| | Shabbir Ahmed rendition of Surah Abraham(Ibrahim)
--- |
|---|
| 14:1 | | A.L.R. Alif. Laam. Ra. Allah Aleem the Knower, Raziq the Provider. A Divine Writ is this that We have revealed to you (O Prophet). So that you may bring forth all mankind, by their Sustainer's leave, out of darkness into Light. On to the Way that leads to the Almighty, the Owner of all praise. (14:5), (33:43) |
| 14:2 | | Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. (His Commands must govern your social order as they govern the Universe). Therefore, those who reject His Guidance, incur an awful retribution |
| 14:3 | | They choose the life of this world as the sole object of their love, preferring it to the life to come, and debar people from the Path of Allah. (They oppose reform in order to protect their vested interests). They try to make the Straight Path crooked. They have indeed gone far astray |
| 14:4 | | We never sent a Messenger who did not speak the language of his people, so that he might make the Message clear to them. People go astray or attain guidance according to Allah's Laws (4:88). He is Almighty, Wise |
| 14:5 | | (Moses spoke the language of his people.) We sent him with Our Messages, saying, "Bring your people from darkness to Light and remind them of the days of Allah (when different nations earned His Blessings). Verily, there are lessons in the history of nations for those who are steadfast in their resolve to rise as a community and wish that their efforts be fruitful." (SHUKR or gratefulness is not just the verbal proclamation of 'Thank God!' It pertains to our efforts bearing fruit, and then our sharing of the fruit of success with the servants of Allah) |
| 14:6 | | And, Moses spoke thus to his people, "Remember Allah's Blessing upon you when he saved you from Pharaoh's people. They used to persecute you, and were killing your sons and sparing your women. From your Lord's Law of Requital that was a tremendous hardship on you." |
| 14:7 | | Your Lord proclaimed, "If you become practically grateful (by establishing a system where everyone equitably receives the Divine Bounties), I will give you more. And if you violated this Law, remember that My Requital is strict." |
| 14:8 | | Moses made it clear to his people that obedience to the Divine Commands was only good for them, "If you deny the Truth, you and all those who live in the earth, know that Allah is indeed Self-sufficient, Owner of Praise." |
| 14:9 | | "Has not the history of the previous nations reached you? Of Noah and Aad and Thamud, and others who came after them, known only to Allah? (Their histories not known to people). Their Messengers came to them with clear evidence of the Truth, but the people tried to smother their voice, saying, "We reject what you have been sent with. We are in great doubt concerning your call." |
| 14:10 | | Their Messengers said, "Can there be any doubt about Allah, the Initiator of the Highs and the Lows? He only calls you that He may grant you the protection of His forgiveness, to save you from trailing behind in humanity and to sustain your community for a long time." They said, "You are but mortals like us! You want us to turn away from the way our ancestors used to worship. Then bring us a convincing miracle?" (Allah is far too Glorious from feeling offended by idol worship in any form. But submitting to false deities and 'authorities' is the root cause of inequities in any society, such as superstition, exploitation, ritualism and division of humanity into castes and sects, and the resulting violation of human rights. That is why all Messengers of God began their mission by calling people to the worship and obedience of the One True God) |
| 14:11 | | Without exception their Messengers said to them, "Yes, we are human beings like you. Allah gives His grace of Revelation to whom He chooses among His servants. We work within the Laws of Allah that preclude the performance of supernatural miracles." (The right way to attain firm belief is reflecting at the Universe, within our own selves, at the accounts of history, and upon these verses. That is the general approach of the Book). "Then you can attain the belief whence you can firmly put your trust in the never changing Laws of Allah." |
| 14:12 | | "Why should we not put our trust in Allah? Even in the face of your persecution, we walk the path we have been shown, with uncompromising resolve. All those who wish to entrust the results of their actions with someone, must put their ultimate trust in the Laws of Allah." |
| 14:13 | | The rejecters resorted to threatening the Messengers, "We will banish you from our land unless you join our religion." Then their Lord revealed to them, "Verily, Our Law of Requital will bring low those who try to displace truth with falsehood and insist on running oppressive systems." |
