Tafsir

أَتُحَاجُّونِّى فِى اللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانِى(Do you dispute with me about Allah while He has guided me). The Ayah means, do you argue with me about Allah, other than Whom there is no god worthy of worship, while He has guided me to the Truth and made me aware of it Therefore, how can I ever consider your misguided statements and false doubts Ibrahim said next, وَلاَ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْئاً(and I fear not those whom you associate with Allah in worship. (Nothing can happen to me) except when my Lord wills something.) Ibrahim said, among the proofs to the falsehood of your creed, is that these false gods that you worship do not bring about any effect, and I do not fear them or care about them. Therefore, if these gods are able to cause harm, then use them against me and do not give me respite. Ibrahim's statement, إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْئاً(except when my Lord wills something.) means, only Allah causes benefit or harm. وَسِعَ رَبِّى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْماً(My Lord comprehends in His knowledge all things.

) meaning, Allah's knowledge encompasses all things and nothing escapes His complete observation, أَفَلاَ تَتَذَكَّرُونَ(Will you not then remember) what I explained to you, considering your idols as false gods and refraining from worshipping them This reasoning from Prophet Ibrahim is similar to the argument that Prophet Hud used against his people, `Ad. Allah mentioned this incident in His Book, when He said, قَالُواْ يَهُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِى ءالِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ - إِن نَّقُولُ إِلاَّ اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ قَالَ إِنِّى أُشْهِدُ اللَّهِ وَاشْهَدُواْ أَنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - مِن دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِى جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لاَ تُنظِرُونِ - إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُمْ مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلاَّ هُوَ ءاخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (They said: "O Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying! And we are not believers in you.

All that we say is that some of our gods have seized you with evil." He said: "I call Allah to witness - and bear you witness - that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship with Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite. I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature but He has grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the straight path (the truth).") 11:53-56 Ibrahim's statement, وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ(And how should I fear those whom you associate. ..) means, how should I fear the idols that you worship instead of Allah, وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَـناً(while you fear not that you have joined in worship with Allah things for which He has not sent down to you any Sultan.) meaning, proof, according to Ibn `Abbas and others among the Salaf.

Allah said in similar Ayat; أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُواْ لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ(Or have they partners who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed) 42:21, and, إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـنٍ(They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority.) 53:21 His statement, فَأَىُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالاٌّمْنِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ((So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security If you but know.) means, which of the two parties is on the truth, those who worship Him in Whose Hand is harm and benefit, or those who worship what cannot bring harm or benefit, without authority to justify worshipping them Who among these two parties has more right to be saved from Allah's torment on the Day of Resurrection Allah said, الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الاٌّمْنُ وَهُمْ مُّهْتَدُونَ (It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.) Therefore, those who worship Allah alone without partners, will acquire safety on the Day of Resurrection, and they are the guided ones in this life and the Hereafter.

Shirk is the Greatest Zulm (Wrong)Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah said, "When the Ayah, وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ(and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong).) was revealed, the Companions of the Prophet said, `And who among us did not commit Zulm against himself' The Ayah, إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ(Verily! Joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.) 31:13, was later revealed." Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said, "When this Ayah was revealed, الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong),) it was hard on the people. They said, `O Allah's Messenger! Who among us did not commit Zulm against himself' He said, «إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ الَّذِي تَعْنُونَ، أَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا مَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِحُ(It is not what you understood from it. Did you not hear what the righteous servant (Luqman) said, يَبُنَىَّ لاَ تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ(O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily!

Shirk is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.)) 31:13. Therefore, it is about Shirk. Allah's statement, وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people.) means, We directed him to proclaim Our proof against them. Mujahid and others said that `Our proof' refers to, وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَـناً فَأَىُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالاٌّمْنِ(And how should I fear those whom you associate in worship with Allah (though they can neither benefit nor harm), while you fear not that you have joined in worship with Allah things for which He has not sent down to you any Sultan.

(So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security) Allah has testified Ibrahim's statement and affirmed security and guidance, saying; الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الاٌّمْنُ وَهُمْ مُّهْتَدُونَ (It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm, for them there is security and they are the guided.) Allah said, وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people. We raise in degrees whom We will.) And; إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ(Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.) He is All-Wise in His statements and actions, All-Knower of those whom He guides or misguides, and whether the proof was established against them or not. Allah also said, إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ (Truly! Those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe.

Even if every sign should come to them -- until they see the painful torment.) 10:96-97 This is why Allah said here, إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ(Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.)

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses was the debate Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had held with his father, 'Azar, and with his entire Nimrudic people. There, after having conclusively refuted their worship of idols and stars, he had addressed his people by telling them in effect: You threaten me that your idols will destroy me if I refuse to accept their authority, although these idols do not have the power to do so, nor have I done anything as a result of which I may be hit by some hardship. In fact, it is you who should be trembling in fear for you have committed a crime as terrible as equating with Him the creations of Allah, rather the objects made and prepared by His creation even giving them a share in His divinity. Then, the fact that Allah Ta` ala is All-Knowing, All-Aware and All-Powerful is not hidden from any sensible person. This calls for some thinking on your part. So, think and say who deserves to be in peace and who it is who should be fearing?

