72. SURAH IBRAHIM – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION:

Surah Ibrahim was revealed in Mecca in the 72nd place. It took its name from the prophet “Ibrahim” mentioned in verses 35-41. There are reports indicating that verses 28 and 29 are Medinan.[1]

The surah focuses on the role of ambassador and condemns the attitudes and behaviors of the unbelieving polytheists on this issue, and gives examples from the people whom Moses [as] called to worship and thank God, and from the people who denied the prophets in the past, such as Noah, Ad and Thamud.

While in the previous sura, Prophet Noah’s struggle with his people and his prayer to Allah were included, in this surah, Prophet Abraham’s prayer to Allah and his struggle against polytheism, which he expressed in this prayer, are narrated. In addition, many warning scenes of the apocalypse and resurrection are displayed.

MEANING:

^1-3Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. This is a book that We have revealed to you so you may bring people out from all darkness into the light by permission/knowledge of their Rabb; to the path of Allah Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, praised, praiseworthy; to Whom belongs that which is in the heavens/universe and on the earth. And woe to those infidels who prefer the worldly life over Akhirat [Afterlife], avert from the path of Allah and seek its deviation; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb because of a severe punishment! They are in extreme astray.

⁴And We sent them every messenger only with the language of his people so he might make clear. Then Allah leads astray whomever He wills/whoever wills and He guides whomever He wills/whoever wills to the righteous path. And He is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

⁵And surely, We sent Moses as a messenger with Our Ayat, “Bring your people out from all darkness into the light, remind them with the days of Allah”. No doubt that there are many evidences/signs in this for everyone who is patient and who repays for the blessings he is given.

^6,7And when Moses said to his people: “Remember the favor of Allah upon you; when He saved you from the family of Pharaoh who afflicted you with the evil of torment, strangled your sons; made you weak, unqualified by leaving you uneducated and covered your women with disgrace. There was a great trial for you from your Rabb that you would wear off in this. And when your Rabb declared: “Indeed, if you repay for the blessings you are given, I will definitely increase for you and if are ungrateful, My punishment is absolutely very severe”.

⁸And Moses said: “If you disbelieve, you and whoever is on the earth entirely; consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb/if you are ungrateful; know well that Allah is the One Who is free of need, praised, praiseworthy”.

⁹Has the news of those before you; people of Noah, Ad, Thamud and those after them not come to you? No one knows them but Allah. Their messengers came to them with explicit evidences but they took their hands to the mouth of the messengers. And they said: “We have consciously denied/disbelieved in that with which you have been sent and we surely have insufficient knowledge about that to which you invite us and we are in disquiet about it”.

¹⁰Their messengers said: “Is there insufficient knowledge about Allah Who created the heavens/universe and the earth from nothing, invites you to forgive your sins and delays you until the end of a predetermined term?”. They said: “You are only a human like us and you wish to avert us from what our ancestors worshipped. Then bring us an explicit proof!”.

^11,12Their messengers said to them: “We are only humans like you. But Allah bestows His favor upon whom He wills of His servants. And it is not for us to bring you a proof except by permission/knowledge of Allah. Therefore, let the believers rely on Allah. And why should we not rely on Allah while He has shown us our paths? And surely, we will have patience against whatever harm you should cause us. Those who rely, let them rely only on Allah”.

^13,14And the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said to their messengers: “Either we will surely drive you out of our land or you will definitely return to our religion/lifestyle!”. Their Rabb revealed to their messengers: “We surely will manipulate/destroy those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah and make you dwell in that land after them. This is for the one who fears My position and My threat”.

^15-17Messengers requested victory. And every obstinate tyrant lost and suffered. And after that is Jahannah [Hell]. And he will be given a drink of purulent water. He will gulp the purulent water, he will not swallow. Death will come to him from every direction but he will never die. And a harsh punishment will come after that.

¹⁸The example of infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb is that their deeds are like ashes which the wind blows forcefully on a stormy day. They are unable to keep anything from what they earned. This is what is extreme astray.

^19,20Have you not seen/thought about that Allah formed the heavens/universe and the earth in truth. If He wills, He will take you away and bring a new formation. This is not difficult for Allah.

²¹They will come out for Allah all together. Then the weak ones will say to those who were arrogant: “Surely we were those who followed you. Now can you avail us anything against the punishment of Allah?”. Those who were arrogant will say: “Had Allah guided us, we would surely have guided you. It is same for us whether we whine or we have patience. There is no place of escape for us”.

²²And when the matter has been concluded, satan [Iblis/thinking ability] will say to them: “Surely, Allah promised you the true promise, and I promised you too but then renounced at once. Yet I did not have a compelling authority over you. But I invited you and you responded to me. Therefore, do not condemn me but condemn yourselves! I can not save you, and you are not my saviors! Surely, I had not accepted your association of me with Allah before”. –Surely, those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah are the ones for whom will be a painful punishment! ²³And those who believe and do amendatory deeds will be admitted to Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] underneath of which rivers flow, to abide therein eternally by permission/knowledge of their Rabb. Their greeting there will be “Salam [health, peace, happiness…]!”.-

^24,25Have you not seen; never thought how an example Allah has presented? A good word is like a good tree roots of which are fixed firmly and branches of which are in the sky and which yields fruits all the time by permission/knowledge of its Rabb. And Allah gives such examples to the people so they may be reminded.

²⁶And an example of an evil word is like a bad tree that is uprooted from the earth and does not have any possibility for stability.

²⁷Allah keeps firm those who believe with a firm word/faith in the simple worldly life and in Akhirat [Afterlife]. And Allah leads those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Himself astray. And Allah does whatever He wills.

^28,29Have you not seen those who exchanged the blessings of Allah for disbelief and caused their people to enter into the land of manipulation/destruction/Jahannah [Hell]? They will enter Jahannah [Hell]. How an evil settlement it is!

³⁰And the ungrateful ones attributed equals to Allah to lead astray from His path. Say: “Enjoy, your return will definitely be to the fire”.

³¹Tell my servants who believe: Let them establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community] and spend from that which We have provided for them openly and secretly for the cause of Allah/provide sustenance for their relatives before a day comes in which there will be no trade and no friendship.”.

^32-34Allah is the One Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth, Who sends down water from the sky and brings forth some fruits with it from the earth as provision for you. And Allah gave the ships to your service/created them in such characteristics that you may benefit, so they may sail through the sea by His command, and He gave rivers to your service as well. He gave the sun and the moon which constantly revolve to your service/created them in such characteristics so you may benefit. And He gave the night and the day to your service as well. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. You can not count the favor of Allah even if you wish to! Indeed, man is one who does very wrong; acts against his own good and is very ungrateful.

^35-41And when Abraham once said: “My Rabb! Make this city safe! Keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols! My Rabb! Surely, idols have led many among the people astray. Then, whoever follows me, he is of me; and whoever disobeys… Then you surely are the One Who forgives much and shows great mercy. Our Rabb! I have indeed settled some of my children in a barren valley next to Your untouchable House so they might establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community]. Our Rabb! So make the hearts of some of Your servants incline towards to them so they may repay for the blessings that You have given. And provide for them from some fruits. Our Rabb! Indeed, You know that which we conceal and that which we disclose. –And nothing is hidden from Allah in the heavens/universe and on the earth.- All praise is to Allah Who has bestowed me Ishmael and Isaac in my old age; no one else may be praised. Indeed, my Rabb is the One Who hears my supplication very well. My Rabb! Make me a man who establishes Salah [establishes and maintains the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community]! And from my descendants too… Our Rabb! Accept my supplication! Our Rabb! Forgive me, my parents and believers on the day when the account will be established!”.

^42,43Never think that Allah is apathetic to/unaware of what those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah do! He only delays them for a day when they will run with their heads raised up and when the eyes will pop out. Their sight will not come back to them and their hearts will be empty.

^44,45And warn the people with the day when the punishment will come. Then those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah will say: “O our Rabb! Delay us for a short term so we may answer Your invitation and follow the messengers”. –Had you not sworn before that there would be no end/destruction/eradication for you? And you dwelled in the lands of those who had done wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah. And it became explicit to you how We had done to them. And We presented to you examples as well.-

⁴⁶And indeed they planned their plot. Their plot is with Allah. Even if their plot was to move mountains…

⁴⁷Then never think that Allah will break His promise to His messengers! Indeed, Allah is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the One Who has the principle of maintaining justice by seizing, recompensing the criminal.

^48-51On that day, the earth will be replaced with another area and the heavens/universe as well so Allah may recompense every self for what it has earned. And they will come out for Allah, the One and the Only and the prevailing. On that day, you will see the criminals bound in shackles. Their shirts will be of pitch and the fire will cover their faces. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is swift in account.

