed as "the most successful Prophet".
The fact that Abraham did not here pray for many Prophets, but for one Prophet only shows that while offering this prayer, he had in view a very great Prophet, a Master-Prophet who was to transcend all. This prayer of Abraham has been applied by the Holy Prophet to himself. He is reported to have said انا دعوة ابراھیم i.e. "I am the prayer (personified) of Abraham" (Jarir & ‘Asakir).
As mentioned in the introductory remarks in the beginning of this chapter, the verse under comment serves as a summary of the entire chapter which is not only an enlargement of the subject matter of this verse but treats its various subjects in exactly the same order in which they have been mentioned in this verse, i.e. first come the Signs, then the Book, then the Wisdom of the Law, and last of all the means of national progress.
It may be of interest to note here that the Quran speaks of two separate prayers of Abraham—one about the progeny of Isaac and the other about that of Ishmael. The former prayer has been mentioned in 2:125 and the latter in the verse under comment. In his prayer about the progeny of Isaac, Abraham asks that Imams or Reformers may be raised from among them, but he makes no mention of their special work or status—they are ordinary Reformers who will follow one another for the reformation of the Israelites. On the other hand, when Abraham prays about the progeny of Ishmael, he begs his Lord to raise among them a special Prophet with a specific and lofty mission. Again, when God answers the first-mentioned prayer of Abraham, He does not make any mention of the Reformers to be raised but leaves their appearance to be inferred only by implication; but He does make a pointed reference to the fact that in spite of these Reformers, the Israelites will end as transgressors. On the contrary, God makes no such mention about the progeny of Ishmael, thereby hinting that after the Promised Prophet has been raised, their glorious days will continue till the end of the world. This is indeed a marvellously true portrait of the two branches of the House of Abraham.
In making mention of the prayers of Abraham in verses 127 to 130 the Quran makes an allusion to the fact that Abraham did not only pray for the prosperity of the children of Isaac but also for the posterity of Ishmael, his firstborn. When the offspring of Isaac lost the gift of prophethood on account of their evil deeds, the next descendants of Abraham were the children of Ishmael and thus the Promised Prophet must belong to the House of the latter. In order to point out that the expected Prophet was to be an Ishmaelite, the Quran makes mention of the construction of the Ka‘bah by Abraham and Ishmael and of the prayers offered by Abraham for the posterity of his eldest son.
To this natural conclusion Christian critics generally bring forward two objections (1) that the Bible makes no mention of any promise having been made by God to Abraham concerning Ishmael, and (2) that, admitting that God did make such a promise, there is no proof of the fact that the Prophet of Islam was descended from Ishmael.
As regards the first objection, it should be borne in mind that even if the Bible be shown to contain no prophecy about Ishmael, the absence of such a mention in it cannot be considered as conclusive testimony that such a prophecy was not actually made. It is no secret that Sarah, the mother of Isaac, hated Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. This hatred of their mother for the House of Ishmael was inherited by her sons, the Israelites (Gen. 16:12). In these circumstances it would be idle to search for any express prophecy in favour of Ishmael and his progeny in the Bible; particularly when it was for a long time subjected to all sorts of interference on the part of the Israelites. Moreover, if the Biblical evidence can be taken to establish the existence of a promise about Isaac and his sons, why should not the evidence of the Quran and, for that matter, of the children of Ishmael, be accepted to establish the fact that promises were held out by God to Ishmael and his sons also. But the undeniable fact is that the Bible does contain references to the future prosperity of the sons of Ishmael similar to those it contains about the sons of Isaac. The following are some of these references:
(1) "And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised" (Gen. 17:9, 10). This covenant was made with Abraham before the birth of Isaac and after Ishmael had been born, which shows that it applied to Ishmael and his children.
(2) "And the angel of the Lord said unto her (Ishmael’s mother), I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man (it appears that here some expression like "Arab" or the dweller of a desert country, has been translated as "wild"); his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren"; i.e., although all will constantly oppose him and be jealous of him, yet he will succeed (Gen. 16:10-12).
(3) Further evidence of Ishmael and his posterity being included in the covenant which God established between Himself and Abraham and his seed after him is furnished by Gen. 17:6-8 which says, "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Now, has not the land of Canaan remained in the possession of the Ishmaelites for over 1,300 years? If the Arab Muslims are not the seed of Abraham, why has Canaan continued in their possession for so long?
(4) Again in Gen. 17:18-20, we read:
"And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! and God said,…And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." It will thus be seen that the promises made for Ishmael are similar to those made for Isaac; nay, they are even greater in number, for, with regard to Ishmael, God says, (a) "I have blessed him"; (b) "I will make him fruitful"; (c) "I will multiply him exceedingly"; (d) "twelve princes shall he beget"; and (e) "I will make him a great nation".
(5) Further evidence of the fact that Ishmael was included in God’s covenant is furnished by the fact that circumcision which was instituted by God as a token of His covenant with Abraham and his seed after him, has continued among the descendants of Ishmael. Though Islam also enjoined it, yet it was already in vogue among the Arabs, which shows that they were the seed of Abraham and were consequently included in the covenant of which circumcision was instituted as a symbol.
In order to exclude Ishmael from God’s covenant, Christian writers sometimes bring forward the plea that the offspring of a handmaid cannot be included in Abraham’s seed. But this is entirely baseless; for, even conceding, for the sake of argument, that Ishmael’s mother was a handmaid, it has been clearly said with reference to Ishmael: "And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation because he is thy seed" (Gen. 41:13).
The above-quoted verses of the Bible show (1) that Ishmael was born according to the promise of God given to Abraham before Ishmael’s birth; (2) that God blessed Ishmael and his mother, Hagar; (3) that He promised to make Ishmael and his mother fruitful and to multiply them exceedingly; (4) that God was with Ishmael; and (5) that the covenant of God with Abraham about the circumcision of every male child among his progeny applied to Ishmael and his children.
As a matter of fact, the promise made to Ishmael does not differ very much from that made to Isaac; they are both to be blessed, both to be made fruitful, the descendants of both to multiply exceedingly and both are to be made great nations, and kingdom and dominion is promised to the progeny of both. So when the nature of the promise made to both the brothers does not substantially differ, the kind of reward granted to the children of Isaac will have also to be admitted for the children of Ishmael. It would be wrong to think that as in Gen. 17:21 it is written that God will establish His covenant with Isaac, so Prophets were meant to be raised from among his children only, for a similar covenant was made with Abraham even before the birth of Isaac, and this clearly applied to Ishmael. This covenant is contained in Gen. 17:10, 11 according to which Ishmael was circumcised at the age of 13 and thenceforward circumcision became a religious rite with the posterity of Ishmael. It is therefore beyond any shadow of doubt that the covenant referred to above was intended for the children of Ishmael quite as much as for the children of Isaac. This fact has even been admitted by some eminent Christian writers of established authority (The Scofield Reference Bible, p. 25).