| 14:14 | | "And verily We will establish you in the land after them. This reward is for those who recognize My Majesty and My Warning, and thus respect the Permanent Values given by Me." |
| 14:15 | | The Messengers earnestly sought help from their Lord, and every stubborn tyrant ended up frustrated |
| 14:16 | | Behind every stubborn tyrant, the enemy of Truth, is the Hell of his own making and before him is the drink of distress. (Such people hinder their own development and forfeit inner peace in this life as well (47:15)) |
| 14:17 | | How difficult it is to swallow the bitterness of self-imposed failure! A life unlived, a mere survival, neither living nor dead (20:74), (87:13). What a heavy retribution |
| 14:18 | | Here is a similitude. The works of those who live rejecting the Permanent Values of their Lord are like ashes that the wind blows away on a stormy day. They gain naught for their deeds (13:17). That is the outcome of following trails that lead nowhere (14:24-26) |
| 14:19 | | Have you not realized that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with a sublime Purpose? If He Will, He can do away with you and bring a new creation. (4:133), (7:146), (9:39), (47:38) |
| 14:20 | | Implementation of His Laws is not at all difficult for Allah |
| 14:21 | | All mankind will appear before Allah. Then the ones who had disabled their minds with blind following will say to their 'self-glorified' leaders, "We used to follow you. Can you divert some of the requital from us?" The leaders will respond, "If Allah had guided us, we would have guided you. Ah, it is too late! Now it makes no difference whether we panic in grief or try to bear it in patience, there is no escape for us." (It is noteworthy here that Satan had brought the same argument that his Lord sent him astray (7:16)) |
| 14:22 | | Satan (their selfish desires) will disown them after the Judgment has been issued, "Verily Allah promised you a true promise; and I promised you and failed you. And I had no power over you except that I called unto you and you obeyed me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. Neither can I help you, nor can you help me. I refuse to accept that you worshiped me ever." Verily, for those who displace trust with betrayal is a painful doom |
| 14:23 | | And those who attained belief and augmented the human potential, will be admitted to the Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein abiding by their Lord's Leave. Their greeting therein is, "Peace!" |
| 14:24 | | See! Allah teaches you by an example. A Goodly Word! The Divine Ideology is like a good tree firmly rooted in the earth and its branches are swinging high in the heaven. (This Ideology ensures blessings in both lives. Also, it guarantees prosperity in the earth under Heavenly Guidance) |
| 14:25 | | The tree of this Ideology bears fruit in all seasons by Leave of its Lord. Allah gives examples to mankind that they may reflect |
| 14:26 | | And the example of an evil ideology is that of a bad tree that gets easily uprooted from the surface of the earth, and it has no stability. (It is neither firmly rooted, nor reaches any heights) |
| 14:27 | | Allah strengthens those who accept (the good tree of) Divine Ideology in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. Allah's Law sends astray those who displace truth with falsehood. And Allah does everything according to His Laws |
| 14:28 | | Have you not seen those who respond to the blessings of Allah with ingratitude and lead their people to an abode of utter desolation? (They show ingratitude by holding on to Allah's blessings for themselves, and exhort their people to do the same) |
| 14:29 | | Hell, which they will have to endure, what an evil place to stay |
| 14:30 | | They set up rivals to Allah that they may mislead people from His Path. (They take "Imams" as their authorities instead of the Word of Allah, thus setting up rivals to Him). Tell them, "Enjoy life while you may, for your sure destination is the Fire." |
| 14:31 | | (O Prophet) "Tell My servants to establish and consolidate the Divine System and spend of the provision We have given them, on others, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes wherein there shall be no trading of deeds nor friendship be of avail." (2:254) |
| 14:32 | | (Think about the Source of your wealth and provision). Allah it is Who has created the heavens and the earth, and sends down water from the sky, thereby producing fruit and vegetation as provision for you. And He makes ships and boats to be of service to you that they sail in the sea by His Command, and has made of service to you the rivers |
| 14:33 | | And makes the sun and the moon, both of them constant on their courses. And committed the night and the day to serve you |
