Ibrahim's Admonition of His Father
Allah, the Exalted, tells His Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ,
وَاذْكُرْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ إِبْرَهِيمَ
(And mention in the Book, Ibrahim.) "Recite this to your people who are worshipping idols and mention to them what happened with Ibrahim, the intimate Friend (Khalil) of the Most Beneficent. These idol worshippers (Arabs) are his descendants and they claim to follow his religion. Inform them that he was a truthful Prophet. Tell them about what took place with his father and how he forbade him from worshipping idols." Ibrahim said,
يأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ وَلاَ يَبْصِرُ وَلاَ يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْئاً
(O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything) Meaning that these idols will not benefit you, nor can they protect you from any harm.
يأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ
(O my father! Verily, there has come to me the knowledge of that which came not unto you.) This means, "Even though I am from your loins and you see me as inferior to you because I am your son, know that I have received knowledge from Allah that you do not know and it has not reached you."
فَاتَّبِعْنِى أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطاً سَوِيّاً
(So follow me, I will guide you to the straight path.) meaning, "a straight path that will carry you to the desired objective and save you from that which is dreaded (Hell)."
يأَبَتِ لاَ تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَـنَ
(O my father! Worship not Shaytan.) This is means, "Do not obey him by worshipping these idols. He invites to this (idolatry) and he is pleased with it." This is as Allah says,
أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يبَنِى ءَادَمَ أَن لاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ الشَّيطَـنَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
(Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Shaytan. Verily, he is a plain enemy to you.) 36:60 Allah also says,
إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَـثاً وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَـناً مَّرِيداً
(They invoke nothing but females idols besides Him (Allah), and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel!) 4:117 Concerning Allah's statement,
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَـنَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ عَصِيّاً
(Verily, Shaytan has been a rebel against the Most Gracious.) This means obstinate and too arrogant to obey his Lord. Therefore, Allah expelled him and made him an outcast. Therefore, "do not follow him or you will become like him. "
يأَبَتِ إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ
(O my father! Verily, I fear lest a torment from the Most Gracious should overtake you,) "because of your associating partners with Allah and your disobedience in what I am commanding you with."
فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَـنِ وَلِيّاً
(so that you become a companion of Shaytan.) This means, "there will be no one who will protect you, or help you, or assist you, except Iblis. However, neither he, nor anyone else, has any power over the outcome of matters. Following him will only cause you to be surrounded by the torment (of Allah)." This is as Allah says,
تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَـِّنُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
(By Allah, We indeed sent (Messengers) to the nations before you, but Shaytan made their deeds fair seeming to them. So he is their helper today (in this world), and theirs will be a painful torment.) 16:63
O my father! Indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you. So follow me that I may guide you to a path a route that is right that is straight.
يا أبت، إن الله أعطاني من العلم ما لم يعطك، فاقبل مني، واتبعني إلى ما أدعوك إليه، أرشدك إلى الطريق السوي الذي لا تضلُّ فيه.
"يا أبت إني قد جاءني من العلم ما لم يأتك" يقول وإن كنت من صلبك وتراني أصغر منك لأني ولدك فاعلم أني قد اطلعت من العلم من الله على ما لم تعلمه أنت ولا اطلعت عليه ولا جاءك بعد "فاتبعني أهدك صراطا سويا" أي طريقا مستقيما موصلا إلى نيل المطلوب والنجاة من المرهوب.
ثم دعاه إلى اتباع الحق بألطف أسلوب فقال : ( ياأبت إِنِّي قَدْ جَآءَنِي مِنَ العلم ) النافع الذى علمنى الله - تعالى - إياه ( مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ ) أنت ، وهذا فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء ، ( فاتبعني ) فيما أدعوك إليه ( أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطاً سَوِيّاً ) أى : أهدك إلى الطريق المستقيم الذى لا عوج فيه ولا اضطراب .