⁵²This Book that has been revealed to you is a notification for the people so they be warned with it, they may know that Allah is the One and the Only God and those who have pure mind; those of understanding may be reminded.

ANALYSIS:

The sura begins by drawing attention to the Quran. The Quran was sent down to lead people from darkness to light, to the path of Allah. Despite this, the unbelievers did not take advantage of this opportunity and caused a great torment to befall them with their own hands. These people are in a very far perversion because they have a mindset that prefers the life of this world to the afterlife; It is very unlikely that they will find the right path and set out on the right path.

At the beginning of the 1st verse, there are the cut letters “alif”, “lam” and “ra”. We have previously made explanations about these letters in the Surahs Yunus, Hud and Yusuf. In our opinion, these letters are warning prepositions used to attract attention. What is remarkable is that the Quran is mentioned after these letters and some qualities of the Quran are emphasized.

Regarding the meaning of the letters “اE,ل L, رR” in the past

* “I am the Lord, I am the Lord”,

* “I am Allah, I see”,

* Some epithets such as “I am Allah, the Most Merciful” have been made. Some have also seen these letters as a distributed form of the letters in the name of Allah “er-Rahman”.[2]

The numerical values of these letters in the EBCD [Ebced] table:

ا Elif: 1,

ل Lam: 30,

ر Ra: 200.

However, no explanation has yet been provided as to what these numerical values mean. Our hope is in the scholars of the Qur’an who will conduct serious studies and research on this subject.

Since an explanation was given in the analysis of the Yunus sura regarding the letters “اE,ل L, رR”, we recommend that the detail be read from there.

In the passage that is our subject, the purpose of the revelation of the Book is “to bring people from darkness to light; It is explained as “being brought to the path of Allah”. The “darkness” mentioned is not darkness as we know it, meaning the absence of light, as we explained in the first verses of Surah An’am; It means the crises, troubles and chaos caused by disbelief and polytheism. Likewise, the “brightness” mentioned in the same verse is not the illumination [existence of light] as we know it, but the way of Allah and its natural result, the happiness of this world and the afterlife. Those who are not on the path of Allah are still in darkness, even though they have a lot of knowledge in fields such as physics, chemistry and history. As a matter of fact, unbelieving scientists do not hesitate to use their existing knowledge not for the benefit of humanity and nature, but often for their disaster. People who are on the path of God see it as a moral duty to work for the benefit of humanity and nature, even if they cannot read or write.

Our Lord is the Guardian of believers. Out of His mercy, He sends messengers and sends down books. The messenger warns and guides people with the messages of our Lord in the Book. People with intelligence evaluate these warnings correctly, find the truth, and organize their lives according to those truths.

It is stated many times in the Quran that the purpose of the revelation of the Quran is to warn people and bring them from darkness to light (Maide/15, 16, Baqara/257, Hadid/9, Talak/10, 11, Nur/55, Al-i Imran/110, Hajj/41, Ya Sin/2-6) are reminded.

Again, in the passage that is our subject, the expression “the things in the heavens and the things on the earth belong to God” is included. With this statement, our Lord emphasizes that everything in the sky and on earth is His, and warns people not to become attached to things that do not belong to them.

¹⁵⁸Say: “O mankind! Surely I am the messenger sent by Allah, the owner of the heavens/universe and the earth, the only supreme god, the One Who gives life and the One Who takes life, to you all. Then, believe in and obey His Messenger, who believes in Allah and His words to guide you to the righteous path; the Prophet from the Mother City; from Mecca”.

(A’raf/158)

In this verse, our Lord declares that He sent messengers to ancient societies, that He sent these messengers in the native language of their own society, and that the reason for this was so that they could clearly reveal the messages that the messenger brought. If the languages of the messenger and the society to which he was sent were different, both the transmission and perception of the message would be a problem, and those to whom the message was conveyed would use the excuse that they did not understand the message. This issue has been explained many times before.

As can be seen, this is a very important point in this verse; The fact that the warning should be given to people in their native language is highlighted:

⁴⁴And if We had made that Reminder/the Qur’an in a foreign language, they would definitely have said: “Why are its Ayat not explained in detail? Foreign language or Arabic!”. Say: “It is a guidance and a cure for those who believe”. And as for those who disbelieve, there is a heaviness in their ears. And that Reminder/the Qur’an is a blindness upon them. They are being called from a very distant place.

(Fussilet/44)

^198,199And even if We had sent down the explicit book to anyone from the foreigners/those who do not speak Arabic and he had recited it to them, they would not have been the ones to believe in it.

(Shuara/198, 199)

^2,3The explicit book/the book which clarifies is the evidence that We have made it a reading in Arabic so you might use your reason.

(Zukhruf/2, 3)

Although the statement in the verse “We sent every prophet to them only in the language of his own people so that he could make it clear” seems to mean that the Messenger of Allah was sent only to the Arab community that knew Arabic, the essence is not like that. The expressions here contain emphasis, just like the following verses, and show that each messenger starts the invitation from his own community first:

⁹²This is the Book full of blessings and confirming what is mentioned within, which We have sent down upon you so you may warn the Mother City and the people nearby. Those who believe in Akhirat [Afterlife] also believe in it and they protect their Salah [supporting financially and spiritually establish and the institutions that enlighten the community].

(Enam/92)

¹⁹Say: “What thing is greater in testimony?”. Say: “Allah is witness between me and you. And this Qur’an has been revealed to me so I may warn with it you and all those it reaches. Do you truly testify that there are other deities with Allah?”. Say: “I do not”. Say: “He is the One and the Only God and I surely am away from what you associate with Him”.

(An’am/19)

There are also verses that clearly state that the Messenger of Allah was sent as a messenger to all societies and all people:

(A’raf/158)

²⁸And We have sent you only as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to mankind, but most of the people do not know.

(Sebe/28)

⁷Thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an so you may warn the mother of the cities; people of Mecca and the people around Mecca and you may warn with the day of gathering about which there is no doubt.

(Shura/7)

⁸⁸Say: “Surely, if the people of today and tomorrow gathered together in order to bring the like of this Qur’an, even if they helped each other, they could definitely not bring the like of it”.

(Isra/88)

^2,3He is the One Who has sent a messenger from among the people of the Mother City/Meccan, who is among them and who recites the Ayat of Allah to the people of the Mother City and those who have not yet joined them, who purifies them, teaches them the book, the laws, rules and principles that are set forth to prevent injustice, corruption and chaos. –Even though they were in an explicit astray before.- And He is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

⁴Sending a messenger is a bounty of Allah He gives to whom He wills. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty.

(Cum’a/2-4)

Our Lord sent not only His last messenger, but also His previous messengers in the languages of their own communities. All of these prophets reported:

^43,44And We sent before you as well the mature people only to whom We revealed as messengers with clear evidences and written scriptures. If you do not know, ask scholars who know the Torah and the Bible. We have revealed to you the reminder/the Qur’an so you may make clear that which has been sent down to them, so they may contemplate.

(Nahl/43, 44)

The messenger mentioned in Ibrahim/4 can also be understood as the Qur’anic translations translated from Arabic into other languages and sent to societies outside the Arab society (Turks, Kurds, Greeks, British, etc.).

The sentence “…Allah leads astray whomever He wills and guides whomever He wills to the right path” in verse 4 expresses that our Lord leaves people free to believe or not. Since this issue is discussed in the analysis of Al-Kahf/29, we recommend that the detail be read from there.

In this verse, our Lord gives the message that the Messenger of Allah was sent with the same mission that Moses (pbuh) was previously assigned to. Just as our Lord assigned the prophet Moses to lead his community from darkness to light by warning him with “eyyamullah [days of Allah]” and some signs, he also sent all his prophets to lead their society from darkness to light.

With the phrase “ايّام العربEyyamü’l-Arab [Arab Days]”, Arabs describe the important events and famous battles in their history that have been remembered for centuries; They refer to important events in Arab history. Therefore, the expression “ايّام اللهAllah’s days” in the verse means “the days when Allah will punish the people of Prophet Moses”.

As a result, we can say that the expression “Eyyamullah [days of Allah]” generally means “the days when Allah will punish severely”. This expression was previously analyzed in the Surah Casiye.

The expression “signs that came with Moses” in the verse refers to both the verses of the Book given to Moses (pbuh), “perfect power” and the words “Grasshopps”, “Lice”, “Frog”, “Blood”, “The Shade of the Mountain” in the lives of the Israelites. We can understand them as extraordinary events such as “Lifting Like a Lift” and “Offering Quail Meat and Manna”.

