يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ (١٢٢-١٢٣)

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لاَ يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ (١٢٤)

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ (١٢٥)

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَـَذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَى عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ(١٢٦)

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (١٢٧)

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ (١٢٨-١٢٩)

وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلاَّ مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (١٣0-١٣١)

وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (١٣٢)

أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاء إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ (١٣٣)

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (١٣٤)

وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُواْ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قُولُواْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ

وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ (١٣٥-١٣٦)

فَإِنْ آمَنُواْ بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (١٣٧)

صِبْغَةَ اللّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدونَ قُلْ أَتُحَآجُّونَنَا فِي اللّهِ  وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ (١٣٨-١٣٩)

أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطَ كَانُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللّهُ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللّهِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ (١٤٠)

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ (١٤١)

Children of Israel1, recall the favour I have bestowed upon you2, and [recall] that I exalted you3 above the nations of the world.

And fear the day4 on which no soul shall stand for another: when no compensation shall be accepted from it and no intercession will avail it and people shall not be helped5. (122-123)

And recall when Abraham was put to trial6 by His Lord in a few things7 and he fulfilled them8. He said: ‘I have decided to appoint you the leader of mankind9.’ ‘And what of my descendants?’ asked Abraham. ‘My covenant,’ said He ‘does not apply to the evil-doers10.’ (124)

And recall when [in the land of Arabia] We made this sacred House11 a resort and a sanctuary for mankind and commanded: ‘Make a place of worship in this place of Abraham’s residence12 and We obligated Abraham and Ishmael13 to cleanse Our House14 for those who will come to walk round it and who come to observe I‘tikāf in it and who kneel and prostrate themselves in it15. (125)

And recall, when Abraham prayed: ‘Lord! make this city a secure one16 and bestow on, those of them who believe in God and the Last Day,17 the livelihood18 of [various kinds of] produce19.’ [The Almighty] said: ‘As for those who are rejecters I shall let them benefit from [these things] awhile20, and then shall drag them to the scourge of the Fire: an evil abode.’ (126)

And recall when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of [My] House. [At that time they implored the Lord, saying]: ‘Accept this [prayer] from us, Lord21. It is only you who hears all and knows all22. (127)

Lord, make both of us submissive to You23; make of our descendents also a community that will submit to You24 and teach us our rites of worship25 and accept our repentance26; You are the Forgiving One the Merciful. Lord, send forth to them a messenger from amongst them27 who shall read out to them Your revelations28, and shall instruct them in the law and in wisdom29, and [in this manner] shall purify them30. You are indeed the Mighty, the Wise One31.’ (128-129)

And who but a foolish person would deviate from the religion of Abraham?32 We chose him in this world33, and in the world to come also, he shall be among the righteous. [The same Abraham who] when his Lord said to him: ‘Submit’, he answered forthwith: ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Universe’34. (130-131)

And Abraham urged his children to [follow] this very religion and so did Jacob. [He had said:]35 ‘My children! God has chosen for you this religion36 so you have to remain Muslims at all costs till you die37.’ (132)

Were you38 then present when Jacob was about to die39? At the time when He said to his children: ‘Who will you worship after I die?40’ They replied: ‘We will worship your God the One God the God of your forefathers Abraham and Ishmael41 and Isaac. And to Him we will submit42.’ (133)

That was a community which has passed away. Theirs is what they did and yours what you have done. You shall not be questioned about their actions43. (134)

[This is the tradition of their forefathers] and [contrary to this] they insist: ‘Accept Judaism or Christianity and you shall be rightly guided44.’ Tell them: ‘Adopt, in fact, the religion of Abraham45, who was fully inclined [to His Lord]46 and was not among the idolaters’. Tell them: ‘We believe in God and that which has been revealed to us and that which was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their children and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to all other prophets by their Lord.47 We do not discriminate between them. [All of them are the Messengers of God], and to Him we submit.’ (135-136)

Then if they accept the way you have48, they shall be rightly guided; if they turn away, they surely are obstinate. Against them God is sufficient for you. He hears all and knows all49. (137)

[Tell them that they should adopt] God’s colour.50 And whose colour is better than God’s. We only worship Him in all circumstances. [Tell them:] ‘Would you dispute with us about God51, whereas He is our Lord and yours also and [if this is not so, then] to us our deeds and to you yours and to Him alone we are devoted’52. (138-139)