يقول تعالى ذكره: قال إبراهيم لأبيه: يا أبت إني قد آتاني الله من العلم ما لم يؤتك فاتبعني: يقول: فاقبل مني نصيحتي ( أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا ) يقول: أبصرك هدى الطريق المستوي الذي لا تضلّ فيه إن لزمته، وهو دين الله الذي لا اعوجاج فيه.
( يا أبت إني قد جاءني من العلم ) بالله والمعرفة ( ما لم يأتك فاتبعني ) على ديني ( أهدك صراطا سويا ) مستقيما .
يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا (43)إعادة ندائه بوصف الأبوّة تأكيد لإحضار الذهن ولإمحاض النصيحة المستفاد من النداء الأول . قال في «الكشاف» : «ثم ثنى بدعوته إلى الحق مترفقاً به متلطفاً ، فلم يَسِمْ أباه بالجهل المفرط ولا نفسه بالعلم الفائق ولكنه قال : إن معي طائفة من العلم ليست معك ، وذلك عِلم الدلالة على الطريق السويّ ، فلا تستنكف ، وهب أني وإياك في مسير وعندي معرفة بالهداية دونك فاتبعني أنجك من أن تضل وتتيه» اه . ذلك أن أباه كان يرى نفسه على علم عظيم لأنه كان كبير ديانة قومه . وأراد إبراهيم علم الوحي والنبوءة .وتفريع أمره بأن يتبعه على الإخبار بما عنده من العلم دليل على أن أحقية العالِم بأن يُتبع مركوزة في غريزة العقول لم يزل البشر يتقصّون مظانّ المعرفة والعلم لجلب ما ينفع واتقاءِ ما يضر ، قال تعالى : { فاسألوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمون } [ النحل : 43 ]وفي قوله : { أهدك صراطاً سوياً استعارة مكنية؛ شبه إبراهيم بهادي الطريق البصير بالثنايا ، وإثبات الصراط السويّ قرينة التشبيه ، وهو أيضاً استعارة مصرحة بأن شبه الاعتقاد الموصل إلى الحق والنجاة بالطريق المستقيم المبلغ إلى المقصود .ويا أبت تقدّم الكلام على نظيره قريباً .
{ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ ْ} أي: يا أبت لا تحقرني وتقول: إني ابنك، وإن عندك ما ليس عندي، بل قد أعطاني الله من العلم ما لم يعطك، والمقصود من هذا قوله: { فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا ْ} أي: مستقيما معتدلا، وهو: عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له، وطاعته في جميع الأحوال،.وفي هذا من لطف الخطاب ولينه، ما لا يخفى، فإنه لم يقل: " يا أبت أنا عالم، وأنت جاهل "" أو "" ليس عندك من العلم شيء "" وإنما أتى بصيغة تقتضي أن عندي وعندك علما، وأن الذي وصل إلي لم يصل إليك ولم يأتك، فينبغي لك أن تتبع الحجة وتنقاد لها."
ياأبت إني قد جاءني من العلم ما لم يأتك أي من اليقين والمعرفة بالله وما يكون بعد الموت ، وأن من عبد غير الله عذب . فاتبعني إلى ما أدعوك إليه . أهدك صراطا سويا أي أرشدك إلى دين مستقيم فيه النجاة .
Abraham was born in Iraq. His father, Azar, was a polytheist. When Abraham received prophethood, he advised his father to give up polytheism and start worshipping God, or face God’s retribution. Worship of Satan does not mean actually worshipping Satan himself, but worshipping something indicated by Satan. Although it is an inherent part of human nature to feel the need to glorify some being, place it in an elevated position and then bow down and pay homage to it, the real focus of such feelings should be and is God. But, Satan, by various methods, influences people and diverts their minds from this in order to make them worship things other than God, i.e. place them on a par with those who associate others with God and offer only to others what they should offer to God.
How to give counsel to elders.