In this group of verses, the prophet Moses advises his people not to be ungrateful to God by reminding them of God’s blessings on the Israelites, and that if they are ungrateful, they will harm themselves, not Him.

Note:

The words “katl” and “zebh” used in the verses expressing the weakening program implemented by the Pharaoh are metaphorical. A detailed explanation on this subject was made in the analysis of verse 141 of the Surah A’raf. Detailed information about Istihyya in the verse is given in the explanations of the 127th verse of A’raf Surah.

The statement “And in this there is a great trouble for you from your Lord” included in these advices reminds us of the fact that human beings are always faced with God’s test.

“The scourge [testing] of the Children of Israel” should be understood as their being tested/tested by both being given blessings and being put into trouble.

³⁵Every creature with an identity will taste death. And We test you with evil and good to purify you. And you will be returned only to Us.

(Anbiya/35)

¹⁶⁸And We divided them into many communities with leaders on the earth. Some of them were righteous, and some of them were lesser than that. And We tested them with good and evil so they may return; act in accordance with the principles of Allah.

(A’raf/168)

^155,156And surely, We will surely weaken/test you with something of fear, hunger and loss of wealth, lives and crops. Give the tidings to those who are patient and who say: “We surely belong to Allah and will return only to Him; We will implement only His principles” when a disaster comes to them!

(Baqara/155, 156)

In the verses, “And when your Lord declared: ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase it for you, and if you are ungrateful, my punishment is very severe,’ and ‘If you disbelieve/be ungrateful; As can be understood from the expressions “you and all the people on earth, know well that Allah is certainly the All-Giving, the All-Hamid”, our Lord has given very precise instructions regarding gratitude to Moses in the Torah.

The subject of gratitude, the necessity of gratitude, and the fact that gratitude increases blessings were previously explained in detail at the end of the Surah Ya Sin. We briefly summarize it based on its importance:

SHUKR

“Thankfulness”, which is emphasized much in the Quran, is a requirement of faith and the basic duty of believers. As a matter of fact, in many verses, believers are also described as “those who are thankful.”

The word “kufr”, which is opposite to “thankfulness”, means “ungratefulness”, which is something a believer would never do.

The meaning of the word “Thanksgiving” has changed over time and has partially lost the meaning it originally contained.

“الشّكرŞükür” means “the animal shows the food it eats through the milk it gives and its fatness”.[3]

It is possible to explain the dictionary meaning of the word with the following examples: Since gratitude means that a fed animal shows materially in return for what it eats, a chicken giving eggs, a cow giving milk, a sheep giving wool, or all three of them growing fat enough to give meat would be the animal’s gratitude in this sense. . As can be seen, the flattering and flattering gestures of these fed animals to their owners with their tongues or body attitudes are not within the scope of “gratitude”. However, the songs of animals such as parrots, nightingales and canaries, which are fed to help them listen to their voices, should also be considered as “gratitude”. Because they are fed to fulfill these functions.

The word “şükür”, which is also used in Turkish along with the words “teşekkür”, “müteşekkir” and “şükran”, which are derived from the same root, appears 74 times in the Quran together with its derivatives. Considering the verses given below, the meaning of “thanks” in religious terminology can be expressed as follows:

Gratitude is the act of giving back to God for the blessings that God has given to people.

The real meaning of the word requires that what is given as a response to the thing received must also be of the type of that thing. In other words, it is understood from both the vaz’ [first] meaning of the word and its usage in the Quran that “thanks” cannot be expressed in words. The use of gratitude in the verses shows that it is a response that can be given in kind of the blessing given to people. However, although this is the reality, the word has been removed from its real meaning and has been subjected to classifications such as “gratitude of the tongue”, “gratitude of the heart” and “gratitude of the body”.

Gratitude is a reward for blessing. Our Lord reminds us of the blessings He has given us and then asks for thanks:

¹¹⁴Then eat halal/permissible and pure of that which Allah has provided for you. And repay for the blessing of Allah; if you should worship only Him.

(Nahl/114)

¹⁵²So, remember Me so I may remember you. And repay to Me for the blessings I bestow upon you, and do not be ungrateful to Me/do not overlook My blessings I bestow.

(Baqara/152)

¹⁹And Solomon smiled over the word/decision of the female ant. And he said: “My Rabb! Grant me to commit righteous deeds to please You for all blessings You have bestowed me and my parents, and admit me in Your righteous servants with Your mercy”.

(Neml/19)

¹⁵And We have enjoined upon man as a liability, good treatment to his mother and father. His mother carried him with hardship and delivered/gave birth to him with hardship. And his gestation and weaning is thirty months. And when man reaches maturity and comes to forty years, he has said: “My Rabb! Make me repay for Your blessings You have bestowed upon me and my mother and my father and make me do righteous deeds with which You will be pleased. Amend in my lineage/bestow upon me righteous. Indeed, I have turned to you. And indeed, I am of the Muslims”.

(Ahqaf/15)

Undoubtedly, our Lord has given people countless blessings. First of all, the breath he breathes, his family, property, possessions and everything else he has, and above all these blessings, the Quran and the faith attained thanks to it, are all among the blessings He has given. Therefore, it is impossible to repay our Lord one-to-one for all these blessings. In this case, what a person should do is to be very thankful, that is, to do as much good as possible and as much as his means allow.

Gratitude causes the blessing to increase, whereas the opposite of gratitude, blasphemy [ungratefulness], causes the blessing to be lost. As a person is grateful, that is, as he repays the blessing to Allah, Allah increases his blessing to him many times over; It also gives him peace and happiness.

^6,7And when Moses said to his people: “Remember the favor of Allah upon you; when He saved you from the family of Pharaoh who afflicted you with the evil of torment, strangled your sons; made you weak, unqualified by leaving you uneducated and covered your women with disgrace. There was a great trial for you from your Rabb that you would wear off in this. And when your Rabb declared: “Indeed, if you repay for the blessings you are given, I will definitely increase for you and if are ungrateful, My punishment is absolutely very severe”.

(Ibrahim/6,7)

Those who are ungrateful will suffer material and spiritual troubles and torments, both because they want to save and because they want to protect what they have saved and increase it even more. Moreover, Allah punishes him by taking away the blessing He gave him.

Almighty Allah promises ten times what he has brought to every one of his servants who brings good deeds in order to fulfill his duty of “thank you” [An’am/160]. He compares the situation of those who act in the form of “spending and righteousness” to grain that yields seven hundred to one, and states that He will increase it even more for whomever He wishes among them [Baqara/261].

Two of the Names of our Almighty Lord are “ash-Shaqir [the one who gives reward for what is done] and “ash-Shakur [who gives abundant reward for what is done]”.

We should remember the tortures that Pharaoh inflicted on the Israelites with the following verses:

⁴⁹And when We saved you from the people who were close to Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst of the punishment, strangled your sons; made you weak, unqualified by leaving you uneducated, covered your women with disgrace. –And there was a great trial in this for you from your Rabb.-

(Baqara/49)

⁴Surely, Pharaoh was exalted on the earth and divided the people under his rule into groups; he wanted to weaken one of these groups; he strangled their sons; he made them weak, unqualified by leaving them uneducated and covered their women with disgrace. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.

(Kasas/4)

The advice that Moses (pbuh) gave to the Israelites in the verses that are our subject are the commands that Moses (pbuh) summarized and repeated from the Torah to the Israelites before his death. These constitute the Deuteronomy section of the Bible. Deuteronomy (6/ 4-9, 10/ 12- 22, 28/ 1-68) has sentences that overlap with the verses in our subject.

The purpose of this brief mention in the Surah Ibrahim about Moses (pbuh) and his people is to give the message to the Meccan polytheists not to be ungrateful like them, by giving the people of Moses (pbuh) as an example.

After a reminder about the Prophet Moses, in this group of verses, the messengers before Moses, their struggles with their own communities, and the revelations our Lord made to those messengers are mentioned.

Since Noah (pbuh), Almighty Allah has sent many prophets to establish the belief of monotheism, to prevent oppression and corruption on earth and to ensure justice. The prophets informed their communities of God’s mercy and forgiveness, but all of them tried to stop their messengers from telling the truth by muffling them. “You are just human beings like us, you want to prevent us from what our fathers worshiped. They opposed the messengers, saying, “Then bring us clear evidence.”

As explained before, the Meccan polytheists could not accept that the messenger was one of them, a human being. According to them, the messenger must either be an angel or be accompanied by an angel. Moreover, he must have been very rich. Details regarding these issues were previously included in the Surahs Furkan and Isra.

