26:77 Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي فليضروني بأدنى شيء من الضرر, وليكيدوني, فلا يقدرون. إِلا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"أفرأيتم ما كنتم تعبدون أنتم وآباؤكم الأقدمون فإنهم عدو لي إلا رب العالمين" أي إن كانت هذه الأصنام شيئا ولها تأثير وتقدر فلتخلص إلي بالمساءة فإني عدو لها لا أبالي بها ولا أفكر فيها وهذا كما قال تعالى مخبرا عن نوح عليه السلام "فأجمعوا أمركم وشركاءكم" الآية وقال هود عليه السلام "إني أشهد الله واشهدوا أني بريء مما تشركون من دونه فكيدوني جميعا ثم لا تنظرون إني توكلت على الله ربي وربكم ما من دابة إلا هو آخذ بناصيتها إن ربي على صراط مستقيم" وهكذا تبرأ إبراهيم من آلهتهم فقال "وكيف أخاف ما أشركتم ولا تخافون أنكم أشركتم بالله" الآية وقال تعالى: "قد كانت لكم أسوة حسنة في إبراهيم" - إلى قوله - "حتى تؤمنوا بالله وحده" وقال تعالى: "وإذ قال إبراهيم لأبيه وقومه إني براء مما تعبدون إلا الذي فطرني فإنه سيهدين وجعلها كلمة" يعني لا إله إلا الله.

How the Close Friend of Allah, Ibrahim spoke out against Shirk

Here Allah tells us about His servant, Messenger and Close Friend, Ibrahim, upon him be peace, the leader of the pure monotheists. Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ to recite this story to his Ummah so that they could follow this example of sincerity towards Allah, putting one's trust in Him, worshipping Him Alone with no partner or associate, and renouncing Shirk and its people. Allah granted guidance to Ibrahim before, i.e., from a very early age he had denounced his people's practice of worshipping idols with Allah, may He be exalted.

إِذْ قَالَ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ

(When he said to his father and his people: "What do you worship") meaning: what are these statues to which you are so devoted

قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ أَصْنَاماً فَنَظَلُّ لَهَا عَـكِفِينَ

(They said: "We worship idols, and to them we are ever devoted.") meaning: we are devoted to worshipping them and praying to them.

قَالَ هَلْ يَسْمَعُونَكُمْ إِذْ تَدْعُونَ - أَوْ يَنفَعُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَضُرُّونَ - قَالُواْ بَلْ وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ

(He said: "Do they hear you when you call Or do they benefit you or do they cause harm" They said: "(Nay) but we found our fathers doing so.") They knew that their idols could not do anything, but they had seen their fathers doing this, so they made haste to follow in their footsteps. So Ibrahim said to them:

قَالَ أَفَرَءَيْتُمْ مَّا كُنْتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ - أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُمُ الاٌّقْدَمُونَ - فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِى إِلاَّ رَبَّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(Do you observe that which you have been worshipping --you and your ancient fathers Verily, they are enemies to me, save the Lord of Al-`Alamin.) meaning, `if these idols mean anything and have any influence, then let them do me any kind of harm, for I am an enemy to them and I do not care about them or think anything of them.' This is akin to the way Allah described Nuh:

فَأَجْمِعُواْ أَمْرَكُمْ وَشُرَكَآءَكُمْ

(So devise your plot, you and your partners) (10:71). And Hud, upon him be peace, said:

إِن نَّقُولُ إِلاَّ اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ قَالَ إِنِّى أُشْهِدُ اللَّهِ وَاشْهَدُواْ أَنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - مِن دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِى جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لاَ تُنظِرُونِ - إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُمْ مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلاَّ هُوَ ءاخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

("I call Allah to witness and bear you witness that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship. So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite. I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature but He has the grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the straight path) (11:54-56). rSimilarly, Ibrahim denounced their gods and idols and said:

وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِاللَّهِ

(And how should I fear those whom you associate in worship with Allah, while you fear not that you have joined in worship with Allah) (6:81). And Allah said:

قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِى إِبْرَهِيمَ

(Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrahim) until His saying;

حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ

(until you believe in Allah Alone) (60:4).

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَهِيمُ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ - إِلاَّ الَّذِى فَطَرَنِى فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ - وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father and his people: "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, except Him Who created me; and verily, He will guide me." And he made it a Word lasting among his offspring, that they may turn back) (43:26-28). meaning: "La Ilaha Illallah."

They are indeed hateful to me I do not worship them; but the Lord of the Worlds I do worship Him

The reasoning for this he gave إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَ‌بِّي سَيَهْدِينِ (62) "Indeed with me is my Lord. He will guide me." Such are the moments for the test of faith, when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) was not terror stricken at all, as if he was seeing for himself the way out. Almost the same thing happened with Holy Prophet ﷺ at the time of migration while hiding in the cave of Thaur. The enemy had reached right at the opening of the cave in his pursuit. In fact they were so close that they could have seen him if they had looked down towards their toes. Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ got alarmed a little, but Holy Prophet ﷺ said exactly the same thing لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ مَعَنَا ` Do not grieve, Allah is surely with us' (9:40). It is worth noting in the two incidents that while Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) said to his Ummah in order to console them مَعِيَ رَ‌بِّي ` With me is my Lord', Holy Prophet ﷺ said toSayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ in reply ` Allah is with us (two) '. It is a special privilege of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ that his followers are also honoured by the company of Allah when they are with their Rasul.

Surely they are an enemy to me, save the Lord of the Worlds, who created me, so He is guiding me. The mark of love is that, when the lover comes to the description of the Beloved, he turns his heart away from others. He remembers only the Beloved and speaks only in laudation of the Beloved. He does not become sated by remembering Him, lauding Him, and thanking Him, nor can he re- main silent. This was the case when Abraham began to remember and praise God. Look how he clung to plentiful remembrance and laudation and much supplication and pleading! What a difference between these two groups-the owners of requests and the companions of the realities! The owners of requests strive, bring forth obedience, and count out litanies, and then, after that, they present their requests. Their hearts are attached to the reward, and they implore by supplicating and requesting what they want. A report has come: “Surely God loves those who implore in their supplications.” This is the station of the lords of the Shariah. Moses was in this station when he said, “My Lord, open my breast and ease my task!” [20:26] and so on. Above this is the station of the companions of the realities. In remembering and lauding the Beloved they never turn to requesting what they want. Sometimes their tongues cling to lauda- tion and sometimes their hearts are mixed with contemplation, their secret cores having reached union. Annihilated from themselves, they subsist through the Real. This was the state of Abraham when he said, “who created me, so He is guiding me.” In other words: “He is guiding me from me to Him, for my existence has been effaced, and none but the Object of my worship guides me in myself.” This is why the Pir of the Tariqah said, “O God, show me the road to Yourself and release me from the bonds of myself. O He who makes arrive, make me arrive at Yourself, for no one arrives by himself! “O God, remembering You is delight, loving You celebration, recognizing You the kingdom, finding You joy, companionship with You the spirit's repose, proximity to You light. Your seeker is slain though alive, and finding You is the resurrection without Trumpet.”