The Spider — Verse 16

Ibrahim's preaching to His People Allah tells us how His servant, Messenger and close friend Ibrahim, the Imam of the monotheists, called his people to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate, to fear Him alone, to seek provision from Him alone, with no partner or associate, to give thanks to Him alone, for He is the One to Whom thanks should be given for the blessings which none can bestow but He. Ibrahim said to his people: اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ (Worship Allah, and have Taqwa of Him,) meaning worship Him and fear Him Alone, with all sincerity. ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (that is better for you if you know.) if you do that you will attain good in this world and the next, and you will prevent evil from yourselves in this world and the Hereafter. Then Allah states that the idols which they worshipped were not able to do any harm or any good, and tells them, "You made up names for them and called them gods, but they are created beings just like you." This interpretation was reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas. It was also the view of Mujahid and As-Suddi. Al-Walibi reported from Ibn `Abbas: "You invent falsehood, means, you carve idols," which do not have the power to provide for you. فَابْتَغُواْ عِندَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ (so seek from Allah your provision,) This emphasizes the idea of asking Allah Alone. This is like the Ayat: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help.) (1:5) And His saying: رَبِّ ابْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتاً فِى الْجَنَّةِ (My Lord! Build for me, with You, a home in Paradise) (66:11). Allah says here: فَابْتَغُواْ (so seek) meaning, ask for عِندَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ (from Allah your provision,) meaning, do not seek it from anyone or anything other than Him, for no one else possesses the power to do anything. وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُواْ لَهُ (and worship Him, and be grateful to Him.) Eat from what He has provided and worship Him Alone, and give thanks to Him for the blessings He has given you. إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ (To Him you will be brought back.) means, on the Day of Resurrection, when He will reward or punish each person according to his deeds. His saying: وَإِن تُكَذِّبُواْ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٌ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ (And if you deny, then nations before you have denied.) means, `you have heard what happened to them by way of punishment for opposing the Messengers.' وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ (And the duty of the Messenger is only to convey plainly.) All the Messengers have to do is to convey the Message as Allah has commanded them. Allah guides whoever He wills and leaves astray whoever He wills, so strive to be among the blessed. Qatadah said concerning the Ayah: وَإِن تُكَذِّبُواْ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٌ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ (And if you deny, then nations before you have denied.) "These are words of consolation to His Prophet, peace be upon him." This suggestion by Qatadah implies that the narrative (about Ibrahim) is interrupted here, and resumes with the words "And nothing was the answer of (Ibrahim's) people..." in Ayah 24. This was also stated by Ibn Jarir. From the context it appears that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said all of what is in this section. Here he establishes proof against them that the Resurrection will indeed come to pass, because at the end of this passage it says: فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ ("And nothing was the answer of his people...")(29:24) And Allah knows best.

And mention Abraham when he said to his people ‘Worship God and fear Him fear His punishment; that is better for you than the worship of idols which you practice if you only knew what is good from what is otherwise.

واذكر -أيها الرسول- إبراهيم عليه السلام حين دعا قومه: أن أخلصوا العبادة لله وحده، واتقوا سخطه بأداء فرائضه واجتناب معاصيه، ذلكم خير لكم، إن كنتم تعلمون ما هو خير لكم مما هو شر لكم.

يخبر تعالى عن عبده ورسوله وخليله إبراهيم إمام الحنفاء إنه دعا قومه إلى عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له والإخلاص له في التقوى وطلب الرزق منه وحده لا شريك له وتوحيده في الشكر فإنه المشكور على النعم لا مسدي لها غيره فقال لقومه "اعبدوا الله واتقوه" أي أخلصوا له العبادة والخوف "ذلكم خير لكم إن كنتم تعلمون" أي إذا فعلتم ذلك حصل لكم الخير في الدنيا والآخرة واندفع عنكم الشر في الدنيا والآخرة.

ثم انتقلت السورة الكريمة إلى الحديث عن جانب من قصة إبراهيم - عليه السلام - مع قومه ، فقال - تعالى - : ( وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ اعبدوا الله واتقوه . . . ) .ولفظ ( إِبْرَاهِيمَ ) منصوب بفعل مضمر . أى : واذكر - أيها المخاطب - إبراهيم - عليه السلام - وقت أن قال لقومه : اعبدوا الله - تعالى - وحده ، وصونوا أنفسكم عن كل ما يغضبه ( ذلكم ) الذى أمرتكم به من العبادة والتقوى ( خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ) من الشكر ، ومن كل شئ فى هذه الحياة ( إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ) أى : إن كنتم من ذوى العلم والفهم بما هو خير وبما هو شر .فأنت ترى أن إبراهيم - عليه السلام - قد بدأ دعوته لقومه يأمرهم بإخلاص العبادة لله - تعالى - ، وبالخوف من عقابه ، ثم ثنى بتحبيب هذه الحقيقة إلى قلوبهم ، ببيان أن إيمانهم خير لهم ، ثم ثلث بتهييج عواطفهم نحو العلم النافع ، الذى يتنافى مع الجهل . .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (16)يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: واذكر أيضا يا محمد إبراهيم خليل الرحمن، إذ قال لقومه: اعبدوا الله أيها القوم دون غيره من الأوثان والأصنام، فإنه لا إله لكم غيره، (واتقوه) يقول: واتقوا سخطه بأداء فرائضه، واجتناب معاصيه ( ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ) ما هو خير لكم مما هو شرّ لكم.

