Study the Quran

Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Ibrahim 14:10

Word by word

۞ قَالَتْ رُسُلُهُمْ أَفِى ٱللَّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ مُّبِينٍ

Their messengers said, "Can there be doubt about Allāh, Creator of the heavens and earth? He invites you that He may forgive you of your sins, and He delays you [i.e., your death] for a specified term." They said, "You are not but men like us who wish to avert us from what our fathers were worshipping. So bring us a clear authority [i.e., evidence]."

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Argument between the Prophets and the Disbelievers

Allah narrates to us the arguments that ensued between the disbelievers and their Messengers. When their nations doubted the Message of worshipping Allah alone without partners, the Messengers said,أَفِى اللَّهِ شَكٌّ((What!) Can there be a doubt about Allah...) about His Lordship and having the exclusive right to be worshipped alone, being the only Creator of all creatures Verily, none besides Allah is worthy of worship, alone without partners with Him. Most nations were, and still are, affirming the existence of the Creator, but they call upon intermediaries besides Him whom they think will benefit them or bring them closer to Allah. Their Messengers said to them,يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ(He calls you that He may forgive you of your sins) in the Hereafter,وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى(and give you respite for a term appointed.), in this worldly life.

Allah said in other Ayat,وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُواْ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُمْ مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ(Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace to every owner of grace.) 10:3 However, their nations went on arguing against their prophethood, after they had to submit to the first evidence (that Allah Alone created everything).

Disbelievers reject Prophethood because the Messengers were Humans!

Their nations said,إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا(You are no more than human beings like us!) so why should we follow you just because you say so, even though we did not witness a miracle by your hands,فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ(Then bring us a clear authority.), a miracle of our choice.قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ(Their Messengers said to them: "We are no more than human beings like you...") affirming that truly, they were only human being like their nations,وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ(but Allah bestows His grace to whom He wills of His servants.), with prophethood and messengership which is His choice,وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُمْ بِسُلْطَـنٍ(It is not ours to bring you an authority) according to your choice,إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ((except by the permission of Allah. ), after we beg Him and He provides us with a miracle,وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ(And in Allah (alone) let the believers put their trust.) in all their affairs.

Their Messengers said to them next,وَمَا لَنَآ أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ(And why should we not put our trust in Allah), after He had guided us to the best, most clear and plain way,وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى مَآ آذَيْتُمُونَا(And we shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may cause us), such as foolish actions and abusive statements,وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ(and in Allah (alone) let those who trust, put their trust.)

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

In the last verse here (8), it was said: قَالَ مُوسَىٰ إِن تَكْفُرُ‌وا أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ جَمِيعًا (And Musa said, "If you are ungrateful, you and all those on earth, then, Allah is free of all needs, worthy of every praise.) " This was said by Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to his people. He is telling them that should they or, for that matter, all inhabitants of the earth become ungrateful to Allah Ta’ ala, it is not going to cause any loss to Allah Ta’ ala. As for Him, He needs no praise or gratitude for Himself. He is Independent. He is beyond that. He is intrinsically Praised and deserving of praise. If you do not praise Him, the angels do, all of them, and so does every particle of this universe.

So, whatever good there is in gratitude, that is for you alone. There-fore, when you are asked to be grateful by Allah Ta’ ala, there is no gain for Him in doing so. In fact, it is His infinite mercy reaching out to you in your interest.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

قالت لهم رسلهم: أفي الله وعبادته -وحده- ريب، وهو خالق السموات والأرض، ومنشئهما من العدم على غير مثال سابق، وهو يدعوكم إلى الإيمان; ليغفر لكم ما أسلفتم من الشرك، ويدفع عنكم عذاب الاستئصال، فيؤخر بقاءكم في الدنيا إلى أجل قدَّره، وهو نهاية آجالكم، فلا يعذبكم في الدنيا؟ فقالوا لرسلهم: ما نراكم إلا بشرًا صفاتكم كصفاتنا، لا فضل لكم علينا يؤهلكم أن تكونوا رسلا. تريدون أن تمنعونا من عبادة ما كان يعبده آباونا من الأصنام والأوثان، فأتونا بحجة ظاهرة تشهد على صحة ما تقولون.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

يخبر تعالى عما دار بين الكفار وبين رسلهم من المجادلة ، وذلك أن أممهم لما واجهوهم بالشك فيما جاءوهم به من عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له ، قالت الرسل : ( أفي الله شك )وهذا يحتمل شيئين ، أحدهما : أفي وجوده شك ، فإن الفطر شاهدة بوجوده ، ومجبولة على الإقرار به ، فإن الاعتراف به ضروري في الفطر السليمة ، ولكن قد يعرض لبعضها شك واضطراب ، فتحتاج إلى النظر في الدليل الموصل إلى وجوده; ولهذا قالت لهم الرسل ترشدهم إلى طريق معرفته بأنه ( فاطر السماوات والأرض ) الذي خلقها وابتدعها على غير مثال سبق ، فإن شواهد الحدوث والخلق والتسخير ظاهر عليها ، فلا بد لها من صانع ، وهو الله لا إله إلا هو ، خالق كل شيء وإلهه ومليكه .والمعنى الثاني في قولهم : ( أفي الله شك ) أي : أفي إلهيته وتفرده بوجوب العبادة له شك ، وهو الخالق لجميع الموجودات ، ولا يستحق العبادة إلا هو ، وحده لا شريك له; فإن غالب الأمم كانت مقرة بالصانع ، ولكن تعبد معه غيره من الوسائط التي يظنونها تنفعهم أو تقربهم من الله زلفى .وقالت لهم الرسل : ندعوكم ليغفر لكم من ذنوبكم ، أي : في الدار الآخرة ، ( ويؤخركم إلى أجل مسمى ) أي : في الدنيا ، كما قال تعالى : ( وأن استغفروا ربكم ثم توبوا إليه يمتعكم متاعا حسنا إلى أجل مسمى ويؤت كل ذي فضل فضله ) الآية [ هود : 3 ] ، فقالت لهم الأمم محاجين في مقام الرسالة ، بعد تقدير تسليمهم للمقام الأول ، وحاصل ما قالوه : ( إن أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا ) أي : كيف نتبعكم بمجرد قولكم ، ولما نر منكم معجزة ؟

( فأتونا بسلطان مبين ) أي : خارق نقترحه عليكم .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.