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Prophet Ibrahim’s Invocations: Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:129) By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:129)
By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Prophet Ibrahim’s Invocations

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿١٢٩﴾

 

Translation: 2:129 Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”

Commentary: Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael beseeched their Lord to raise up from the midst of their offspring an apostle [(وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ)] to recite for them the divine signs [(يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ)], teach them the teachings of the divine Book, give wisdom [(وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ)] and purify them [(وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ)].
The aforementioned verse underscores the divine process and procedure to guide a society towards prosperity. First step in the process is to awakening sleeping minds with the recitation of divine signs. For instance, King Nimrod, who ruled at the time of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), declared himself as the Lord of the people. Prophet Ibrahim argued against him, saying that Allah (SWT) is the true Lord of the universe. He is the one who rises the sun from East and sets in the West. If Nimrod was the Lord as he claimed, he should have been able to rise the sun from the West and set it in the East. This is a very simple, yet powerful argument that resonates with everyone.

إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٢٥٨﴾

2:258 Ibrahim said, “Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west.” So the disbeliever (the King Nimrod) was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
The second step is to teach the divine book and wisdom. The divine book is composed of the direct words of Allah (SWT), which is revealed to a messenger. Wisdom includes a messenger’s sayings, traditions, life and legacies. The last step in the process is to purify people from immorality, which is the outcome of practicing divine books and following the traditions of a messenger. With this sequence, the education [(وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ)] then becomes a pre-requisite for purification [(وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ)]. Although, education and purification go hand in hand.
The ultimate goal of messengers is thus to cleanse their nations from immorality and dye them with the color of the attributes of God [وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ]. Education is a means to achieve these noble goals. This has been underscored in verses Al-Baqara 2:151, Al-i-Imran 3:164 and Al-Jumua 62:2 by mentioning first the purification [وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ], followed by education (وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ).

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٢﴾

62:2 It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom – although they were before in clear error –

اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسِنْ عَاقِبَتَنَا فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا وَأَجِرْنَا مِنْ خِزْيِ الدُّنْيَا وَعَذَابِ الْآخِرَة

Appendix: The Prophet (SAW) in his supplication stated O! Allah, I seek your protection against a knowledge that does no benefit (result in purification of soul)

اللهمّ انّی اعوذ بک من نفسٍ لاتشبعُ و من قلبٍ لایخشَعُ و من علمٍ لاینفعُ و من صلاةٍ لاتُرفَعُ و من دعاءٍ لایُسمَعُ

O Allah, I surely seek Your protection against a self that never has enough, a heart that does not feel apprehension, knowledge that does not avail, a prayer that is not accepted, and a supplication that is not responded.

اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسِنْ عَاقِبَتَنَا فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا وَأَجِرْنَا مِنْ خِزْيِ الدُّنْيَا وَعَذَابِ الْآخِرَة

Word-for-Word Translation:

رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿١٢٩﴾

2:129 [رَبَّنَا] Our Lord [وَابْعَثْ] and send [فِيهِمْ] amongst them [رَسُولًا] a messenger [مِّنْهُمْ] out of them [يَتْلُو] who shall recite [عَلَيْهِمْ] unto them [آيَاتِكَ] Your Signs [وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ] and teach them [الْكِتَابَ] the Book [وَالْحِكْمَةَ] and the Wisdom [وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ] and purify them [إِنَّكَ] verily You [أَنتَ] You [الْعَزِيزُ] are the All-Mighty [الْحَكِيمُ] the All-Wise

 

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