The Cow — Verse 131

2:131 · al-Baqarah

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إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥۤ أَسۡلِمۡۖ قَالَ أَسۡلَمۡتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ۝١٣١
idh qāla lahu rabbuhu aslim qāla aslamtu lirabbi l-ʿālamīn
The Cow / al-Baqarah (2:131)
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Single-source mentions (29) cited by only one commentator

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Abdel Haleem

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His Lord said to him, ‘Devote yourself to Me.’ Abraham replied, ‘I devote myself to the Lord of the Universe,’
idh qāla lahu rabbuhu aslim qāla aslamtu lirabbi l-ʿālamīn

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Tafsir Commentary

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Only the Fools deviate from Ibrahim's Religion Allah refuted the disbelievers' innovations of associating others with Allah in defiance of the religion of Ibrahim, the leader of the upright. Ibrahim always singled out Allah in worship, with sincerity, and he did not call upon others besides Allah. He did not commit Shirk, even for an instant. He disowned every other deity that was being worshipped instead of Allah and defied all his people in this regard. Prophet Ibrahim said, فَلَماَّ رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّى هَـذَآ أَكْبَرُ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يقَوْمِ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - إِنِّى وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّذِى فَطَرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ حَنِيفاً وَمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners (in worship with Allah). Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism), and I am not of Al-Mushrikin.) (6:78-79). Also, Allah said, وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَهِيمُ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ - إِلاَّ الَّذِى فَطَرَنِى فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ (And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father and his people: "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship. "Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allah alone) Who did create me; and verily, He will guide me") (43:26-27), وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَهِيمَ لاًّبِيهِ إِلاَّ عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَهِيمَ لأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ (And Ibrahim's invoking (of Allah) for his father's forgiveness was only because of a promise he (Ibrahim) had made to him (his father). But when it became clear to him (Ibrahim) that he (his father) was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Verily, Ibrahim was Awwah (one who invokes Allah with humility, glorifies Him and remembers Him much) and was forbearing) (9:114), and, إِنَّ إِبْرَهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَـنِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - شَاكِراً لانْعُمِهِ اجْتَبَـهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ - وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَإِنَّهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ (Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah (a leader having all the good qualities, or a nation), obedient to Allah, Hanif (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikin. (He was) thankful for His (Allah's) favors. He (Allah) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a straight path. And We gave him good in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous.) (16:120-122). This is why Allah said here, وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَهِيمَ (And who turns away from the religion of Ibrahim), meaning, abandons his path, way and method إِلاَّ مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ (except him who fools himself) meaning, who commits injustice against himself by deviating from the truth, to wickedness. Such a person will be defying the path of he who was chosen in this life to be a true Imam, from the time he was young, until Allah chose him to be His Khalil, and who shall be among the successful in the Last Life. Is there anything more insane than deviating from this path and following the path of misguidance and deviation instead Is there more injustice than this Allah said, إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ (Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed) (31:13). Abu Al-`Aliyah and Qatadah said, "This Ayah (2:130) was revealed about the Jews who invented a practice that did not come from Allah and that defied the religion of Ibrahim." Allah's statement, مَا كَانَ إِبْرَهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِىُّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (to worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin. Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad ) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.) (3:67-68), testifies to this fact. Allah said next, إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (When his Lord said to him, "Submit (i. e. be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the `Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).") This Ayah indicates that Allah commanded Ibrahim to be sincere with Him and to abide and submit to Him; Ibrahim perfectly adhered to Allah's command. Allah's statement, وَوَصَّى بِهَآ إِبْرَهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ (And this (submission to Allah, Islam) was enjoined by Ibrahim upon his sons and by Ya`qub) means, Ibrahim commanded his offspring to follow this religion, that is, Islam, for Allah. Or, the Ayah might be referring to Ibrahim's words, أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the `Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)). This means that these Prophets loved these words so much that they preserved them until the time of death and advised their children to adhere to them after them. Similarly, Allah said, وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ (And he (Ibrahim) made it i.e. La ilaha illallah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone) a Word lasting among his offspring, (true Monotheism)) (43:28). It might be that Ibrahim advised his children, including Jacob, Isaac's son, who were present. It appears, and Allah knows best, that Isaac was endowed with Jacob, during the lifetime of Ibrahim and Sarah, for the good news includes both of them in Allah's statement, فَبَشَّرْنَـهَا بِإِسْحَـقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـقَ يَعْقُوبَ (But We gave her (Sarah) glad tidings of Ishaq (Isaac), and after Ishaq, of Ya`qub (Jacob)) (11:71). Also, if Jacob was not alive then, there would be no use here in mentioning him specifically among Isaac's children. Also, Allah said in Surat Al-`Ankabut, وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَـبَ (And We bestowed on him (Ibrahim), Ishaq and Ya`qub, and We ordained among his offspring prophethood and the Book.) (29:27), and, وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً (And We bestowed upon him Ishaq, and (a grandson) Ya`qub) (21:72), thus, indicating that this occurred during Ibrahim's lifetime. Also, Jacob built Bayt Al-Maqdis, as earlier books testified. The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Dharr said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Which Masjid was built first' He said, (Al-Masjid Al-Haram (Al-Ka`bah).) I said, `Then' He said, (Bayt Al- Maqdis.) I said, `How many years later' He said, (Forty years. )" Further, the advice that Jacob gave to his children, which we will soon mention, testifies that Jacob was among those who received the advice mentioned in Ayat above (2:130-132). Adhering to Tawhid until Death Allah said, يَـبَنِىَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ((Saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except as Muslims.") meaning, perform righteous deeds during your lifetime and remain on this path, so that Allah will endow you with the favor of dying upon it. Usually, one dies upon the path that he lived on and is resurrected according to what he died on. Allah, the Most Generous, helps those who seek to do good deeds to remain on the righteous path. This by no means contradicts the authentic Hadith that says, «إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتّـى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلَّا بَاعٌ أَوْ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّار فَيَدْخُلُهَا. وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بعَمَلِ أَهلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلَّا بَاعٌ أَو ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا» (Man might perform the works of the people of Paradise until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from it, then the Book (destiny) takes precedence, and he performs the works of the people of the Fire and thus enters it. Also, man might perform the works of the people of the Fire until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from the Fire, but the Book takes precedence and he performs the works of the people of Paradise and thus enters it.) Allah said, (92:5-10), فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى - وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى - فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى - وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى - وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى - فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى (As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him. And believes in Al-Husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And belies Al-Husna (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah). We will make smooth for him the path for evil),
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
And mention When his Lord said to him ‘Submit’ obey God and devote your religion purely to Him he said ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds’.
Kashani Tafsir
When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” When the Bosom Friend began to travel, the command came from the Exalted Presence, “O Abra- ham, anyone who wants Me must belong to Me totally. As long as a sliver of mortal desires and soulish resistance remains with you, you will not pass from the suffering of striving to the ease of the pull. 'The ransomed slave stays a slave so long as a dirham is owed.'” If you want Me, you must want what I desire. You must leave aside yourself totally. The Bosom Friend said, “O Lord, Abraham no longer has any self-governance, any free choice. Now I have come on the feet of poverty, in the state of brokenness, to see what You command. I submit. I have overthrown myself and entrusted my work to You. I have come back to You entirely.” The command came, “O Abraham, that is a very great claim. Every claim must have a mean- ing, and everything rightfully due a reality. Now watch out for the testing!” He was tested by other than himself, by part of himself, and by his whole self. The test by oth- ers was that he had plentiful possessions. They say he had 70,000 sheep in seven thousand herds. Each herd had a dog with a gold collar around its neck. He was commanded to detach his heart from all of it and to toss it away in the path of God. The Bosom Friend tossed it all away and left nothing for himself. In the traditions it has come that the angels said, “Lord God, ever since this call was given out in the World of the Dominion, 'And God took Abraham as a bosom friend' [4:125], our spirits have been in a whirlpool and our gall-bladders have been melting because of this special favor. How is the Bosom Friend worthy of this generosity?” The call came, “Gabriel, open up your peacock-feathers and go from the top of the Lote Tree to the summit of that mountain and test the Bosom Friend.” With the divine determination and facilitation Gabriel came down in the form of a child of Adam. He stood beside that mountain and shouted, “O Holy One!” The Bosom Friend fainted from the pleasure of hearing that.