Thereupon, the messengers said to them with the command they received from Allah.

After all this, the polytheists increased their cruelty and tortured the messengers, saying, “Either you return to our religion, or we will drive you out of here.” Finally, Allah said to the messengers, “We will surely destroy the oppressors and settle you in that place after them. He gave them strength by revealing, “This is for those who fear my position and my threat.”

The resistance of the tyrants to the messengers has been extensively described in many surahs before. While it was stated here that the Messenger of Allah would face some troubles, at the same time, the message was given to the Meccan polytheists who continued their opposing stance that their fate would not be different from those resisters.

We find it particularly necessary to read the following verses, which reflect the main theme in the passage, in order to better understand the subject:

³⁸And We destroyed and demolished the people of Ad, Thamud, companions of Ress and many generations between them.

(Furkan/38)

⁷⁸And indeed, We sent many messengers before you. Among them are those We have related to you, among them are those We have not related to you. No messenger can bring an evidence/a sign except by permission/knowledge of Allah. And when the command of Allah comes, it will be fulfilled in truth. Those who commit falsehood has lost and suffered in this.

(Mü’min/78)

^76,77And they will soon disturb you to drive you out of this place/your land. In this case, they will remain for a little after you according to Our law/implementation concerning those of Our messengers We sent before you. – You will not see any change in Our implementation. –

(Isra/76, 77)

^88,89And the chiefs among his people who were arrogant said: “O Shu’ayb! Either we definitely drive you and those who have believed with you out of this city or you will return to our religion/lifestyle!” And Shu’ayb said: “Even if we are unwilling? If we returned to your religion/lifestyle after Allah saved us from it, we would certainly invent lie against Allah. It is not for us to return to it except that Allah, our Rabb should will. Our Rabb encompasses everything with His knowledge. So we trust and rely only on Allah”. – O our Rabb! Judge justly between us and our people. Because You are the best of those who judge! –

(A’raf/88-89)

Ve Hajj/40, An-Naml/54-58, Anfal/30, Ra’d/33, Al-i Imran/21-22, Cuma/4, Hajj/75.

In these verses, the demands of the messengers about the resisting unbelievers and the fact that our Lord accepted these demands and punished the resisting polytheists are conveyed. The messengers always asked for help from Allah when they were in trouble. Our Lord helped the messengers and destroyed all the tyrants. The place of these tyrants in the afterlife will be hell:

^21-24Noah said: “My Rabb! Indeed, my people have disobeyed me. They have followed the one whose wealth and child would bring nothing but harm to himself. And they have set tremendous plots. And they said: “Never leave your gods. And never leave Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Ya’uq and Nasr”. They have indeed led many astray. And you, increase those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with You only in astray”.

^26-28And Noah said: “Do not leave even a single one from those infidels who walk around in this place; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb. Indeed, if You leave them, they will lead your servants astray from the path and they will raise children who will only do evil deeds while they stuck in evil by disbelieving in the religion-faith and who are infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb. My Rabb! Forgive all of us/me, my mother and father, those who enter my house as a believer and believing men and believing women! And increase those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with You only in destruction”.

(Noah/21-28)

⁸⁸And Moses said: “Our Rabb! Surely, You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs wealth and properties in this simple worldly life. – Our Rabb! So that they may lead astray from Your path – Our Rabb! Obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts. Because they will not believe until they see that painful punishment”.

⁸⁹Allah said: “Both of your supplication have certainly been accepted. So, keep on the righteous path. And do not follow the path of those who do not know!”.

(Yunus/88, 89)

¹³⁶Then We maintained justice by recompensing them for they definitely denied our Ayat [evidences/signs] and were heedless of them. And We drowned them in a large body of water/the river.¹³⁷And We made those people who had been oppressed/weakened, inheritors of all places that We had blessed. Thus the good promise of your Rabb to Israelites was fulfilled¹¹² for they had been patient. And We destroyed all the industry work and that which Pharaoh and his people had been building.

(A’raf/136,137)

^28,29We sent Lot as well. When he said to his people: “Surely, you commit such immorality that those who passed in the world before you did not do! Will you certainly approach men, obstruct the road and commit evil in your meetings?”. Thereafter, the answer of his people was only that they said, “Bring the punishment of Allah, if you are among the truthful!”.

(Ankebut/28-30)

The punishments in the form of “boiling water” and “making them drink pus” mentioned in the verses are used for the purpose of scaring and warning, Hajj/19-22, Zumer/Muhammad/15, Kehf/29, Hakkah/30 37, Vakıa/52, Gaşiye/4, 5, It was included in Sâd/57-58, Saffat/64-68.

Our Lord has declared many times (Saffat/171-173, Mücadile/21, Muhammed/7, Fetih/4, Al-i Imran/139, Mümin/51) that He will always help His messengers and make them successful.

In this verse, the message that all the deeds of unbelievers from past to present will amount to nothing as a result of their foolish choices is given with an example. The deeds of unbelievers are like ashes blown in the wind. What they do has no value, weight or durability. Even with a light wind, it will be blown away and nothing will be left behind. As mentioned in many places, in order for deeds to be evaluated by Allah, those deeds must first be done for the sake of Allah. The disbelief of the unbelievers destroys the basis of all the works they put forward, leaving no such thing as a deed.

Many analogies have been made about the futility of the deeds of those who disbelieve:

²³And We will prevent whatever deeds those who did not expect to meet Us have done and will convert into scattered dust particles.

(Furkan/23)

¹¹⁷The example of that which they spend in this simple worldly life is like that of the wind containing freezing cold that hit and manipulated/destroyed the crops of a people who treated themselves unjustly by associating others with Allah. And Allah did not treat them unjustly. Yet, they treat themselves unjustly by associating others with Allah.

(Al-i Imran/117)

²⁶⁴O you who have believed! Do not invalidate your sadaqas by bragging and hurting like the one who spends his wealth to show off even though he does not believe in Allah and the last day. His example is like the example of the boulder on which is a dust, then becomes bare when hit by downpour. They can not keep anything from what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the people of infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Baqara/264)

^19,20Have you not seen/thought about that Allah formed the heavens/universe and the earth in truth. If He wills, He will take you away and bring a new formation. This is not difficult for Allah.

The question in the verse is directed to the polytheists in order to warn them. “Creation of the heavens and the earth with reality”, as we explained in detail in the analysis of Nahl/3, means that these beings were created temporarily, temporarily, and mortal. Anyone who observes and investigates events and phenomena in the heavens and on earth knows and understands that the life of the universe is temporary and that it flows towards that time. Additionally, when a person looks at his own existence, he realizes that he is a mortal being. The verse refers to the afterlife and asks people to prepare for the reckoning and not to forget the truth of creation. Because those who do not understand the first creation cannot understand the new creation.

³³Have they not seen/thought about that Allah, the One Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth and did not get weary in their formation, is able to resurrect the dead? Yes, indeed, He is the One Who is competent over everything.

(Ahqaf/33)

⁷⁷And has that person not seen that We formed him from a drop of semen/a drop of water/liquid, and now he is an explicit enemy?

⁷⁸And he has presented for Us an example, not considering his own formation: He said: “Who will resurrect those bones? While they are decomposed!”.

^79,80Say: “The One Who formed them the first time will resurrect them. And He is the One Who knows every formation very well. He is the One Who made fire/oxygen from a green tree for you. Now, you burn oxygen.

⁸¹Is the One Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth, not the One Who possesses the power to form many more like them? Yes, indeed, He is! And He is the One Who forms perfectly, knows very well.

⁸²Indeed, when He intends a thing, His command/affair is to say to that thing “Be!” and it immediately is.

⁸³Then, Allah Who has the possession and the dominion of everything in His hands is purified from all deficiencies. And only to Him you will be returned”.

(Ya Sin/77-83)

In the first part of the verse that is our subject, our Lord says, “If He wishes, He will remove you and bring a brand new people/creation. He warned the unbelievers to always expect a disaster by saying, “This is not difficult for Allah.”

¹⁵O mankind! You are the ones who need Allah. Allah, on the other hand; He is the One Who is free of need and praiseworthy.

^16,17If He wills, He does away with you and will bring forth a totally new formation. This is not difficult at all for Allah.

(Fatir/15-17)

³⁸So, you are the ones who are invited to spend for the cause of Allah. Despite this, some of you withhold. And whoever withholds, only withholds from his own self. And Allah is free of need, you are the needy. If you turn away, Allah will replace you with another people. And they will not be the likes of you.

