Surah Nahl ayat 123 Tafsir Quran 16:123

﴿ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾
[ النحل: 123]

16:123 Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allah.

Then We revealed to you O Muhammad (s) saying ‘Follow the creed the religion of Abraham a hanīf and he was not of the idolaters’ this remark is repeated in order to refute to the claim of the Jews and Christians that they follow his religion.

And We inspired to you O Muhammad what We ordained: that you follow the system of faith and worship followed by Ibrahim, the orthodox Muslim who never incorporated with Allah other deities

He selected him, as Allah says : وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ ( And before, We indeed gave Ibrahim his integrity, and We were indeed most knowledgeable about him )( 21:51 ).
Then Allah says: وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ( and guided him to a straight path. ) which means to worship Allah alone, without partners or associate, in the manner that He prescribed and which pleases Him. وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) meaning, `We granted him all that a believer may require for a good and complete life in this world.' وَإِنَّهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ ( and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous. ) Concerning the Ayah: وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) Mujahid said: "This means a truthful tongue." ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ( Then, We have sent the revelation to you: "Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif.
..) meaning, `because of his perfection, greatness, and the soundness of his Tawhid and his way, We revealed to you, O Seal of the Messengers and Leader of the Prophets ,' أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.) This is like the Ayah in Surat Al-An`am: قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.") ( 6:161 ).
Then Allah rebukes the Jews,

(16:123) Then We sent down this Revelation to you: "Follow the way of Abraham exclusively" and he was not one of the mushriks. *120

Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], meaning

*120) This is the complete answer to the first objection ( E.N.
117 ) raised by the disbelievers.
This has two parts:
( 1 ) There is no contradiction in the Divine Law as you seem to presume on the apparent variance in the Jewish and the Islamic Law.
As a matter of fact a few things had been made unlawful especially for the Jews as punishment to them because of their disobedience; therefore, there was no reason why others should be deprived of those good things.

( 2 ) Prophet Muhammad ( Allah's peace be upon him ) was commanded to follow the way of Abraham and not the way of the Jews, and they themselves knew than these things were not unlawful in the law of Abraham.
For instance, the Jews did not eat the flesh of camel but this was lawful according to Abraham.
Likewise, ostrich, hare, duck, etc.
, were unlawful in the Jewish law, but they were lawful according to Abraham.
Incidentally the disbelievers of Makkah have been warned that neither they nor the Jews had any relationship with Prophet Abraham for he was not a mushrik while both of them were practising shirk.
Prophet Muhammad and his followers were the only true followers of Prophet Abraham ( Allah's peace be upon them ) for there was no tinge of shirk in their creed or in their practice.

 

He selected him, as Allah says : وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ ( And before, We indeed gave Ibrahim his integrity, and We were indeed most knowledgeable about him )( 21:51 ).
Then Allah says: وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ( and guided him to a straight path. ) which means to worship Allah alone, without partners or associate, in the manner that He prescribed and which pleases Him. وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) meaning, `We granted him all that a believer may require for a good and complete life in this world.' وَإِنَّهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ ( and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous. ) Concerning the Ayah: وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) Mujahid said: "This means a truthful tongue." ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ( Then, We have sent the revelation to you: "Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif.
..) meaning, `because of his perfection, greatness, and the soundness of his Tawhid and his way, We revealed to you, O Seal of the Messengers and Leader of the Prophets ,' أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.) This is like the Ayah in Surat Al-An`am: قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.") ( 6:161 ).
Then Allah rebukes the Jews,

( And afterward We inspired thee (O Muhammad )) We commanded you ( (saying ): Follow the religion of Abraham) adhere to the religion of Abraham, ( as one by nature upright ) surrendered to Allah. ( He was not of the idolaters ) he did not follow the religion of the idolaters.

Then, We have inspired you (O Muhammad SAW saying): "Follow the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham) Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism - to worship none but Allah) and he was not of the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers, etc.).

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