قوله - عز وجل - : ) ( وإبراهيم ) أي : وأرسلنا إبراهيم ، ( إذ قال لقومه اعبدوا الله واتقوه ) أطيعوا الله وخافوه ( ذلكم خير لكم إن كنتم تعلمون )

وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (16) انتقل من خبر نوح إلى خبر إبراهيم لمناسبة إنجاء إبراهيم من النار كإنجاء نوح من الماء . وفيه تنبيه إلى عظم القدرة إذ أنجت من الماء ومن النار .و { إبراهيم } عطف على { نوحاً } [ العنكبوت : 14 ] . والتقدير : وأرسلنا إبراهيم .و { إذ } ظرف متعلق ب ( أرسلنا ) المقدَّر ، أي في وقت قوله لقومه { اعبدوا الله } الخ وهو أول زمن دعوته . واقتضى قوله { اعبدوا الله } أنهم لم يكونوا عابدين لله أصلاً .وجملة { ذلكم خير لكم إن كنتم تعلمون } تعليل للأمر بعبادة الله . وقد أجمل الخبر في هذه الجملة وفُصل بقوله { إن الذين تعبدون من دون الله لا يملكون لكم رزقاً } الآية .ومعنى { إن كنتم تعلمون } إن كنتم تعلمون أدلة اختصاص الله بالإلهية فمفعول العلم محذوف لدلالة ما قبله عليه . ويجوز جعل فعل { تعلمون } منزلاً منزلة اللازم ، أي إن كنتم أهل علم ونظر .وجملة { إنما تعبدون من دون الله أوثاناً } تعليل لجملة { اعبدوا الله } . وقَصْرُهم على عبادة الأوثان يجوز أن يكون قصراً على عبادتهم الأوثان

يذكر تعالى أنه أرسل خليله إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام إلى قومه، يدعوهم إلى الله، فقال [لهم]: { اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ } أي: وحِّدوه، وأخلصوا له العبادة، وامتثلوا ما أمركم به، { وَاتَّقُوهُ } أن يغضب عليكم، فيعذبكم، وذلك بترك ما يغضبه من المعاصي، { ذَلِكُمْ } أي: عبادة الله وتقواه { خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ } من ترك ذلك، وهذا من باب إطلاق { أفعل التفضيل } بما ليس في الطرف الآخر منه شيء، فإن ترك عبادة الله، وترك تقواه، لا خير فيه بوجه، وإنما كانت عبادة الله وتقواه خيرا للناس، لأنه لا سبيل إلى نيل كرامته في الدنيا والآخرة إلا بذلك، وكل خير يوجد في الدنيا والآخرة، فإنه من آثار عبادة الله وتقواه.{ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ } ذلك، فاعلموا الأمور وانظروا ما هو أولى بالإيثار.

قوله تعالى : ( وإبراهيم ) قال الكسائي : ( وإبراهيم ) منصوب ب ( أنجينا ) يعني أنه معطوف على الهاء . وأجاز الكسائي أن يكون معطوفا على نوح والمعنى : وأرسلنا إبراهيم وقول ثالث : أن يكون منصوبا بمعنى : واذكر إبراهيم إذ قال لقومه اعبدوا الله أي أفردوه [ ص: 309 ] بالعبادة واتقوه أي اتقوا عقابة وعذابه ذلكم خير لكم أي من عبادة الأوثان إن كنتم تعلمون .

Making anybody other than the One God the centre of one’s noble feelings is a sin, because it amounts to presuming that divine attributes inhere in beings other than God. It is this attribution of the lofty qualities unique to God to some thing other than God, that makes it possible for a man to become the worshipper of some entity other than Him. In the earlier days of polytheism, man used to presume that idols possessed such qualities. Today man is behaving no differently. It is just that the names of the idols of the present day vary from those of yore. The sole difference between ancient and modern times is that ancient man used to attribute the lucrative produce of his field to the kindness of some imaginary god, while the man of today says, ‘Our green revolution is a miracle of our agricultural science’.

Commentary It was described in the previous verses that infidels keep on their opposition and afflictions on Muslims as a routine. In the above verses the Holy Prophet ﷺ was consoled by relating some incidents of earlier people that this practice of harassment of believers by the infidels is going on for long. But they never lost hope due to such harassments. Therefore, you too should not care about the troubles afflicted by the infidels, and should keep on performing firmly your prophetic obligations. Among the earlier prophets, the story of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) was related first. It was so because he was the very first prophet who had to confront with the infidelity and association of others with Allah Ta’ ala. Secondly, any other prophet did not experience the extent of harassment he had to put up with from his own people. It was because he had the exclusive honour from Allah Ta’ ala of having very long life. His life span of nine hundred and fifty years (950) years as quoted by the Holy Qur'an is true without any element of doubt. However, in certain narrations it is mentioned that this relates to the period of his preaching and teaching, and there are additional periods of his life before this and after the deluge. وَاللہُ أعلَم Living such an unusually long life continuously in preaching and teaching, and enduring all sorts of afflictions, including drubbing and strangling throughout this period, from the infidels was a special distinction of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) . Despite all these difficulties and tribulations he did not lose heart ever. The second story is that of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) who too passed through many testing trials. First the fire of Namrud, then migration from Syria to a howling deserted place, then slaughtering of the son. All these tribulations tell about the hardships he had gone through. Within the story of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) a brief mention is also made of Lut (علیہ السلام) and his people. Then upto the end of the Surah mention is made of some other prophets and their antagonistic people. All these stories were related to keep the spirit of the Holy Prophet ﷺ high, and to make Muslims steadfast to the religion.

(And Abraham! (Remember)) and We sent Abraham to his people (when he said unto his folk: serve Allah) declare Allah's divine Oneness, (and keep your duty unto Him) fear him and obey Him by repenting from disbelief, idolatry and idol worship; (that is better for you) than the state in which you are now (if ye did but know) this and believe in it; but neither do you know this nor believe in it.