19-41 And mention Abraham in the Book. Surely he was a truthful man, a prophet.a
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقًۭا نَّبِيًّا (۴۱)
19-41a: The real theme of this chapter is to furnish proofs against the Christian doctrine. Prophet Abraham is now mentioned because he is the ancestor of the Israelite line of prophets which includes Prophet Jesus. In terms of acceptance, Prophet Abraham’s status is unmatched because the Jews, Christians, the disbelievers of Arabia, and the Muslims all admit his righteousness. Attention is drawn to this great line of prophets that begins with Prophet Abraham and ends with Prophet Jesus.
صِدِّيق – For صِدِّيقrefer to 4-69a. The obedient followers of a prophet also achieve the status of truthfulness while the prophet himself symbolizes being truthful, reaching the highest level of belief. The lowest level of صِدِّيق is that a person always speaks the truth and never utters a falsehood. Prophet Abraham’s status as صِدِّيق proves that he never spoke a falsehood: لم یکذب قط He never lied (RM). A hadith that narrates three lies uttered by Prophet Abraham is false and must be rejected. By calling Prophet Abraham a truthful man, the only thing that is ever levied against his honor and integrity is refuted and his honor is restored.
19-42 When he said to his sire: O my sire, why worshippest thou that which hears not, nor sees, nor can it avail thee aught?
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْـًۭٔا (۴۲)
19-43 O my sire, to me indeed has come the knowledge which has not come to thee; so follow me, I will guide thee on a right path.
يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَٱتَّبِعْنِىٓ أَهْدِكَ صِرَٰطًۭا سَوِيًّۭا (۴۳)
19-44 O my sire, serve not the devil. Surely the devil is disobedient to the Beneficent.a
يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَصِيًّۭا (۴۴)
19-44a: What is meant by worshipping the devil: Nobody considers the devil as god, but since worship means taking a stance of extreme humility and obedience, people who completely surrender before the devil by accepting all his insinuations do, in a manner of speaking, worship him. Some have taken the worship of the devil to be the worship of idols because it is the devil who suggests this to them (RM). For the اب sire of Prophet Abraham refer to 6-74a.
19-45 O my sire, surely I fear lest a punishment from the Beneficent should afflict thee, so that thou become a friend of the devil.a
يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَـٰنِ وَلِيًّۭا (۴۵)
19-45a: What is meant by becoming a friend of the devil: The punishment given is attributed to the Beneficent because Allah’s Mercy is so great that He shows Mercy without requiring anything in return. He does not punish except in the dire circumstance of a person exceeding all limits. Also, maybe the idol worshipper is, in a way, denying Allah’s Beneficence. As a result of this punishment, such a person will become a friend of the devil, helping him by leading others astray. Therefore, the punishment is Allah’s displeasure, and though there may be no apparent loss, by following the devil one becomes so distant from Allah that one starts leading people to take the same deviant path. Becoming distant is referred to as a punishment because separation from Allah is the worst experience.
19-46 He said: Dislikest thou my gods, O Abraham? If thou desist not, I will certainly drive thee away. And leave me for a time.a
قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ ءَالِهَتِى يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَٱهْجُرْنِى مَلِيًّۭا (۴۶)
19-46a: رجم – To revile and shun are some of the meaning of رجم . Refer to 3-36b. This is the meaning meant here (IJ).
ملیّ – Refer to 3-178a.
19-47 He said: Peace be to thee! I shall pray my Lord to forgive thee. Surely He is ever Kind to me.a
قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِى حَفِيًّۭا (۴۷)
19-47a: حَفِيّ – حَفی – For احفاء refer to 7-187a. حفا is stepping gingerly, going barefoot and حَفَی بالرجل means extreme bounty. Hence حَفِيّ means the one showing favor with extreme generosity (LA) It is also used for a person who has knowledge of something (R).
The lesson taught is to return good for evil. The father responds badly but Prophet Abraham greets him with peace and promises to ask Allah to forgive him. This is a practical example of loving the enemy. While the Christians proudly claim that this teaching was given by Prophet Jesus, every prophet preached about returning evil with good. For Prophet Abraham’s asking forgiveness, refer to 9-114a.
19-48 And I withdraw from you and that which you call on besides Allah, and I call upon my Lord. Maybe I shall not remain unblessed in calling upon my Lord.
وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّۭا (۴۸)
19-49 So, when he withdrew from them and that which they worshipped besides Allah, We gave him Isaac and Jacob. And each (of them) We made a prophet.a
فَلَمَّا ٱعْتَزَلَهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا جَعَلْنَا نَبِيًّۭا (۴۹)
19-49a: This verse mentioned giving Prophet Isaac and Prophet Jacob to Prophet Abraham to show that when he exiled himself from his sire and his nation to honor Allah, He gave him a lineage in which there was a series of prophets extending over a long period. That is why along with Prophet Isaac, his son Prophet Jacob is also mentioned. Prophet Ishmael is not mentioned here because he is talked about individually later on, and also because a different lineage branched out through him in which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born.
19-50 And We gave them of Our mercy, and We granted them a truthful mention of eminence.a
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِنَا وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ عَلِيًّۭا (۵۰)
19-50a: لِسَانَ – It means the tongue but is also used for the power of the tongue (R). For لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ truthful mention see 10-2a. وَٱحْلُلْ عُقْدَةًۭ مِّن لِّسَانِى And loose the knot from my tongue (20:27) is about giving power to his tongue to make his speech effective, and it does not refer to the tongue itself, because the knot was in the power of articulation rather than the tongue (R).
Bayan-ul-Quran 