Al-Baqarah: (126) And [mention] when Abraham said...

This is the third category of Abraham's (peace be upon him) situations recounted by Allah here. Al-Qadi noted that there is a rearrangement (of sequence) in these verses. The statement, "My Lord, make this a secure city," could only be made after the city came into existence. What follows, "And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House" (Al-Baqarah: 128), although later in recitation, precedes it in meaning. Here are several issues:

Issue 1: The Meaning of the Verse

The verse implies Abraham's supplication for the believers residing in Mecca, asking for security and abundance (provisions), as Mecca is a land without cultivation or planting. Without security, provisions would not be brought there, making life difficult. Allah answered his prayer, making it safe from calamities; no tyrant reached it except that Allah destroyed him, as happened with the People of the Elephant.

Answer: His primary objective was not the destruction of the Ka'bah itself, but something else.

Answer (in several aspects):

1. If the world is sought to gain strength for practicing religion, it becomes one of the greatest pillars of religion. If the city is secure and fertile, its inhabitants can dedicate themselves to obeying Allah. If the opposite is true, they will be preoccupied accordingly.
2. Allah made it a sanctuary for people, and people can only travel to it if the roads are safe and provisions are inexpensive.
3. It is plausible that security and fertility encourage people to travel to that city, where they witness the revered sacred rites and honored stations. Thus, security and fertility become the means for their connection to that obedience.

Issue 2: The Meaning of "a Secure City" (بلدا آمنا)

This phrase has two interpretations:

1. Safe within it, similar to His saying: "in a pleasing life" (فى عيشة راضية), meaning pleasing.
2. It refers to the people of the city, similar to "And ask the town" (واسئل القرية), meaning its people. This is a figurative usage (metaphor) because security and fear affect inhabitants, not the physical structure of the city.

Issue 3: Differences of Opinion Regarding the Security Requested

Scholars differed on the nature of the security Abraham requested:

1. Security from drought, because he settled his family in a valley without crops or vegetation.
2. Security from sinking (earth swallowing) and transformation (of appearance).
3. Security from killing, according to Abu Bakr al-Razi. He argued that Abraham first asked for security, then for sustenance. If the requested security was freedom from drought, asking for sustenance afterward would be redundant. He points to the verse here: "My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits," and another verse: "My Lord, make this a secure city," followed later by: "Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your Sacred House... and provide them with fruits" (Ibrahim: 37).

Critique of this argument: This reasoning is weak, as one could argue the requested security was freedom from sinking/transformation, or that security from drought could be achieved either by providing necessary food or by ensuring great abundance. Thus, the first request removes the drought, and the second requests great abundance.

Issue 4: Whether Mecca was Sacred and Secure Before Abraham's Supplication

Scholars differed on whether Mecca was inherently sacred before Abraham's prayer or only became so through it:

1. It was always sacred. This is supported by the Prophet's saying: "Allah made Mecca sacred the day He created the heavens and the earth." Furthermore, Abraham said: "Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in a valley without cultivation near Your Sacred House" (Ibrahim: 37), implying it was already sacred before. Abraham then reinforced this sanctity with his supplication.
2. It only became a secure sanctuary through Abraham's supplication. Before that, it was like other lands. Evidence cited is the Prophet's saying: "O Allah, I have made Medina sacred just as Abraham made Mecca sacred."
3. It was sacred before the supplication, but in a different way than it became sacred afterward. The first sanctity was by Allah preventing aggression and instilling reverence in people's hearts. The second sanctity was by divine command through the mouths of the Messengers.

Issue 5: The Difference Between "a Secure City" (بلدا آمنا) and "This Secure City" (هاذا البلد امنا)

The use of the indefinite form in this Surah and the definite form in Surah Ibrahim is explained by two reasons:

1. Timing of the Supplication: The first supplication occurred when the place had not yet been established as a city; he was essentially saying, "Make this valley a secure city," consistent with his statement: "I have settled some of my descendants in a valley without cultivation" (Ibrahim: 37). The second supplication occurred after it had become a city, so he was saying, "Make this place, which You have made a city, possess security," like saying, "I made this man secure."
2. Emphasis (Mubalaghah): If both supplications occurred after it became a city, then "Make this a secure city" (اجعل هاذا بلدا آمنا) means, "Make this city a city that is secure," similar to saying, "The day was a hot day." The indefinite form implies exaggeration in describing its security—making it one of the most complete cities in security. In contrast, "Make this secure city safe" (رب اجعل هاذا البلد امنا) only requests security, not exaggeration.