Kashani Tafsir
When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” When the Bosom Friend began to travel, the command came from the Exalted Presence, “O Abra- ham, anyone who wants Me must belong to Me totally. As long as a sliver of mortal desires and soulish resistance remains with you, you will not pass from the suffering of striving to the ease of the pull. 'The ransomed slave stays a slave so long as a dirham is owed.'” If you want Me, you must want what I desire. You must leave aside yourself totally. The Bosom Friend said, “O Lord, Abraham no longer has any self-governance, any free choice. Now I have come on the feet of poverty, in the state of brokenness, to see what You command. I submit. I have overthrown myself and entrusted my work to You. I have come back to You entirely.” The command came, “O Abraham, that is a very great claim. Every claim must have a mean- ing, and everything rightfully due a reality. Now watch out for the testing!” He was tested by other than himself, by part of himself, and by his whole self. The test by oth- ers was that he had plentiful possessions. They say he had 70,000 sheep in seven thousand herds. Each herd had a dog with a gold collar around its neck. He was commanded to detach his heart from all of it and to toss it away in the path of God. The Bosom Friend tossed it all away and left nothing for himself. In the traditions it has come that the angels said, “Lord God, ever since this call was given out in the World of the Dominion, 'And God took Abraham as a bosom friend' [4:125], our spirits have been in a whirlpool and our gall-bladders have been melting because of this special favor. How is the Bosom Friend worthy of this generosity?” The call came, “Gabriel, open up your peacock-feathers and go from the top of the Lote Tree to the summit of that mountain and test the Bosom Friend.” With the divine determination and facilitation Gabriel came down in the form of a child of Adam. He stood beside that mountain and shouted, “O Holy One!” The Bosom Friend fainted from the pleasure of hearing that.
Al-Qushairi Tafsir
When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” When the Bosom Friend began to travel, the command came from the Exalted Presence, “O Abra- ham, anyone who wants Me must belong to Me totally. As long as a sliver of mortal desires and soulish resistance remains with you, you will not pass from the suffering of striving to the ease of the pull. 'The ransomed slave stays a slave so long as a dirham is owed.'” If you want Me, you must want what I desire. You must leave aside yourself totally. The Bosom Friend said, “O Lord, Abraham no longer has any self-governance, any free choice. Now I have come on the feet of poverty, in the state of brokenness, to see what You command. I submit. I have overthrown myself and entrusted my work to You. I have come back to You entirely.” The command came, “O Abraham, that is a very great claim. Every claim must have a mean- ing, and everything rightfully due a reality. Now watch out for the testing!” He was tested by other than himself, by part of himself, and by his whole self. The test by oth- ers was that he had plentiful possessions. They say he had 70,000 sheep in seven thousand herds. Each herd had a dog with a gold collar around its neck. He was commanded to detach his heart from all of it and to toss it away in the path of God. The Bosom Friend tossed it all away and left nothing for himself. In the traditions it has come that the angels said, “Lord God, ever since this call was given out in the World of the Dominion, 'And God took Abraham as a bosom friend' [4:125], our spirits have been in a whirlpool and our gall-bladders have been melting because of this special favor. How is the Bosom Friend worthy of this generosity?” The call came, “Gabriel, open up your peacock-feathers and go from the top of the Lote Tree to the summit of that mountain and test the Bosom Friend.” With the divine determination and facilitation Gabriel came down in the form of a child of Adam. He stood beside that mountain and shouted, “O Holy One!” The Bosom Friend fainted from the pleasure of hearing that. When he came to, he said, “O servant of God! Say that name again, and this herd belongs to you.” Gabriel again shouted out, “O Holy One!” The Bosom Friend was rolling in the dust like a half-slaughtered chicken. He was saying, “Say it again, and another herd belongs to you!” You spoke of Him to me, O Saʿd, and you increased my madness. So increase that speaking, O Saʿd! In this manner he was asking for loans, and each time he gave to him a herd with the dog and the gold collar, until he gave it all and lost it all. When he had lost all of it, the knots became tighter, passion and destitution joined together. The Bosom Friend said, “O servant of God! Recite the name of the Friend one more time, and my spirit is yours!” Wealth, gold, things-gamble them away for nothing. When the work reaches your spirit, gamble it away! Gabriel became happy. He spread his peacock feathers and said, “He was right to take you as a bosom friend. If there is any shortcoming, it is in our eyes. You have passion to perfection.” When Gabriel appeared to him, he said to him, “O Bosom Friend, I have no use and no need for these sheep.” The Bosom Friend said, “Even if you have no use for them, there is no option in chivalry to take them back.” Gabriel said, “Then let us scatter them in the deserts and the wildernesses so that they may pas- ture as they desire. The world's folk will benefit from that until the resurrection.” The mountain sheep that are now scattered throughout the world all come from that lineage. Until the resurrec- tion anyone who hunts and eats one is a guest of the Bosom Friend and consumes the food at the table of the beautiful doing of that majestic angel's presence. As for Abraham's being tested by a part of himself, it is that he was shown the sacrifice of his child in a dream and instructed to do that. The whole of that story will be told in its own place, God willing. As for his being tested by his whole self, it is that the rebellious Nimrod was persuaded to light up a fire and build a mangonel in which to throw him. The divine address came to the fire: “O fire, be coolness and safety” [21:69].
