Surah Ibraheem 14:40
ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ
My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.
Tafsir of Ibraheem 14:40
Tafsir
Al-Kashshaf
Verse range: 14:40
{And from my descendants} Meaning: "and some of my descendants." This is a conjunction linked to the accusative in "make me" (*ij‘alnī*). He specified "some" because he knew, through God’s revelation, that there would be disbelievers among his descendants. This is confirmed by His saying: *"My covenant does not include the wrongdoers"* (Al-Baqarah: 124).
{And accept my supplication} Meaning: "accept my worship."
{And I will withdraw from you and what you call upon besides God} In the reading of Ubayy: "And for my parents" (*wa-li-abawayya*). Sa‘id ibn Jubayr read: "And for my parent" (*wa-li-wālidayya*), in the singular, meaning his father. Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may God be pleased with them both) read: "And for my children" (*wa-li-waladayya*), meaning Ishmael and Isaac. It was also read as *li-wuldayya* with a *damma* on the *waw*. *Wuld* is synonymous with *walad*, like *‘udm* and *‘adam*. It is also said to be the plural of *walad*, like *usud* (lions) for *asad*. In some codices, it is written: "And for my descendants" (*wa-li-dhurriyyatī*).
If you ask: How was it permissible for him to seek forgiveness for his parents when they were disbelievers? I say: It is among the things permissible by reason; its prohibition is only known through divine revelation. It is said he meant Adam and Eve. It is also said it was conditional upon their Islam. However, this is rejected by His saying: "...except for the saying of Abraham to his father, 'I will surely ask forgiveness for you'" (Al-Mumtahanah: 4). For if it were conditional upon Islam, it would have been a valid act of seeking forgiveness, beyond reproach. How, then, could he exclude a valid act of seeking forgiveness from the things in which Abraham is to be followed?
{The day the account is established} Meaning: "is fixed." This is a metaphor derived from the standing of a person over another. Evidence for this is the saying: "The war stood on its legs" (i.e., it became intense). Similar to this is their saying: "The sun stood" (*tarajjalat*), meaning it rose and its light became fixed, as if it were standing on a leg. It is also possible that the "standing" is attributed to the account metaphorically, or it may be like the expression: *"And ask the city"* (Yusuf: 82).
From Mujahid: God answered his prayers; none of his children worshipped an idol after his supplication. He made the city secure, provided its people with fruits, made him a leader, placed among his descendants those who establish prayer, showed him his rites, and accepted his repentance.
From Ibn ‘Abbas (may God be pleased with them both): Ta'if was originally part of the land of Palestine. When Abraham said: "Our Lord, I have settled [some of my descendants]..." (Ibrahim: 37), God lifted it and placed it where He placed it as a provision for the Sanctuary.