BALAGHA TIME Day 44-47

Surah Anbiya (Ch 21: 51-56)

Main topic: Ibrahim (as)questioning his father and his people about
the idols they worshipped

Background story
Even before the Prophet (pbuh) received his prophethood, the
Mushrikun of Arabia had great respect for the kaa’ba. Why was that
the case?
We know why the Ka’ba is important to us, but why to the Mushrikun
of Arabia at that time?

The pagans’ beliefs

Arabs in their poetry, pre-Islam, were proud of the fact that they
were the children of Ismael and they attributed to Ka’ba to Ibrahim
(as). The irony is that they were pagans worshipping idols and so
they took pride only in the name of Ibrahim(as). In fact, the
Mushrikun of Arabia did not have a solid religion as such and they
would borrow things from other religions and blend them to form
their own religion.

Ayah 51
Allah swt is talking to the Mushrikun as if they have rejected
Ibrahim (as), even though they had great respect for him culturally.
Note that a LOT of emphasis has been used in the Ayah, a way to
show a person that their concept/thinking is not the correct one.
 َ‫شدَ هُ مِنْ َق ْبل ُ َو ُك َّنا ِب ِه َعالِمِين‬
ْ ‫َو َل َقدْ َءا َت ْي َنا ِإ ْب َراهِي َم ُر‬

MBk Mukaddamْ‫ ِمن‬Zaida-Emphasis

Fi’l ‫ل‬
Emphasis Emphas
Mubtada: and
َ ُ ‫شدَ هُ مِنْ َق ْبل‬
‫و ُك َّنا‬were
َ‫ ِب ِه َعالِمِين‬we ْ ‫َو َل َقدْ َءا َت ْي َنا ِإ ْب َراهِي َم ُر‬
kha MB From way
* See his guidance We gave And for sure
bar k
below before (the way comes from
abou the min zaida)

َ ‫ َعالِم‬is
‫ِين‬ from ‫ سمع‬fam
Ism Faail has been used: The person who
‫سا ِم ٌع‬: ‫عالِ ٌم‬:‫ عالِ ِمي َْن‬: knows

:Rough translation
And For sure, we gave Ibrahim his guidance from way before and “
”.we were, regarding him, the knowers

Allah swt could have used ‫ماض‬ِ to say “We knew about him” But
instead he used a Jumlah Ismiyya(‫) ُك َّنا‬by dropping another ism in it
(Ism fail ‫ِين‬
َ ‫)عالِم‬.
َ The point being using an ism has a stronger impact
that using a Fi’l.

Now remember that the audience is the Mushrikoon of Makkah who

respect Ibrahim a.s as guided. Yet Allah is talking to them with so
much emphasis. By talking like that, Allah is giving His opinion about
them:
(i)They have disrespected Ibrahim a.s
(ii) They know nothing about him
And Allah swt is saying this indirectly through the emphasis. So the
Mushrikoon listening to this may get defensive and be like “What did
we do??”

Next Ayah: Ayah 52

َ‫ِإ ْذ َقال َ َأِل ِبي ِه َو َق ْو ِم ِه َما َه ِذ ِه ال َّت َماثِيل ُ الَّتِي َأ ْن ُت ْم َل َها َعا ِكفُون‬
This ‫ ِإذ‬relates to the ‫ َءا َت ْي َنا‬in the previous Ayah,
We gave Ibrahim his guidance...... when he said........

The detail of ‫ َءا َت ْي َنا‬is what follows the

Therefore, Ibrahim a.s is about to say something that has been
guided by Allah swt
So what did Ibrahim a.s say?

mb which what
َ‫ِإ ْذ َقال َ َأِل ِبي ِه َو َق ْو ِم ِه َما َه ِذ ِه ال َّت َماثِيل ُ الَّتِي َأ ْن ُت ْم َل َها َعا ِكفُون‬
Y’ Harf of atif
Pointer + AL: ‫َقال َ ِل‬ said to
Feminine
pointer used:
It can be
pointing to a
“What are these idols?”
This is a question. In Balagha there are several implications behind a
question;
1. To display various emotions
2. To belittle the person
3. Questioning the choice of someone- Indirectly asking them to
choose other options. In this case, the question can be acting as
AMR (command)

Back to the Ayah,mb

َ‫الَّتِي َأ ْن ُت ْم َل َها َعا ِكفُون‬................
Those who stay focused/ Y’ wh
dedicated to
Rough translation:
When he said: “What are these idols which
you all are so focused, dedicating yourself
to?”
Ibrahim is asking like he doesn't know, but he does know everything.
He sounds curious to expose how ridiculous their reasoning or
practice is.
“What are these idols which you all are so focused, dedicating
yourself to?” is actually “How in the world can you believe in
something so ridiculous?”