Al-Qushairi Tafsir
When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” When the Bosom Friend began to travel, the command came from the Exalted Presence, “O Abra- ham, anyone who wants Me must belong to Me totally. As long as a sliver of mortal desires and soulish resistance remains with you, you will not pass from the suffering of striving to the ease of the pull. 'The ransomed slave stays a slave so long as a dirham is owed.'” If you want Me, you must want what I desire. You must leave aside yourself totally. The Bosom Friend said, “O Lord, Abraham no longer has any self-governance, any free choice. Now I have come on the feet of poverty, in the state of brokenness, to see what You command. I submit. I have overthrown myself and entrusted my work to You. I have come back to You entirely.” The command came, “O Abraham, that is a very great claim. Every claim must have a mean- ing, and everything rightfully due a reality. Now watch out for the testing!” He was tested by other than himself, by part of himself, and by his whole self. The test by oth- ers was that he had plentiful possessions. They say he had 70,000 sheep in seven thousand herds. Each herd had a dog with a gold collar around its neck. He was commanded to detach his heart from all of it and to toss it away in the path of God. The Bosom Friend tossed it all away and left nothing for himself. In the traditions it has come that the angels said, “Lord God, ever since this call was given out in the World of the Dominion, 'And God took Abraham as a bosom friend' [4:125], our spirits have been in a whirlpool and our gall-bladders have been melting because of this special favor. How is the Bosom Friend worthy of this generosity?” The call came, “Gabriel, open up your peacock-feathers and go from the top of the Lote Tree to the summit of that mountain and test the Bosom Friend.” With the divine determination and facilitation Gabriel came down in the form of a child of Adam. He stood beside that mountain and shouted, “O Holy One!” The Bosom Friend fainted from the pleasure of hearing that. When he came to, he said, “O servant of God! Say that name again, and this herd belongs to you.” Gabriel again shouted out, “O Holy One!” The Bosom Friend was rolling in the dust like a half-slaughtered chicken. He was saying, “Say it again, and another herd belongs to you!” You spoke of Him to me, O Saʿd, and you increased my madness. So increase that speaking, O Saʿd! In this manner he was asking for loans, and each time he gave to him a herd with the dog and the gold collar, until he gave it all and lost it all. When he had lost all of it, the knots became tighter, passion and destitution joined together. The Bosom Friend said, “O servant of God! Recite the name of the Friend one more time, and my spirit is yours!” Wealth, gold, things-gamble them away for nothing. When the work reaches your spirit, gamble it away! Gabriel became happy. He spread his peacock feathers and said, “He was right to take you as a bosom friend. If there is any shortcoming, it is in our eyes. You have passion to perfection.” When Gabriel appeared to him, he said to him, “O Bosom Friend, I have no use and no need for these sheep.” The Bosom Friend said, “Even if you have no use for them, there is no option in chivalry to take them back.” Gabriel said, “Then let us scatter them in the deserts and the wildernesses so that they may pas- ture as they desire. The world's folk will benefit from that until the resurrection.” The mountain sheep that are now scattered throughout the world all come from that lineage. Until the resurrec- tion anyone who hunts and eats one is a guest of the Bosom Friend and consumes the food at the table of the beautiful doing of that majestic angel's presence. As for Abraham's being tested by a part of himself, it is that he was shown the sacrifice of his child in a dream and instructed to do that. The whole of that story will be told in its own place, God willing. As for his being tested by his whole self, it is that the rebellious Nimrod was persuaded to light up a fire and build a mangonel in which to throw him. The divine address came to the fire: “O fire, be coolness and safety” [21:69].
Kashf Al-Asrar Tafsir
When his Lord said to him, �Submit,� he said, �I submit to the Lord of the Worlds.�When the Bosom Friend began to travel, the command came from the Exalted Presence, �O Abra- ham, anyone who wants Me must belong to Me totally. As long as a sliver of mortal desires and soulish resistance remains with you, you will not pass from the suffering of striving to the ease of the pull. 'The ransomed slave stays a slave so long as a dirham is owed.'�If you want Me, you must want what I desire.You must leave aside yourself totally.The Bosom Friend said, �O Lord, Abraham no longer has any self-governance, any free choice. Now I have come on the feet of poverty, in the state of brokenness, to see what You command. I submit. I have overthrown myself and entrusted my work to You. I have come back to You entirely.�The command came, �O Abraham, that is a very great claim. Every claim must have a mean- ing, and everything rightfully due a reality. Now watch out for the testing!�He was tested by other than himself, by part of himself, and by his whole self. The test by oth- ers was that he had plentiful possessions. They say he had 70,000 sheep in seven thousand herds. Each herd had a dog with a gold collar around its neck. He was commanded to detach his heart from all of it and to toss it away in the path of God. The Bosom Friend tossed it all away and left nothing for himself.In the traditions it has come that the angels said, �Lord God, ever since this call was given out in the World of the Dominion, 'And God took Abraham as a bosom friend' [4:125], our spirits have been in a whirlpool and our gall-bladders have been melting because of this special favor. How is the Bosom Friend worthy of this generosity?�The call came, �Gabriel, open up your peacock-feathers and go from the top of the Lote Tree to the summit of that mountain and test the Bosom Friend.� With the divine determination and facilitation Gabriel came down in the form of a child of Adam. He stood beside that mountain and shouted, �O Holy One!� The Bosom Friend fainted from the pleasure of hearing that.