يَا أَبَتِ (My dear father - 19:42) In Arabic language this word conveys deep respect and intense love for one's father. Allah Ta` ala had combined in the person of Sayyidna Khalilullah (علیہ السلام) the noble qualities and attributes, and his address to his father is a perfect example of moderation and restraint on the one hand, and the balancing of the opposites on the other. He finds his father living a life of unbelief and polytheism, and also calling upon other people to follow him in a life of sin - the very things which he was sent to eradicate. At the same time there is the filial love and respect which he feels towards his father. Now, the thing to note is, how well he combines the two conflicting feelings together. In the first place he uses the word يَا أَبَتِ , which is the mark of love and respect for his father, in the beginning of each sentence of the address. Then there is not a single derogatory word in his address which could hurt the feelings of his father, and words such as infidel or sinner have been carefully avoided. Instead, guided by prophetic wisdom he merely invited his father's attention to the helplessness and insensitivity of his idols, so that he might himself realize the fallacy of his beliefs. In the second sentence he made a mention of the prophetic knowledge that was granted to him by Allah Ta’ ala. Then in the third and fourth sentences he warned him against the Divine wrath, which would surely fall on him as a punishment for infidelity and idolatry. Even to these respectful entreaties his father did not pay any heed and, instead of giving any thought to what was said to him and adopting a gentle attitude, he addressed him ina very harsh language. Whereas Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had addressed him with the loving words of يَا أَبَتِ , which should have called for a soft and tender response, such as یَا بُنَیَّ (My dear son) he chose to call him by his name and said يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ , and not only threatened to stone him to death but also asked him to leave his house. How Sayyidna Khalilullah' (علیہا السلام) responded to this threat is worthy of deep reflection.
(O my father! Lo! there hath come unto me) from Allah (of knowledge) of exposition (that which came not unto thee) that whoever worships other than Allah will torment him with the Fire. (So follow me) regarding Allah's religion, (and I will lead thee on a right path) I will guide you to a just path and erect path that Allah is pleased with which is Islam.
Ibrahim's Admonition of His Father
Allah, the Exalted, tells His Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ,
وَاذْكُرْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ إِبْرَهِيمَ
(And mention in the Book, Ibrahim.) "Recite this to your people who are worshipping idols and mention to them what happened with Ibrahim, the intimate Friend (Khalil) of the Most Beneficent. These idol worshippers (Arabs) are his descendants and they claim to follow his religion. Inform them that he was a truthful Prophet. Tell them about what took place with his father and how he forbade him from worshipping idols." Ibrahim said,
يأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ وَلاَ يَبْصِرُ وَلاَ يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْئاً
(O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything) Meaning that these idols will not benefit you, nor can they protect you from any harm.
يأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ
(O my father! Verily, there has come to me the knowledge of that which came not unto you.) This means, "Even though I am from your loins and you see me as inferior to you because I am your son, know that I have received knowledge from Allah that you do not know and it has not reached you."
فَاتَّبِعْنِى أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطاً سَوِيّاً
(So follow me, I will guide you to the straight path.) meaning, "a straight path that will carry you to the desired objective and save you from that which is dreaded (Hell)."
يأَبَتِ لاَ تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَـنَ
(O my father! Worship not Shaytan.) This is means, "Do not obey him by worshipping these idols. He invites to this (idolatry) and he is pleased with it." This is as Allah says,
أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يبَنِى ءَادَمَ أَن لاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ الشَّيطَـنَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
(Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Shaytan. Verily, he is a plain enemy to you.) 36:60 Allah also says,
إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَـثاً وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَـناً مَّرِيداً
(They invoke nothing but females idols besides Him (Allah), and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel!) 4:117 Concerning Allah's statement,
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَـنَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ عَصِيّاً
(Verily, Shaytan has been a rebel against the Most Gracious.) This means obstinate and too arrogant to obey his Lord. Therefore, Allah expelled him and made him an outcast. Therefore, "do not follow him or you will become like him. "
يأَبَتِ إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ
(O my father! Verily, I fear lest a torment from the Most Gracious should overtake you,) "because of your associating partners with Allah and your disobedience in what I am commanding you with."
فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَـنِ وَلِيّاً
(so that you become a companion of Shaytan.) This means, "there will be no one who will protect you, or help you, or assist you, except Iblis. However, neither he, nor anyone else, has any power over the outcome of matters. Following him will only cause you to be surrounded by the torment (of Allah)." This is as Allah says,
تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَـِّنُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
(By Allah, We indeed sent (Messengers) to the nations before you, but Shaytan made their deeds fair seeming to them. So he is their helper today (in this world), and theirs will be a painful torment.) 16:63
O my father! Indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you. So follow me that I may guide you to a path a route that is right that is straight.
يا أبت، إن الله أعطاني من العلم ما لم يعطك، فاقبل مني، واتبعني إلى ما أدعوك إليه، أرشدك إلى الطريق السوي الذي لا تضلُّ فيه.
"يا أبت إني قد جاءني من العلم ما لم يأتك" يقول وإن كنت من صلبك وتراني أصغر منك لأني ولدك فاعلم أني قد اطلعت من العلم من الله على ما لم تعلمه أنت ولا اطلعت عليه ولا جاءك بعد "فاتبعني أهدك صراطا سويا" أي طريقا مستقيما موصلا إلى نيل المطلوب والنجاة من المرهوب.
ثم دعاه إلى اتباع الحق بألطف أسلوب فقال : ( ياأبت إِنِّي قَدْ جَآءَنِي مِنَ العلم ) النافع الذى علمنى الله - تعالى - إياه ( مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ ) أنت ، وهذا فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء ، ( فاتبعني ) فيما أدعوك إليه ( أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطاً سَوِيّاً ) أى : أهدك إلى الطريق المستقيم الذى لا عوج فيه ولا اضطراب .
يقول تعالى ذكره: قال إبراهيم لأبيه: يا أبت إني قد آتاني الله من العلم ما لم يؤتك فاتبعني: يقول: فاقبل مني نصيحتي ( أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا ) يقول: أبصرك هدى الطريق المستوي الذي لا تضلّ فيه إن لزمته، وهو دين الله الذي لا اعوجاج فيه.
( يا أبت إني قد جاءني من العلم ) بالله والمعرفة ( ما لم يأتك فاتبعني ) على ديني ( أهدك صراطا سويا ) مستقيما .
يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا (43)إعادة ندائه بوصف الأبوّة تأكيد لإحضار الذهن ولإمحاض النصيحة المستفاد من النداء الأول . قال في «الكشاف» : «ثم ثنى بدعوته إلى الحق مترفقاً به متلطفاً ، فلم يَسِمْ أباه بالجهل المفرط ولا نفسه بالعلم الفائق ولكنه قال : إن معي طائفة من العلم ليست معك ، وذلك عِلم الدلالة على الطريق السويّ ، فلا تستنكف ، وهب أني وإياك في مسير وعندي معرفة بالهداية دونك فاتبعني أنجك من أن تضل وتتيه» اه . ذلك أن أباه كان يرى نفسه على علم عظيم لأنه كان كبير ديانة قومه . وأراد إبراهيم علم الوحي والنبوءة .وتفريع أمره بأن يتبعه على الإخبار بما عنده من العلم دليل على أن أحقية العالِم بأن يُتبع مركوزة في غريزة العقول لم يزل البشر يتقصّون مظانّ المعرفة والعلم لجلب ما ينفع واتقاءِ ما يضر ، قال تعالى : { فاسألوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمون } [ النحل : 43 ]وفي قوله : { أهدك صراطاً سوياً استعارة مكنية؛ شبه إبراهيم بهادي الطريق البصير بالثنايا ، وإثبات الصراط السويّ قرينة التشبيه ، وهو أيضاً استعارة مصرحة بأن شبه الاعتقاد الموصل إلى الحق والنجاة بالطريق المستقيم المبلغ إلى المقصود .ويا أبت تقدّم الكلام على نظيره قريباً .
{ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ ْ} أي: يا أبت لا تحقرني وتقول: إني ابنك، وإن عندك ما ليس عندي، بل قد أعطاني الله من العلم ما لم يعطك، والمقصود من هذا قوله: { فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا ْ} أي: مستقيما معتدلا، وهو: عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له، وطاعته في جميع الأحوال،.وفي هذا من لطف الخطاب ولينه، ما لا يخفى، فإنه لم يقل: " يا أبت أنا عالم، وأنت جاهل "" أو "" ليس عندك من العلم شيء "" وإنما أتى بصيغة تقتضي أن عندي وعندك علما، وأن الذي وصل إلي لم يصل إليك ولم يأتك، فينبغي لك أن تتبع الحجة وتنقاد لها."
ياأبت إني قد جاءني من العلم ما لم يأتك أي من اليقين والمعرفة بالله وما يكون بعد الموت ، وأن من عبد غير الله عذب . فاتبعني إلى ما أدعوك إليه . أهدك صراطا سويا أي أرشدك إلى دين مستقيم فيه النجاة .
Abraham was born in Iraq. His father, Azar, was a polytheist. When Abraham received prophethood, he advised his father to give up polytheism and start worshipping God, or face God’s retribution. Worship of Satan does not mean actually worshipping Satan himself, but worshipping something indicated by Satan. Although it is an inherent part of human nature to feel the need to glorify some being, place it in an elevated position and then bow down and pay homage to it, the real focus of such feelings should be and is God. But, Satan, by various methods, influences people and diverts their minds from this in order to make them worship things other than God, i.e. place them on a par with those who associate others with God and offer only to others what they should offer to God.
How to give counsel to elders.
يَا أَبَتِ (My dear father - 19:42) In Arabic language this word conveys deep respect and intense love for one's father. Allah Ta` ala had combined in the person of Sayyidna Khalilullah (علیہ السلام) the noble qualities and attributes, and his address to his father is a perfect example of moderation and restraint on the one hand, and the balancing of the opposites on the other. He finds his father living a life of unbelief and polytheism, and also calling upon other people to follow him in a life of sin - the very things which he was sent to eradicate. At the same time there is the filial love and respect which he feels towards his father. Now, the thing to note is, how well he combines the two conflicting feelings together. In the first place he uses the word يَا أَبَتِ , which is the mark of love and respect for his father, in the beginning of each sentence of the address. Then there is not a single derogatory word in his address which could hurt the feelings of his father, and words such as infidel or sinner have been carefully avoided. Instead, guided by prophetic wisdom he merely invited his father's attention to the helplessness and insensitivity of his idols, so that he might himself realize the fallacy of his beliefs. In the second sentence he made a mention of the prophetic knowledge that was granted to him by Allah Ta’ ala. Then in the third and fourth sentences he warned him against the Divine wrath, which would surely fall on him as a punishment for infidelity and idolatry. Even to these respectful entreaties his father did not pay any heed and, instead of giving any thought to what was said to him and adopting a gentle attitude, he addressed him ina very harsh language. Whereas Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had addressed him with the loving words of يَا أَبَتِ , which should have called for a soft and tender response, such as یَا بُنَیَّ (My dear son) he chose to call him by his name and said يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ , and not only threatened to stone him to death but also asked him to leave his house. How Sayyidna Khalilullah' (علیہا السلام) responded to this threat is worthy of deep reflection.
(O my father! Lo! there hath come unto me) from Allah (of knowledge) of exposition (that which came not unto thee) that whoever worships other than Allah will torment him with the Fire. (So follow me) regarding Allah's religion, (and I will lead thee on a right path) I will guide you to a just path and erect path that Allah is pleased with which is Islam.