This means Abraham asked that provisions be brought to the inhabitants of Mecca. Allah answered him, and fruits of everything began to be brought to Mecca.

The phrase "from the fruits" (من الثمرات) implies that he asked for provisions specifically for the believing people (أهله), similar to: "And [due] to Allah is the pilgrimage to the House for the people who can afford the journey to it" (Al 'Imran: 97).

Since Allah informed him that among them would be disbelievers ("My covenant does not include the wrongdoers" (Al-Baqarah: 124)), he rightly restricted his supplication to the believers, excluding the disbelievers. This restriction is based on both explicit text (Nass) and logical inference (Qiyas).

• Nass: His saying: "So do not grieve over the disbelieving people" (Al-Ma'idah: 124).
• Qiyas (Inference):
  1. When he asked that the Imamate be in his descendants, Allah replied: "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers" (Al-Baqarah: 124). This served as a lesson in his supplication. Since Allah distinguished believers from disbelievers regarding the Imamate, it is logical to restrict this supplication to the believers. Furthermore, Allah informed him about the fate of the disbelievers: "and grant them enjoyment for a little while." This highlights the difference between prophethood/Imamate and worldly provision. The station of prophethood and Imamate is unsuitable for the wicked, as it requires strong resolve and patience through trials to convey Allah's commands and prohibitions without being swayed by blame or tyranny. However, sustenance is not inappropriate to grant to the obedient and the disobedient, the truthful and the hypocrite. For the believer, Paradise is his abode; for the disbeliever, Hell is his resting place.
  2. Abraham might have strongly suspected that if he prayed for everyone, the disbelievers would become numerous, leading to corruption and harm that would deter people from performing Hajj. Therefore, he restricted the supplication to the believers for this reason.

This contains two issues:

Issue 1: Recitation Ibn 'Amir recited it with a quiescent mīm (فَأَمْتَعْهُ), derived from the verb amta'a (to grant enjoyment). The rest recite it with a stressed, open mīm (فَأَمْتَّعَهُ), derived from matta'a (to grant prolonged enjoyment). The stressed form implies greater duration compared to the light form.

Issue 2: Meaning of Enjoyment It is said this enjoyment refers to:

1. Sustenance.
2. Duration in this world.
3. Both, until the advent of Muhammad (peace be upon him), who would either kill them or expel them from those lands if they persisted in disbelief.

The meaning is that Allah is saying: Even though you restricted your supplication to the believers, I will grant the disbeliever enjoyment of immediate worldly benefits, not withholding them as a favor to the believers, until his lifespan is complete, at which point I will seize him, and then compel him to the punishment of the Fire.

What Allah grants the disbeliever in this world is considered little (قليلا) because it is confined to the duration of his life, which, when measured between eternity past and eternity future, is extremely brief. The essence is that the believer's blessing in this world is connected to the blessing in the Hereafter, unlike the disbeliever, whose worldly blessing ceases at death, and he faces the Hereafter.

There are two views on the meaning of idhtirar (compulsion):

1. Forcing something unavoidable: This is like what Allah says: "The Day they will be dragged into the Fire of Hell" (Al-Qamar: 48), and "On the Day they will be dragged into the Fire upon their faces." It is said: Adtartuhu ila al-amr (I compelled him to the matter) meaning I forced and drove him to it against his will. Its root is darra, meaning to bring something close to another, like a co-wife (darrat) being close to the husband.
2. Forcing a choice through threat: Compulsion means that through fear and warning, the doer is brought to perform that action willingly (or seemingly willingly), as in "but whoever is forced by necessity, neither desiring [it] nor transgressing beyond necessity" (Al-Baqarah: 173). Here, he is described as compelled to consume carrion, even though the act of eating is his own doing. In our context, it means Allah will force him to choose the Fire and dwell in it by making him aware that if he tried to escape, he would be prevented. Such a person is made to fall into the Fire.

Then Allah clarifies that this is "an evil destination" (بئس المصير), because the best destination is where pleasure and joy are attained, and the evil destination is its opposite.

7 < { And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept this from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing. * Our Lord, and make us Muslims [submitting] to You and from our descendants a community [that is] Muslim to You. And show us our rites, and relent toward us. Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful. * Our Lord, and send to them a Messenger from among them who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise." } > 7

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