Ibrahim 14:42 · Abraham · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"Do not think [Prophet] that God is unaware of what the disbelievers do: He only gives them respite until a Day when their eyes will stare in terror."

Pickthall (classic)+

"Deem not that Allah is unaware of what the wicked do. He but giveth them a respite till a day when eyes will stare (in terror),"

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"Think not that Allah doth not heed the deeds of those who do wrong. He but giveth them respite against a Day when the eyes will fixedly stare in horror,-"

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Allah gives Respite to the Disbelievers and is never unaware of what They do

Allah says, `O Muhammad, do not think that Allah is unaware of what the unjust disbelievers do. Do not think because Allah gave them respite and delayed their punishment that He is unaware or ignoring punishing them for what they do. Rather, Allah keeps full account of this for them and keeps it on record against them,

إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الأَبْصَـرُ

(but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror.) from the horror of the Day of Resurrection.' Allah next mentions how they will all be raised up from their graves and hurriedly gathered for the Day of Gathering,

مُهْطِعِينَ

(hastening forward), in a hurry. Allah said in other Ayat,

مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ

(Hastening towards the caller.) 54:8

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ الدَّاعِىَ لاَ عِوَجَ لَهُ

(On that Day mankind will follow strictly Allah's caller, no crookedness will they show him.) 20:108 until,

وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَىِّ الْقَيُّومِ

(And (all) faces shall be humbled before the Ever Living, the Sustainer.) 20:111 Allah said: another Ayah,

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الاٌّجْدَاثِ سِرَاعاً

(The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly.) 70:43 Allah said next,

مُقْنِعِى رُءُوسِهِمْ

(with necks outstretched) meaning, raising their heads up, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several others. Allah said next,

لاَ يَرْتَدُّ إِلَيْهِمْ طَرْفُهُمْ

(their gaze returning not towards them) meaning, their eyes are staring in confusion, trying not to blink because of the horror and tremendous insights they are experiencing, and fear of what is going to strike them, we seek refuge with Allah from this end. This is why Allah said,

وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَآءٌ

(and their hearts empty.) meaning, their hearts are empty due to extreme fear and fright. Qatadah and several others said that the places of their hearts are empty then, because the hearts will ascend to the throats due to extreme fear. Allah said next to His Messenger ,

Stands for 'Qatiran', the original Qur’ anic word which means a highly inflammable oil extracted from the Pine-tree.

Commentary

Mentioned in Surah Ibrahim were some details of matters relating to prophets and their peoples, the evil end of those who opposed Divine in-junctions and, later on, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) himself, who constructed the Baytullah, and for whose children Allah Ta’ ala made a community rise around them in Makkah al-Mukarramah, and provided for all its in-habitants perfect peace and extraordinary economic facilities, and it is his children, the Banu Ismail, who are the first addressees of the Glorious Qur'an and the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

In this last section of Surah Ibrahim, the same people of Makkah have been exhorted to take a lesson from what had happened to past peoples; and, in a nutshell, they have been warned that, should they still not return to their senses, they better be ready to face the horrendous punishment of the day of Qiyamah.

Initially, the first verse (42) is to comfort the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the oppressed of the world, then, it releases the threat of a severe punishment for all oppressors - that the unjust practitioners of crime should not become carefree because Allah Ta’ ala has given them respite. Let them not be deluded by the idea that Allah is not aware of their wrongdo-ings for which reason they are flourishing despite their crimes and for which reason nothing unwelcome happens to them, nor does any punishment visit them. This is not true. Instead of all that they presuppose, everything they are doing is all within the sight of Allah Ta’ ala, but He, in His mercy and wisdom, is giving them respite.

In this verse: وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّـهَ غَافِلًا And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing), the address is obviously to every such person whom his own negligence, and shaitan, have tricked to believe in something like that. And should it be that the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself is the addressee here, still then, the purpose of saying this would be to let the negligent of the community hear it and be warned - because, there exists just no possibility that the Holy Prophet ﷺ would, God forbid, ever think that Allah Ta’ ala is unaware or indifferent to what is happening.