Ibrahim (13-17)

And those who disbelieved said...

Know that when the Almighty recounted how the Prophets (peace be upon them) sufficed themselves with reliance upon God and trust in His protection and encompassment to repel the evil of their enemies, He then recounted how the disbelievers went to extremes in foolishness and said: {We will surely expel you from our land, or else you will return to our religion} (14).

The meaning is: one of two things must inevitably happen: either your expulsion, or your return to our religion. The reason for this is that the people of truth are always few in every age, while the people of falsehood are numerous, and the oppressors and the wicked are mutually supportive and allied. For these reasons, they were capable of uttering such foolishness.

If it is asked: This implies that they were originally upon their religion, so that they might return to it.

We reply that there are several answers:

The First Way: Those Prophets (peace be upon them) originated in those lands and belonged to those tribes. In the beginning, they did not show opposition to those disbelievers; rather, outwardly, they were with them without displaying dissent. For this reason, the people assumed that they were originally upon their religion, which is why they said: {or else you will return to our religion}.

The Second Way: This is a narration of the disbelievers' speech, and it is not obligatory that everything they said be true. Perhaps they assumed that, even though the reality was not as they supposed.

The Third Way: Perhaps the address, although seemingly directed at the Messengers, is intended for their followers and companions. It is not inappropriate to say that they were, before that time, upon the religion of those disbelievers.

The Fourth Way: The author of Al-Kashshaf said: The word ‘awda (return) meaning 'becoming' is common in the speech of the Arabs.

The Fifth Way: Perhaps those Prophets were upon some religion before their mission, and then God revealed to them the abrogation of that religion and commanded them with a different law. The people remained upon that abrogated law, persisting in their path of disbelief. Under this estimation, it is not unlikely that they demanded the Prophets return to that religion.

The Sixth Way: It is not unlikely that the meaning is: {or else you will return to our religion}, meaning returning to the state before claiming prophethood—to silence regarding the faults of our religion and refraining from attacking and criticizing it. Based on all these interpretations, the question is resolved, and God knows best.

Know that when the disbelievers uttered this speech, God Almighty said: {So their Lord inspired to them: "We will destroy the wrongdoers * And We will make you dwell in the land after them"} (15-16).

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: {We will destroy the wrongdoers} is a narration that necessitates the omission of speech, or treating the inspiration as speech because it is a form of it. Abu Haywah recited it with a ya' (We will destroy the wrongdoers and We will make you dwell...) taking awha (inspired) as the reference, since this word is in the third person singular (masculine absent), similar to your saying: "Zayd swore, 'I will surely expel them,' and 'I will surely expel them.'"

The land referred to is {the land of the wrongdoers and their dwellings}. This is similar to His saying: {And We willed to confer favor upon those who were oppressed and make them leaders and inheritors * And grant them establishment in the land} (Al-A'raf: 137), and {And He caused you to inherit their land and their dwellings} (Al-Ahzab: 27). It is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Whoever harms his neighbor, God will make him inherit his house."

Know that this verse indicates that whoever relies upon his Lord to repel his enemy, God suffices him concerning his enemy.

Then the Almighty said: {That is for him who feared My station and feared My threat} (17).

His saying {That} refers to what God decreed—the destruction of the wrongdoers and the settlement of the believers in their dwellings. This outcome is true for him who feared His station. There are several interpretations:

1. The intended meaning is My standing, which is the standing on the Day of Judgment, because that standing is the standing before God, where He stands His servants on the Day of Resurrection. This is similar to His saying: {But as for he who feared the standing before his Lord} (An-Nazi'at: 40) and {But for him who feared the standing before his Lord are two Gardens} (Ar-Rahman: 46).
2. Maqam (station) is a verbal noun like qiyamah (standing). It is said: Qama qiyaman wa maqaman. Al-Farra’ said: That is for him who feared My standing over him and My observation of him, like His saying: {Is then He Who stands over every soul for what it has earned?} (Ar-Ra'd: 33).
3. {That is for him who feared My station} means: My establishment upon justice and truth, for He only judges with truth and rules only with justice, and He is established upon justice, never inclining or deviating from it.
4. {That is for him who feared My station} means: the station of the one seeking refuge with Me. This is an instance of adding the verbal noun to the object.
5. {That is for him who feared My station} means: him who feared Me. Mentioning the Maqam here is like saying, "Peace of God be upon such-and-such a high gathering," meaning: "Peace of God be upon so-and-so." Thus it is here as well.

Then the Almighty said: {and feared My threat}. Al-Wahidi said: Wa'eed (threat) is a noun derived from aw'ada (to threaten), meaning menace. Ibn Abbas said: He feared what I threatened of punishment.