So far about verbal promises. Now let us see how God practically treated Ishmael. We read in Gen. 21:14-20, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer."
This shows that God rendered miraculous help to Ishmael and brought into existence a well of water for his sake. It is now for the Christians to show what extraordinary thing God wrought for Isaac that may be compared with this. In the above passage it is also said that "God was with the lad", which means that Ishmael grew up under the special protection of the Lord.
Further evidence of the fact that Ishmael was looked upon as the seed of Abraham, on a par with Isaac, is furnished by the following circumstances:
In Gen. 25:6, we read that when Abraham grew old and was nearing his end, he sent away the sons of the concubines. And then the Bible goes on to say: "And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred three score and fifteen years, and Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah." (Gen. 25:7-9). Now, if Ishmael was also treated as the offspring of a concubine, he ought to have been treated as the other children, who were the issue of concubines, were treated. But such was not the case; for when Abraham died, the children of the concubines were away and only Ishmael and Isaac were present, and both of them participated in the burial ceremony of their father. This shows that Ishmael was not treated as the offspring of a concubine, but was looked upon as the equal of Isaac and was treated accordingly.
In reply to the second objection that even if the covenant be understood to include the sons of Ishmael, it is yet to be proved that the Holy Prophet belonged to the House of Ishmael, the following points may briefly be noted:
(1) The best way to know the origin of a race is to refer to the traditions and the testimony of the race itself; and, as we all know, the Quraish, the tribe to which the Holy Prophet belonged, always believed and declared themselves to be the descendants of Ishmael and this claim was recognized by all the people of Arabia.
(2) If the claim of the Quraish and, for that matter, that of other Ishmaelite tribes of Arabia, to Ishmaelite descent had been false, the real descendants of Ishmael would have protested against such a false claim; but no such objection is known to have been ever raised.
(3) In Gen. 17:20 God had promised to bless Ishmael, to multiply his progeny, to make him a great nation and the father of twelve princes. If the people of Arabia are not his descendants, where is the promised nation? The Ishmaelite tribes of Arabia are indeed the only claimants in the field,
(4) According to Gen. 21:8-14 Hagar had to leave her home in order to satisfy the vanity of Sarah. If she was not taken to Hedjaz, where are her descendants found, and which is the place of her banishment?
(5) After her banishment Hagar dwelt in the wilderness of Paran (Gen. 21:21). Christian writers have tried to prove that Paran is Feiran near Jebel Serbal in the Sinai Peninsula. But the great English commentator of the Old Testament, who devoted his whole life to the study of the Bible, Dr. S. R. Driver, has had to confess after all that "the site of Paran, from which the wilderness derives its name, is, however, unknown" (Deut. p.4). On the contrary, the Arab geographers are all agreed that Paran is the name given to the hills of Hedjaz (Mu‘jamul-Buldan).
(6) We are told that the generations of Ishmael "dwelt from Havilah unto Shur" (Gen. 25:18) and the phrase "from Havilah unto Shur" designates the opposite extremes of Arabia (Bib. Cyc. by J. Eadie, London, 1862).
(7) The Bible calls Ishmael "a wild man" (Gen. 16:12) and the word اعرابی (A‘rabi) "a dweller of the desert" conveys almost the same sense.
(8) Even Paul has admitted Hagar’s connection with Arabia (Gal. 4:25).
(9) Kedar was a son of Ishmael and it is admitted that his descendants settled in the southern part of Arabia (Bib. Cyc. London, 1862).
(10) Prof. C. C. Torrey says: "The Arabs were Ishmaelites according to the Hebrew tradition…The 'twelve princes' (Gen. 17:20) subsequently named in Gen. 25:13ff, represent Arabian tribes or districts; notice especially Kedar, Duma (Dumatul-Jandal), Teima. The great nation is the people of Arabia." (Jewish Foundation of Islam, p.83).
(11) Similarly, the learned authors of the Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, New York, (1877, p. 685) admit that "the Arabs, from physical characteristics, language, the occurrence of native traditions…and the testimony of the Bible are mainly and essentially Ishmaelites."
(12) Lastly there is the opinion of Narsai, a Syrian writer who lived about a hundred years before the birth of the Holy Prophet. Mingana quotes Narsai as saying: "The raid of the sons of Hagar was more cruel even than famine, and the blow that they gave was more sore than disease; the wound of the sons of Abraham is like the venom of a serpent and perhaps there is a remedy for the poison of reptiles but not for theirs—let us always blame the foul inclination of the sons of Hagar, and specially the people (the tribe) of Kuraish who are like animals." (Leaves from Three Ancient Qurans, edited by the Rev. A. Mingana, D.D. Intro. xiii).
In the face of these conclusive proofs both the objections, that (1) Ishmael was not included in the covenant which God made with Abraham, and that (2) Ishmael did not settle in Arabia or that the Holy Prophet of Islam was not a descen-dant of Ishmael, fall to the ground.
Before passing on to the next verse a brief reference to Hagar, mother of Ishmael, will not be out of place here. C. J. Ellicott, Lord Bishop of Gloucester, says in his Commentary: "Hagar…was to be, not Abraham’s concubine, but his wife" (Vol. 1, p. 69). The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan ben Uzziel tell us that "Sarah…took Hagar…and set her free, and gave her to Abraham, her husband, to wife" (Translation by J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862, p. 205). This setting free of the "handmaid" or "bondwoman" does not imply that Hagar was a barbarian slave or that she was a slave from her very childhood. Sir Leonard Wooley says that she was a "civilised creature sprung from the second great centre of culture in the ancient world" (Abraham, London, 1936, p. 144).
"According to Midrash", says another authority, "Hagar had been given as a slave to Abraham by her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, who said, "My daughter had better be a slave in the house of Abraham, than mistress in any other" (Translation of the Targums by J. W. Etheridge, note 8, on page 204).
b
2:152; 3:165; 62:3.
147
The verse serves as a summary of the subject-matter of the entire Surah which constitutes not only its enlargement but treats the various subjects in exactly the same order in which they have been mentioned in this verse, i.e. first come the Signs, then the Book, then the Wisdom of the Law, and last of all the Means of national progress (See Introduction to the Surah).
It may be of interest to note here that the Qur’an speaks of two separate prayers of Abraham—one about the progeny of Isaac and the other about that of Ishmael. The former prayer is mentioned in 2:125 and the latter in the verse under comment. In his prayer about the progeny of Isaac, Abraham asks that Imams or Reformers may be raised from among them, but he makes no mention of their special work or status—they are ordinary Divine Reformers who will follow one another for the reformation of the Israelites. In his prayer in the present verse, however, he prays to God to raise among his progeny a great Prophet
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدَ ءَامِنًا وَٱجْنُبْنِى وَبَنِىَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ ٱلْأَصْنَامَ
2:127.