‘Do you claim that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their children were all Jews or Christians?’53 Ask them: ‘Who knows better, you or God?’54 [Alas!] Who are more unjust than those who have an evidence given to them by God and they conceal it? And [in reality] God is not unaware of what you are doing. (140)

That was a community which has passed away. Theirs is what they did and yours what you have done. You shall not be questioned about their actions.55 (141)

(Translated from Al-Bayān by Shehzad Saleem)

1. The first section of the sūrah ended on verse 121. From this verse begins the second section with quite the same words as the ones that occurred in the beginning of the first section. This reiteration brings to prominence the progression of topics in this sūrah and how they are sequentially related. The topic which began in verse 40 ended in verse 120 and then again from verse 121 the same topic is taken up from a different aspect. Hence, these subsequent verses are not connected to the previous paragraph; they are rather connected to the whole of the previous section.

It had become evident in the previous section that the greatest hindrance in the way of the People of the Book in particular the Jews in accepting Islam was their claim that they were the progeny of Abraham (sws). They contended that guidance and salvation could only be obtained if a person was either a Jew or a Christian. In this second section, that part of the account of Abraham (sws) and his sons is presented which not only negates these claims but also fully validates the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws) and his mission. In other words, this is a final call for the Jews and Christians in a style which leaves them with no excuse but to face the truth they were seeking to deliberately deny – a call to follow the religion of Abraham (sws) which Muhammad (sws) was asking them to embrace while leaving aside the prejudice of their own religions. In this perspective, the topic discussed in the previous section reaches a climax in this one.

2. Whatever status the Israelites have been blessed in this world is only because of Allah’s blessing. It is neither because they were entitled to it nor because they were of a noble race. They should therefore not show conceit by turning away from the message that is being presented to them.

3. This is a statement of what is specific after that of what is general and an explanation of what is implied by being blessed. The exalted status mentioned here refers to their status of bearing witness to the truth before other nations of the world which was held by them for centuries.

4. They should accept this call and with its reference fear the day when they will be held accountable for their deeds.

5. They should not be mistaken that since they are the progeny of such prophets as Abraham (sws), Isaac (sws) and Jacob (sws) they would be salvaged in the Hereafter merely on this basis. They should remember that in the Hereafter only deeds will be of any avail to a person.

6. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘ابْتَلَى’. It means ‘to test and try someone’. Moral training of human beings is an established practice of God. It is after such training that the hidden qualities of a person surface and develop and it is through such training that good and bad people become distinct.

7. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘كَلِمَات’ which is the plural of ‘كَلِمَة’. This word connotes a single letter or a word and also compound meanings. Here it refers to those directives of the Almighty which were given to Abraham (sws) to test his faith and his perseverance on it, which he obeyed without any hesitation whatsoever. Some of these include his migration from his clan and his native country and his sacrifice of his only son in a desolate desert. A little deliberation shows that for these directives use of the word ‘كَلِمَات’ is very apt. As regards its meanings, it is somewhat undefined and has some amount of indistinctness. The directives which were given to Abraham (sws) were also similar. Their philosophy and reward were not explained to him beforehand. In other words, something that was not determined precisely was placed before him so that he could fulfil it.

8. All the trials through which Abraham (sws) was put by the Almighty were very tough. He succeeded in all these trials. Undoubtedly, the directive of sacrificing his son was the toughest. Mere imagining it is not a very easy task for us, let alone obeying it. Abraham (sws), however, succeeded in this test in every sense of the word and at the behest of the Almighty had his only beloved son of 11 years lay on his side on his temples. At that instant, the Almighty exclaimed: ‘Abraham you have made the dream come true’. It was here when the Almighty promised him that He would make him the religious leader of mankind.

9. This one promise contained two promises within it at the same time. The first was that the progeny of Abraham (sws) would be blessed so much that through them their call would reach all the other nations of the world. The second was that as a result of this Abraham (sws) would become the leader and chief of all these nations. The Bible refers to this promise in the following words:

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, ‘I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.’ (Genesis, 22: 15-18)

10. The intention here is to convey to the addressees that if they think that they have no responsibilities to discharge which their faith entails just because of their relationship with Abraham (sws), then they are grossly mistaken. The reason is that the very day when Abraham (sws) was blessed with this position, he was informed that only those among his progeny who would follow him and the guidance revealed by the Almighty shall only be the inheritors of this leadership. Those among them who break their covenant with the Almighty and tread the path of Satan shall have no part of it.

11. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘الْبَيْت’. The ‘ال’ in it is for definition (لِلْعَهْد) and it refers to the sacred House of God in Makkah. It is called Bethel in the Bible. In Hebrew ‘اِيْل’ means God. The Bible says:

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the LORD , who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:6-8)

Imam Farāhī in his booklet ‘في من هو الذبيح الصحيح  الرائ’ (The Correct View on the Sacrificed son of Abraham?) through some other indications has proven that the house of worship built by Abraham (sws) was this very House.

12. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى’. This is only a further explanation of the previous sentence. It is for this reason that the word ‘قَالَ’ or some other similar word has not been used with it. It is firstly said that the Almighty has made the House of God the Qiblah of Abraham’s progeny. It is then said that in order to realize this decision Abraham (sws) and his progeny were directed to make a place of prayer in this abode of Abraham (sws). The House of God is called ‘مُصَلًّى’ or the place of prayer so that it becomes evident to the Jews that this House of God was built as a mosque and now this final messenger of God has come to revive this very status of the mosque. Similarly, Makkah is called the abode of Abraham (sws) because the Jews had altered their divine scriptures at various places in order to sever the relationship of Abraham (sws) from the House of God and from Marwah which was the site of the sacrifice. By using this word, the Qur’ān has actually refuted this tampering of the Jews with their divine scriptures. Imam Farāhī in his above referred to book has refuted this tampering of the Jews through arguments based on their own books. Imām Amīn Ahsan Islāhī writes:

He [ --Farāhī--] has proven from the very statements of the Torah that after leaving his homeland, Abraham (sws) left the mother of Isaac (sws) in Canaan and himself settled in the desert of Beer Sheba with Ismael (sws) and his mother. This place was not populated. Hence he dug seven wells here and planted trees. It was here that he was directed to sacrifice his only son who he then took to the hill of Marwah. It is near this hill that he settled his son Ismael (sws). From here he went back to Beer Sheba and selected for his own self a place which was near the House of God and from which it was also possible to go and visit Isaac (sws) whenever he wanted. (Islāhī#, Amīn Ahsan, Tadabbur-i-Qur’ān, 2nd ed., vol. 1, (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1986), p. 330)

13. The Qur’ānic words used are‘عَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ’. As per the linguistic principles of Arabic, an elision of the letter ‘ب’ has occurred before ‘أَن’. The preposition ‘إِلَى’ with the verb ‘عَهِدَ’ shows that the meaning of ‘binding and obligating someone’ is implied here.

14. That is no filth whether hidden or apparent like idols, merry-making and dirt should remain in this House.

15. Tawāf are the rounds of vow that are made around the place of worship as a symbolic expression of dedicating one’s life and wealth to Allah. They begin with the Istilām of the Hajr-i-Aswad. This is a symbolic expression of making a covenant with God. I‘tikāf is done for meditation and reflection while prostration and kneeling connote the prayer. It is evident from this assertion of the Qur’ān that these are some ancient rituals of Abraham’s religion. The addressees of the Qur’ān were aware of them in the same manner in which the Muslims of today are aware of them. The Qur’ān has not mentioned them as directives given for the first time; on the contrary, it has mentioned them as previously introduced and known rituals. Hence just taking their names was enough for the addressees of the Qur’ān to understand what they implied; no details were required thereof.

16. When the Prophet Abraham (sws) settled his progeny in Makkah, this city was not only totally devoid of any civilization and culture and prosperity and development, it was also not secure from the raids and plunders of savage and nomadic tribes. It was for this reason that Abraham (sws) said these words of prayer and the Almighty accepted the prayer. The manner in which this was accepted was three faceted: first, fighting and war were totally prohibited in Makkah; second, for travel to this city, four months were regarded as sacred which resulted in peace in these months even in the dangerous neighbouring areas; third, such awe and dread was invested in the House of God built in it that no one ever dared to attack it and if someone was impudent enough to do so, the defence of the residents was reinforced with such divine armies that the enemy was totally ravaged.

17. It has been stated in the preceding verses that when the Prophet Abraham (sws) asked the Almighty about the leadership of his progeny, he was clearly told that this status would only be given to the righteous among them. Hence, keeping this in view, Abraham (sws) while fully submitting and accepting this condition of the Almighty, stipulated in his prayer that it was only for the righteous among them.

18. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘الثَّمَرَاتِ’. In the Arabic language, just as this word is used for ‘fruits’, it is also used in a wider sense to connote various forms of land produce. Since the Prophet Abraham (sws) had voiced this prayer to be blessed with the peace and tranquillity of urban life in contrast to the distressing and arduous rural life, therefore this wider meaning has been preferred and the word has been rendered thus.