Tafsir Muyassar
وسبب هذا الاختيار مسارعته للإسلام دون تردد، حين قال له ربه: أخلص نفسك لله منقادًا له. فاستجاب إبراهيم وقال: أسلمت لرب العالمين إخلاصًا وتوحيدًا ومحبة وإنابة.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
أي أمره الله تعالى بالإخلاص والاستسلام والانقياد فأجاب إلى ذلك شرعا وقدا.
Tafsir Al Wasit
ثم بين الله تعالى كمال استقامة إبراهيم التي رفعته إلى المنازل العليا فقال تعالى ( إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ العالمين ) أي : أخلصت ديني لله الذي فطر الخلق جميعاً . كما حكى عنه القرآن الكريم نحو هذا القول في قوله تعالى : ( إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السماوات والأرض حَنِيفاً وَمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ المشركين ) وبعد أن بين الله - تعالى - إن إبراهيم - عليه السلام - كان كاملا في نفسه ، أتبع ذلك ببيان أنه كان - أيضاً - يعمل على تكميل غيره ، ودعوته إلى توحيد الله تعالى .
Tafsir al-Tabari
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْالْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { إذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبّه أَسْلِمْ } يَعْنِي تَعَالَى ذِكْره بِقَوْلِهِ : { إذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبّه أَسْلِمْ } إذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبّه : أَخْلِصْ لِي الْعِبَادَة , وَاخْضَعْ لِي بِالطَّاعَةِ , وَقَدْ دَلَّلْنَا فِيمَا مَضَى عَلَى مَعْنَى الْإِسْلَام فِي كَلَام الْعَرَب , فَأَغْنَى عَنْ إعَادَته صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ .قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَوَأَمَّا مَعْنَى قَوْله : { قَالَ أَسْلَمْت لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } فَإِنَّهُ يَعْنِي تَعَالَى ذِكْره : قَالَ إبْرَاهِيم مُجِيبًا لِرَبِّهِ : خَضَعْت بِالطَّاعَةِ , وَأَخْلَصْت بِالْعِبَادَةِ لِمَالِك جَمِيع الْخَلَائِق وَمُدَبِّرهَا دُون غَيْره . فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِل : قَدْ عَلِمْت أَنَّ " إذْ " وَقْت فَمَا الَّذِي وَقَّتَ بِهِ , وَمَا الَّذِي صِلَته ؟ قِيلَ : هُوَ صِلَة لِقَوْلِهِ : { وَلَقَدْ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا } . وَتَأْوِيل الْكَلَام : وَلَقَدْ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حِين قَالَ لَهُ رَبّه أَسْلِمْ , قَالَ : أَسْلَمْت لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ . فَأَظْهَر اسْم " اللَّه " فِي قَوْله : { إذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبّه أَسْلِمْ } عَلَى وَجْه الْخَبَر عَنْ غَائِب , وَقَدْ جَرَى ذِكْره قِيلَ عَلَى وَجْه الْخَبَر عَنْ نَفْسه , كَمَا قَالَ خِفَاف بْن نُدْبَة : أَقُول لَهُ وَالرُّمْح يَأْمُر مَتْنه تَأَمَّلْ خِفَافًا إنَّنِي أَنَا ذَالِكَا فَإِنْ قَالَ لَنَا قَائِل : وَهَلْ دَعَا اللَّه إبْرَاهِيم إلَى الْإِسْلَام ؟ قِيلَ لَهُ : نَعَمْ , قَدْ دَعَاهُ إلَيْهِ . فَإِنْ قَالَ : وَفِي أَيّ حَال دَعَاهُ إلَيْهِ ؟ قِيلَ : حِين قَالَ : { يَا قَوْم إنِّي بَرِيء مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ إنِّي وَجَّهْت وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَات وَالْأَرْض حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ } 6 78 : 79 وَذَلِكَ هُوَ الْوَقْت الَّذِي قَالَ لَهُ رَبّه أَسْلِمْ مِنْ بَعْد مَا امْتَحَنَهُ بِالْكَوَاكِبِ وَالْقَمَر وَالشَّمْس .
