QURAN SUMMARY: IBRAHIM

NAME: إبراهيم, Ibrahim.

Name taken from Verse 35 where there is a mention of “Prophet Ibrahim”.

٣٥  وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَنْ نَعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ

35  And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.

But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.

ENGLISH NAME: Abraham.

CHAPTER NUMBER: 14

SURAH IBRAHIM TOTAL VERSES: 52

SURAH IBRAHIM TOTAL WORDS: 830

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 507

TOTAL LETTERS: 3,539

REVELATION PERIOD:

Meccan, Approx. 619 – 622 AD. 

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Moses, Satan/Devil, Ibrahim, Believers, Wrong doers.

SURAH IBRAHIM MAIN TOPICS:

Prophets Always Spoke Language Of The People They Were Sent, God based the Creation In Truth, Satan/Devil Has No Control Over Human Beings, Example Of Good Word And Bad Word Like A Good/Bad Tree, Ibrahim Prayer For Mecca City For Himself And All Muslims, Scene & Terror In Hashr/Last Day.

SURAH IBRAHIM KEY VERSES:

٤  وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ۖ فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

4  And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

١٨  مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ ۖ أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ ۖ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ

18  The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is [that] their deeds are like ashes which the wind blows forcefully on a stormy day; they are unable [to keep] from what they earned a [single] thing. That is what is extreme error.

٢٢  وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدْتُكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا أَنْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي ۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ۖ مَا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِيَّ ۖ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۗ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

22  And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, “Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allah] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.”

٤٢  وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ

42  And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror].

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1-3(Quran Revealed To Bring Mankind Out Of Darkness), 4(Prophets Always Spoke Language Of The People They Were Sent), 5-8(Prophet Moses Was Sent To Bring Out his People From Darknesses Into the Light), 7-9(no Difference to God Even if all People of Earth Become Nonbelievers), 10-12(Dialogue Between the Prophets and Their Nations), 18(the Example of Those Who Disbelieve in Their Lord Is [That] Their Deeds Are Like Ashes Which the Wind Blows Forcefully on a Stormy Day; They Are Unable [To Keep] From What They Earned a Single Thing), 19-22 (God Based the Creation in Truth, Last Day Dialogues Between Weak Followers And Arrogant Leaders), 22(Satan/Devil Has No Control Over Human Beings – He Only Invites And People Follow), 23( Greeting in Paradise Will Be, “Peace!), 24-26(Example Of Good Word And Bad Word Like A Good/Bad Tree: Good Tree, Whose Root Is Firmly Fixed and its Branches [High] in the Sky. It Produces its Fruit All the Time and Bad Tree, Uprooted From the Surface of the Earth, Not Having any Stability), 35-41(Ibrahim Prayer For Mecca City and for Himself and all Muslims), 42-43(Never Think That Allah Is Unaware of the Unjust, or That He Will Ever Break his Promise, Scene & Terror in Hashr/Last Day), 48-50(Earth Will Be Replaced by Another Earth, Criminals In Chains) 51-52(This Quran and These Specific Verses Are a Notification for all Mankind)

SURAH IBRAHIM BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND

This Surah has 52 verses divided into 7 Rukus/Sections. This Surah was revealed in Mecca and named after Prophet Abraham who prays to God in verses 35 to 41. It was revealed in a later stage of Prophet Muhammad preaching in Mecca when persecution had become severe.

The major theme of this Surah is the Revelation of God that lead humankind from darkness to light and warning and admonition showing the severity of God’s punishments. In the last portion Surah narrates Ibrahim/Abraham Prayer for Mecca City, for himself and for all Muslims. Lastly, the Surah ends with a depiction of scene & terror of the Last Day.

Bukhari recorded from Ibn Abbas that he said: “When Prophet Abraham was thrown into the fire, he said: ‘حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ – Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and, He is the Best Disposer of affairs.‘ So did Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH), when he was told: ‘A great army of the disbelievers had gathered against him, so fear them’. But this (warning) only increased him and the Muslims in Faith and they said: ‘حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ God (Alone) is sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of our affairs (3:173).