14-35 And when Abraham said: My Lord, make this city secure, and save me and my sons from worshipping idols.
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدَ ءَامِنًۭا وَٱجْنُبْنِى وَبَنِىَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ ٱلْأَصْنَامَ (۳۵)
14-35a: Chain of successive prophets: This whole section deals with the prayer that Prophet Abraham made for Makkah, its inhabitants and for his children. The discussion both before this section and after it, is about the opposition to truth and its consequences. These topics are not unrelated, as the overall purpose is to show that religion and Divine revelation are part of a system and Allah raised the Holy Prophet in this world in accordance with His plan that He had made known to his Prophets ages ago. In this arrangement, Prophet Abraham is like the root because he is the patriarch of both the Bani Israel and Bani Ishmael. This is a further elaboration of the rule given in verse 14:24 in which truth is portrayed as a tree whose root is firmly grounded and its branches are spread in every direction in the sky. The basic principle of Prophet Abraham’s religion is the Divine unity which is the root of all religions. There is no religion that has not espoused establishing a relationship with the One God as the fundamental principle and the root of the faith. Accordingly, in the prayer of Prophet Abraham the first mention is of monotheism. Along with the mention of monotheism, there is also a prayer for Makkah to be a city of peace because it contains the Ka‘aba which was established as a sign of the Unity of Allah from the earliest times and became the first site in the world for the worship of One God.
This prayer of Prophet Abraham to save him from worshipping idols does not contradict the principle that prophets are sinless, because their sinlessness is precisely the result of turning incessantly to Allah and seeking His assistance through prayer to keep away from evil. It is this effort that provides them with a protective shield that stays with them everywhere. If the sinlessness of prophets is taken to mean that they are born with special powers, then it would not be beneficial for us because we do not have the same powers. The secret of their sinlessness is that they always seek Allah’s protection under all conditions and do not only rely on their own self to be guided aright. It is by understanding this secret of sinlessness that we can escape from committing sins and, like the prophets, we should not rely on ourselves and always seek Allah’s protection in all situations and at all times. What a great lesson for us is the prayer of the Holy Prophet: لا تکلنی الیٰ نفسی طرفة : Do not leave me to my own self for an instant.
14-36 My Lord, surely they have led many men astray. So whoever follows me, he is surely of me; and whoever disobeys me, Thou surely art Forgiving, Merciful.a
وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍۢ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجْتُثَّتْ مِن فَوْقِ ٱلْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍۢ (۳۶)
14-36a: In the first part of the verse, the idols are held as leading men astray. This statement is metaphorical, meaning that people go astray by worshiping idols. Idols are lifeless and cannot lead anyone astray. The merciful and benevolent nature of prophets is manifested in the latter part of the verse with the mention of Allah’s attributes of mercy and forgiveness even for disbelievers. This prayer of Prophet Abraham reflects the nature of his descendant who was to be sent as a mercy for all nations. For this reason, the Holy Prophet’s opponents were not destroyed like opponents of many previous prophets whose narrations are given in the Quran. A large segment of the opponents of the Holy Prophet came under the shade of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah and found guidance. Because the mention in this chapter of the destruction of the opponents of truth is specifically for the opponents of the Holy Prophet, hence this prayer of Abraham is meant to convey that some opponents will indeed be destroyed but a large segment will come under the mercy and forgiveness of Allah.