Allah was guiding him with courage and bravery to ask such a
question in front of all these people.
Now the people of Ibrahim as knew if they engaged in this
conversation, they would feel dumber and dumber. They were smart
enough to know that they can’t approach this question with logic and
reasoning. So they resorted to emotional arguments by linking it to
respecting their forefathers.

Ayah 53 For We
‫اء َنا َل َها‬
َ‫َع ِابدِين‬them ‫َقالُوا َو َجدْ َنا‬
َ ‫ َءا َب‬found
worshi Our They
Pay super attention ppers
to this
fathers said
Question: What are these images that you're meditating and
praying before?
Answer: We found our fathers worshipping them.
That's not an answer to ‘what’ but to ‘why’.
 They understood that Ibrahim was actually asking why and the Why
cannot be common sense. So they went with ‘if you love and respect
your forefathers then.....’

In fact, they are throwing this back on Ibrahim as by implying,

 You should have some shame
 Why are you disrespecting our forefathers? We are the ones
honoring them.
 We are proud of and love our heritage&tradition.
 Anyone having a problem with this, has a problem with our
heritage or tradition.
 Whoever that is, has no respect for the elders and identity.
 Such a person should be ashamed and is clearly wrong.

All of this pointing to Ibrahim being the problem, they are playing
a psychological trick reversing Ibrahim as initial questions about
them being wrong, putting him to a sort of loyalty test. And so,
Ibrahim as is isolated as he is up against his own family and his
people.

How does Ibrahim as respond?

Ayah 54 *See notes
َ ‫َقال َ َل َقدْ ُك ْن ُت ْم َأ ْن ُت ْم َو َءا َباُؤ ُك ْم فِي‬
ٍ ‫ضاَل ٍل ُم ِب‬
‫ين‬
Pay attention to so much emphasis:

“For sure, I swear by, there is no doubt about it, all of you were,

ALL OF YOU and YOUR fathers were and have been in .......”

*Notes on ‫ – َضاَل ٍل‬It is the Mudaf

Irregularity
‫ضا ٌّل‬ ‫ضال ًل‬
َ ‫يَضِ ّل‬ ‫ض َّل‬
َ
 No passive line: Laazim
‫ال َتضِ ِّل‬ ‫ال َتضِ َّل‬ ‫ال َتصْ لِ ْل‬ ‫ِاضْ لِ ْل ضِ َّل ضِ ِّل‬

‫ضلَّ ُة‬
َ ‫ُض ٌّل مُضِ ٌّل ُم‬
َ ‫م‬

The Masdar has been used: To be

lost

*Notes on ‫ – ُم ِب ٍين‬It is the Ajwaf Irregularity

‫َأقا َم‬

He ‫أبان ي ُِبيْنُ ِإبا َن ًة م ُِبي ٌْن‬

َ
He To A
person/th
ing
The Ism Faail has been used.
A clear word VS A clarifying word

An understandable word
No confusion Helps you understand
Itself
something else,
When you put a word in the ‫ أسْ لَ َم‬something that
family, the meaning you’re
becomes
about something else and not the self, like a clarifying word.

‫ين‬
ٍ ‫ ُم ِب‬,hence, here means clarifying

Common translations translate ‫ين‬ٍ ‫ضاَل ٍل م ُِب‬

َ as Clear
Misguidance
But it’s not just a clear misguidance but a CLARIFYING
misguidance. It is weird language but it implies:
“You people are so much into confusion that this confusion
itself clarifies how wrong you are”
“Talking about your belief itself is a clarifier of how lost
you”
How does the ‫ين‬ ٍ ‫ضاَل ٍل م ُِب‬
َ perfectly fit this Ayah?

Ibrahim as asked, “What are these things that you

worship? “
If they had answered correctly, they would have
themselves clarified how wrong they were.
This is quite on the offensive side from Ibrahim as to his
people.

Rough translation of the Ayah

He said “for sure, I swear, there's no doubt about it, All

of you were, ALL OF YOU and YOUR fathers were and
have been in a clarifying misguidance.

What's going on behind this sentence?

