Ibrāhīm (Abraham): (Verses 35–36)

And when Abraham said...

Know that after the Almighty established through the preceding proofs that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah (Exalted is He), and that worshipping anyone other than Him is absolutely impermissible (Page V19 P103), He recounts the intensity of Abraham’s (peace be upon him) denial of idol worship.

Know also that the Almighty recounts that Abraham (peace be upon him) requested several things from Allah:

1. His saying: {My Lord, make this city secure} (35). The intended meaning is Mecca, making it a place of security (āminan dhā amni).

If it is asked: What is the difference between saying, "Make this a secure land" (baladan āminan) and "Make this city secure" (hādhā al-balada āminan)?

We reply: In the first instance, he asked that it be counted among the lands whose inhabitants are safe and without fear. In the second instance, he asked that the quality it possessed—which was fear—be removed, and its opposite, security, be established. It is as if he said: "It is a feared city, so make it secure." This has already been explained in Sūrat al-Baqarah.

2. His saying: {And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols} (35). Regarding this, there are several issues:

The word {واجنبنى} (wajannibnī) has been recited in three ways: jannabahu, ajannabahu, and jannabahu. Al-Farrā’ said: The people of Hijāz use the lightened form jannibnī yujannibunī. The people of Najd say jannibnī sharrahu and ajannibnī sharrahu. Its origin is making something separate from another, placing it on a side or margin.

One might raise objections to this verse from several angles:

• First Objection: Abraham (peace be upon him) prayed for Mecca to be secure, yet Allah did not accept his prayer, as a group of people destroyed the Ka‘bah and raided Mecca.
  • Second Objection: Prophets (peace be upon them) absolutely do not worship idols. If this is the case, what is the benefit of his saying, "Keep me away from worshipping idols"?
  • Third Objection: He asked Allah not to make his offspring idol worshippers, yet Allah did not accept his prayer, as the disbelievers of Quraysh were among his descendants, and they worshipped idols.

If they argue: That they were not his direct sons but the sons of his sons, and the prayer was specific to the sons.

We reply: If the intended meaning of "sons" (abnā’) was his direct offspring, they were only Ishāq and Ismā‘īl, who were among the greatest prophets, and it is known that prophets do not worship idols. Thus, the question returns: What is the benefit of this supplication?

The Answer to the First Objection (Regarding the Security of Mecca) is twofold:

1. It is narrated that upon finishing the building of the Ka‘bah, he made this supplication, meaning: Make that land secure from destruction.
   2. The meaning is to make its people secure, similar to the verse: {And ask the town} (Yūsuf: 82), meaning the people of the town. This second interpretation is favored by most commentators. Under this interpretation, the answer is twofold:
      • First Way: It refers to the specific, increased security Mecca possessed, such that a fearful person, upon taking refuge in Mecca, became safe. People with intense enmity would meet in Mecca without fearing one another. This includes the security of wild animals, which would approach people when in Mecca but be wary of them outside it. This type of security was established in Mecca, so the supplication must refer to it.
      • Second Way: The meaning of {Make this city secure} is by decree and judgment (al-amr wa al-ḥukm) that it be secure, and this decree and judgment are certainly established.

The Answer to the Second Objection (Regarding Avoiding Idol Worship):

Al-Zajjāj said the meaning is: "Establish me in avoiding their worship," similar to His saying: {And make us Muslims to You} (Al-Baqarah: 128), meaning, establish us upon Islam.

One might object: The question remains, since it is known that Allah establishes the prophets (peace be upon them) in avoiding idol worship, what is the benefit of this request?

The correct answer, in my view, is twofold:

1. Although Abraham (peace be upon him) knew that Allah would protect him from idol worship, he mentioned it out of humility (haḍm al-nafs) and to show his need and destitution for Allah’s grace in all matters.
   2. The Sufis say that Shirk (polytheism) has two types: Shirk Jali (manifest), which the polytheists profess, and Shirk Khafi (hidden), which is (Page V19 P104) attaching the heart to intermediaries and apparent causes. Pure monotheism (Tawḥīd) is when one’s gaze is cut off from intermediaries, seeing no actor except the Truth (Exalted and Majestic is He). It is possible that his saying, {And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols}, means protecting him from this hidden Shirk. And Allah knows best His intent.

The Answer to the Third Objection (Regarding His Sons):

1. The author of Al-Kashshāf said: By "my sons" (wa bunayya), he meant his direct offspring. The benefit of this supplication is the very benefit we mentioned regarding {Keep me away}.
   2. Some said he meant all his descendants—sons and grandsons—who were present at the time of the supplication, and there is no doubt that his prayer was answered for them.
   3. Mujāhid said: None of Abraham’s offspring worshipped an idol. An idol (ṣanam) is a sculpted image; what is not sculpted is a mere object of veneration (wathan). The disbelievers of Quraysh did not worship sculpted images; they worshipped specific stones and specific trees. This answer is not strong, because Abraham (peace be upon him) could not have intended by this supplication anything other than worshipping other than Allah, and stones are equivalent to idols in that regard.
   4. This supplication is specific to the believers among his offspring. The evidence is His saying at the end of the verse: {So whoever follows me—then he is of me}. This implies that whoever does not follow him in his religion is not of him. This is analogous to Allah’s saying to Noah: {He is not of your family; indeed, he is of unrighteous deeds} (Hūd: 46).
   5. Perhaps, although he made the supplication general, Allah answered it for some and not for others. This does not diminish the status of the prophets (peace be upon them). This is analogous to Allah’s saying regarding Abraham (peace be upon him): {He said, "And of my descendants?" He said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers"} (Al-Baqarah: 124).