Tafseer Al-Baghawi
{إذ قال له ربه أسلم} أي استقم على الإسلام، واثبت عليه لأنه كان مسلماً. قال ابن عباس: "قال له حين خرج من السرب"، وقال الكلبي:"أخلص دينك وعبادتك لله"، وقال عطاء: "أسلم إلى الله عز وجل وفوض أمورك إليه".{قال أسلمت لرب العالمين} أي فوضت، قال ابن عباس: "وقد حقق ذلك حيث لم يستعن بأحد من الملائكة حين ألقي في النار".
Tafseer Tanwir al-Miqbas
و قوله : { إذْ قال له ربه أَسلم } ، إذ هو ظرف لاصطفيناه وما عطف عليه ، قصد من هذه الظرفية التخلُّص إلى منقبة أخرى ، لأن ذلك الوقت هو دليل اصطفائه حيث خاطبه الله بوحي وأمره بما تضمنه قوله { أسْلِم } من معانٍ جماعها التوحيدُ والبراءةُ من الحول والقوة وإخلاصُ الطاعة ، وهو أيضاً وقتُ ظهور أن الله أراد إصلاح حاله في الآخرة إذ كلٌّ مُيسَّر لما خلق له .وقد فهم أن مفعول { أسلم } ومتعلقه محذوفان يعلمان من المقام أي أسلم نفسك لي كما دل عليه الجواب بقوله : { أسلمت لرب العالمين وشاع الاستغناء عن مفعول أَسْلَمَ فنُزل الفعل منزلة اللازم يقال أَسلم أي دَان بالإسلام كما أنبأ به قوله تعالى : { ولكن كان حنيفاً مُسلماً } [ آل عمران : 67 ] .وقوله : { قال أسلمت } فصلت الجملة على طريقة حكاية المحاورات كما قدمناه في { وإذْ قال ربك للملائكة إِني جاعل في الأرض خليفة } [ البقرة : 30 ] .وقوله : { قال أسلمت } مشعر بأنه بادر بالفور دون تريث كما اقتضاه وقوعه جواباً ، قال ابن عرفة : إنما قال لرب العالمين دون أن يقول أسلمت لك ليكون قد أتى بالإسلام وبدليله اه . يعني أن إبراهيم كان قد علم أن لهذا العالم خالقاً عالماً حصل له بإلهام من الله فلما أوحى الله إليه بالإيمان صادف ذلك عقلاً رشداً .
Tafseer Al Saddi
{ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ } امتثالا لربه { أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } إخلاصا وتوحيدا, ومحبة, وإنابة فكان التوحيد لله نعته.
Tafseer Al Qurtubi
قوله تعالى : إذ قال له ربه أسلم قال أسلمت لرب العالمين العامل في إذ قوله : اصطفيناه أي اصطفيناه إذ قال له ربه أسلم . وكان هذا القول من الله تعالى حين ابتلاه بالكوكب والقمر والشمس . قال ابن كيسان والكلبي : أي أخلص دينك لله بالتوحيد . وقيل : اخضع واخشع . وقال ابن عباس : إنما قال له ذلك حين خرج من السرب ، على ما يأتي ذكره في " الأنعام " . والإسلام هنا على أتم وجوهه . والإسلام في [ ص: 127 ] كلام العرب : الخضوع والانقياد للمستسلم . وليس كل إسلام إيمانا ، وكل إيمان إسلام ، لأن من آمن بالله فقد استلم وانقاد لله . وليس كل من أسلم آمن بالله ; لأنه قد يتكلم فزعا من السيف ، ولا يكون ذلك إيمانا ، خلافا للقدرية والخوارج حيث قالوا : إن الإسلام هو الإيمان ، فكل مؤمن مسلم ، وكل مسلم مؤمن ، لقوله : إن الدين عند الله الإسلام فدل على أن الإسلام هو الدين ، وأن من ليس بمسلم فليس بمؤمن . ودليلنا قوله تعالى : قالت الأعراب آمنا قل لم تؤمنوا ولكن قولوا أسلمنا الآية . فأخبر الله تعالى أنه ليس كل من أسلم مؤمنا ، فدل على أنه ليس كل مسلم مؤمنا ، وقال صلى الله عليه وسلم لسعد بن أبي وقاص لما قال له : أعط فلانا فإنه مؤمن ، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( أومسلم ) الحديث ، خرجه مسلم ، فدل على أن الإيمان ليس الإسلام ، فإن الإيمان باطن ، والإسلام ظاهر ، وهذا بين . وقد يطلق الإيمان بمعنى الإسلام ، والإسلام ويراد به الإيمان ، للزوم أحدهما الآخر وصدوره عنه ، كالإسلام الذي هو ثمرة الإيمان ودلالة على صحته ، فاعلمه . وبالله التوفيق .