2:129.
Abraham’s prayer, referred to in the present verse, shows that he knew that idolatry would one day prevail in Mecca and the country around it. Hence his anxiety for the protection of his progeny against idol-worship when the prayer was offered many hundred years ago.
2:127.
2:129.
Important Words:
الاصنام (idols) is the plural of صنم which means: (1) an idol; (2) an image of a human being or an animal that is worshipped; (3) anything that is worshipped beside God. صنم is said to be an Arabicized word, but the root from which it is formed is found and used in the Arabic language, which dispenses with the necessity of treating it as a word of foreign origin. The Arabs say صنمت الرائحة i.e. the smell became foul. صنم العبد (sanama) means, the slave became strong. صنم الرجل (sanuma) means, the man gave out a sound. As idols or statues generally represented strongly-built men, they were called اصنام.
The proper grammatical form would be صنم (sanim) but the word in actual use is صنم (sanam). There is, however, nothing strange about this, for such exceptional uses are not rare in the Arabic language, e.g. instead of Masjad, the Arabs use the form Masjid (Lane & Aqrab.)
Commentary:
After having dealt with the fact that all the Prophets of antiquity succeeded in their mission without the aid and assistance of material means, the Quran proceeds in this verse to deal with the success of the Holy Prophet’s mission in similar circumstances. The subject is introduced with an account of Abraham, the great ancestor of the Holy Prophet, in order to point out that the foundations for the success of the Prophet of Islam were laid thousands of years back. This is what is intended by making reference to the prayer of Abraham while he was settling Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, in the valley of Mecca. The verse points out that it was necessary that the people of Mecca should have been favoured with a revealed Book and should not have been left in darkness, for a promise to that effect had been made to Abraham long ago and God does not fail in His promises.
Abraham’s prayer, referred to in the present verse, shows that he knew that idolatry would one day prevail in Mecca and the country around it. Hence his anxiety for the protection of his progeny against idol-worship. When the prayer was offered, there was no trace of idolatry in Mecca, which at that time consisted only of the house of Ishmael and his followers.
The verse also hints that idolatry and worship of the One God prevail in the world in cycles. Worshippers of God gradually take to idolatry while those addicted to idolatry become transformed into worshippers of the One God. Even a people who adore God in the fullest and the truest sense of the word cannot be said to become proof against idol-worship; for, by and by, the shades of idol-worship advance and the light of day gives place to the darkness of night. This state of affairs contradicts the theory advanced by students of Comparative Religion, viz. that belief in One God has evolved from belief in, and worship of, many deities. It appears from the Quran that alternate cycles of God-worship and idol-worship come on the world and that the former always precedes the latter. According to this view, belief in the Unity of God is founded on Divine revelation, while idolatry must be regarded as a perverted form of it. As opposed to it, students of Comparative Religion hold that the idea of God is only the outcome of fear and bewilderment and that out of polytheism belief in One God has evolved. There is a basic and interesting difference between these two points of view. According to the one, it is God Who created man; while, according to the other, it was man who created God, i.e. the idea of God originated in the human brain. The truth undoubtedly lies with the first-mentioned point of view.
Another interesting question requires to be answered here viz. why did Abraham pray for personal protection against idol-worship? Says he, keep me and my children away from worshipping idols. Was it at all possible for him to stoop to shirk? The answer to this question is that man has been endowed with two kinds of powers. First, there are powers which are embodied in the nature of man. With regard to these, he offers no prayers to God. For instance, man never prays that his head may ever remain one and may never be transformed into two. Secondly, there are powers which he acquires by his own exertion or which he receives as a special gift from God and which distinguish him from his fellow beings. As these favours are subject to degeneration or diminution, he has to pray to God for their preservation, even though he may have received a promise from God that they will remain intact, for the prayer is also intended to signify that these gifts are not his personal possession but are God’s special favours. It is for this reason that the Prophets never cease to pray to God even with regard to matters pertaining to their position or their function as God’s Messengers. The prayer of the Holy Prophet asking for increase in knowledge (20:115) is a case in point. The prayers of the Prophets for استغفار (forgiveness) or their توبة (repentance) also belong to this class of prayers. These prayers do not show, as has been erroneously supposed, that the Prophets who offered these prayers were sinners. On the contrary, the prayers are offered so that the favours of God may continue to be conferred on them, for it is on the mercy and grace of God that their continuance depends. This is why the Quran repeatedly bids believers to repose their trust in God, for to whatever spiritual heights a man may attain, he must always rely on the help of God and not on his own powers, for there is always the possibility of his fall. Indeed, it is through their trust in God that the Faithful attain to perfection, and the constant confession of their own weaknesses combined with their dependence on God’s help serves to protect them from backsliding.
a
2:127.
b
2:129.
a
2:127.
b
2:129.
1690
Important Words:
الاصنام (idols) is the plural of صنم which means: (1) an idol; (2) an image of a human being or an animal that is worshipped; (3) anything that is worshipped beside God. صنم is said to be an Arabicized word, but the root from which it is formed is found and used in the Arabic language, which dispenses with the necessity of treating it as a word of foreign origin. The Arabs say صنمت الرائحة i.e. the smell became foul. صنم العبد (sanama) means, the slave became strong. صنم الرجل (sanuma) means, the man gave out a sound. As idols or statues generally represented strongly-built men, they were called اصنام.
The proper grammatical form would be صنم (sanim) but the word in actual use is صنم (sanam). There is, however, nothing strange about this, for such exceptional uses are not rare in the Arabic language, e.g. instead of Masjad, the Arabs use the form Masjid (Lane & Aqrab.)
Commentary:
After having dealt with the fact that all the Prophets of antiquity succeeded in their mission without the aid and assistance of material means, the Quran proceeds in this verse to deal with the success of the Holy Prophet’s mission in similar circumstances. The subject is introduced with an account of Abraham, the great ancestor of the Holy Prophet, in order to point out that the foundations for the success of the Prophet of Islam were laid thousands of years back. This is what is intended by making reference to the prayer of Abraham while he was settling Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, in the valley of Mecca. The verse points out that it was necessary that the people of Mecca should have been favoured with a revealed Book and should not have been left in darkness, for a promise to that effect had been made to Abraham long ago and God does not fail in His promises.
Abraham’s prayer, referred to in the present verse, shows that he knew that idolatry would one day prevail in Mecca and the country around it. Hence his anxiety for the protection of his progeny against idol-worship. When the prayer was offered, there was no trace of idolatry in Mecca, which at that time consisted only of the house of Ishmael and his followers.
