Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:74

When they answered him with the response of those who imitate their forefathers, he said to them: "Trace this imitation of yours to its ultimate end—which is the worship of the earliest ancestors." For precedence and priority are no proof of truth, and falsehood does not become truth through antiquity. The worship of these idols is nothing but the worship of one’s own enemies. The meaning of "enmity" is as the Almighty said: "Nay, they will deny their worship and become opponents to them" (Maryam: 82). Furthermore, the one who incites their worship is the greatest enemy of man: Satan.

He said, "An enemy to me," framing the matter within himself, meaning: "I reflected upon my own state and saw that my worship of them would be the worship of an enemy, so I avoided it and chose the worship of the One from whom all good comes." By this, he showed them that it was a piece of advice he first gave to himself, upon which he built the management of his own affairs, so that they might look and say: "Abraham did not advise us except with what he advised himself, and he did not desire for us anything but what he desired for his own soul." This is more conducive to their acceptance and more likely to make them listen. Had he said, "He is an enemy to you," it would not have carried the same weight. It falls under the category of allusion (ta‘rid), and allusion can sometimes reach the one being advised in a way that explicit statement cannot, because it invites reflection, and reflection may lead to acceptance.

• "Enemy" and "Friend": These are used in the sense of both the singular and the collective. He said:
  • And a people upon me, possessing malice, I see them as an enemy, though they were friends.
  • From this is the Almighty’s saying: "They are an enemy to you" (Al-Kahf: 50), likened to verbal nouns for the sake of balance, like qabul (acceptance), wulu‘ (eagerness), hanin (yearning), and sahil (neighing).

• "Except the Lord of the Worlds": This is an interrupted exception (istithna' munqati‘), as if he said: "But the Lord of the Worlds [is my God]."

• "He guides me": He means that when He completed his creation and breathed the spirit into him, He followed that with His continuous guidance—which never ceases—toward everything that benefits him and concerns him. Otherwise, who guided him to nourish himself with blood in the womb by absorption? Who guided him to recognize the breast upon birth and to know its location? Who guided him to the method of suckling? And other such guidances for livelihood and the Hereafter.

• "And when I am ill": He said maridtu (I am ill) rather than amradani (He made me ill) because many causes of illness occur due to man’s negligence in his food, drink, and other matters. Hence, the sages said: "If it were said to most of the dead, 'What was the cause of your death?' they would say: 'Indigestion.'"

• "My sins": It is read as khatayaya (my sins). The intent is the minor slips that occasionally occur, for the Prophets are infallible and chosen above all worlds. It is said these refer to his sayings: "I am sick," "Nay, the biggest of them did it," and his saying to Sarah, "She is my sister." These are nothing but allusive speech and imaginings for the sake of the disbelievers; they are not sins for which forgiveness is sought.

• If you ask: If only minor slips occur from them—which are already expiated—why did he attribute a sin or sins to himself and hope they would be forgiven?
• I say: The answer is what I previously stated: the seeking of forgiveness by the Prophets is an act of humility before their Lord and a belittling of their own selves. This is indicated by his saying, "I hope," without asserting the certainty of forgiveness. It is also a lesson for their nations, a kindness to them to avoid sins, to be wary of them, and to seek forgiveness for what they might commit.

• If you ask: Why did he link the forgiveness of the sin to the Day of Judgment, when it is forgiven in this world?
• I say: Because its effect becomes manifest on that Day, whereas now it is hidden and unknown.