Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 124
| ۞ وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- 'idh ibtalaa 'ibraahem rabb -hu bi- kalimaat fa- atamma -hunna qaala 'inni -y jaacil -ka li- an- naas 'imaam(an) qaala wa- min dhurreyah -e qaala laa yanaal cahd -e az.- z.aalimen |
| Pickthall | : | And (remember) when his Lord tried Abraham with (His) commands, and he fulfilled them, He said: Lo! I have appointed thee a leader for mankind. (Abraham) said: And of my offspring (will there be leaders)? He said: My covenant includeth not wrongdoers. |
| Asad | : | And [remember this:] when his Sustainer tried Abraham by [His] commandments and the latter fulfilled them,100 He said: "Behold, I shall make thee a leader of men." Abraham asked: "And [wilt Thou make leaders] of my offspring as well?" [God] answered: "My covenant does not embrace the evildoers."101 |
| Malik | : | Remember that when Ibrahim (Abraham) was tested by his Rabb with certain commands, he fulfilled them. Allah said: "Surely, I will make you the leader of mankind." "What about my offspring?" Asked Ibrahim. "My pledge," said Allah, "will not apply to the evil doers." |
| Yusuf Ali | : | And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands which he fulfilled; He said: "I will make thee an Imam to the nations." He pleaded: "And also (Imams) from my offspring!" He answered: "But my promise is not within the reach of evil-doers." 123 |
Note - 100The classical commentators have indulged in much
speculation as to what these commandments (kalimat, lit.,
"words") were. Since, however, the Qur'an does not
specify them, it must be presumed that what is meant here
is simply Abraham's complete submission to whatever
commandments he received from God.
|
Note - 101This passage, read in conjunction with the two preceding
verses, refutes the contention of the children of Israel
that by virtue of their descent from Abraham, whom God
made "a leader of men", they are "God's chosen people".
The Qur'an makes it clear that the exalted status of
Abraham was not something that would automatically confer
a comparable status on his physical descendants, and
certainly not on the sinners among them.
|
Note - 123Kalimat: literally "words" here used in the mystic sense
of God's Will or Decree or Purpose. This verse may be
taken to be the sum of the verses following. In
everything Abraham fulfilled God's wish: he purified
God's house; he built the sacred refuge of the Ka'ba; he
submitted his will to God's, and thus became the type of
Islam. He was promised the leadership of the world; he
pleaded for his progeny, and his prayer was granted, with
the limitation that if his progeny was false to God,
God's promise did not reach the people who proved
themselves false.
|
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The classical commentators have indulged in much speculation as to what these commandments (kalimat, lit., "words") were. Since, however, the Qur'an does not specify them, it must be presumed that what is meant here is simply Abraham's complete submission to whatever commandments he received from God. |
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This passage, read in conjunction with the two preceding verses, refutes the contention of the children of Israel that by virtue of their descent from Abraham, whom God made "a leader of men", they are "God's chosen people". The Qur'an makes it clear that the exalted status of Abraham was not something that would automatically confer a comparable status on his physical descendants, and certainly not on the sinners among them. |
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Kalimat: literally "words" here used in the mystic sense of God's Will or Decree or Purpose. This verse may be taken to be the sum of the verses following. In everything Abraham fulfilled God's wish: he purified God's house; he built the sacred refuge of the Ka'ba; he submitted his will to God's, and thus became the type of Islam. He was promised the leadership of the world; he pleaded for his progeny, and his prayer was granted, with the limitation that if his progeny was false to God, God's promise did not reach the people who proved themselves false. |