The verse also hints that idolatry and worship of the One God prevail in the world in cycles. Worshippers of God gradually take to idolatry while those addicted to idolatry become transformed into worshippers of the One God. Even a people who adore God in the fullest and the truest sense of the word cannot be said to become proof against idol-worship; for, by and by, the shades of idol-worship advance and the light of day gives place to the darkness of night. This state of affairs contradicts the theory advanced by students of Comparative Religion, viz. that belief in One God has evolved from belief in, and worship of, many deities. It appears from the Quran that alternate cycles of God-worship and idol-worship come on the world and that the former always precedes the latter. According to this view, belief in the Unity of God is founded on Divine revelation, while idolatry must be regarded as a perverted form of it. As opposed to it, students of Comparative Religion hold that the idea of God is only the outcome of fear and bewilderment and that out of polytheism belief in One God has evolved. There is a basic and interesting difference between these two points of view. According to the one, it is God Who created man; while, according to the other, it was man who created God, i.e. the idea of God originated in the human brain. The truth undoubtedly lies with the first-mentioned point of view.
Another interesting question requires to be answered here viz. why did Abraham pray for personal protection against idol-worship? Says he, keep me and my children away from worshipping idols. Was it at all possible for him to stoop to shirk? The answer to this question is that man has been endowed with two kinds of powers. First, there are powers which are embodied in the nature of man. With regard to these, he offers no prayers to God. For instance, man never prays that his head may ever remain one and may never be transformed into two. Secondly, there are powers which he acquires by his own exertion or which he receives as a special gift from God and which distinguish him from his fellow beings. As these favours are subject to degeneration or diminution, he has to pray to God for their preservation, even though he may have received a promise from God that they will remain intact, for the prayer is also intended to signify that these gifts are not his personal possession but are God’s special favours. It is for this reason that the Prophets never cease to pray to God even with regard to matters pertaining to their position or their function as God’s Messengers. The prayer of the Holy Prophet asking for increase in knowledge (20:115) is a case in point. The prayers of the Prophets for استغفار (forgiveness) or their توبة (repentance) also belong to this class of prayers. These prayers do not show, as has been erroneously supposed, that the Prophets who offered these prayers were sinners. On the contrary, the prayers are offered so that the favours of God may continue to be conferred on them, for it is on the mercy and grace of God that their continuance depends. This is why the Quran repeatedly bids believers to repose their trust in God, for to whatever spiritual heights a man may attain, he must always rely on the help of God and not on his own powers, for there is always the possibility of his fall. Indeed, it is through their trust in God that the Faithful attain to perfection, and the constant confession of their own weaknesses combined with their dependence on God’s help serves to protect them from backsliding.
c
2:127.
d
2:129.
1468
Abraham’s prayer, referred to in the present verse, shows that he knew that idolatry would one day prevail in Mecca and the country around it. Hence his anxiety for the protection of his progeny against idol-worship when the prayer was offered many hundred years ago.
رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ فَمَن تَبِعَنِى فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّى ۖ وَمَنْ عَصَانِى فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
71:25.
71:25.
71:25.
Commentary:
This verse shows Abraham to have been possessed of the love of his Creator in an unusually large measure, for he emphatically disowns those among his own children who would not worship the One Almighty God, though he offers an indirect prayer for their forgiveness also. Thus, incidentally, the verse teaches the great moral lesson that love of one’s children should always be subject to certain limitations. It goes without saying that uncontrolled parental love not unoften leads to the moral and material ruin of children. Therefore, no feelings of love and attachment should be allowed to stand between God and man. But, as already stated, whereas in the earlier part of the verse Abraham disowns those of his children who should forsake his path, in the latter part he prays for Divine forgiveness for even such among his descendants as might have incurred God’s displeasure by wrongdoing, for God’s Prophets are full to overflowing of the milk of human kindness. Even when a believer is sometimes forced to sever his connection with some of his kinsmen and friends on account of their persistent disbelief, he continues to pray to God for them.
c
71:25.
a
71:25.
1691
Commentary:
This verse shows Abraham to have been possessed of the love of his Creator in an unusually large measure, for he emphatically disowns those among his own children who would not worship the One Almighty God, though he offers an indirect prayer for their forgiveness also. Thus, incidentally, the verse teaches the great moral lesson that love of one’s children should always be subject to certain limitations. It goes without saying that uncontrolled parental love not unoften leads to the moral and material ruin of children. Therefore, no feelings of love and attachment should be allowed to stand between God and man. But, as already stated, whereas in the earlier part of the verse Abraham disowns those of his children who should forsake his path, in the latter part he prays for Divine forgiveness for even such among his descendants as might have incurred God’s displeasure by wrongdoing, for God’s Prophets are full to overflowing of the milk of human kindness. Even when a believer is sometimes forced to sever his connection with some of his kinsmen and friends on account of their persistent disbelief, he continues to pray to God for them.
e
71:25.
رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِى زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱجْعَلْ أَفْـِٔدَةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَهْوِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ وَٱرْزُقْهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
22:27.
2:127; 28:58.
The reference is to the settling by Abraham of his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar in the wilderness of Arabia. Ishmael was yet a child when in obedience to Divine command and in fulfilment of Divine plan Abraham brought him and his mother Hagar in the bleak and barren tract where Mecca now stands. At that time there was no sign of life and no means of subsistence at the place (Bukhari). But God had so designed that the place should become the scene of the activities of God’s last Message for mankind. Ishmael was chosen as the vehicle for the implementation of the Divine plan.
This prayer of Abraham found its complete fulfilment in the Holy Prophet; for before him it was only the Arabs who visited Mecca to offer their oblations but, after his advent, people from all over the world began to visit it.
The prayer was made at a time when not a blade of grass was to be seen for many miles around Mecca. Yet the prophecy met with fulfilment in a marvellous manner, for the choicest fruits come to Mecca in plenty in all seasons.
22:27.
2:127; 28:58.
Commentary:
In the previous verse, Abraham commenced his prayer by saying "My Lord" but in this verse, he has substituted "Our Lord" for "My Lord" i.e. in the present verse he has used the plural pronoun in place of the singular. The reason for this change is that in the latter case Abraham speaks of an act in which the will of Hagar and Ishmael was joined to his own. Although it was he himself who had made his wife and son settle in "an uncultivable valley," yet his wife and son had also shared in the sacrifice, for they had cheerfully cooperated with him and willingly signified their readiness to live in the wilderness in obedience to God’s command. As three persons were concerned in the matter and they had all willingly submitted to the will of God, the plural pronoun has been used in the present verse.