| 14:34 | | And He gives you all that you would be asking Him for (55:29). If you count the blessings of Allah's provision (they are so diverse that) never will you be able to number them. But verily, man when practically ingrate, is a wrongdoer to himself. (He is given to greed and hoarding) |
| 14:35 | | (Mankind needs Divine Guidance to be saved from selfishness and greed. To teach justice and equity among people Abraham founded the Sacred Center (2:125)). Recall that Abraham said, "My Lord! Make this a peaceful land and preserve me and my children from worshiping idols in any form." |
| 14:36 | | "My Lord! The keepers of these idols and temples mislead a great many people. Whoever will follow me, will be of me, as the relationships would stand on Ideology (2:124), (60:4). Anyone who rebels against me, his or her case shall be with You. You are Forgiving, Merciful. You provide sustenance indiscriminately (11:15)." |
| 14:37 | | "Our Lord! I have settled some of my family in this barren, plant-less valley by your Sacred House. Our Lord! They are here to establish the Divine System. Give them the nobility of character so that the hearts of people incline toward them. Provide for them so that they may focus on their Mission and show gratitude by sharing Your heavenly and earthly blessings ." |
| 14:38 | | "Our Lord! You know our intentions and proclamations. Nothing is hidden from Allah in the Low and High." |
| 14:39 | | "All Praise to Allah Who has given me sons like Ishmael and Isaac in later age! My Lord is indeed the Hearer of prayer." |
| 14:40 | | "My Lord! Enable me and my children to establish the Divine System. Our Sustainer! And (earnestly do I ask) accept the prayer." |
| 14:41 | | Our Lord! Grant the shelter of forgiveness to me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the final reckoning comes to pass." (9:114) |
| 14:42 | | Deem not that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing. He but gives them respite. They will stare in horror on the Day when all their deeds will reach their logical conclusion |
| 14:43 | | They will be on the run to and fro with their heads uplifted in tension as they stare at what they behold, and their hearts vacant of all hope |
| 14:44 | | Hence, warn mankind of the Day when this suffering may befall them, and every violator of the Divine Commands will long for a little more respite, saying, "Our Lord! Give us a little time. We will obey Your Message and follow the Messengers." The answer will be given, "Did you not use to swear before that there shall be no decline of status for you?" |
| 14:45 | | "You dwelled in the homes and towns where people before you had dwelt and wronged themselves oppressing the weak. And you were made well aware of how Our Law of Requital dealt with them. And We gave you plenty of examples." |
| 14:46 | | Their schemes, all recorded with Allah, were strong enough to intimidate the strongest of resolves. But, since their schemes were pitched against the Divine Laws, they utterly failed |
| 14:47 | | So think not that Allah could ever fail to keep His Promise to His Messengers. Verily, Allah is Mighty, the Lord of just requital |
| 14:48 | | The Day will come when this earth will be replaced with a new earth, and the heavens also will be changed, and they will come forth unto Allah, the One, the Dominating. (And before that, as the caravan of humanity journeys forward, people will witness a total metamorphosis in their political and social systems, a brand new environment where the Universal Law of the One Mighty, Dominating God will prevail (9:31-33),(18:48), (48:28), (61:9)) |
| 14:49 | | And even before the Day of Resurrection, the Divine System will be established on earth and the guilty will not be able to commit bloody crimes on earth, nor will they be able to steal the fruit of the toil of others. They will be effectively immobilized |
| 14:50 | | They will be drenched in the flames of their own igniting, feeling as if the coal tar is stuck on their whole existence |
| 14:51 | | Justice will be swift in the Divine Order, so that everyone is paid a quick recompense and peace remains undisturbed. Allah is Swift at reckoning |
| 14:52 | | This is a clear Message for all mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God. Let those who are endowed with insight take this to heart. (Danger signs have been posted on the highway of life as the caravan of humanity moves along to the Noble goal of Peace. God is the Sustainer and Cherisher of all humanity and His Law is Supreme (1:1), (114:1). Men and women of understanding and discernment, and those of history, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and those in positions of authority must pay heed to what their Lord is telling them (9:31-33), (14:48), (18:48), (48:28), (61:9)) |