19. The way this prayer was accepted was that because of the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah, there was an influx of people to Makkah. As a result of this, trade and business received great impetus and a lot of goods from other cities reached the markets of Makkah. Moreover, being the guardians of the House of God, the Quraysh were greatly and widely respected and their own trade caravans were able to safely go to the markets of other countries. All these measures boosted the economy of the people of Arabia who hitherto relied on livestock and hunting for their livelihood. As a result, all kinds of fruits and produce became abundantly available in Arabia.

20. Since Abraham (sws) had prayed to the Almighty that only the righteous among his progeny should be given abundance in livelihood, the Almighty explained to him that this was not His law and that this matter was not analogous to the law of bestowing the leadership of the world to the righteous among his progeny. As far as livelihood is concerned, the Almighty gives it to both the believers and the non-believers. Leadership, however, is specific to the righteous among the progeny of Abraham (sws) and those among them who attain it, attain it because of faith and righteous deeds.

21. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا’. This sentence is a prelude to the whole prayer which follows it. The object of the verb ‘تَقَبَّلْ’ has thus been unfolded in the translation.

22. This is a reference to those two attributes of the Almighty relying on which a person prays to Him. The emphasis that it is only the Almighty who seas and hears is an expression of total submission and trust on the part of the one who prays.

23. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ’. While pointing out the realities which become manifest from these initial words of the prayer that depict the father and son invoking the Almighty to make them Muslims, Imām Amīn Ahsan Islāhī writes:

A person should first keep himself in consideration while invoking the Almighty to make him steadfast on his faith and to make him humble and God-fearing. No one can do without these assets whatever his rank and status maybe. Secondly, there is no upper limit to the status a person can achieve in Islam as regards his faith. Even personalities as celebrated as Abraham (sws) and Ishmael (sws) – through whom the world became aware of Islam and its spirit – used to pray to the Almighty to make them Muslims. Thirdly, what is specifically related to this portion of the Qur’ān and what also unfolds the coherence in the divine book is that at the greatest historical instance of their life when they were constructing the headquarter of their mission, they invoked the Almighty to make them Muslims and not Jews and Christians. (Islāhī#, Amīn Ahsan, Tadabbur-i-Qur’ān, 2nd ed., vol. 1, (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1986), p. 338)

24.  At the instance when this prayer was uttered, it was only Ishmael (sws) who was with Abraham (sws); so it is evident that this prayer was related to Ishmael (sws). This prayer materialized word for word with the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and with the emergence of the Companions (rta) as a group as a result of his efforts. The words ‘and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed’, (Genesis, 18:22) of the Bible which are reported after the incident of sacrifice refer to this very reality.

25. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا’. The imperative verb ‘أَرِنَا’ means ‘show us’. This word has been used by Abraham (sws) because the Prophets of Allah have been taught the rituals of worship generally by an angel through practical demonstration whether in reality or in a vision. The singular of the plural word ‘مَنَاسِك’ is ‘مَنْسَك’ and it means both ‘the method of sacrifice’ and ‘the place of sacrifice’. From here it came to be used in a wider sense to connote the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah.

26. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘تُبْ عَلَيْنَآ’. The preposition ‘عَلَى’ shows that the verb ‘اَقْبَلَ’ is encompassed in the expression and connotes mercy. The subsequent words ‘إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ’ refer to this.

27. The occurrence of the word ‘رَسُوْل’ (Messenger) in this prayer informs the Jews in particular that the Prophet ‘نَبِي’ for which Abraham (sws) had prayed to be sent from among the Ismaelites was the same person whom Moses (sws) had introduced by the words ‘like me’ in the Torah (Deuteronomy, 18:15). It is known that Moses (sws) besides being a Prophet was also a Messenger of God and the prayer of Abraham (sws) was also for a Prophet who would be elevated to the status of a Messenger and it is in accordance with this prayer that Muhammad (sws) was sent as a Messenger of God.

28. The word ‘آيه’ means that which substantiates something. Every sentence of the Qur’ān substantiates some reality, and therefore is called ‘آيه’. The words used by the Qur’ān to connote the meaning of ‘read out to them your revelations’ are ‘آيَاتِكَ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ’. They depict the power and authority of a Messenger of God who delivers His directives as an emissary on His behalf and then decides the fate of his nation at the behest of the Almighty in this very world.

29. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ’. In the Arabic language, just as the word ‘الْكِتَاب’ means ‘letter’ and ‘book’, it also means ‘law’. It is evident from parallel verses of the Qur’ān that when the words ‘الْكِتَاب’ and ‘الْحِكْمَة’ occur in co-ordination the way they have here, the word ‘الْكِتَاب’ means ‘law’ and the word ‘الْحِكْمَة’ means ‘the essence of religion and the details of faith and morality’. Here also the words imply these connotations and it throws light on the fact that the message of this new Prophet would be composed of both these aspects. The word ‘يُعَلِّمُهُم’ is used with it in the same sense as it is used in the verse:(55 :1-2)  ‘الرَّحْمَان عَلَّمَ القُرْان’.

30. The Arabic word used by the Qur’ān to convey this meaning is ‘تَزْكِيه’. It means to ‘purify something from filth’ and ‘to nourish and develop’. The ‘الْكِتَاب’ (law) and ‘الْحِكْمَة’ (faith and morality) which the Prophets of Allah give achieve both these ends. The purport of the Prophet Abraham (sws) is that the Prophet which would be raised from his progeny would teach them ‘الْكِتَاب’ and ‘الْحِكْمَة’ such that their concepts and deeds would be cleansed from all stains and would develop and progress in the right direction. Viewed thus, ‘تَزْكِيه’ is not something independent of ‘الْكِتَاب’ and ‘الْحِكْمَة’; it is in fact obtained through them. Technically speaking the ‘و’ of ‘وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ’ is for explication. It is evident from this that Islam in reality is composed of two ingredients: ‘الْكِتَاب’ and ‘الْحِكْمَة’ and the objective of Islam is purification of the individual and collective lives of its followers.

31. The implication is that since God is Mighty, it is His right to give His creatures ‘الْكِتَاب’ (the law) and since He is Wise, it is requisite of this attribute that he bestow ‘الْحِكْمَة’ (faith and morality) upon them as well.

32. The reference is to the Jews and the style adopted expresses both wonder and sorrow. The implication is that they reckon themselves to be the sole bearers of the religion of Abraham (sws) but when this very religion is being presented before them in its true form they are trying to evade and avoid it.

33. That is chose him as the leader of God’s religion. A reference to this has been made in the preceding verses.

34. The Qur’ānic words used are ‘أَسْلِمْ’ and ‘أَسْلَمْتُ’. Their real meaning is ‘to submit one’s self’. Here the intention is to refer to the sacrifice of Ishmael (sws). It is after success in this great trial that Abraham (sws) was bestowed with the honour of the religious leadership of the world. Undergoing this trial was a requisite of submission and the words could have best portrayed it. It is evident from this that Islam means to submit and surrender one’s self to the Almighty in all respects. It was to adopt this ‘Islam’ that the Almighty bade him. It was this very Islam that he adopted and the religious leadership he was given was nothing but the result of this. He had nothing to do with Judaism and Christianity. Moreover, this singular honour was not won by him without any effort as the Jews wanted it so.

35. The Qur’ānic words used are ‘وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ’. The word ‘تَوْصَِيه’ means ‘to counsel and to urge’, whether this is done at the time of death or at any other period of life. The antecedent of the pronoun in ‘بِهَا’  is ‘مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ’ mentioned in the previous verse. Similar words of counsel of the Prophet Jacob (sws) are reported in the Talmud but there is no mention of these words of counsel of Abraham (sws) in the Jewish scriptures. The Qur’ān has made it clear that these words were originally from Abraham (sws) and were adhered to by Jacob (sws) as well. Jacob (sws) is mentioned here with Abraham (sws) because the Israelites were actually the progeny of Jacob (sws) and here the intention is to inform the Israelites that their forefathers were the followers of Islam and they never asked their progeny to follow Judaism or Christianity.

36. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘الدِّينَ’. The ‘ال’ here is for definition ‘للعهد’ and it refers to the religion of Abraham which is Islam and which is referred to earlier.

37. The implication is that throughout their lives they are to live and die for this religion in spite of all the trials which come their way and in spite of all the evil schemes of Satan they encounter.

38. The style of asking a question is adopted here so that the addressees fully attend to what is going to follow. The implication is that since the People of the Book consider their forefathers mentioned in these verses to be Jews or Christians, so were they present at that time when Jacob (sws) uttered these words. They should recall it and speak up if the pledge taken by Jacob (sws) from his children was about Judaism or Christianity or was it about Islam.

