Tafsir of Surah Ibrahim - Verse 10

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.)

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.

This verse is related to ancient communities. However, a special characteristic of the Quran is that it presents God’s eternal teachings in such a way as to relate them to both the immediate addressees and to the later generations. The word ‘Originator’ as used here to translate the Arabic word, fatir, does not reflect the original, literal sense of ‘one who tears’. Literally translated, the question would read, ‘Is there any doubt about God who is the tearer of heaven and earth?’ It is important to understand this aspect of the Creator, for this provides a proof of the existence of God in terms of today’s laws of physics. Modern research shows that the matter constituting heaven and earth was initially in the shape of the solid ball known as the super atom. According to the known laws of nature, all its parts were attracted towards its centre with extreme intensity. The present extensive universe came into existence due to the explosion of this super atom. In this verse the word fatir (the Tearer) refers to this universal event—an absolute proof of the existence of a Creator, because the parts of the super atom which were completely attracted inside could not move in an outward direction by themselves. An intervention was required for this. If one accepts that the explosion did take place (that is, the Big Bang) then one must also accept the theory of external intervention. The other name for this intervening power is God.