The verse, by implication, refers to a vision of Abraham in which he saw that he was slaughtering his son, Ishmael (37:103). As the sacrifice of human beings was much in vogue at that time, Abraham set about literally to fulfil it. But the dream really meant that he was to settle his son in a barren valley; for to leave a young lad at a place where there was no water, no vegetation and no sign of life was virtually tantamount to immolating him. However, when the literal interpretation of his dream by Abraham had actually caused him to lay Ishmael down and place the knife at his throat, Abraham was prohibited by God from doing so and thus the practice of offering human beings as sacrifice forever became banned to the followers of God.
By using the words, that they may observe Prayer, Abraham seeks to attract God’s mercy by mentioning the noble object for which he had caused his offspring to dwell near the Sacred House. God accepted the prayer, for He sees the motives of man and He never allows a work done with good intention to go unrewarded.
After mentioning that he had caused his offspring to dwell in that barren valley so that they might establish the worship of God at the Sacred Mosque and thus fulfil the purpose for which it had been built, Abraham prays that "men’s hearts might be inclined towards them", so that their preaching to them might prove effective and they might also join with them in worshipping God at the Holy Shrine and thus the purpose for which he had made his offspring dwell in that "bleak and barren valley" might be accomplished.
This prayer of Abraham found its complete fulfilment in the advent of the Holy Prophet; for before him it was only the Arabs who visited Mecca to offer their oblations but, after his advent, people from all over the world began to flock to the Holy House of God. The prayer also implied that the Ka‘bah would one day become the centre of the worship of the One True God.
Nor did Abraham neglect the physical welfare of his offspring. He prayed that his descendants living in and around Mecca might have plenty of fruits. This prayer was made at a time when not a blade of grass was seen for many miles about that place. Still the prophecy met with fulfilment in a wonderful manner, for the choicest fruits come to Mecca in plenty and at all seasons. Spiritually, the hearts of nations have become extraordinarily drawn towards the House of God at Mecca, where pilgrims flock from all parts of the world. The latter part of the prophecy is waiting to be fulfilled on a yet grander scale, when Islam will have spread and dominated all over the world.
d
22:27.
e
2:127; 28:58.
650
伊布拉欣的这个祈祷在穆圣时已经全部实现。因为在他之前, 只有阿拉伯人去麦加作出供奉。但在他降临后, 全世界人民开始去麦加朝觐。
651
祈祷的时候, 在麦加周围许多哩的地方, 看不见一片草叶。然后预言不可思议地应验了, 最优良的果实, 一年四季从世界各地大量运到麦加。
a
22:27.
b
2:127; 28:58.
1692
Commentary:
In the previous verse, Abraham commenced his prayer by saying "My Lord" but in this verse, he has substituted "Our Lord" for "My Lord" i.e. in the present verse he has used the plural pronoun in place of the singular. The reason for this change is that in the latter case Abraham speaks of an act in which the will of Hagar and Ishmael was joined to his own. Although it was he himself who had made his wife and son settle in "an uncultivable valley," yet his wife and son had also shared in the sacrifice, for they had cheerfully cooperated with him and willingly signified their readiness to live in the wilderness in obedience to God’s command. As three persons were concerned in the matter and they had all willingly submitted to the will of God, the plural pronoun has been used in the present verse.
The verse, by implication, refers to a vision of Abraham in which he saw that he was slaughtering his son, Ishmael (37:103). As the sacrifice of human beings was much in vogue at that time, Abraham set about literally to fulfil it. But the dream really meant that he was to settle his son in a barren valley; for to leave a young lad at a place where there was no water, no vegetation and no sign of life was virtually tantamount to immolating him. However, when the literal interpretation of his dream by Abraham had actually caused him to lay Ishmael down and place the knife at his throat, Abraham was prohibited by God from doing so and thus the practice of offering human beings as sacrifice forever became banned to the followers of God.
By using the words, that they may observe Prayer, Abraham seeks to attract God’s mercy by mentioning the noble object for which he had caused his offspring to dwell near the Sacred House. God accepted the prayer, for He sees the motives of man and He never allows a work done with good intention to go unrewarded.
After mentioning that he had caused his offspring to dwell in that barren valley so that they might establish the worship of God at the Sacred Mosque and thus fulfil the purpose for which it had been built, Abraham prays that "men’s hearts might be inclined towards them", so that their preaching to them might prove effective and they might also join with them in worshipping God at the Holy Shrine and thus the purpose for which he had made his offspring dwell in that "bleak and barren valley" might be accomplished.
This prayer of Abraham found its complete fulfilment in the advent of the Holy Prophet; for before him it was only the Arabs who visited Mecca to offer their oblations but, after his advent, people from all over the world began to flock to the Holy House of God. The prayer also implied that the Ka‘bah would one day become the centre of the worship of the One True God.
Nor did Abraham neglect the physical welfare of his offspring. He prayed that his descendants living in and around Mecca might have plenty of fruits. This prayer was made at a time when not a blade of grass was seen for many miles about that place. Still the prophecy met with fulfilment in a wonderful manner, for the choicest fruits come to Mecca in plenty and at all seasons. Spiritually, the hearts of nations have become extraordinarily drawn towards the House of God at Mecca, where pilgrims flock from all parts of the world. The latter part of the prophecy is waiting to be fulfilled on a yet grander scale, when Islam will have spread and dominated all over the world.
a
22:27.
b
2:127; 28:58.
1469
The reference is to the settling by Abraham of his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar in the wilderness of Arabia. Ishmael was yet a child when in obedience to Divine command and in fulfilment of Divine plan Abraham brought him and his mother Hagar in the bleak and barren tract where Mecca now stands. At that time there was no sign of life and no means of subsistence at the place (Bukhari). But God had so designed that the place should become the scene of the activities of God’s last Message for mankind. Ishmael was chosen as the vehicle for the implementation of the Divine plan.
1470
This prayer of Abraham found its complete fulfilment in the Holy Prophet; for before him it was only the Arabs who visited Mecca to offer their oblations but, after his advent, people from all over the world began to visit it.
1471
The prayer was made at a time when not a blade of grass was to be seen for many miles around Mecca. Yet the prophecy met with fulfilment in a marvellous manner, for the choicest fruits come to Mecca in plenty in all seasons.
رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا نُخْفِى وَمَا نُعْلِنُ ۗ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ
2:78; 3:6; 27:66.
2:78; 3:6; 27:66.
2:78; 3:6; 27:66.
Commentary:
This and the preceding verses speak of the nobility and purity of Abraham’s motives in settling his wife and child in the uncultivable valley of Mecca. Thus, incidentally, they also constitute a refutation of the Biblical imputation against Abraham that he drove away Hagar and Ishmael in order to please Sarah (Gen. 21 :10,14). The charge has been proved to be false and baseless from the mouth of Abraham himself. He is spoken of in these verses as saying that the Omniscient God to Whom the inmost secrets of the human heart are known, was aware that he was not leaving Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness of Mecca in order to please any woman but to win the pleasure of God and that He might be worshipped in the Sacred House. In the pathetic words, Our Lord, certainly Thou knowest what we conceal and what we make known, Abraham calls on God to testify to the honesty of his motives.