In the first (82) of the present verses, it was said that only those who believe in Allah and then do not go on to mix up their faith with injustice shall be the people who can hope to be safe against punishment. It appears in Hadith, when this verse was revealed, the noble Sahabah were frightened. They said: Ya Rasul Allah, who among us has not been unjust to himself by committing one or the other sin? Now, in this verse, the only condition of remaining safe from punishment is that one should have done no injustice to himself while in the state of Im an. If so, how can we ever achieve salvation? The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: You have not understood the correct meaning of the verse. Here, ` Zulm' (injustice) means ` Shirk' (ascribing of partners to Allah) as said in another verse: إِنَّ الشِّرْ‌كَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ (Joining others in the worship of Allah is a great injustice - 31:13).

Therefore, the sense of the verse is that one, who enters (the bliss of) Iman and then does not associate anyone with the Being and the Attributes of Allah Ta` ala, shall remain safe from punishment, and considered well guided.

In brief, those who worship idols, rocks, trees, rivers and stars do so because they, out of bland simplicity, take them to be the holders and wielders of power. So, they are scared of the idea of forsaking their worship lest these objects were to hurt them in some way. Sayy-idna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) gave such people a smart key to their problem when he asked them to fear Almighty Allah who knew all they do and had power over whatever good or bad reaches them - and not commit the folly of fearing things which have neither knowledge nor power. This fear is absolutely unreasonable. One must fear Allah alone - and whoever believes in it is out of all danger.

Said in this verse وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ (And those who have not mixed their faith with injustice). Here, ` Zulm' as explained by the Holy Prophet ﷺ means Shirk (ascribing partners in the divinity of Allah) - not sin in an ordinary sense. But, by bringing in: بِظُلم (bi zulmin) as indefinite noun (Nakirah), a device supported by the rules of the Arabic grammar, the sense was made general which includes all kinds of Shirk. As for the word: لَمْ يَلْبِسُوا (lam yalbisu), it has been de-rived from: لَبَسَ (labasa) which means to wear, cover or mix. Thus, the verse comes to mean that a person who mixes some sort of Shirk in his or her Iman, that is, one who, despite believing in Allah Ta` ala along with all His attributes of perfection, takes non-Allah too as bearing some of those attributes, shall be considered excluded from the guarantee of peace and faith given here.

We also come to know from this verse that Shirk is not restricted to becoming a Mushrik or idolater. In fact, also Mushrik is a person who does not worship idols in the customary sense, but recites the Kalimah of Islam, yet takes some angel or messenger or waliy or ‘saint’ of Allah as partners or sharers in some exclusive attributes of Allah. This verse carries a stern warning for those who take the Aulia' of Allah (The Men of Allah) and their Mazars (resting places, tombs) as capable of answering their prayers and granting their needs, and go as far as believing practically as if the Divine powers have been delegated to them. Refuge with Allah!

قال الله تعالى : ( الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم أولئك لهم الأمن وهم مهتدون ) أي : هؤلاء الذين أخلصوا العبادة لله وحده لا شريك ، له ، ولم يشركوا به شيئا هم الآمنون يوم القيامة ، المهتدون في الدنيا والآخرة .قال البخاري : حدثنا محمد بن بشار ، حدثنا ابن أبي عدي ، عن شعبة ، عن سليمان ، عن إبراهيم ، عن علقمة ، عن عبد الله قال : لما نزلت ( ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم ) قال أصحابه : وأينا لم يظلم نفسه؟ فنزلت : ( إن الشرك لظلم عظيم ) [ لقمان : 13 ]وقال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا أبو معاوية ، حدثنا الأعمش ، عن إبراهيم ، عن علقمة ، عن عبد الله قال : لما نزلت هذه الآية : ( الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم ) شق ذلك على الناس وقالوا : يا رسول الله ، فأينا لا يظلم نفسه؟ قال : " إنه ليس الذي تعنون! ألم تسمعوا ما قال العبد الصالح : ( يا بني لا تشرك بالله إن الشرك لظلم عظيم ) إنما هو الشرك "وقال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أبو سعيد الأشج ، حدثنا وكيع وابن إدريس ، عن الأعمش ، عن إبراهيم ، عن علقمة ، عن عبد الله قال : لما نزلت : ( ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم ) شق ذلك على أصحاب رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، قالوا : وأينا لم يظلم نفسه؟