Our companions (Ashā‘irah) used His saying: {And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols} as proof that disbelief and faith are from Allah. The argument is structured thus: Abraham (peace be upon him) asked Allah to keep him and his sons away from disbelief, which indicates that turning away from disbelief and toward faith is solely from Allah. The Mu‘tazilah’s assertion that this refers to divine favors (al-luṭf) is invalid because it deviates from the apparent meaning, and we have already presented many arguments invalidating this interpretation.

Then Allah recounts Abraham’s saying: {My Lord, indeed they have led astray many of the people} (36).

All groups agree that the word {أضللن} (aḍallan - they led astray) is metaphorical, because they are inanimate objects, and inanimate objects do nothing. However, since misguidance occurred through their worship, it is attributed to them, just as you say, "The world tempted me" (fattanatnī al-dunyā), meaning I was tempted by it or because of it.

Then He said: {So whoever follows me—then he is of me} (36). Meaning, whoever follows me in my religion and belief, then he is of me, meaning he follows my path due to his extreme closeness and affinity with me. {And whoever disobeys me—then indeed, You are Forgiving and Merciful} (36).

Our companions used this verse as proof that Abraham (peace be upon him) mentioned this statement with the purpose of interceding for the major sinners among his nation. The evidence is that His saying: {And whoever disobeys me—then indeed, You are Forgiving and Merciful} is explicit in requesting forgiveness and mercy for those disobedient ones.

We say: Those disobedient ones are either disbelievers or not. The first case is false for two reasons: 1. Abraham (peace be upon him) clarified in the introduction to this verse that he is absolved of the disbelievers, as in {And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols} and also {So whoever follows me—then he is of me}, which implies by its negative construction that whoever does not follow him in religion is not of him and he is not concerned with their rectification. 2. The Ummah agrees that intercession to remove the punishment for disbelief is impermissible. Since this is invalidated, it is established that {And whoever disobeys me—then indeed, You are Forgiving and Merciful} is intercession for the sinners who are not disbelievers.

If this is established, we say: That sin is either a minor sin (ṣaghīrah), a major sin (kabīrah) after repentance, or a major sin before repentance. The first and second are false because the word {whoever disobeys me} is absolute, so restricting it to minor sins is deviating from the apparent meaning. Furthermore, minor sins and major sins after repentance are necessarily forgivable according to our opponents, so the word cannot be applied to them. Thus, it is established that this verse is intercession to remove the punishment for major sinners before repentance.

If this intercession is established for Abraham (peace be upon him), then it is established for Muhammad (peace be upon him) for several reasons: 1. No one makes a distinction (between the two prophets). 2. This station is the highest of stations. If it was granted to Abraham (peace be upon him) but not to Muhammad (peace be upon him), it would be a deficiency in the status of Muhammad (peace be upon him). 3. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to follow the example of Abraham (peace be upon him), as Allah says: {Those are the ones whom Allah guided; so in their guidance follow} (Al-An‘ām: 90) and {Then We revealed to you, "Follow the religion of Abraham, inclining to truth} (An-Nahl: 123). This is a close path to establishing intercession for Muhammad (peace be upon him) and for removing punishment from those guilty of major sins. And Allah knows best.

Once this is known, let us mention the sayings of the commentators:

Al-Suddī said the meaning is: "And whoever disobeys me and then repents." It is said that this supplication was only before he knew that Allah does not forgive Shirk. It is said: Whoever disobeys me by persisting in disbelief, then You are Forgiving and Merciful, meaning You are capable of forgiving him and showing him mercy by transferring him from disbelief to Islam. It is said the meaning of this forgiveness is that He does not hasten punishment upon them but grants them respite until they repent, or that He does not hasten their demise so that repentance is missed.

Know that these interpretations are weak.

• Regarding the first: Carrying this intercession for sin conditional upon repentance, we have already refuted it.
  • Regarding the second: That this intercession was before he knew Allah does not forgive Shirk—we say this is also distant, because we demonstrated that the introduction to this verse indicates that Abraham (peace be upon him) could not have intended by this supplication to intercede for removing the punishment of disbelief.
  • Regarding the third: That the meaning of Him being {Forgiving and Merciful} is transferring him from disbelief to faith—this is also distant, because forgiveness and mercy imply the removal of punishment, and they do not imply the transfer from the state of disbelief to the state of faith. And Allah knows best.
  • Regarding the fourth: That forgiveness and mercy should be interpreted as hastening punishment or delaying the final reckoning—we say this is false, because the disbelievers of our time are more numerous, and Allah has not hastened punishment or death upon them, even though the Muslims agree that they are neither forgiven nor shown mercy. Thus, interpreting forgiveness and mercy as delaying the hastening of punishment is invalidated by this point, and the correctness of what we established through our proof is clear. And Allah knows best.

{My Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make the hearts of people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might become grateful.}

{Our Lord, indeed You know what we conceal and what we reveal. And nothing is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or in the heaven.}

{Praise be to Allah, who has granted me in old age Ishmā‘īl and Ishāq. Indeed, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.}

{My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [also] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.}

{Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the Account is established.}