Know that God Almighty first mentioned {That is for him who feared My station} and then connected it with {and feared My threat}. This implies that the fear of God is different from the fear of God's threat. This is analogous to how the love of God is different from the love of God's reward. This is a noble and high station in the secrets of wisdom and affirmation.

Then He said: {And they sought a decision} (Wa-staf-tahū). There are two issues concerning this:

The First Issue: Istiftah here has two meanings:

1. Seeking victory/success. So {And they sought a decision} means they sought victory from God against their enemies, similar to His saying: {If you seek a decision, then the decision has come to you} (Al-Anfal: 19).
2. Seeking judgment and decree. So God's saying {And they sought a decision} means they sought a ruling and asked Him to judge between them, derived from fataha (judgment/arbitration), like His saying: {Our Lord, judge between us and our people in truth} (Al-A'raf: 19).

Once this is known, we say: The commentators mentioned both opinions. If we take the first opinion (seeking victory), the ones seeking decision are the Messengers, because they sought victory from God and called down punishment upon their people when they despaired of their faith: {Noah said, "My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers even one dweller"} (Nuh: 26), and Moses said: {Our Lord, destroy their wealth} (Yunus: 88), and Lot said: {My Lord, grant me victory over the corrupting people} (Al-Ankabut: 30).

If we take the second opinion (seeking judgment and decree), it is more appropriate that the ones seeking decision are the nations, because they said: "O God, if these Messengers are truthful, then punish us." This includes the saying of the disbelievers of Quraysh: {O God, if this is the truth from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky} (Al-Anfal: 32), and the saying of others: {Bring us the punishment of Allah, if you are truthful} (Al-Ankabut: 29).

The Second Issue: The author of Al-Kashshaf said: His saying {And they sought a decision} is connected to {So their Lord inspired to them}. It was also read as an imperative command (Istaf-tihū), connected to {We will destroy}, meaning: Their Lord inspired to them, and said to them: {We will destroy}, and said to them: {Seek a decision}.

Then the Almighty said: {And they sought a decision, and every obstinate reviler failed} (15). There are two issues here:

The First Issue: If we hold that the ones seeking decision were the Messengers, the meaning is that the Messengers sought decision, and they were granted victory and achieved their goal and succeeded, {and every obstinate reviler failed}—meaning their people—who failed because of their seeking decision against the Messengers. If we hold that the ones seeking decision were the disbelievers, the meaning is that the disbelievers sought a decision against the Messengers, assuming they were upon the truth and the Messengers were upon falsehood, {and every obstinate reviler failed} among them, and he did not succeed due to his seeking decision against the Messengers.

The Second Issue: Jabbār (obstinate/tyrant) here means one who is arrogant toward obedience and worship of God. This is derived from His saying: {And was not a tyrant, disobedient} (Maryam: 14). Abu Ubaydah narrated from Al-Ahmar: It is said jibriyyah, jabrawah, jabrut, and jabūrah. Al-Zajjaj narrated: Al-jibriyyah and al-jabr (with a kasra on the jim and ba), al-najbār and al-jibriyā’. Al-Wahidi said: These are eight linguistic forms for the verbal noun of jabbār. In a Hadith, a woman came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he commanded her with something, but she refused. He said: "Leave her, for she is jabbārah," meaning arrogant.

As for ‘anīd (reviler/stubborn), the linguists differed on its derivation. An-Nadr ibn Shumayl said: Al-‘anūd means opposition, turning away, and leaving. Others said its origin is from al-‘and, which is the side/direction. It is said: So-and-so walks ‘andan, meaning sideways. Thus, ‘ānada and ‘anada mean taking a side, turning away, and being distant from someone.

Once this is known, we say: Being jabbār (arrogant) points to the psychological disposition, and being ‘anīd (stubborn) points to the effect resulting from that disposition, which is turning away from the truth and deviating from it. There is no doubt that a person whose disposition is arrogance and pride, and whose action is stubbornness and deviation from truth and veracity, will fail in all good things and lose all forms of happiness.

Know that when God Almighty decreed failure for him and described him as obstinate and reviling, He described the manner of his punishment with several things:

The First: His saying: {Behind him is Hell} (Min warā’ihi jahannam). There is a difficulty here: the meaning is that Hell is in front of him, so how is the word warā’ (behind) used for what is in front?

They answered this in several ways:

1. The word warā’ is a name for what is concealed from you. Front and back are both concealed from you, so it is correct to use the word warā’ for both. The poet said:

   Perhaps the distress you are in now, Behind it will be a near relief. It is also said: Death is behind everyone.

2. Abu Ubaydah and Ibn as-Sikkit said: Al-warā’ is one of the opposites, applying to both the back and the front. The reason is that everything that is behind can be turned to the front, and vice versa, so it is permissible for the word warā’ to apply to the front. This is similar to His saying: {And behind them was a king who seized} (Al-Kahf: 79), meaning in front of them. It is also said: Death is from behind a person.
3. Ibn al-Anbari said: Warā’ means 'after'. The poet said:

   And there is no path for a person after God. Meaning, there is no path after God.