فقال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " ليس كما تظنون ، إنما قال [ لقمان ] لابنه : ( يا بني لا تشرك بالله إن الشرك لظلم عظيم )وحدثنا عمر بن شبة النمري ، حدثنا أبو أحمد ، حدثنا سفيان ، عن الأعمش ، عن إبراهيم ، عن علقمة ، عن عبد الله عن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - في قوله : ( ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم ) قال : " بشرك " .قال : وروي عن أبي بكر الصديق وعمر وأبي بن كعب وسلمان وحذيفة وابن عباس وابن عمر وعمرو بن شرحبيل وأبي عبد الرحمن السلمي ومجاهد وعكرمة والنخعي والضحاك وقتادة والسدي نحو ذلك .وقال ابن مردويه : حدثنا الشافعي ، حدثنا محمد بن شداد المسمعي ، حدثنا أبو عاصم ، حدثنا سفيان الثوري ، عن الأعمش ، عن إبراهيم ، عن علقمة ، عن عبد الله قال : لما نزلت : ( الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم ) قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " قيل لي : أنت منهم "وقال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا إسحاق بن يوسف ، حدثنا أبو جناب ، عن زاذان عن جرير بن عبد الله قال : خرجنا مع رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : فلما برزنا من المدينة ، إذا راكب يوضع نحونا ، فقال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " كأن هذا الراكب إياكم يريد " .

فانتهى إلينا الرجل ، فسلم فرددنا عليه فقال له النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " من أين أقبلت؟ " قال : من أهلي وولدي وعشيرتي . قال : " فأين تريد؟ " ، قال : أريد رسول الله . قال : " فقد أصبته " . قال : يا رسول الله ، علمني ما الإيمان؟ قال : " تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله ، وأن محمدا رسول الله ، وتقيم الصلاة ، وتؤتي الزكاة ، وتصوم رمضان ، وتحج البيت " . قال : قد أقررت . قال : ثم إن بعيره دخلت يده في شبكة جرذان ، فهوى بعيره وهوى الرجل ، فوقع على هامته فمات ، فقال النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " علي بالرجل " . فوثب إليه عمار بن ياسر وحذيفة بن اليمان فأقعداه ، فقالا يا رسول الله ، قبض الرجل! قال : فأعرض عنهما رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، ثم قال لهما رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : أما رأيتما إعراضي عن الرجل ، فإني رأيت ملكين يدسان في فيه من ثمار الجنة ، فعلمت أنه مات جائعا " ، ثم قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " هذا من الذين قال الله ، عز وجل : ( الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم ) ثم قال : " دونكم أخاكم " .

قال : فاحتملناه إلى الماء فغسلناه وحنطناه وكفناه ، وحملناه إلى القبر ، فجاء رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - حتى جلس على شفير القبر فقال : " الحدوا ولا تشقوا ، فإن اللحد لنا والشق لغيرناثم رواه أحمد ، عن أسود بن عامر ، عن عبد الحميد بن جعفر الفراء ، عن ثابت ، عن زاذان ، عن جرير بن عبد الله ، فذكر نحوه ، وقال فيه : " هذا ممن عمل قليلا وأجر كثيرا "وقال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أبي ، حدثنا يوسف بن موسى القطان ، حدثنا مهران بن أبي عمر حدثنا علي بن عبد الأعلى عن أبيه ، عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس قال : كنا مع رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - في مسير ساره ، إذ عرض له أعرابي فقال : يا رسول الله ، والذي بعثك بالحق ، لقد خرجت من بلادي وتلادي ومالي لأهتدي بهداك ، وآخذ من قولك ، وما بلغتك حتى ما لي طعام إلا من خضر الأرض ، فاعرض علي . فعرض عليه رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، فقبل فازدحمنا حوله ، فدخل خف بكره في بيت جرذان ، فتردى الأعرابي ، فانكسرت عنقه ، فقال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : صدق والذي بعثني بالحق ، لقد خرج من بلاده وتلاده وماله ليهتدي بهداي ويأخذ من قولي ، وما بلغني حتى ما له طعام إلا من خضر الأرض ، أسمعتم بالذي عمل قليلا وأجر كثيرا هذا منهم!

أسمعتم بالذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم أولئك لهم الأمن وهم مهتدون؟ فإن هذا منهم " [ وروى ابن مردويه من حديث محمد بن معلى - وكان نزل الري - حدثنا زياد بن خيثمة ، عن أبي داود ، عن عبد الله بن عمر قال : قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " من أعطي فشكر ومنع فصبر وظلم فاستغفر وظلم فغفر " وسكت ، قالوا : يا رسول الله ما له؟ قال " : ( أولئك لهم الأمن وهم مهتدون ) ]وقوله : ( وتلك حجتنا آتيناها إبراهيم على قومه ) أي : وجهنا حجته على قومه .قال مجاهد وغيره : يعني بذلك قوله : ( وكيف أخاف ما أشركتم ولا تخافون أنكم أشركتم بالله ما لم ينزل به عليكم سلطانا فأي الفريقين أحق بالأمن [ إن كنتم تعلمون ] ) وقد صدقه الله ، وحكم له بالأمن والهداية فقال : ( الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم أولئك لهم الأمن وهم مهتدون )