Tazkirul Quran
The message taught by the Prophet Muhammad was exactly the same as had been taught by Abraham. But those People of the Book, who prided themselves on being followers of Abraham, led the opposition against the Prophet. Why did they act in this manner? The reason was that the religion that the Prophet taught, and which Abraham had taught before him, was the religion of Islam. Now, Islam means total submission to God, and it was this religion that Abraham handed down to his offspring. But the religion that the People of the Book practised had nothing to do with total submission to God. Having lapsed into permissiveness and, unwilling to change this lifestyle, they had allowed their religion to degenerate into a series of hollow rituals, which they fondly believed would make it easy for them to enter paradise. In the religion that the Prophet Muhammad taught, however, one could gain salvation only by virtue of one’s actions. The People of the Book, for their part, thought that their affiliation to a nation of saints and prophets would be sufficient to earn them redemption. There was a world of difference then between Islam, the true religion of Abraham, and the religion that the People of the Book practised and attributed to him. True religion means acceptance of divine guidance, as revealed to man through the prophets, whereas the religion practised by the People of the Book was based on their own national legacy, a collection of national traditions, which had accumulated over generations.
Ma'arif-ul-Quran
Verse 131 defines the basic principle of the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . Allah asked him to submit himself, and he willingly and gladly agreed to submit himself to "the Lord of the worlds." Let us add that the word of command employed in this verse is Aslim اَسلِم ، which comes from the same root as the word Islam. It is difficult to find an exact English equivalent, for the word signifies "to obey, to submit oneself, to surrender one's will." Anyhow, we should notice that in reply to the divine command, he did not say, as one would have expected, اَسلَمتُ لَک : "I submit myself to you," but, more elaborately: اَسلَمتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِين : "I submit myself to the Lord of the worlds." This particular form of reply expresses the attitude of respect and awe proper to the occasion, and includes the praise of Allah which the moment of receiving the honour of divine address demanded. It also carries a recognition of the fact that in submitting himself to the Lord of the worlds he was only performing the essential duty of a servant towards the Master of All, and doing it for his own benefit. The reply makes it clear that the basic principle of the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، and its very essence is contained in one word, Islam, which signifies total obedience and willing submission of oneself to Allah. It was to show to the world his perfect adherence to this principle that he was made to pass through all the trials before attaining his exalted station. Islam اسلام ، or submission to Allah, is what the world has been created for; it is the end all the prophets and all the divine books have been sent to serve. We also learn from this verse that the religion common to all the prophets (علیہم السلام) and the point on which all of them come together is Islam اسلام . Beginning with Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) upto the Last Prophet ﷺ every messenger of Allah and every prophet has called men to اسلام Islam alone, and enjoined upon his followers to keep to this Straight Path. The Holy Qur'an is quite explicit on this subject: إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّـهِ الْإِسْلَامُ. "Certainly, in the eyes of Allah the only religion is Islam" (3:19) and وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ‌ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ "Whoso desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him." (3:85) In order to put the question in the proper perspective as also to avoid the risk of misunderstanding let us add a few remarks. All the religions which different prophets brought to the world had a divine sanction behind them, were essentially instituted by Allah Himself, and each of them was, in its own time, "accepted" in the sight of Allah. Consequently, each of these religions - whether one calls it Judaism or Christianity or something else - must in its essence be Islam, in the general sense of the word - namely, total submission to Allah. But the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) is distinguished from others by a peculiar characteristic - that is, he gave to his religion the name of Islam, and to his followers the name of Muslims. We have al-ready seen in Verse, 128 how he prayed for himself, his son and his progeny: رَ‌بَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّ‌يَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ And, our Lord, keep us both obedient (Muslimayn مُسْلِمَيْنِ ) to you, and make of our progeny a people (Ummah) obedient (Muslimah مُّسْلِمَةً ) to you." And now in Verse 132 we find him advising his descendants not to die without being sure that they have been Muslims. After him this distinction of being specifically called Muslims and "the Islamic Ummah" passed on, according to his own instruction, to the Ummah of the Holy Prophet۔ ﷺ Addressing the Muslims, the Holy Qur'an says: مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَـٰذَا "Be steadfast in the religion of your father, Ibrahim. He named you Muslims before this as well as in this (the Holy Qur'an)." (22:78) When the Holy Qur'an was revealed, the Jews and the Christians, and even the idol-worshippers of Arabia used to make the claim, each group on its own part, that they were the followers of the Abrahamic religion, but the 'Holy Qur'an and its followers have made it quite evident that in this last phase of human history the religion of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and this alone, is the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) the religion of quintessential "Nature" (Al-fitrah). In short, the essence of all the divine books, all the Shari'ahs and the teachings of all the prophets is Islam - that is, turning away from one's desires in order to obey divine commandments, and giving up individual opinion in order to submit oneself to divine guidance. But we are grieved to see that there are thousands of Muslims today, who have forgotten this basic truth, and wish to pursue their own desires in the name of Islam. What appeals to them is that kind of interpretation (rather, misinterpretation) of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith which should flatter their desires. In fact, what they strive to do is to distort the Shari'ah to suit their fancies, and to do it so cleverly that the idols they really worship should appear in the garb of religion. Such men are, indeed, trying to be clever with Allah Himself who knows every particle of the universe and who can look into the deepest recesses of the human heart - the Almighty before whom nothing avails but complete surrender and total submission. What Islam requires of man is that he should set aside all his desires and inclinations, and seek, in everything he does, the pleasure of his Lord. And he can find this pleasure only when he knows the commandments of his Lord, and also performs these tasks exactly in the manner He has prescribed. This is what ` Ibadah عبادہ or worship is, in the real sense of the word. It is the perfection of this total obedience and submission and love which constitutes the final stage of man's spiritual development, which is known as the Station (Maqam) of Abdiyyah (عبدِیہ Servanthood). This is the station where Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) received from Allah the title of Khalilullah خلیلُ اللہ (the Friend of Allah), and the Last of All the Prophets the title of عبَدِنا :Abduna (Our Servant). On the subsidiary levels of the Station of Servanthood stand the Abdal عبدال ، the Aqtal, the Awliya اَولِیا ، the men of Allah - the 'saints' of the Islamic Ummah, each in his own degree. This is the essence of Tawhid توحید (the realization of unicity), on attaining which all one's fears and hopes become bound with Allah, and with no one else. Thus, Islam signifies total obedience to Allah, and this obedience is possible only when one follows the Sunnah, the Way of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The Holy Qur'an has laid down the principle in very explicit words: فَلَا وَرَ‌بِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ‌ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَ‌جًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿65﴾ "By your Lord, they will never be true Muslims till they make you the judge regarding the disagreements between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your verdict, and sur-render themselves in full submission." (4:65). In the end let us clarify an important point. As reported in Verse 132, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) made his descendants promise that before they died they should make sure that they had been Muslims. It means that one should steadfastly follow the teachings of Islam throughout one's life, so that one receives the grace of Allah and remains a Muslim upto the last breath. A number of ahadith too say that one would die in the state which one has maintained in one's life, and one would, on the Day of Resurrection, rise from the grave in the same state. This is the usual way of Allah with men - if His servant makes up his mind to do good deeds and also strives in this direction as best as he can, Allah helps him and makes the task easy for him. This principle does not in any way stand in opposition to what has been said in another hadith to this effect: A man keeps doing the kind of good deeds for which Paradise has been promised and it seems that there is only an arms' length between him and Paradise, and then all of a sudden his destiny overcomes him, and he starts doing what would lead him to Hell, and finally he reaches Hell; on the other hand, a man keeps doing what would lead him to Hell, and it seems that there is only an arm's length between him and Hell, and then his destiny overcomes him, and he starts doing what would make him worthy of Paradise, and finally he enters Paradise. We have said that there is no contradiction involved, for some texts of this hadith mention a proviso too - "as it appeared to people." That is to say, the first of these two men appeared in the eyes of the onlookers to be performing good deeds, while in fact he was doing just the opposite; similarly, the second man had from the outset been doing what would make him worthy of Paradise, though people thought him to be a sinner. (Ibn Kathir) We conclude this discussion with the remark that the man who has been steadfast in doing good deeds, should trust the divine promise, rely on the usual way of Allah with His creatures, and hope that through the grace of Allah he would depart from this world in this blessed state.
Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas
(When his Lord said unto him) when he came out of the pit of fire: (Surrender) say specifically: there is no god save Allah! (He said: I have surrendered to the Lord of the Worlds) I submit to the Lord of all the worlds, and declare that Allah is the only One God, without partner. It is also said that when Abraham invited his people to accept that Allah is One without partners, his Lord said unto him: make your Religion and works sincere to Allah; and he answered: I make my Religion and works sincere to the Lord of the worlds. And it is also said that when Abraham was thrown in the Fire, his Lord said unto him: make your religion and works sincere to Allah; he replied: I comply and make my Religion and works sincere to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
And mention When his Lord said to him ‘Submit’ obey God and devote your religion purely to Him he said ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds’.
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