21-51 And certainly We gave Abraham his rectitude before, and We knew him well.a
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ رُشْدَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِۦ عَـٰلِمِينَ (۵۱)
21-51a: Sinlessness of prophets: For رُشْد refer to 4-6a and 18-24a and because it is the opposite of غیّ sin and ضلال error. Giving the attribute of رُشْد rectitude excludes the presence of ضلالة and غی. The word used is رُشْدَهُۥ which indicates that it is not just ordinary رُشْد since it was not just righteousness in worldly matters, but rather a رُشْد that was befitting his status, complete رُشْد which is given to messengers and prophets. In مِن قَبْلُ before the reference is towards Prophet Moses or the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Some have taken it to mean مِن قَبْلُ البلوغ he was rightly guided from his childhood (IJ). كُنَّا بِهِۦ عَـٰلِمِينَ We knew him well refers to his remarkable life.
21-52 When he said to his sire and his people: What are these images to whose worship you cleave?a
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِۦ مَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـٰكِفُونَ (۵۲)
21-52a: تَمَاثِيل – is the plural of تمثال which means image (LA). It appears that they made statues in human and other shapes. مَا here is not meant as a question, but rather to question them.
21-53 They said: We found our fathers worshipping them.
قَالُوا۟ وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا لَهَا عَـٰبِدِينَ (۵۳)
21-54 He said: Certainly you have been, you and your fathers, in manifest error.
قَالَ لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُمْ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ (۵۴)
21-55 They said: Hast thou brought us the truth, or art thou of the jesters?
قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱللَّـٰعِبِينَ (۵۵)
21-56 He said: Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them; and I am of those who bear witness to this.
قَالَ بَل رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّذِى فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا۠ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ (۵۶)
21-57 And, by Allah! I will certainly plan against your idols after you go away, turning your backs.a
وَتَٱللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـٰمَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ (۵۷)
21-57a: كِيدَ – Refer to 3-120a for its meaning, and the meaning of کاد is given as اراد بسوء intent to harm and the here it meansلاُرِیۡدَن بہا سُوۡءً intend to do harm to them (R).
21-58 So he broke them into pieces, except the chief of them, that haply they might return to it.a
فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرًۭا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ (۵۸)
21-58a: Why Prophet Abraham did not break the chief idol: جُذَٰذًا – The meaning of جَذّ is to break into small pieces. جُذاذ is used for something that has been broken into bits (LA).
The pronoun in كَبِيرًۭا لَّهُمْ chief of them, stands for the worshippers and means the chief idol of the worshippers. In إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ return to it the majority have taken the pronoun to stand for Prophet Abraham, so that the meaning is: they may return to inquire from Prophet Abraham. Some have taken the pronoun to stand for Allah so that on finding their idols broken, they may return and incline to Allah. Others have taken the pronoun to mean the chief idol and in my opinion, this is correct, because if the return was to Prophet Abraham or Allah, then all the idols should have been broken, and it would be meaningless to leave one idol unbroken. Prophet Abraham’s plan seems to have had two purposes. First, for the polytheists to realize that the idols do not have the power to benefit or harm, otherwise they would have prevented their own destruction. Second when they saw the chief idol intact, to have the realization that despite being whole, he was unable to help the other idols or to solve their problems.
21-59 They said: Who has done this to our gods? Surely he is one of the unjust.
قَالُوا۟ مَن فَعَلَ هَـٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۵۹)
21-60 They said: We heard a youth, who is called Abraham, speak of them.
قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا فَتًۭى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُۥٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ (۶۰)
21-61 They said: Then bring him before the people’s eyes, perhaps they may bear witness.
قَالُوا۟ فَأْتُوا۟ بِهِۦ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِ ٱلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ (۶۱)
21-62 They said: Hast thou done this to our gods, O Abraham?
قَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَـٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ (۶۲)
21-63 He said: Surely (someone) has done it. The chief of them is this; so ask them, if they can speak.a
قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ ق كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ (۶۳)
21-63a: Prophet Abraham did not attribute the breaking of the idols to the chief idol, nor did he lie: It is worth remembering that there is a pause after فَعَلَهُۥ and overlooking it results in attributing a falsehood to Prophet Abraham; namely that he denied breaking the idols and replied that the chief idol had broken the smaller idols. It is incorrect to say that he was meant to take the blame, because he could have been blamed without the lie. It is incorrect to pin such a blame on Prophet Abraham because there was no incentive for him to lie since he could have proved his point in other ways as well. There is additional evidence against such a supposition. First, Prophet Abraham had openly announced: لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـٰمَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ : I will certainly plan against your idols after you go away, turning your backs (21:57). Commentators have thought this open announcement to the nation was uttered secretly. If it was secret, then what is the meaning of بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ after you go away. Here Prophet Abraham is clearly addressing people by saying that he will harm the idols after they have gone, and the reason appears to be that these people must have threatened Prophet Abraham with harm if he said anything against the idols. His reply was that they cannot harm me and instead I will harm them. The tone and structure of the statement clearly shows that Prophet Abraham said this while arguing with the polytheists and many people heard it. That is why when the idols were found broken and the investigation started, many people said that they had heard Prophet Abraham saying so, and he was called so that people could give public testimony.
The second evidence against Prophet Abraham concealing his actions, is that doing so would have defeated its real purpose. The third and very strong reason is that neither Prophet Abraham demands that the chief idol be asked, nor do the worshippers present the excuse about the idol, that it cannot speak. What Prophet Abraham says is: فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ …so ask them, if they can speak and they use the same pronoun in their reply مَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ : Thou knowest indeed that they speak not (21:65). If the chief idol was left unharmed so that the act of breaking the idols could be attributed to it, then the word used would be فسئلوہ so ask it and not فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ so ask them and their reply should also have been that it cannot speak instead of they cannot speak. Thus, the very condition for which a lie is alleged does not exist.
Prophets never lie for any purpose or expediency. Their purpose is achieved, and their problems are solved by speaking the truth. There is a pause after بَلْ فَعَلَهُ Surely (someone) has done it and Al-Kisai, an expert in syntax, explains this as follows: فعله من فعله done by who did it, which means, the subject is omitted. So, Prophet Abraham’s reply is: Whether I did it or somebody else did it, why are you pursuing this investigation and what will you get from it? If your idols can do something and have the power to benefit and harm, then the chief idol is present why does it not do something. If they have the power to harm me, the chief idol is here to act. As to who has done it, why do you not ask the idols. The person who is beaten up can name who beat him. Why do they not tell you who beat them up? Moreover, if they have no power to benefit or harm, and neither can they speak, what is the point of worshipping them?
بَلْ which is حرف اضراب (a particle that negates or stops what came before it and introduces a new clause) is used sometimes to negate the idea of the first clause, as in وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۚ بَلْ عِبَادٌۭ مُّكْرَمُونَ : And they say: The Beneficent has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay, they are honored servants (21:26) and sometimes it is used to transition from one message to another as in قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا : He indeed is successful who purifies himself. And remembers the name of his Lord, then prays. But, you prefer the life of this world. (87:14-16) (Al-Mughni).
21-64 Then they turned to themselves and said: Surely you yourselves are wrongdoers;a
فَرَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (۶۴)
21-64a: By turned to themselves is meant they reflected and deliberated, or they thought to themselves.
21-65 Then they were made to hang down their heads: Thou knowest indeed that they speak not.
ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ (۶۵)
21-65a: نُكِسُوا۟ – The meaning of نَکَس is to invert, turn upside down, and نَکَسَ رَأسَهٗ means امالهٗ to bow down or bend (one’s head), as in نَاكِسُوا۟ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ …the guilty hang their heads before their Lord…) (32:12). نَکَس during illness is to get better, but then have a relapse. The meaning taken in this verse is: رجعوا عما عرفوا من الحجة لا ابرٰھیم They acknowledged Abraham’s argument but then returned to their original position. In نُنَكِّسْهُ فِى ٱلْخَلْقِ …We reduce to an abject state in creation… (36:68) the meaning is that strength is changed to weakness and youth into old age (LA).
21-66 He said: Serve you then besides Allah what does you no good, nor harms you?
قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ (۶۶)
21-67 Fie on you and on what you serve besides Allah! Have you no sense?
أُفٍّۢ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (۶۷)
21-68 They said: Burn him, and help your gods, if you are going to do (anything).
قَالُوا۟ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـٰعِلِينَ (۶۸)
21-69 We said: O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham:a
قُلْنَا يَـٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرْدًۭا وَسَلَـٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ (۶۹)
21-69a: Prophet Abraham saved from the fire: The incident of putting Prophet Abraham into the fire and his staying in it has been recounted by commentators in a strange manner. According to these stories, firewood was collected for forty days and then a huge fire was lit. However, the disbelievers could not figure out how to throw Prophet Abraham into the fire. Satan came to their rescue and taught them how to make a giant catapult to hurl Prophet Abraham into the fire. After he had been catapulted into the fire, he stayed in it for forty or fifty days. Ruh al Maani recounts these stories and then states “There are many versions of this incident, but it is written in Tafseer Al-Bahr al-Muhit that people have made up many things in narrating the incident of Prophet Abraham. The truth is what Allah has mentioned, namely that Prophet Abraham was put in the fire, but Allah cooled the fire.” This is true. The intention of the disbelievers is mentioned only to the extent of saying حَرِّقُوهُ Burn him but in another verse it is stated: ٱقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ …Slay him or burn him!… (29:24) and for تحریق refer to 20-97b. In a third place, it is mentioned ٱبْنُوا۟ لَهُۥ بُنْيَـٰنًۭا فَأَلْقُوهُ فِى ٱلْجَحِيمِ : …Build for him a building, then cast him into the flaming fire (37:97), where the word جَحِيمِ literally means hell. What happened after that is stated here: قُلْنَا يَـٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرْدًۭا وَسَلَـٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ : We said: O Fire be coolness and peace for Abraham. In another place, it is said فَأَنجَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ …But Allah delivered him from the fire… (29:24). A third verse states: فَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًۭا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْأَسْفَلِينَ : And they designed a plan against him, but We brought them low (37:98). In the verses after بَرْدًۭا وَسَلَـٰمًا coolness and peace, the same words are found. If we do not go beyond the Quranic narrative, we cannot say for sure if Prophet Abraham was put in the fire, or was given deliverance before facing the fire and given another way out, as is manifest from verse 21:71 which mentions that Prophet Abraham’s migration. The God Who saved Prophet Noah from the deluge, gave Prophet Moses a safe passage through the sea, delivered Prophet Jesus from the Cross, and saved the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) from the assassins after they had besieged him in his house, had the power to save Prophet Abraham from the fire after having been cast into it or, to cool the fire for him, even before the plan to burn him could be implemented. It appears from verse 21:71 and also from 37:98 in the chapter Al Saffat, that Allah delivered Prophet Abraham while the plan to burn him was being formed.
21-70 And they intended a plan against him, but We made them the greater losers.
وَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًۭا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ (۷۰)
21-71 And We delivered him and Lot (directing them) to the land which We had blessed for the nations.a
وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّتِى بَـٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (۷۱)
21-71a: The blessed land is Syria where Prophet Abraham and Prophet Lot migrated to.
21-72 And We gave him Isaac; and Jacob, a son’s son. And We made (them) all good.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةًۭ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا جَعَلْنَا صَـٰلِحِينَ (۷۲)
21-73 And We made them leaders who guided (people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of alms, and Us (alone) they served;
وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ أَئِمَّةًۭ يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَإِقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا عَـٰبِدِينَ (۷۳)
21-74 And to Lot We gave wisdom and knowledge, and We delivered him from the town which wrought abomination. Surely they were an evil people, transgressors;
وَلُوطًا ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًۭا وَعِلْمًۭا وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِى كَانَت تَّعْمَلُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ ۗ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍۢ فَـٰسِقِينَ (۷۴)
21-75 And We admitted him to Our mercy; surely he was of the righteous.
وَأَدْخَلْنَـٰهُ فِى رَحْمَتِنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (۷۵)
Bayan-ul-Quran 