(Muhammad/38)

⁵⁴O you who have believed! Whoever among you reverts from his religion, let him know that Allah will soon bring forth a people who are indulgent for the believers and dignified, severe to the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb; Allah loves them, and they love Allah; they strive in the path of Allah and they do not fear the condemnation of those who condemn. This is a bounty that Allah gives to whom He wills. Allah is the One Whose knowledge and mercy is vast and limitless, the One Who knows very well.

(Maidah/54)

¹³³O people, if Allah wills, He will take you away. And He will bring others. And Allah is the One Who is competent to do that.

(Nisa/133)

After explanations and detailed warnings about the transience of the world and the nature of deeds, scenes of the afterlife are revealed in this group of verses:

FIRST SCENE:

In this scene, those who consider themselves strong and those who have been made weak by them are confronted in the afterlife.

The weak to the so-called greats:

– “Surely we were those who followed you. Now can you avail us anything against the punishment of Allah ?” they ask.

And those who are arrogant:

– ” Had Allah guided us, we would surely have guided you. It is same for us whether we whine or we have patience. There is no place of escape for us” they answer.

This scene is also given in other verses of the Quran:

⁴⁷And when they will dispute with one another in the fire, the weak will say to those who were arrogant: “Indeed, we were those who followed you. Now, can you avert from us a part of the fire?”.

⁴⁸Those who were arrogant will say: “Surely we are all in it. Indeed, Allah has judged between the servants”.

(Mu’min/47-48)

³⁸Allah will say: “Enter among those peoples with a leader who passed on before you; who are in the fire, whether you know them or not!”. Every time a people enter, they curse their brother. At the end, when all of them gather in there, then the later ones will say about the former ones: “Our Rabb! They made us astray. Punish them many times more from the fire”. Allah will say: “Punishment is many times more for all but you do not know”.

³⁹Then the former ones will say to the later ones: “You do not have an advantage over us. Then taste the punishment for what you did”.

(A’raf/38-39)

^64-66Surely, Allah has cursed the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb and prepared for them a blazing fire so they will abide therein eternally. They will not find any familiar who is protector nor a helper therein. The day when their faces will be turned in the fire, they will say: “If only we obeyed Allah and the messenger!”.

^67,68And they will say: “O our Rabb! Indeed, we obeyed our chiefs and dignitaries so they led us astray from the path. O our Rabb! Give them two shares from the punishment and curse them/deprive them of Your mercy completely”.

(Ahzab/64-68)

³¹And those infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “We certainly, will not believe in this Qur’an, nor in that before it…”. If you could see those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah, by disbelieving before their Rabb, being arrested and refuting the words of some of them to some other! Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant: “If not for you, we would have been believers”.

³²Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed: “Did we avert you from the guidance after it had come to you? Rather, you became criminals by yourselves”.

³³Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant: “Rather, plot of the night and the day! You were commanding us to disbelieve in Allah and to attribute some equals to Him”. When they see the punishment they will hide their regret. And We will put iron shackles on the necks of those infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb. They will be recompensed only for what they did.

(Saba’/31-33)

The message of this scene is that the elites, leaders, and saints in society cannot save such poor people, and everyone must fend for themselves while they are still in the world.

⁴⁸And enter under the guardianship of Allah against the day when no individual will avail another individual, no one’s help and intercession will be accepted, no ransom/compensation will be received and no individual will be helped.

(Baqara/48)

SECOND SCENE:

In this scene, the criminals are trying to blame the situation they find themselves in on the devil [Iblis]. Satan said to them:

– He defends himself by saying “Surely, Allah promised you the true promise, and I promised you too but then renounced at once. Yet I did not have a compelling authority over you. But I invited you and you responded to me. Therefore, do not condemn me but condemn yourselves! I can not save you, and you are not my saviors! Surely, I had not accepted your association of me with Allah before

¹²⁰Iblis promises them and arouses illusions in them. Yet, satan promises them nothing but deception.

(Nisa/120)

⁵And who can be more in astray than the one who invokes the ones from among those that are inferior to Allah, who will not respond to him until the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]? And the ones who are invoked are even not aware of their invocation.

⁶And when the people are gathered, those whom they invoked will be enemies to them. And they will be the ones who will deny their worship.

(Ahkaf/5,6)

²⁷His companion who is his contemporary/Iblis will say: “Our Rabb! I did not make him transgress. But he was in a distant astray himself.”

²⁸And Allah will say: “Do not dispute before me! I had sent you warning before. ²⁹The Word⁷⁷ is not changed before me. And I am never the One Who does wrong to the servants; deprives them of their good deeds, treats them unjustly.”

(Kaf/27, 28)

THIRD SCENE

And those who believe and do righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever, with the permission of their Lord. And they are always in peace, free from all kinds of discomfort.

⁷³And those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah will definitely be sent to Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] in groups. And when they arrive there, its gates will be opened and its guards will say to them: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you! You have come pure!”, it will be said to them, “Enter it to abide therein eternally!”.

(Zumer/73)

^116-118And when Allah said: “O Jesus, son of Mary! Was it you who told people: ‘Take me and my mother as two gods from among those that are inferior to Allah’?”. Jesus said: “Purified are You, it is not suitable for me to say that which is not true. If I had said it, You would have surely known this. You know what is within myself, but I do not know what is within Yourself. Surely, You are the One Who knows best the unseen, the unheard, the unfelt, the past and the future! I only said to them what You had commanded me; ‘Worship Allah Who is my Rabb and your Rabb’. And as long as I was among them, I was a witness over them. But when you took my life; reminded me that which I had done in the past and what I had failed to do while being obliged to, then You became the One Who observes them. And indeed, You are the witness over all things. If You should punish them, they are definitely Your servants and should You forgive them, indeed You are the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible”.

¹¹⁹Allah will say: “This is the day when their truthfulness will benefit the truthful. There are the gardens of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise], underneath of which rivers flow for them as the ones who will abide therein eternally”. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. This is the greatest attainment.

(Maidah/116- 119)

^75,76And servants of Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] will be rewarded with the highest positions in Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] for their patience as the ones who will abide therein eternally and they will be welcomed with respect and Salam [health, peace, happiness…]. – What a good settlement and residence it is! –

(Furkan/75,76)

^19-24Then, is the one who knows that which has been revealed to you from your Rabb is the truth like the one who is blind? Surely, only those who are able to comprehend;

those who fulfill their promises to Allah and who do not break the contract,

those who combine that which Allah has ordered to be combined; the faith and the good deed,

those who fear their Rabb in awe with respect, love, knowledge and who are afraid of the evil of account,

those who had patience in order to obtain the countenance of their Rabb,

those who established Salah [established and maintained the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community],

those who spent from what We had provided for them secretly and openly for the cause of Allah

and those who eliminate evil with good remember and contemplate. It is they for whom the consequence of this home; the gardens of Eden are. They, the righteous from among their ancestors, spouses and descendants will enter into the gardens of Eden. And the forces in charge/harbinger Ayat will enter upon them from every gate: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you for what you have had patience! How excellent is the end of this home!”.

(Ra’d/19-24)

¹⁰Their prayers therein will be, “My Allah! Purified are You from all deficiencies!”. And their greetings therein will be, “Salam [health, peace, happiness…]!”. And the end of their prayers will be, “All praise is to Allah, Rabb of all universes!”.

(Yunus/10)

⁵⁵Truly, the companions of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] will have an occupation while they are amused.

⁵⁶They and the partners presented to them will recline on their couches, under shadows.

⁵⁷Only for them will be the fruits. They will have all they wish.

⁵⁸”Salam [health, peace, happiness…]!” will be the word from Rabb, Who is the possessor of vast mercy.

(Ya Sin/55- 58)

Rivers flowing in heaven are mentioned here and in many other verses. We learn the nature of these rivers from the following verses:

²⁵And give those who have believed and do amendatory deeds the good tidings that “surely for them will be the gardens of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] underneath of which rivers flow”. Every time they will be provided from any fruit there, they will say: “This is what we were provided before”. And they will be provided with similar blessings. And pure spouses [who have not been stained by eye, thought; totally new] will be there for them. And they are the ones who will abide there eternally.

(Baqara/25)

³⁵Example of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] that is promised to those who entered under the guardianship of Allah is as follows: Underneath of it rivers flow, its blessings; fruits, colors, tastes and shadows are eternal. This is the end of those who entered under the guardianship of Allah. End of the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb is the Fire.

(Ra’d/35)

^14,15So, is the one who is upon an explicit evidence from his Rabb like those whose evil of their affairs are made attractive to them and who follow their vain, transitory desires; like those who will abide in the Fire eternally and who will be made to drink scalding water and that will tear their intestines into pieces? Example of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] that is promised to those who entered under the guardianship of Allah: There will be rivers of unspoiled water, rivers of milk taste of which does not change, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink and rivers of filtered honey. For them will be therein all kinds of fruits and forgiveness from their Rabb.

