29:24 Al-Ankaboot (The Spider)

أي: فما كان مجاوبة قوم إبراهيم إبراهيم حين دعاهم إلى ربه قبول دعوته، والاهتداء بنصحه، ورؤية نعمة اللّه عليهم بإرساله إليهم، وإنما كان مجاوبتهم له شر مجاوبة.{ قَالُوا اقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ } أشنع القتلات، وهم أناس مقتدرون، لهم السلطان، فألقوه في النار { فَأَنْجَاهُ اللَّهُ } منها.{ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ } فيعلمون صحة ما جاءت به الرسل، وبِرَّهُمْ ونصحهم، وبطلان قول من خالفهم وناقضهم، وأن المعارضين للرسل كأنهم تواصوا وحث بعضهم بعضا على التكذيب.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن قوم إبراهيم في كفرهم وعنادهم ومكابرتهم ودفعهم الحق بالباطل أنهم ما كان لهم جواب بعد مقالة إبراهيم هذه المشتملة على الهدى والبيان "إلا أن قالوا اقتلوه أو حرقوه" وذلك لأنهم قام عليهم البرهان و توجهت عليهم الحجة فعدلوا إلى استعمال جاههم وقوة ملكهم "فقالوا ابنوا له بنيانا فألقوه في الجحيم وأرادوا به كيدا فجعلناهم الأسفلين" وذلك أنهم حشدوا في جمع أحطاب عظيمة مدة طويلة وحوطوا حولها ثم أضرموا فيها النار فارتفع لها لهب إلى عنان السماء ولم توقد نار قط أعظم منها ثم عمدوا إلى إبراهيم فكتفوه وألقوه في كفة المنجيق ثم قذفوه فيها فجعلها الله عليه بردا وسلاما وخرج منها سالما بعد ما مكث فيها أياما ولهذا وأمثاله جعله الله للناس إماما فإنه بذل نفسه للرحمن وجسده للنيران وسخا بولده للقربان وجعل ماله للضيفان ولهذا اجتمع على محبته جميع أهل الأديان. وقوله تعالى: "فأنجاه الله من النار" أي سلمه منها بأن جعلها عليه بردا وسلاما.

The Response of Ibrahim's People -- and how Allah controlled the Fire

Allah tells us how Ibrahim's people stubbornly and arrogantly disbelieved, and how they resisted the truth with falsehood. After Ibrahim addressed them with his words of clear guidance,

إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ اقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ

(except that they said: "Kill him or burn him.") This was because proof had clearly been established against them, so they resorted to using their power and strength.

قَالُواْ ابْنُواْ لَهُ بُنْيَـناً فَأَلْقُوهُ فِى الْجَحِيمِ - فَأَرَادُواْ بِهِ كَيْداً فَجَعَلْنَـهُمُ الاٌّسْفَلِينَ

(They said: "Build for him a building and throw him into the blazing fire!" So they plotted a plot against him, but We made them the lowest.) (37:97-98). They spent a long time gathering a huge amount of firewood, they built a fence around it, then they set it ablaze until its flames reached up to the sky. No greater fire had ever been lit. Then they went to Ibrahim, seized him and put him into a catapult, then they threw him into the fire. But Allah made it cool and safe for him, and after spending several days in it, he emerged unscathed. For this reason and others, Allah made him an Imam for mankind, for he offered himself to the Most Merciful, he offered his body to the flames, he offered his son as a sacrifice, and he gave his wealth to care for his guests. For all of these reasons he is beloved by the followers of all religions.

فَأَنْجَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

(Then Allah saved him from the fire. ) means, He rescued him from it by making it cool and safe for him.

إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(Verily, in this are indeed signs for a people who believe.) Ibrahim, peace be upon him, explains to his people that idols are incapable of doing anything,

وَقَالَ إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَـناً مَّوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

(And (Ibrahim) said: "You have taken idols instead of Allah. The love between you is only in the life of this world,) Here Ibrahim was rebuking his people for their evil deed of worshipping idols, and telling them: `You have taken these as gods and you come together to worship them so that there is friendship and love among you in this world,'

ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ

(but on the Day of Resurrection,) the situation will be the opposite, and this love and friendship will turn into hatred and enmity. Then

يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ

(you shall deny each other,) meaning, `you will denounce one another and deny whatever was between you,'

وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً

(and curse each other, ) means, the followers will curse their leaders and the leaders will curse their followers.

كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا

a(Every time a new nation enters (the Fire), it curses its sister nation (that went before)) (7:37).

الاٌّخِلاَءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except those who have Taqwa.) (43:67) And Allah says here:

ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً وَمَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ

(but on the Day of Resurrection, you shall deny each other, and curse each other, and your abode will be the Fire,) meaning, `your ultimate destiny after all accounts have been settled, will be the fire of Hell, and you will have no one to help you or save you from the punishment of Allah.' This will be the state of the disbelievers. As for the believers, it will be an entirely different matter.

God exalted be He says with regard to the tale of Abraham peace be upon him But the only answer of his people was that they said ‘Slay him or burn him!’ Then God delivered him from the fire into which they threw him by making it cool and harmless for him. Surely in that namely in that deliverance of him from it there are signs — namely the fact that it did not have any affect on him despite its greatness and the fact that it was extinguished and that within a brief period meadows sprung up in its place — for a people who believe a people who affirm the truth of God’s Oneness and His power for they are the ones to benefit from these signs.

Commentary

The infidels of Makkah believed that it is Allah who has created the whole universe, but they deemed it impossible that the people will be resurrected after they once die. The present verses have described the fallacy of their view. It is stated that repeating the process of creation is much easier than its origination. It is strange that these infidels do believe that Allah has originated the creation, but they deny His power to do it again, while the latter is easier than the former. Then verse 20 has induced them to look around them to appreciate the splendors of the creation, so that they may apprehend that the One who has originated this marvelous creation can easily repeat the process. After establishing the Resurrection, the last three verses describe the punishment for those who deny it.