By the words, And nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or in the heaven, God testifies to the truth of Abraham’s words, meaning that He knew the purity of Abraham’s intentions in settling his wife and child in that bleak and barren place.
f
2:78; 3:6; 27:66.
a
2:78; 3:6; 27:66.
1693
Commentary:
This and the preceding verses speak of the nobility and purity of Abraham’s motives in settling his wife and child in the uncultivable valley of Mecca. Thus, incidentally, they also constitute a refutation of the Biblical imputation against Abraham that he drove away Hagar and Ishmael in order to please Sarah (Gen. 21 :10,14). The charge has been proved to be false and baseless from the mouth of Abraham himself. He is spoken of in these verses as saying that the Omniscient God to Whom the inmost secrets of the human heart are known, was aware that he was not leaving Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness of Mecca in order to please any woman but to win the pleasure of God and that He might be worshipped in the Sacred House. In the pathetic words, Our Lord, certainly Thou knowest what we conceal and what we make known, Abraham calls on God to testify to the honesty of his motives.
By the words, And nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or in the heaven, God testifies to the truth of Abraham’s words, meaning that He knew the purity of Abraham’s intentions in settling his wife and child in that bleak and barren place.
c
2:78; 3:6; 27:66.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
Important Words:
اسماعیل (Ishmael), literally meaning "God heard the Prayer," was the eldest son of Abraham by his Egyptian wife, Hagar. He was born as a result of a prayer of Abraham when the latter was eighty-six years of age. In fulfilment of his dream in which he saw himself offering Ishmael as a sacrifice in the way of God, Abraham, being apprised by God, realized it was when he took the infant Ishmael and his mother Hagar to the wilderness of Arabia with a view to settling them in the barren and uncultivable valley of Mecca near the Sacred House of God. Twelve sons were born to Ishmael, the best known of whom is Kedar, the great ancestor of the Arab nation (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). See also 2:128-130.
اسحاق (Isaac) was the second son of Abraham by his wife, Sarah. He was the father of Jacob alias Israel, the great progenitor of the Israelites. He is known as "the Second Patriarch." He is considered by Jews and Christians to be that son of Abraham whom he offered to sacrifice in fulfilment of his dream. But the testimony of history and the Bible contradicts this assumption.
The expression of gratefulness to God on the part of Abraham for having been granted Ishmael and Isaac at a time when he was actually building the Ka‘bah seems to be rather misplaced. But the fact is that Abraham, in this verse, does not praise God for merely granting him two sons. The real reason why he praised God for giving him Ishmael and Isaac was that he was able in his old age to build the Ka‘bah with the help of one of them, and that he was leaving behind him two sons who would glorify God and establish His worship on the earth. He was glad that through his offspring he was enabled to make arrangements for the continuance of Divine worship in the world. This was the supreme object of his life and this was what he had been praying for. The verse also hints that, like Ishmael, Isaac was dedicated to the service of God.
Incidentally, the verse also throws interesting light on the sublimity of Abraham’s character and the purity of his great soul. He had left his firstborn in the wilderness of the barren and bleak valley of Mecca, apparently to die of starvation, yet he was expressing his gratefulness to God for granting him Ishmael and Isaac, as if, by his settling the former near the Sacred House of God, the very object of the child’s birth had been fulfilled.
1694
Important Words:
اسماعیل (Ishmael), literally meaning "God heard the Prayer," was the eldest son of Abraham by his Egyptian wife, Hagar. He was born as a result of a prayer of Abraham when the latter was eighty-six years of age. In fulfilment of his dream in which he saw himself offering Ishmael as a sacrifice in the way of God, Abraham, being apprised by God, realized it was when he took the infant Ishmael and his mother Hagar to the wilderness of Arabia with a view to settling them in the barren and uncultivable valley of Mecca near the Sacred House of God. Twelve sons were born to Ishmael, the best known of whom is Kedar, the great ancestor of the Arab nation (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). See also 2:128-130.
اسحاق (Isaac) was the second son of Abraham by his wife, Sarah. He was the father of Jacob alias Israel, the great progenitor of the Israelites. He is known as "the Second Patriarch." He is considered by Jews and Christians to be that son of Abraham whom he offered to sacrifice in fulfilment of his dream. But the testimony of history and the Bible contradicts this assumption.
The expression of gratefulness to God on the part of Abraham for having been granted Ishmael and Isaac at a time when he was actually building the Ka‘bah seems to be rather misplaced. But the fact is that Abraham, in this verse, does not praise God for merely granting him two sons. The real reason why he praised God for giving him Ishmael and Isaac was that he was able in his old age to build the Ka‘bah with the help of one of them, and that he was leaving behind him two sons who would glorify God and establish His worship on the earth. He was glad that through his offspring he was enabled to make arrangements for the continuance of Divine worship in the world. This was the supreme object of his life and this was what he had been praying for. The verse also hints that, like Ishmael, Isaac was dedicated to the service of God.
Incidentally, the verse also throws interesting light on the sublimity of Abraham’s character and the purity of his great soul. He had left his firstborn in the wilderness of the barren and bleak valley of Mecca, apparently to die of starvation, yet he was expressing his gratefulness to God for granting him Ishmael and Isaac, as if, by his settling the former near the Sacred House of God, the very object of the child’s birth had been fulfilled.
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
2:129.
2:128.
Commentary:
In v. 38, Abraham said that the purpose for which he was leaving his son and wife near the Sacred Mosque was that they might observe Prayer. In the present verse he prays to God that that purpose might be fulfilled and that they might, in the truest sense of the word, become observant of Prayer. He included himself also in the prayer because his own example was to be helpful to them in the attainment of that object. Abraham prayed that in the matter of Divine worship he might serve as an example to his offspring, while his offspring, in their turn, might set an example to others, and so on. So Abraham’s prayer embodied in this verse meant that, through his progeny, the worship of God might become permanently established in the world. Thus this supplication of Abraham constituted not only a prayer but also an implied prophecy about the appearance of a Great Prophet in Mecca through whom Prayer was to be established as an institution in its completest and most enduring form.
a
2:129.
b
2:128.
a
2:129.
b
2:128.