(Muhammad/14,15)

Our Lord gives examples of all kinds in the Quran for the guidance of people:

^26,27Surely, Allah does not hesitate to present as an example a mosquito or that which is even smaller. Those who believe know that it is the truth, it is from their Rabb. The infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb say: “What did Allah intend to say with such an example?”. Allah leads astray many with the examples He presents and guides many with them. Allah leads astray only those who promise and make covenant and then break their promises that they made to Allah, those who break that which Allah has ordered them to unify; the unity of faith-good deeds and those who cause corruption on the earth, those who have gone astray from the righteous path. They are the ones who lose.

(Baqara/26, 27)

¹⁷Allah has sent down a water from the sky and valleys flowed according to their capacity. Then the torrent has carried a foam that rises upon the water. There is a similar foam on gems or that which they melt over fire to benefit. –Thus presents Allah the example of the truth and the falsehood.- Then the foam vanishes and that which benefits the people creates expectation on the earth. Thus presents Allah examples.

(Ra’d/17)

²¹If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain/a massive creature, you would certainly have seen it sincerely respectful, humbled and coming apart out of fear in awe with respect, love and knowledge for Allah. And We present to the people these examples so they may give thought.

(Hashr/21)

⁴³And We present these examples to the people. None will understand them except scholars.

(Ankebut/43)

In the verse in question, our Lord makes a representative statement that good, beautiful words/knowledge [faith] will always be useful, under all conditions and in every environment. “A nice word” is likened to a beautiful tree whose roots are strong, whose branches spread to the sky, and which bears fruit at all times.

What is meant by “beautiful words” here is the words “La ilahe illallah”; This word, which is likened to a tree, symbolizes the phenomenon of faith; It is understood that the branches and branches of the tree are social life and the product it gives at every moment is good behavior.

Our Lord described the belief in monotheism as a “word” in the Surah Al-i Imran.

⁶⁴Say: “O People of the Book! Come to a word that is common between you and us; the principle of ‘let us worship none except Allah, not associate anything with Him and not take one another as rabbs from among those that are inferior to Allah’. If the People of the Book turn away despite this, then say, “Witness that we surely are Muslims”.

(Al-i Imran/64)

²⁶And an example of an evil word is like a bad tree that is uprooted from the earth and does not have any possibility for stability.

After the verse above, where the “good, beautiful word” is likened to a “beautiful tree”, in this verse, the “ugly word” is likened to a rootless tree, torn from the soil and unable to remain stable. “Evil speech” represents irreligion, blasphemy and polytheism, which are the opposite of faith. Since none of the deeds of unbelievers and polytheists will be evaluated, the fruit of the evil tree is not mentioned.

It would be very appropriate to remember the following verses regarding the nature of bad words:

(Ibrahim/18)

^30,31Thus it is! And whoever shows respect to what Allah made untouchable, it is better for him in the sight of his Rabb. And all livestock other than which have been recited to you are made halal/permissible to you. Therefore, avoid the evil which is from those idols as the ones who have turned to Allah, who do not associate others with Him, and avoid lies as well. And whoever associates others with Allah is like that which falls from the sky and snatched by birds or that which the wind drags to a desolate place.

(Hajj/30,31)

In this verse, the principles in the Sunnah of Allah are explained. Allah will keep those who believe strong both in this world and in the afterlife. In other words, believers will always be superior in the social, political, military and economic fields in the world. They will enjoy both the afterlife and the heavens. As a requirement of Anfal/60, believers must always be superior to the enemies of Allah and their own enemies in the military, social, political and economic fields. If they are not like this, they should be ready for all kinds of troubles and disasters.

¹³⁹And do not weaken and do not grieve! If you are believers, it is you who are superior.

(Al-i Imran/139)

³⁰And the ungrateful ones attributed equals to Allah to lead astray from His path. Say: “Enjoy, your return will definitely be to the fire”.

In these verses, it is stated what the oppressors did and what our Lord will do to them. Those who ignore all the blessings of Allah, who prevent people from believing in monotheism and want them to continue their polytheism, and who create some false gods to mislead their communities, will definitely go to Hell, the abode of destruction. Even though they benefit from worldly blessings, their fate will be like this.

Although the message of the verse is general, the first addressee is the Meccan polytheists. Similar situations have occurred in the past. Despite the ungratefulness, polytheism and idolatry of such people, our Lord tells them: “Take advantage of it, now your return will surely be to the fire.” This is a very serious threat. The phrase “Take advantage of…” in the verse shows that our Lord does not punish such people immediately.

Similar verses to the verse we are talking about were also mentioned in the Surahs Fussilat and Zumar:

⁴⁰Indeed, those who go astray from the truth about Our evidences/signs into denial are not concealed from Us. Then, is the one who will be thrown into the fire better or the one who will come in safety on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]? Do whatever you will. Indeed, Allah is the One Who sees best that which you do.

(Fussilet/40)

⁸When an adversity touches man, he calls upon his Rabb, turning to Him with his deepest devotion. Then when He bestows a favor on him from Himself, he forgets himself when he called upon Him before and he attributes partners to Him to lead astray from the path of Allah. Say: “Enjoy your disbelief; your conscious denial of the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb for a little! Surely you are among the companions of the fire”.

(Zumer/8)

²⁴We let them enjoy for a little. Then We force them to a massive punishment.

(Luqman/24)

²⁶For those who do good, there will be better and more. No darkness will cover their faces nor humiliation nor scorn. These are the companions of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise]. They will abide therein eternally. ²⁷And those who have earned evil, the recompense of an evil is like of it. And humiliation will encompass them. There will be no protector for them from Allah. Their faces will be as they are covered with a piece of dark nights. They are the companions of the fire. They will abide therein eternally.

(Yunus/70)

As indicated in the verse, the people of Saba, the Children of Israel, Karun and the Quraysh tribe are among those who turned God’s blessings [the messenger he sent, the book he sent down, the brotherhood, peace and happiness created in society] into ungratefulness.

^20,21And when Moses said to his people: “O my people! Remember the favor of Allah upon you. When Allah sent messengers from among you. And He made you rulers. And He gave you that which He had not given any other people of the time. O my people! Enter the purified lands Allah has decreed upon you and do not turn back or you will return as losers”.

(Maidah/20, 21)

¹⁰³And cling firmly onto the rope of Allah all together/guard yourselves with the rope of Allah, do not become divided and remember the favor of Allah upon you: When you were enemies to each other and Allah brought your hearts together. Then you became brothers by His favor. You were on the edge of a fire pit and He saved you from there. Thus Allah makes clear His Ayat/evidences/signs for you so you may follow the righteous path you are guided.

(Al-i Imran/103)

¹¹O you who have believed! Remember the favor of Allah upon you. When a people tried to extend their hands to you and Allah withheld their hands from you. And enter under the guardianship of Allah. Then, let the believers rely only on Allah.

(Maide/1l)

⁹O you who have believed! Remember the favor of Allah upon you. When armies came to you, then We sent upon them a wind and armies that you did not see. And Allah is the One Who sees very well what you do.

(Ahzab/9)

As we stated in the “Introduction” section of the sura, there are narrations indicating that the 28th and 29th verses, which are our subject, are Medinan. Considering the harmony of the verses in question with the passage, these quotations are no longer serious.

In these verses, our Lord commands His Messenger to convey his message to the community of believers: “Let them establish Salah and give in charity, openly and secretly, from what We have provided them with, before the day comes when there will be no shopping or friendship.” In response to the threat made to those who turn God’s blessings into ungratefulness, this commandment directs believers to gratitude.

The most important issue emphasized in the verse is “the establishment of Salah”. Salat is the pillar of religion, as the Messenger of Allah described. No society has prospered where Salah has not been established [established and maintained]. In this verse, believers are commanded to create their own support institutions [to open their schools, all aid institutions such as Bağkur, Sigorta, Emekli Sandığı, Kızılay, Yeşilay] and to keep their own support institutions alive. (Our comprehensive explanation on the subjects of salah and prayer will be given, God willing, in the analysis of Ankebut/45 and in the appendix at the end of the same surah.)

The phrase “a day when there will be no shopping or friendship” in the verse means the “Day of Judgment” when no one will have the opportunity to save themselves by paying ransom, everyone will have their own troubles, and those who were friends will become enemies to each other.

⁶⁷On that day, all leaders/those who follow each other except for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah will be enemy of each other.

