• People are given only a respite for a fixed time

• The most miserable lot of the disbelievers on the Day of Reckoning

Ibrahim (Abraham) Verses 42 – 52

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

And think not God to be heedless of what the unjust ones do. He only respiteth them to a day when the eyes shall be fixed open1(staring up with terror), (14:42)

مُهْطِعِينَ مُقْنِعِي رُءُوسِهِمْ لَا يَرْتَدُّ إِلَيْهِمْ طَرْفُهُمْ وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَاءٌ

Running on with fear, their heads upraised, their eyes not reverting unto them and the hearts blank. (14:43)

وَأَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رَبَّنَا أَخِّرْنَا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُوا أَقْسَمْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ زَوَالٍ

And warn thou the people, of the day when shall come unto them the chastisement, then will say those who did injustice “O’ Our Lord! respite us yet for a short term, (that) we may respond unto Thy call and follow the apostles.” What! Were ye not wont to swear aforetime that there will not be for you any decline,2(14:44)

وَسَكَنْتُمْ فِي مَسَاكِنِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ كَيْفَ فَعَلْنَا بِهِمْ وَضَرَبْنَا لَكُمُ الْأَمْثَالَ

And ye dwelt in the abodes of those who did injustice unto themselves, and it was made clear unto you how We dealt with them and We have set forth examples for you. (14:45)

وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا مَكْرَهُمْ وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَكْرُهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُولَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ

And indeed they did devise their plots, but (all) within the view of God were their plots even though their plot was such (powerful one) as to move thereby mountains. (14:46)

فَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْلِفَ وَعْدِهِ رُسُلَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انْتِقَامٍ

And3think ye not that God will fail His apostles in His promise; Verily God is Mighty, the Lord of Retribution. (14:47)

يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الْأَرْضُ غَيْرَ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ وَبَرَزُوا لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different4earth, and (so will be) the heavens (too), and (all men) shall be marshalled forth unto God the One, the Dominant. (14:48)

وَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ

And thou wilt see the guilty (ones) on that day bound together in chains. (14:49)

سَرَابِيلُهُمْ مِنْ قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ

Their garments (shall be) of pitch and their faces covered with fire, (14:50)

لِيَجْزِيَ اللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

That God may recompense each soul (as) what it hath earned; Verily God is swift in reckoning. (14:51)5

هَٰذَا بَلَاغٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنْذَرُوا بِهِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

This is a clear message for the mankind and that they may be warned by it, that they may know that He is God, (the only) One and that the men of understanding may mind. (14:52)6

Commentary

Verse 42

Though the address is to the Holy Prophet, but it is meant for the people.

Verse 46

The comparison to the passing away of the mountains indicates the intensive power with which the disbelievers employed their plans. Islam and the ‘Shariat’, i.e., the Laws of Islam, are compared to mountains. It is prophecy about the permanence or the firm establishment of the faith, Islam, and its laws remaining ever unchanged as the mountains, the complete unshakable triumph and establishment of Islam and the teachings of the Holy Prophet, for they are divinely secured in the Holy Ahl al-Bayt to remain with them for ever in their original form and the correct meaning. It is the undertaking of God Himself.7 The world would try its best but would never succeed in wiping out the Light of God.8

Verse 48

Some commentators say the changing of this earth stands for the great change of the trans formation brought to effect by Islam which swept away all false beliefs and wickedness. But the Holy Imams say that this earth will be utterly changed into a totally new one.9

A thorough study of the verses referred to, supported by several authentic traditions of different tones, leaves no room for any doubt that the present earth and heavens in their evolutionary course of movement, there is there is a stage towards the total Resurrection Day, where all the terrestrial and the celestial distances will disappear and be changed into a different shape when the past, present and future will disappear and all will come together. There will be no physical barriers to separate them but they will be classified and judged in accordance to their spiritual and intellectual attainments which will come into evidence before God. (A.P.).

Conclusion

The Prayer of Abraham being the most prominent and the most discussed, the Sura is named after Abraham’s name:

Qur’an has been revealed for mankind to, take the people out of the darkness of ignorance about God, to the light of the true knowledge about Him, His authority over the whole universe. Apostles of God were sent to preach the truth in the respective languages of the people so that the matter might be fully understood and they may also spread the knowledge duly. Mankind is invited to remember the grace of God through which they were rescued from the calamities in the past.

Gratitude increases the blessings of God and ingratitude takes them away. Previous apostles of God were also ridiculed. Miracles could be wrought only at the independent will of the Lord and not whenever demanded merely by the curiosity or the arrogance of the people who had not taken any lesson from the miracles already wrought by the previous apostles to convince them. The punishment in Hell awaiting the disbelievers. The faithful depend only upon God and God always being with those who depend on Him.

The blissful life, the believers would enjoy in Paradise. Islam, the Holy Prophet, the Holy Imams compared to the Good Tree which shall bear fruit in all seasons. And the disbelievers, the Bani-Umayya compared to the Bad Tree which shall be cut away. The firmness in the faithful about their faith. God alone the Author or the Creator and the Supreme Lord of the whole universe. Abraham’s prayer. The mention of the people who prayed to be attached to the godly family of Abraham, i.e., the family of the Holy Prophet - The prophecy that Islam shall ever remain secured and unshakable like the mountain. This earth shall be changed into a totally new one.

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• 1. Refer also at the point of death.
• 2. Pass away.
• 3. God will never cease helping whom He has Himself sent Commissioned by Him for the guidance of the people - viz the Apostles and the Imams.
• 4. Refer to verses 21:104 & 39:67.
• 5. This is another repeated evidence of the Universality of Islam as the final religion revealed for mankind as a whole for all times and the Holy Prophet Muhammad being the last apostle of God for the whole of the human race.
• 6. Refer to verse 21:106.
• 7. See verse 15:9.
• 8. Refer to verse 61:8.
• 9. Umdat al-Bayan.