1695
Commentary:
In v. 38, Abraham said that the purpose for which he was leaving his son and wife near the Sacred Mosque was that they might observe Prayer. In the present verse he prays to God that that purpose might be fulfilled and that they might, in the truest sense of the word, become observant of Prayer. He included himself also in the prayer because his own example was to be helpful to them in the attainment of that object. Abraham prayed that in the matter of Divine worship he might serve as an example to his offspring, while his offspring, in their turn, might set an example to others, and so on. So Abraham’s prayer embodied in this verse meant that, through his progeny, the worship of God might become permanently established in the world. Thus this supplication of Abraham constituted not only a prayer but also an implied prophecy about the appearance of a Great Prophet in Mecca through whom Prayer was to be established as an institution in its completest and most enduring form.
a
2:129.
b
2:128.
رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ
71:29.
The reason, why Divine Prophets pray to God for forgiveness notwithstanding the fact that they enjoy protection against Satan, is their realization of the holiness and majesty of God and of their own weakness. It is this realization of human weakness which makes them humbly pray to God that He may "cover" them with His grace and mercy so that their very self may become completely obliterated and may merge completely in Him.
71:29.
Important Words:
اغفرلی (grant forgiveness to me) is derived from غفر which means, (1) to cover up; and (2) to forgive sins (Aqrab). See also 2:59, 200, 286.
Commentary:
The prayer offered in the expression اغفرلی (grant forgiveness to me) conveys different meanings when offered by God’s Prophets and when offered by ordinary sinful men. When a Prophet or a holy man seeks God’s غفران or مغفرة (forgiveness), the word signifies God’s covering him with His mercy and protecting him against the harmful consequences of human weaknesses. But when a sinful man prays to God in the words اللھم اغفرلی (My Lord, grant forgiveness to me), he, in fact, prays to Him for protection against the evil consequences of his sins and the punishment he has earned thereby as well as protection from the commission of further sins. It is one of the characteristics of the Arabic language that its words possess a large variety of meanings and that not unoften the same word conveys different meanings in different circumstances. The word غفر is similarly used in many senses. When used about a righteous man it conveys a different meaning from that in which it is used about a person of sinful character. That the significance of a word is changed with the change of the person for whom it is used and the change of the occasion on which it is used is well illustrated by the word جبار. When used with reference to God this word means, "the Restorer of a thing to a right or sound condition," but when used with reference to a human being it means, "one who is extravagant in acts of disobedience or wrongdoing" (Lane).
Since the Prophets are God’s beloved and His Elect, Satan can have no access to them. They are the special servants of God, and over God’s own servants Satan has no power (15:43), for they live under His constant protection. The reason, therefore, why the Prophets of God pray to Him for غفران or مغفرة , notwithstanding their enjoying protection against Satan, is their realization of the Holiness and Majesty of God and of their own human weakness. They realize that, however high a man may spiritually rise, he is but a mere nothing before Almighty God, Lord and Master of the Throne of Glory and Majesty. They realize that man is but a weak and frail creature of God, that his very existence is a Divine gift and that it is from God that he receives guidance and protection. It is this realization of human weakness which makes them humbly pray to God that He may "cover" them with His grace and mercy so that their very self may become completely obliterated and merged in Him.
The verse further hints that God’s reckoning is not confined to the next life but is also going on in the present life. The Prophets, therefore, always pray that whenever the time may come for the results of their works to become known and manifest, God may cover up their weaknesses and produce results in accordance with His Own glory and not their weak and humble efforts. As for the believers and the parents of Abraham the expression مغفرة will be taken in its ordinary meaning of forgiveness of sins and meting out merciful treatment. For an explanation of the words والد and اب used with reference to Abraham see under 6:75.
c
71:29.
652
尽管神圣的先知们享有安拉的保护, 不会受恶魔的侵袭, 但他们还是祈求安拉宽恕自己。理由是, 他们认识到安拉的神圣威严, 认识到他们自己的弱点。正是因为认识了自己的弱点, 使他们谦卑地祈求安拉把博受和仁慈 ‘被覆’ 他们, 使他们的 ‘自我’ 彻底消失, 完全与安拉融合在一起。
c
71:29.
1696
Important Words:
اغفرلی (grant forgiveness to me) is derived from غفر which means, (1) to cover up; and (2) to forgive sins (Aqrab). See also 2:59, 200, 286.
Commentary:
The prayer offered in the expression اغفرلی (grant forgiveness to me) conveys different meanings when offered by God’s Prophets and when offered by ordinary sinful men. When a Prophet or a holy man seeks God’s غفران or مغفرة (forgiveness), the word signifies God’s covering him with His mercy and protecting him against the harmful consequences of human weaknesses. But when a sinful man prays to God in the words اللھم اغفرلی (My Lord, grant forgiveness to me), he, in fact, prays to Him for protection against the evil consequences of his sins and the punishment he has earned thereby as well as protection from the commission of further sins. It is one of the characteristics of the Arabic language that its words possess a large variety of meanings and that not unoften the same word conveys different meanings in different circumstances. The word غفر is similarly used in many senses. When used about a righteous man it conveys a different meaning from that in which it is used about a person of sinful character. That the significance of a word is changed with the change of the person for whom it is used and the change of the occasion on which it is used is well illustrated by the word جبار. When used with reference to God this word means, "the Restorer of a thing to a right or sound condition," but when used with reference to a human being it means, "one who is extravagant in acts of disobedience or wrongdoing" (Lane).
Since the Prophets are God’s beloved and His Elect, Satan can have no access to them. They are the special servants of God, and over God’s own servants Satan has no power (15:43), for they live under His constant protection. The reason, therefore, why the Prophets of God pray to Him for غفران or مغفرة , notwithstanding their enjoying protection against Satan, is their realization of the Holiness and Majesty of God and of their own human weakness. They realize that, however high a man may spiritually rise, he is but a mere nothing before Almighty God, Lord and Master of the Throne of Glory and Majesty. They realize that man is but a weak and frail creature of God, that his very existence is a Divine gift and that it is from God that he receives guidance and protection. It is this realization of human weakness which makes them humbly pray to God that He may "cover" them with His grace and mercy so that their very self may become completely obliterated and merged in Him.
The verse further hints that God’s reckoning is not confined to the next life but is also going on in the present life. The Prophets, therefore, always pray that whenever the time may come for the results of their works to become known and manifest, God may cover up their weaknesses and produce results in accordance with His Own glory and not their weak and humble efforts. As for the believers and the parents of Abraham the expression مغفرة will be taken in its ordinary meaning of forgiveness of sins and meting out merciful treatment. For an explanation of the words والد and اب used with reference to Abraham see under 6:75.
c
71:29.
1472
The reason, why Divine Prophets pray to God for forgiveness notwithstanding the fact that they enjoy protection against Satan, is their realization of the holiness and majesty of God and of their own weakness. It is this realization of human weakness which makes them humbly pray to God that He may "cover" them with His grace and mercy so that their very self may become completely obliterated and may merge completely in Him.
وَٱجْعَلْنِى مِن وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
وَٱغْفِرْ لِأَبِىٓ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
9:114; 19:48; 60:5.