(Zukhruf/67)

⁵⁸And there are others of its type, in doubles. ⁵⁹Here they are another group, rushing in as if they were thrown. No welcomes for them. Surely, they will be thrown into Jahannah [Hell].

⁶⁰They will say: “No, no welcome for you. It is you who have brought Jahannah [Hell] before us. What an evil settlement it is!”

⁶¹They will say: “Our Rabb, whoever brought this before us, increase his punishment in the fire more and more!”

⁶²And they will also say: “Why can not we see those men whom we assumed that they were among the evil? ⁶³We ridiculed/scorned them. Or, have eyes turned away from them?”

⁶⁴Indeed, this quarreling/dispute of the people of the fire is truth.

(Sad/58-64)

³⁹Then the former ones will say to the later ones: “You do not have an advantage over us. Then taste the punishment for what you did”.

(A’raf/38, 39)

Ve Ahzab/64-68, Ankebut/25, Bakara/254, Bakara/123, Bakara/48, Hadîd/15.

The expression “… let them give in charity before the arrival of a day when there will be no shopping or friendship” in the verse means “let them give in charity before they die.” Because there will be no opportunity to donate after death, and one will regret not spending it.

¹⁰And before death comes to one of you and he says: “My Rabb! Delay me until a close end of the term so I may give sadaqa/public revenue and be among the righteous”, spend from what We have provided for you for the cause of Allah.

(Munafiqun/10)

In the same verse, it is also stated how charity should be made. This statement means that there are types of donations that can be made secretly or openly.

With the indication of the following verses, it is seen that compulsory donations such as “zakat” can be made openly; It is understood that it is a more virtuous behavior to make alms and voluntary donations secretly:

²⁷¹And if you give sadaqa openly, then it is good; but if you conceal them, give them to the poor, then, this is better for you and Allah will make some of your sins to be removed. And Allah is aware of that which you do.

(Baqara/271)

^19-24Then, is the one who knows that which has been revealed to you from your Rabb is the truth like the one who is blind? Surely, only those who are able to comprehend;

those who fulfill their promises to Allah and who do not break the contract,

those who combine that which Allah has ordered to be combined; the faith and the good deed,

those who fear their Rabb in awe with respect, love, knowledge and who are afraid of the evil of account,

those who had patience in order to obtain the countenance of their Rabb,

those who established Salah [established and maintained the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community],

those who spent from what We had provided for them secretly and openly for the cause of Allah

(Ra’d/19-24)

Our Lord, who asks his servants to be grateful for the blessings he has given, to perform salah and to give secretly and openly, also reminds the various blessings he has bestowed on his servants in these verses and warns human beings against the tendencies of cruelty and ungratefulness in their nature.

The blessings of our Lord are truly innumerable. He sends down rain from the sky to nourish people and all the plants and animals they benefit from. Giving the seas and rivers to the service of man, turning the sun and the moon into service for humanity, arranging day and night to ensure people’s livelihood and rest, and making everything useful and necessary on earth available to man are just some of these blessings. “Even if you want to count the blessings of Allah, you cannot count them!” The statement fully reflects the truth. God’s blessings are so many that it is truly impossible to count them all.

There are many verses in the Quran regarding these blessings that are reminded in the verses that are our subject (Baqara/21, 22, Nuh/15, 16, Yunus/5, Nebe/10-11, Yunus/67, Ya Sin/40, A’raf /54, Fatir/13, 14, Zumer/5, (Qasas/73).

^35-41And when Abraham once said: “My Rabb! Make this city safe! Keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols! My Rabb! Surely, idols have led many among the people astray. Then, whoever follows me, he is of me; and whoever disobeys… Then you surely are the One Who forgives much and shows great mercy. Our Rabb! I have indeed settled some of my children in a barren valley next to Your untouchable House so they might establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community]. Our Rabb! So make the hearts of some of Your servants incline towards to them so they may repay for the blessings that You have given. And provide for them from some fruits. Our Rabb! Indeed, You know that which we conceal and that which we disclose. –And nothing is hidden from Allah in the heavens/universe and on the earth.- All praise is to Allah Who has bestowed me Ishmael and Isaac in my old age; no one else may be praised. Indeed, my Rabb is the One Who hears my supplication very well. My Rabb! Make me a man who establishes Salah [establishes and maintains the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community]! And from my descendants too… Our Rabb! Accept my supplication! Our Rabb! Forgive me, my parents and believers on the day when the account will be established!”.

These verses include the prayer of Prophet Abraham. As can be understood from both these verses and other Qur’anic passages about Abraham, these prayers are prayers made by the Prophet Abraham at different times and environments. These prayers also give some sections from his life. A similar prayer to the prayer quoted here is also given in the Surah Baqara:

^127-129And when Abraham and Ishmael raised/exalted the fundamental laws of the religion from the oneness school, saying: “O our Rabb! Accept from us, surely You are the One Who hears best, knows best. O our Rabb! Make us both the ones who strengthen [who make healthier, happier and convince people to be Muslims] for You. And bring from our descendants as well a people with a leader who strengthen [who make people healthier, happier and convince people to be Muslims] for You. And show us the methods of servitude, accept our repentance as well. Surely, You are the One Who accepts the repentances much and the One Who is very merciful. O our Rabb! And send a prophet from among them so he may recite them Your Ayat; teach them the book and the laws, rules and principles that are set forth to prevent injustice, corruption and chaos; purify them. No doubt that You are the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible”.

(Baqara/127-129)

In the verse we are talking about, Prophet Abraham says about idols, “My Lord! It is noteworthy that he said, “Surely, they [idols] have led many people astray.” This is a metaphorical expression. Because idols are inanimate beings. Inanimate objects cannot do anything. However, since there is a deviation [misguidance] in worshiping them, this deviation has been metaphorically attributed to them.

Again, in the passage that is our subject, it is seen that the expression “Haram [inviolable] House…” is used in relation to the Kaaba. The Kaaba has been described as “muharram [inviolable]”. When the Quran is examined, it is understood that this status of the Kaaba stems from the fact that behaviors such as fighting, disrespecting the place, and doing things that are done outside are prohibited there.

⁶⁷Or have they not seen that We made Mecca safe and untouchable while people are being taken away by force around it? Do they still believe in falsehood and are they ungrateful for the blessings of Allah?

(Ankebut/67)

^96,97Indeed, the first house that was built as a blessing for the mankind and a guide for all universes is the one that is in Mecca. There are explicit evidences/signs; the place where Abraham performed duty [where he was educated, trained and rose up against association others with Allah] in it. And whoever enters there will be safe. And visiting the Bayt [House]/theological education center, going there for theological education is a right of Allah upon the people who are able. And whoever conceals the truth, let him know that Allah is certainly free of need of all universes.

(Al-i Imran/96, 97)

In this supplication, Prophet Ibrahim expressed his requests from Allah such as the security of the city, protection from polytheism, his generation being loved and provided for by the environment, his and his descendants being those who establish the salah, his prayers being accepted, and the forgiveness of himself, his parents and the believers in the afterlife.

The following point needs to be specifically clarified regarding Abraham’s (as) asking for forgiveness for his parents: As it is known, it is not possible to pray for forgiveness for a polytheist. One can only pray to guide them to the right path.

^113,114It is not for the Prophet and for those who have believed to ask forgiveness for those who associate others with Allah after it has become clear to them that they are the companions of Jahannah [Hell], even if they are relatives. And asking of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was because of a promise he had given to him. And when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed, Abraham was compassionate and patient.

(At-Tawbah/113-114)

Abraham (as) asked for forgiveness for his father because he did not know the ruling about him.

⁴¹Mention/remind Abraham [Ibrahim] as well in the Book. Indeed, he was a righteous person, he was a prophet.

^42-45Once he said to his father: “O my father! Why do you worship those which do not hear, do not see and do not benefit you at all? O my father! Surely, a knowledge which did not come to you has come to me. Therefore, follow me so I may guide you to a straight path. O my father! Do not worship satan. Indeed satan disobeyed Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created]. O my father! Surely I fear that a punishment from Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] touches you and you become for satan a familiar who guides, protects and helps”.

⁴⁶His father said: “O Abraham! Do you turn away from my idols? If you do not desist, indeed I will stone you to death. Now, go away from me for a long while!”.

^47,48Abraham said: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you, I will ask my Rabb for forgiveness for you. Surely, He is the One Who gives bounties to me. And I turn away from you and that which you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah. And I will invoke my Rabb. I expect that I will not be unhappy in my invocation to my Rabb”.