39. The reference to the death of Jacob (sws) here when he was making this will alludes to certain things which have been explained by Imām Amīn Ahsan Islāhī in the following words:

The first [of these] is that since Jacob (sws) took this pledge from his children right at the very last moments of his life, there is no room to even entertain the thought that his stance could have changed. Second, the pledge a loving father, who is also a Prophet, takes from his children in his dying moments, has to be the most important thing that could have taken place between him and his children and for faithful children their greatest and most sacred responsibility is to keep up to this pledge. Only very insolent children can breach such a contract. Third, the last obligation in this world of a God-fearing father who truly loves his children is that at the time of death he be more reflective on their life to come than this one and that he counsel them to remain steadfast on religion and live and die for it. (Islāhī#, Amīn Ahsan, Tadabbur-i-Qur’ān, 2nd ed., vol. 1, (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1986), p. 346)

40. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي’. The interrogative particle ‘مَا’ is used when the question asked encompasses generality. The reason that Jacob (sws) has used this interrogative particle is that if there is some ambiguity in the minds of the addressees it would come to surface in their answer.

41. The confident and emphatic way in which the children of Jacob (sws) have mentioned the name of Ishmael (sws)  shows that till their times there was no prejudice against Ishmael (sws). It was only after them in later times that this developed.

42. The assertion is that they are believers in monotheism and they, instead of any other religion, have adopted Islam only as their religion.

43. This in a few words is a summary of the whole previous discussion. The implication is that if the People of the Book think that the deeds of their forefathers would be counted as theirs too, then this is a vain conjecture. They will earn the reward of their own deeds and you will not be rewarded on their basis. The Almighty will not ask from them about the deeds of their forefathers. He will only ask them of their own deeds.

44. In spite of calling one another disbelievers and misguiding people they are united in their hostility against Islam and contend that guidance and salvation rests in being a Jew or a Christian and that there is no truth in this third religion called Islam.

45. The Qur’ānic words used are: ‘بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا’. The word ‘مِلَّةَ’ is in the accusative; hence an elision of a verb has definitely occurred here. As is evident from my translation, the elision is that of an imperative verb. The reason is that in the Arabic language such an accusative occurs when the intention is to urge someone to adopt something or to scare someone to discard it and for both these purports it is the imperative verb which is suitable on such occasions. Moreover, this sentence is a response to the call of the People of the Book and the most apt response to a call is another call. 

46. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘حَنِيفًا’. It means ‘to be fully inclined to someone’. Here it is an accusative of state from the governed noun and this should not surprise anyone because it is quite customary for a noun to be an accusative of state from a governed noun.

47. The implication is that Muslims do not discriminate between the Prophets of God – something which the People of he Book do. Muslims do not disprove a directive of God nor refute it and believe in all directives without any discrimination.

48. The implication is that just as the Muslims have professed belief in all the Prophets without any discrimination and bias the People of the Book should also do so.

49. This is an assurance to the Prophet (sws): since the Almighty hears and sees everything, the Prophet (sws) should go on fulfilling his responsibilities without any fear. The Almighty alone would suffice for him against his enemies.

50. That is the colour which all the Prophets and Messengers of God should be believed in without any bias or discrimination. A little deliberation shows that there exists a slight taunt for the People of the Book with reference to the ritual of Baptism. In other words, they are directed that if they have to colour themselves with something, it should be the colour of God. This does not take place through water but through His worship and through believing in His guidance only without any bias or discrimination whatsoever.

51. The implication is that believing in one directive and rejecting another is as if they are fighting about God. In other words, the People of the Book are reprimanded on worsening matters to the extent that they will now also fight Muslims regarding their God and that of the Muslims.

52. The implication is that any further discussion is useless. The Qur’ān is actually narrating the declaration of the Muslims which is directed to the People of the Book that if they are reaching this extent in this discussion the Muslims have only one thing to say to them: their life is solely for the Almighty and so whatever guidance comes to them from the Almighty they will accept it without any hesitation whatsoever.

53. This question is in the form of a final and absolute declaration from the Muslims to the People of the Book that do they really have the audacity to say such a grave thing.

54. This sentence is in fact a reproof for the People of the Book and the one that follows is an expression of sorrow and regret. Subsequently, it is asserted in an even more severe tone that the Almighty is not unaware of the pranks the People of the Book are playing deliberately. Very soon they shall face its consequences.

5. Here once again at the end of this discourse what was said in verse 134 is repeated: the Almighty shall not ask them of the deeds of their forefathers; on the contrary, He will ask them of their own deeds only. Since this maxim is the summary of this whole discourse it is stated here and with it the discourse ends.