9:114; 19:48; 60:5.
b
9:114; 19:48; 60:5.
b
9:114; 19:48; 60:5.
2756
Commentary:
As to why Abraham asked forgiveness for his father in spite of the fact that he was an idolater and Abraham had a Divine commandment not to ask forgiveness for idolaters, see 6:75.
b
9:114; 19:48; 60:5.
وَلَا تُخْزِنِى يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ
复生称为 بَعْث (Ba‘th), 因为人类死后将给以新的、较好的才能以及为他们开辟精神进步 (的) 新的大道。
Resurrection is called Ba‘th because after death man will be endowed with new and better faculties and new avenues for spiritual advancement will be opened to him.
Commentary:
Resurrection is called بعث (ba‘th) because after death man will be endowed with new and better faculties and new avenues for spiritual advancement will be laid open to him.
928
复生称为 بَعْث (Ba‘th), 因为人类死后将给以新的、较好的才能以及为他们开辟精神进步 (的) 新的大道。
2757
Commentary:
Resurrection is called بعث (ba‘th) because after death man will be endowed with new and better faculties and new avenues for spiritual advancement will be laid open to him.
2122
Resurrection is called Ba‘th because after death man will be endowed with new and better faculties and new avenues for spiritual advancement will be opened to him.
رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَءَٰٓؤُا۟ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ ٱلْعَدَٰوَةُ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَحْدَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَآ أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
قرآن کریم میں دوسری جگہ آتا ہے کہ منافقوں کے لئے بھی استغفار نہ کرو۔ یہ اس کے اُلٹ نہیں۔ کیونکہ اس آیت سے صرف یہ نکلتا ہے کہ ابراہیمؑ کے چچا جن کا یہاں ذکر ہے منافق نہ تھے۔ بلکہ مذہب کے بارہ میں فریب خوردہ تھے۔ پس چونکہ نیک نیتی سے شرک کرتے تھے ان کے لئے استغفار جائز تھا۔ لیکن سورۃ توبہ کی آیت۱۱۴ سے پتہ لگتا ہے کہ ایک وقت ایسا آیا کہ حضرت ابراہیم علیہ السلام کو پتہ لگ گیا کہ ان کا چچا دُبدھا میں نہیں بلکہ سچے مذہب کا واقعی دشمن ہے تب انہوں نے اس سے براءت ظاہر کردی۔
19:48.
60:7.
6:79; 43:27.
Abraham’s example has been mentioned here to emphasize that whenever it becomes clear that a certain person or persons are inimically disposed towards truth and are bent upon extirpating it, all friendly relations with them are to be given up. The expression, Kafarna Bikum, which is generally translated as 'we disbelieve all that you believe in' may also mean, We have nothing to do with you; the expression, Kafara Bikadha, meaning, he declared himself to be clear or quit of such a thing (Lane).
60:7.
6:79; 43:27.
9:114; 19:48; 26:87.
Commentary:
Abraham, as elsewhere stated in the Quran (11:76), was a model of forbearance and tender-heartedness. His example has been mentioned here to emphasize the fact that whenever it becomes clear that a certain person or people are inimically disposed towards Truth and are bent upon extirpating it, all friendly relations with them are to be given up. The verse also implies that when God has brought into being a better brotherhood—the Brotherhood of Faith—than blood relationships, then why should Muslims be anxious to have friendly relations with those who are the enemies of God and His Prophet?
The expression کفرنا بکم which is generally translated as, "we disbelieve all that you believe" may also mean, "we have nothing to do with you;" the words کفر بکذا meaning, he declared himself to be clear or quit of such a thing (Lane).
a
60:7.
b
6:79; 43:27.
c
19:48.
1
قرآن کریم میں دوسری جگہ آتا ہے کہ منافقوں کے لئے بھی استغفار نہ کرو۔ یہ اس کے اُلٹ نہیں۔ کیونکہ اس آیت سے صرف یہ نکلتا ہے کہ ابراہیمؑ کے چچا جن کا یہاں ذکر ہے منافق نہ تھے۔ بلکہ مذہب کے بارہ میں فریب خوردہ تھے۔ پس چونکہ نیک نیتی سے شرک کرتے تھے ان کے لئے استغفار جائز تھا۔ لیکن سورۃ توبہ کی آیت۱۱۴ سے پتہ لگتا ہے کہ ایک وقت ایسا آیا کہ حضرت ابراہیم علیہ السلام کو پتہ لگ گیا کہ ان کا چچا دُبدھا میں نہیں بلکہ سچے مذہب کا واقعی دشمن ہے تب انہوں نے اس سے براءت ظاہر کردی۔
a
60:7.
b
6:79; 43:27.
c
9:114; 19:48; 26:87.
4213
Commentary:
Abraham, as elsewhere stated in the Quran (11:76), was a model of forbearance and tender-heartedness. His example has been mentioned here to emphasize the fact that whenever it becomes clear that a certain person or people are inimically disposed towards Truth and are bent upon extirpating it, all friendly relations with them are to be given up. The verse also implies that when God has brought into being a better brotherhood—the Brotherhood of Faith—than blood relationships, then why should Muslims be anxious to have friendly relations with those who are the enemies of God and His Prophet?
The expression کفرنا بکم which is generally translated as, "we disbelieve all that you believe" may also mean, "we have nothing to do with you;" the words کفر بکذا meaning, he declared himself to be clear or quit of such a thing (Lane).
a
19:48.
b
60:7.
c
6:79; 43:27.
3029
Abraham’s example has been mentioned here to emphasize that whenever it becomes clear that a certain person or persons are inimically disposed towards truth and are bent upon extirpating it, all friendly relations with them are to be given up. The expression, Kafarna Bikum, which is generally translated as 'we disbelieve all that you believe in' may also mean, We have nothing to do with you; the expression, Kafara Bikadha, meaning, he declared himself to be clear or quit of such a thing (Lane).
رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا رَبَّنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
10:86.
10:86.
10:86.
Commentary:
In the preceding verses believers were enjoined not to have friendly relations with those disbelievers who were at war with them as it was calculated to weaken the solidarity of the former. The verse under comment, teaches them to pray that God may save them from disobeying this wise Divine commandment, as its disregard is sure to weaken Muslim solidarity and thus to provide encour-agement to disbelievers to attack them.
d
10:86.
a
10:86.
4214
Commentary:
In the preceding verses believers were enjoined not to have friendly relations with those disbelievers who were at war with them as it was calculated to weaken the solidarity of the former. The verse under comment, teaches them to pray that God may save them from disobeying this wise Divine commandment, as its disregard is sure to weaken Muslim solidarity and thus to provide encour-agement to disbelievers to attack them.
b
10:86.