(Maryem/41-48)

^4,5There is definitely an excellent example for you in Abraham and those who were with him –except the saying of Abraham for his father: “I will certainly ask forgiveness for you. And I have no power against anything from Allah”-. When Abraham and those with him said to their people: “We are away from you and what you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah. We have denied you. And there has emerged an animosity and hatred between you and us forever until you believe in Allah alone. O our Rabb! We have relied only on You, turned to You. And to return is only to You. O our Rabb! Do not make us a tool of trial for the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Yourself and the fact that You are Rabb! Forgive us! O our Rabb! Surely, You are the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible!”.

(Mümtehınah/4,5)

In these verses, our Lord reminds them not to be misinterpreted that He does not punish the oppressors immediately for what they have done, and explains to them the Sunnah that He implemented in the worldly life. This explanation is also a consolation to our prophet. “Indeed, Allah is not insensitive to the actions of the cruel ungrateful people, He is not indifferent to them. Be patient as Abraham was patient and inform the polytheists that; The postponement of their punishment is not because Allah approves of or condones their deeds. On the contrary, it is a sunnah of Allah to give respite to the rebels. “They will surely be punished on the day when they will run with their heads held high and their eyes will pop out.”

Both the words “a day when they will run with their heads held high and their eyes will pop out” and “their gaze will not return to themselves and their hearts will be empty” are expressions that reveal the horror of the apocalypse. With these terrifying statements, people are warned about the day they will be judged.

The horror of the apocalypse is also reflected in the following verses:

^6-8So, turn away from them. The day when the Caller will call them to an unknown/odd thing, on that day they will emerge from their graves running fast to that inviter with their eyes humbled. As if they are locusts spreading. Those infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will say: “This is a difficult day”.

(Kamer/6-8)

⁴²So, leave them immediately so they may enjoy in vain until they meet their day which was promised.

⁴³On that day, they will come out from their graves rapidly. As if they are running towards something that is erected.

⁴⁴With their eyes looking down in humiliation, being covered with humiliation. That is the day with which they have been threatened!

(Mearic/42-44)

¹⁰⁸That day, they will follow the inviter that has no deviation, then all voices will be reduced for Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created]. You will hear only a low voice.

¹⁰⁹That day, except for those whom Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] gives permission and He is pleased in word, no one will get help-support, benefit.

¹¹⁰Allah knows what was before and what is after those who will not be helped. But they can not encompass Him in knowledge.

¹¹¹And people will be humbled for Allah Who is alive and is the One Who always watches over all He created. Those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah will absolutely lose.

(Ta Ha/108-111)

After giving his messenger the task of warning people about “the day when the punishment will come,” our Lord narrates a scene of the apocalypse regarding the polytheists in these verses. In this scene, the polytheists say, “O our Lord! “Delay us until a short time, so that we may heed your invitation and follow the messengers,” they pray. In response to their prayers, our Lord said, “Didn’t you swear before that there would be no loss for you? And you have lived in the homes of those who oppressed themselves. It was clear to you how we did it to them. “And we gave you examples as well,” he replies.

The polytheists’ beliefs about the afterlife, their wrongness, and their eventual surrender are mentioned in many verses (Nahl/38, 39, Kamer/3-5, Nahl/28, 29, Kahf/35, 36, Mu’min/11, 12, Sajda/12- 14, Fatır/37, ) Mü’minun/106-108, Zumer/58, 59, Mulk/10, Mü’minûn/99-100, Münafikûn/9-10, En’am/27-28) has been reported.

⁴⁶And indeed they planned their plot. Their plot is with Allah. Even if their plot was to move mountains…

In this verse, the plans of the cruel polytheists of Mecca are exposed and our Prophet is motivated by explaining that our Lord is aware of all of them, that these plans have no importance, no matter how big they are, and that Allah will definitely punish them.

The phrase “…their traps” in the verse refers to the polytheism of the Meccans. The most serious crime committed by human beings is “shirk”.

^90,91The heavens/universe almost ruptured, the earth split open and the mountains collapsed in devastation because of this; for they attributed a child to Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created].

⁹²And, it does not befit Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] to take a child. ⁹³All who is in the heavens/universe and on the earth will come to Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] only as a servant.

(Mary/90-92)

No matter how much and what kind of crimes they commit, no matter what traps they set, God knows them all.

¹⁰⁸They wish to hide from the people but not from Allah. Yet, Allah is with them when they plot in the night that which He does not accept of word/decision. And Allah encompasses what they do.

(An-Nisa/108)

⁷Have you not seen/thought about that Allah knows all that which is in the heavens/universe and all that which is on the earth? When three people have private conversation, He is surely the fourth. When five have, He is certainly the sixth. No matter they are more or less than that and wherever they are, He is definitely with them. Then, on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], He will inform them of what they did. Indeed, Allah is the One Who knows all best.

(Mücadele/7)

After the moral support was given to the Messenger of Allah, in this verse he was told: “Then do not think that Allah will break His promise to His messengers!” By saying this, our Lord’s unchanging attitude towards unbelievers is emphasized. God is not insensitive to what they do. He will definitely take revenge on those who oppose his messenger, try to prevent his messages from being heard, and torture him and those with him; That is, he will catch them and punish them, so justice will be provided. This is certain, God has never backed down from this decision, and it is out of the question for him to do so.

Although the first addressee of the verse is the Prophet Muhammad, the message it gives is general. Our Lord will always make the truth prevail and support those who are on the side of the truth.

⁵¹Surely, We will help Our messengers and those who have believed in this simple worldly life and on that day when the witnesses will stand/testify.

(Believer/51)

²⁰The ones who strive to oppose Allah and His Messenger; they are among the most humiliated.

²¹Allah has written: “Indeed, I and My messengers will prevail”. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is competent over everything, the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer.

(Mücadele/20, 21)

^62,63If they intend to deceive you, know that Allah is sufficient for you. He is the One Who strengthens you with His help and with the believers and Who brings hearts of the believers together. If you had spent all that is on the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together. Yet Allah brought their hearts together. Surely, He is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(Anfal/62,63)

³²They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths. Yet, Allah only insists on perfecting His light although the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb dislike it.

(At-Tawbah/32)

This verse explains when our Lord will take revenge [catch and punish the criminal], thus providing justice. The apocalypse will come, the heavens and the earth will be changed, and all the oppressors and unbelievers will be brought to peace. These oppressors will be chained, they will be dressed in tar shirts, and their faces will be covered with fire.

^31,32Whatever is in heavens/universe and whatever is on the earth belongs to Allah so that He may recompense those who do evil with what they have done, He may reward those who do good; – except for some minor glitches – those who avoid majority of wasting their time/delaying the good/being reluctant for the good/harming and immoralities with “the best”. Indeed, your Rabb is the One Whose forgiveness is vast. He is the One Who knows you best when He formed you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the womb of your mothers. Then, do not claim yourselves to be pure. He knows better who has entered under the guardianship of Allah.

(Najm/31,32)

^105-107They ask you about the mountains, say: “My Rabb will blow them away. Thus, He will leave them leveled flat, empty. You will not see a hole and an elevation therein”.

(Ta Ha/105-107)

The words “Their shirts are made of tar” in the verse express both the misery of the oppressors in the afterlife and the suitability of their punishment for the crime they committed.

TAR

This word has passed into Turkish with the same meaning as in Arabic. It is a sap obtained from trees such as juniper, pine, date palm and fir, which has the consistency of oil and is black in color, with a strong soot odor, and insoluble in water. Tar is also obtained from some mines and these types are also called “mineral tar”. It’s like pitch.

Arabs usually boil tar and use it to apply to scabies camels. The reason why it is included in the verse is this practice of the Arabs. When the fire licks the faces and skins of the sinners, they will be clothed with boiling tar as clothing; Tar will be applied to them, their wounds and burns.

The surah ends with the announcement that the Quran is a message of monotheism and advice to humanity.

In the verse, it is said “هذاhâzâ [this is it]” by pointing to the first verse of the sura. What this means is the fact that what is conveyed to people is not just the explanations about hell, but the whole of the Quran.

(An’am/19)

¹³⁸These commandments are explanations for the people and a guide and a reminder for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah.

(Al-i Imran/138)

¹⁰⁶Indeed, there is definitely a message in the Qur’an which is delivered for a people who worship.

(Anbiya/106)

Allah knows the truth best.

[1] (Muqatil, al-Suyuti; al-Itkan)

[2] (Razi, al-Mefatih al-Ghayb; Qurtubi, al-Jami’a li Ahkami’l-Qur’an)

[3] (Lisan al-Arab; v:5, pp:163-165 and Taj al-Arus; v:7, pp:48-51)