If this is established, we say that He decreed failure for him in His saying: {and every obstinate reviler failed}. Then He said: {Behind him is Hell}, meaning: after the failure, he enters Hell.

The Second Type: Of what God Almighty mentioned regarding the state of this disbeliever is His saying: {And he will be given to drink water of pus * He will sip it but can scarcely swallow it} (16). There are several questions regarding this:

The First Question: What is wa-yusqā (and he will be given to drink) connected to? Answer: To an omitted phrase, estimated as: Behind him is Hell, where he will be thrown, and he will be given to drink water of pus.

The Second Question: The punishment of the people of the Fire is in many forms; why was this specific state mentioned? Answer: It seems this state is the most severe type of torment, so it was singled out for mention, along with His saying: {Death will come to him from every direction, but he will not die}.

The Third Question: What is the meaning of {water of pus} (mā’in ṣadīd)? Answer: It is an apposition (‘aṭf bayān). The meaning is: When He said {he will be given to drink water}, it is as if it was asked, "What is that water?" He replied: {pus}. Ṣadīd is what flows from the skin of the people of Hell. It is also said that the meaning is: he will be given to drink water like pus. This is by God creating in Hell something resembling pus in stench, thickness, and filth, or it is pus itself, because its repulsiveness prevents its consumption. This is like His saying: {and their intestines and skins will be boiled away} (Muhammad: 15), and {And if they call for aid, they will be aided with water like molten brass which scalds faces—an evil drink!} (Al-Kahf: 29).

The Fourth Question: What is the meaning of {He will sip it but can scarcely swallow it}? Answer: Yatajarra‘uhu (sipping) means taking the drink mouthful by mouthful continuously. It is said: The drink sāgha (went down) the throat, yasūghu sughūqan, and asāghahu isāghatan. Know that there are two opinions regarding yakādu (scarcely/hardly):

The First Opinion: That its negation is affirmation, and its affirmation is negation. So {and can scarcely swallow it} means he does swallow it after delay, because the Arabs say: Mā kadtu aqūmu (I hardly stood up), meaning I stood up after a delay. God Almighty said: {They slaughtered it, but could hardly do it} (Al-Baqarah: 7), meaning they did it after a delay. The evidence for the occurrence of swallowing is His saying: {through which is melted whatever is in their bellies and their skins} (Al-Hajj: 20), and melting does not occur except after swallowing. Furthermore, His saying {He will sip it} indicates that they swallowed the thing after the thing, so how can it be said afterward that he swallows it at all?

The Second Opinion: That kāda implies proximity. So {can scarcely swallow it} means he did not come close to swallowing it, so how could swallowing occur? This is like His saying: {He hardly saw it} (An-Nur: 40), meaning he did not come close to seeing it, so how could he see it?

If it is asked: You have already provided evidence for the occurrence of swallowing, so how can this opinion be reconciled with that? We answer with two replies:

1. The meaning is: He does not swallow all of it; it is as if he sips some, but the whole thing is not swallowed.
2. The evidence you mentioned only proves that some of that drink reached the disbeliever's interior, but that is not isāghah (easy swallowing), because isāghah in language means letting the drink pass down the throat with the acceptance of the soul and finding the drink palatable. The disbeliever sips that drink with aversion and does not swallow it easily, meaning he does not find it palatable nor drink it all at once. Based on these two interpretations, it is correct to interpret lā yakādu as a negation of proximity. God knows best.

The Third Type: Of what God Almighty mentioned regarding the threat to this disbeliever is His saying: {And death will come to him from every direction, but he will not die} (Ibrahim: 17). The meaning is that the causes of death surround him from all sides, yet he does not die. It is also said: from every part of his body.

The Fourth Type: His saying: {And behind him is a severe punishment} (‘adhābun ghalīẓ). There are two views here:

1. The meaning of ghalīẓ (severe/harsh) is that it is continuous and unending.
2. That at every moment he faces, he receives a punishment more severe than the previous one. Al-Mufaddal said: It is the cutting off of breaths and holding them within the bodies. God knows best.

**7 < {The likeness of those who disbelieve in their Lord is as ashes which the wind scatters fiercely on a stormy day. They have no power over anything they have earned. That is the extreme error. * Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He wills, He can remove you and bring forth a new creation. * And that is not difficult for Allah. } > 7

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The likeness of those who disbelieve in their Lord is as ashes which the wind scatters fiercely on a stormy day. They have no power over anything they have earned. That is the extreme error.

Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He wills, He can remove you and bring forth a new creation. And that is not difficult for Allah.