Context from Tafheem: Having concluded the critical address to the Children of Israel, the Quran now presents the counter-example and the true spiritual foundation. This section introduces Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) as the archetype of the pure monotheist (Hanif), who submitted to God entirely (Muslim). It establishes that the true legacy of Abraham is not based on ethnicity (through Isaac or Ishmael) but on faith and submission, thereby founding the creed of Islam and shifting the Qiblah (direction of prayer) to the Ka’bah he built.
سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)
آية 124
القرآن: وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
Translation: And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain words, and he fulfilled them. [God] said, “Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people.” [Abraham] said, “And from my descendants?” [God] said, “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.”
Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
Maududi explains this verse establishes the principle of spiritual leadership (Imamah).
· The Test: Abraham was tested with “certain words”—a series of profound commandments and trials (leaving his family, the sacrifice of his son, building the Ka’bah, etc.). He “fulfilled them” completely, demonstrating absolute obedience.
· The Reward – Leadership: As a reward, God appointed him a “leader for the people”—a spiritual guide and model for all humanity, not just a prophet to his own tribe.
· The Crucial Condition: When Abraham asked if this leadership would extend to his descendants, God’s reply is foundational: “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers (al-zalimin).” Maududi emphasizes that Zulm here primarily means Shirk (associating partners with God). This divine law shatters any notion of hereditary religious privilege. Leadership in faith is not a birthright; it is conditional upon righteousness and avoidance of Shirk.
آية 125
القرآن: وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ
Translation: And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], “Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are devoutly in prayer and those who bow and prostrate.”
Explanation:
This verse connects Abraham’s legacy directly to the Ka’bah in Mecca.
· The Status of the Ka’bah: God made the “House” (the Ka’bah) a “place of return”—a spiritual center people would continually turn to—and a “place of security.”
· The Standing Place of Abraham: Muslims are commanded to take “from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer.” Maududi explains this refers to the stone where Abraham stood while building the Ka’bah’s walls, now incorporated into the rites of Hajj and Umrah.
· The Original Purpose: Abraham and Ishmael were commanded to “purify” the House—both physically and spiritually—for the exclusive worship of the One God, for those who perform pilgrimage (Tawaf), engage in devotion, pray, and prostrate.
آية 126
القرآن: وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِمْ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرْ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ
Translation: And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits – whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day.” [God] said, “And whoever disbelieves – I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination.”
Explanation:
Abraham’s prayer for Mecca included both security, sustenance, and a spiritual condition: provision for “whoever of them believes.” God’s response affirms His universal law: disbelievers may enjoy temporary worldly provision, but their final destination is the Fire. This links the sanctity of the place to the faith of its inhabitants.
آية 127
القرآن: وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Translation: And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], “Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.”
Explanation: This depicts the physical establishment of the Ka’bah by Abraham and Ishmael, accompanied by a prayer for God’s acceptance—a model of sincere devotion and partnership in faith.
آية 128
القرآن: رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
Translation: “Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites [of worship] and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.”
Explanation: Maududi highlights this as the definitive prayer. Abraham and Ishmael ask to be made “Muslims” (those who submit) and for their descendants to be a “Muslim nation.” The term Ummah Muslimah is used here for the first time in the Quran, defining the community based on Islam (submission), not lineage. They also ask to be taught the rites of worship (Manasik).
آية 129
القرآن: رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
Translation: “Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”
Explanation: This is Abraham and Ishmael’s prayer for a future messenger from among their own descendants in this land (Mecca) who would teach, purify, and guide them. Maududi states this is a clear prophecy of the advent of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) from the line of Ishmael, fulfilling this ancient supplication.
آية 130
القرآن: وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Translation: And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself? And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.
Explanation: The religion (Millah) of Abraham is defined as pure monotheism and submission. To turn away from it is an act of self-degradation. Abraham is affirmed as being chosen by God in this world and among the righteous in the next.
آية 131
القرآن: إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Translation: When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.”
Explanation: This captures the essence of Abraham’s faith. The command “Submit” (Aslim) and the response “I have submitted” (Aslamtu) encapsulate the meaning of Islam. His submission was to the “Lord of the worlds,” a universal lordship, not a tribal deity.
آية 132
القرآن: وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Translation: And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same], and [so did] Jacob, [saying], “O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.”
Explanation: Abraham and his grandson Jacob both enjoined their children to hold fast to this religion of submission (Islam). The poignant instruction “do not die except while you are Muslims” emphasizes the need for persistence in this state until the very end.
آية 133
القرآن: أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Translation: Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, “What will you worship after me?” They said, “We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac – one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.”
Explanation: The Quran challenges the Jews (who claimed Jacob/Israel as their exclusive patriarch): Were you there when Jacob, on his deathbed, asked his sons about their worship? Their answer, as narrated by God, was that they would worship the One God of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, and that they were “Muslims” to Him. This proves that the true faith of the patriarchs was pure monotheism and submission (Islam), inclusive of Ishmael’s line, and not an exclusively Jewish creed.
آية 134
القرآن: تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Translation: That was a nation which has passed on. They will have what they earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.
Explanation: This verse concludes the historical narrative with a principle of individual accountability. That past community (of the patriarchs) is gone. They are responsible for their deeds, and you (the present people) are responsible for yours. The Jews cannot claim salvation based on Abraham’s deeds, nor can they be judged for the patriarchs’ actions. This severs the false link of hereditary salvation and reasserts the message of personal responsibility that began this surah.
Summary from Tafheemul Quran Perspective (Verses 124-134):
Maududi’s commentary establishes that this passage is the ideological core of the Muslim identity:
- Abraham, the Imam of Islam: He is presented not as a Jewish or Christian patriarch, but as the perfect model of a Muslim (one who submits) and a Hanif (pure monotheist).
- The Rejection of Hereditary Privilege: God’s covenant is with the righteous, not with a race or lineage. This directly challenges Jewish and Arab pagan claims.
- The Foundation of the Muslim Ummah: The community is defined by the Millah (creed) of Abraham—submission to the One God—and is linked to the sanctified center (the Ka’bah) he established.
- Fulfillment of Prophecy: The advent of Muhammad (ﷺ) is shown as the answer to Abraham’s and Ishmael’s prayer for a messenger from their descendants in Mecca.
- The Universal Creed: The patriarchs—Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob—and their righteous children all declared themselves Muslims, proving that Islam is the original and eternal religion, now restored in its final form.
This sets the stage for the command to change the Qiblah, which follows immediately. Would you like me to continue with the next section (verses 135-141) to complete this foundational narrative?
Messages from Quran 