 Oh, so by respecting my elders, You mean I should
accept their nonsensical beliefs?
 If you are following your elders that means they
were equally lost.
 Whatever you have explained of your religion to
everyone, only makes it clear how senseless it is.
 I challenge you if I'm wrong, explain it to me so it
makes sense.
That makes Ibrahim as on the offensive now while they
are on the defensive.

And so they respond by saying:

Ayah 55 You With the

truth
 َ‫َقالُوا َأ ِجْئ َت َنا ِبا ْل َح ِّق َأ ْم َأ ْن َت مِنَ الاَّل عِ ِبين‬
fro
*See notes or Question ‫أ‬
m ‫جا َء جاءا جاُئوْ ا‬
word
َ‫جاَئت جاَئتا ِجْئن‬
ْ
‫ِجْئتَ ِجْئتُما ِجْئتُ ْم‬
You
Notes on )‫الاَّل عِ ِب َين (َ َسمِع‬ came

Rough translation so far:

They said “Have you come to us with the truth(Are you
for realzzzzz)? Or are you from the players (are you
some kind of joker?)

Implication what's going on behind the sentence

 They want more stress and impact on the fact that
Ibrahim as might have just been joking
 They are giving him the option to back out now take
back his words as in giving him a safe way out of
this conversation (threat)
 They also want to dismiss the argument and not
drag it any further.
Ibrahim as then replies:

Ayah 56
‫ض ا َّلذِي َف َط َرهُنَّ َوَأ َنا‬ ِ ‫ َاوا‬To
ِ ‫ت َواَأْل ْر‬ ‫الس َم‬
َّ ‫ب‬ ُّ ‫َقال َ َبلْ َر ُّب ُك ْم َر‬ Your master
create/fashion/mol
ISM Faail َّ ‫ ال‬who
َ‫شا ِهدِين‬ َ‫َع َلى َذلِ ُك ْم مِن‬
Well Actually,
d Rather, Instead-
has been Used to contrast
used –
From ‫َسمِع‬
Usually, 1F Master of the sky
should have and the earth
been used but
3F has been
Rough translation

He said: Rather, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and

the earth, Who created them, and I am of those who bear
witness to this.

Ibrahim as continues talking in the next ayah:

ْ‫َأن‬+ Fi’l= Ism Heaviest version-

Emphasis
Ayah 57 *See notes Y’all statues *See notes
‫َأ‬ ْ َّ‫ َو َتاهَّلل ِ َأَلكِيدَ ن‬I swear by
َ‫ص َنا َم ُك ْم َب ْعدَ نْ ُت َولُّوا ُمدْ ِب ِرين‬‫َأ‬
‫َأ ْد َب َر ي ُْد ِب ُر‬ ‫ ل‬of Allah
Special mudaf,
To show emphasis
needs

Notes on َّ‫ َأ ِك ْيدَن‬To scheme

It’s from the ‫ َض َر َب‬fam & it’s Ajwaf

‫باع َي ِب ْي ُع َبيْعا ً باِئ ٌع‬

َ

‫كادَ َي ِك ْي ُد َكيْدَ اً كاِئ ٌد‬

!! Note that there is another َ‫ كاد‬that’s from the ‫ َف َت َح‬fam

‫كادَ َيكا ُد َكاداً كاِئ ٌد‬

Back to َّ‫َأ ِك ْيدَن‬

I scheme
For َّ‫َأ ِك ْي ُد َأ ِكيْدَنْ َأ ِك ْيدَن‬ ‫َي ِك ْي ُد‬
He X1I
sure, X2
schemes willemphasiemph
schem asis
Notes on ‫َأنْ ُت َولُّوا‬
It’s light & Naqis

Normal version ‫ُت َولُّ ْو َن‬

ْ‫َولّى ي َُولِّي‬

ِ ِّ‫ي َُولِّيْ ي َُول‬

‫يان ي َُولُّ ْو َن‬

‫يان ُت َولِّي َْن‬

ِ ِّ‫ُت َولِّيْ ُت َول‬

ِ ِّ‫ُت َول‬
Y’all turn ‫يان ُت َولّ ْو َن‬ ْ‫ُت َولِّي‬
away

Rough translation
And I swear by Allah, for sure I will
scheme against y’all idols after y’all
turned away, showing your backs.

Some Mufassiroon say that this was Ibrahim as talking to

himself while his people were walking away from him. Usually
in Balagha, when you find so many emphases used, it means a
debate with your opponent. So here it's kind of like Ibrahim
as is engaged in an internal struggle with himself.