14-37 Our Lord, I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Thy Sacred House, our Lord, that they may keep up prayer; so make the hearts of some people yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits; haply they may be grateful.a
رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِى زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱجْعَلْ أَفْـِٔدَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَهْوِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ وَٱرْزُقْهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ (۳۷)
14-37a: تَهْوِىٓ – One meaning of تَهْوِىٓ has been explained in 6-71a. Although this word generally has negative connotations, being used for low desires, but it is also used in a good sense, as in تَقَرَّبَ الی اللّٰہ بِھَواہُ :He obtained nearness to Allah through his love. This word has also been used for the Holy Prophet’s love for doing good deeds, as in a hadith of Hazrat Ayesha: یسارعك ربك فی ھواك :Allah very quickly granted him (the Holy Prophet) the good things he loved, since the meaning of ھوی is the love of a thing that completely overtakes the heart (LA). Another hadith states: یا خُزُ كلُ واحدٍ مِنَالۡبَیۡع ماھَوَی which means مااَحَبَّ , the thing he loves (N). ھَوَی یَھۡوِی ھَوِیّاً and ھُوِیّاً are used in both senses, with ھَوِی meaning to come (down), drop, tumble, sink, and ھُوِیّ to go towards the top or to go against. The meaning of ھَوَی یَھۡوِی is quickness in walking and تَهْوِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ has been taken to mean to incline towards them, or take fancy towards them, to elevate them, to desire them, and to quicken towards them (LA). ھَوَاء is that which is between the earth and the sky, and in the phrase أَفْـِٔدَتُهُمْ هَوَآءٌۭ :their hearts vacant in 14:43 هَوَآءٌۭ takes its meaning of vacant from the emptiness or void that exists in space (R). The meaning is that they are devoid of intelligence. Another meaning is that they will not be able to save anything because of fear (LA).
The reference in this verse is to Prophet Abraham leaving Prophet Ismail near the Kaa‘ba. The use of the word أَسْكَنتُ or settled, here is to show that this leaving was not because of expulsion but was part of Allah’s plan that some of the progeny of Prophet Ibrahim should settle here. A hadith also states that this leaving was in obedience to the command of Allah. The place is called وَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِى زَرْعٍ : a valley unproductive of fruit, because it is a stony desert with scarce rainfall and is not conducive to agriculture. This phrase also indicates that Prophet Abraham left a part of his family here merely in obedience to the command of Allah and not for any worldly benefit. This is further supported by the statement لِيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ :that they may keep up prayer, indicating that the purpose of leaving them is that prayer should be established to seek the pleasure of the Lord without any consideration of worldly benefit. The words عِندَ بَيْتِكَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ :near Thy Sacred House, shows clearly that the Sacred House or Kaa‘ba already existed there, even though in the narration of the building of the Kaa‘ba by Prophet Abraham, Prophet Ismail is mentioned as participating in its building: وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلُ :And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundation of the House (2:127). However, when Ishmael was left there, he was only a baby. The supplication to create yearning in the hearts of people towards the residents of Makkah, is actually praying for hearts to yearn for the Kaa‘ba. This is a remarkable supplication since it asks for hearts to be attracted towards a place where there seems to be nothing that could invite people, being even unsuitable for agriculture. This place was chosen so that people would come solely for the sake of Allah, and it would be reserved exclusively for religious purposes. This prayer also asks for the people of the city to be provided with food, even if the food was to come from other places.
In the next verse, Prophet Abraham continues his supplication by stating that Allah knows the intention and desires of a person and there is no element of worldliness in his prayer. It is for this reason that Allah blessed Prophet Abraham’s prayer such that hearts from around the world are drawn to the Kaa‘ba.
14-38 Our Lord, surely Thou knowest what we hide and what we proclaim. And nothing is hidden from Allah, either in the earth, or in the heaven.
رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا نُخْفِى وَمَا نُعْلِنُ ۗ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ (۳۸)
14-39 Praise be to Allah, Who has given me, in old age, Ishmael and Isaac! Surely my Lord is the Hearer of prayer.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ (۳۹)
14-40 My Lord, make me keep up prayer and from my offspring (too), our Lord, and accept my prayer.
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ (۴۰)
14-41 Our Lord, grant me protection and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning comes to pass.
رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ (۴۱)
14-41a: It is possible that the entire supplication was not offered at one time. The last part that begins from 14:39 is from the period when Prophet Abraham was well advanced in age and both Prophet Ishmael and Prophet Ishaq had been born. Prophet Abraham’s prayer for his parent’s protection clearly shows that the mention of Prophet Abraham’s اَب (sire) mentioned elsewhere is not his father but some other elder of the family because later on Prophet Abraham disassociates himself from him: فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّۭ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ: but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him (9:114).
Bayan-ul-Quran 