Surah Anbiya ayat 51 Tafsir Quran 21:51

﴿۞ وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ﴾
[ الأنبياء: 51]

21:51 And We had certainly given Abraham his sound judgement before, and We were of him well-Knowing

And verily We had given Abraham his rectitude before that is his right guidance before he came of age — and We were Aware of him in that he was deserving of such guidance

Aforetime, We directed Ibrahim to reasoning and to employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions and We were fully aware of his thoughts and of his innermost being

The Story of Ibrahim and his People Allah tells us about His close Friend Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and how He bestowed upon him guidance aforetime, i.e., from an early age He inspired him with truth and evidence against his people, as Allah says elsewhere: وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ ( And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people ) 6:83.
The point here is that Allah is telling us that He gave guidance to Ibrahim aforetime, i.e., He had already guided him at an early age. وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ ( and We were Well-Acquainted with him. ) means, and he was worthy of that.
Then Allah says: إِذْ قَالَ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ ( When he said to his father and his people: "What are these images, to which you are devoted" ) This is the guidance which he had been given during his youth: his denunciation of his people's worship of idols instead of Allah.
Ibrahim said: مَا هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ ( "What are these images, to which you are devoted" ) meaning, which you worship with such devotion. قَالُواْ وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا لَهَا عَـبِدِينَ ( They said: "We found our fathers worshipping them." ) means, they had no other evidence apart from the misguided actions of their forefathers.
Ibrahim said: لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُمْ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ ( Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error. ) meaning, Speaking to your fathers whose actions you cite as evidence would be the same as speaking to you.
Both you and they are misguided and are not following any straight path.' When he called their intelligence into question, and said that their fathers were misguided and belittled their gods, قَالُواْ أَجِئْتَنَا بِالْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنتَ مِنَ اللَّـعِبِينَ ( They said: "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who play about" ) They said: `These words that you are saying, are you speaking in jest or are you telling the truth For we have never heard such a thing before.' قَالَ بَل رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ الَّذِى فطَرَهُنَّ ( He said: "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them..." ) meaning, your Lord, beside Whom there is no other god, is the One Who created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain; He is the One Who initiated their creation; He is the Creator of all things. وَأَنَاْ عَلَى ذلِكُمْ مِّنَ الشَّـهِدِينَ ( and to that I am one of the witnesses.
) means, and I bear witness that there is no God other than Him and no Lord except Him.

(21:51) Even before that, We had blessed Abraham with the discretion he displayed, for We knew him well. *53

And We had certainly given Abraham his meaning

*53) The Arabic word ( rushd ) is very comprehensive and means righteousness as well.

" We had blessed Abraham with discretion; " " The discretion he showed in discriminating between the right and the wrong etc.
was not of his own acquirement but had been bestowed on him by Us. " AI-Anbiyaa'
" We knew him well ": " We knew that he was worthy of Prophethood; therefore We appointed him as such ".
According to VI:124: " ....
Allah knows best whom to entrust with His Mission .... "It contains a subtle answer to the objection raised by the chiefs of the Quraish: " Why has Allah appointed this man ( the Holy Prophet ) to the office of Prophethood, when he is in no way superior to us? " This objection has been answered, as if to say, " The same objection might even have been raised against Prophet Abraham by his people, but We knew his capabilities.
Therefore We selected him for Prophethood. "
In this connection, please also see II: 124141, 258-260; VI: 74-84; IX: 114; XI: 69-76; XIV: 35-41; XV: 51-58 and XVI: 120-122 and the E.N's thereof.

 

The Story of Ibrahim and his People Allah tells us about His close Friend Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and how He bestowed upon him guidance aforetime, i.e., from an early age He inspired him with truth and evidence against his people, as Allah says elsewhere: وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ ( And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people ) 6:83.
The point here is that Allah is telling us that He gave guidance to Ibrahim aforetime, i.e., He had already guided him at an early age. وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ ( and We were Well-Acquainted with him. ) means, and he was worthy of that.
Then Allah says: إِذْ قَالَ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ ( When he said to his father and his people: "What are these images, to which you are devoted" ) This is the guidance which he had been given during his youth: his denunciation of his people's worship of idols instead of Allah.
Ibrahim said: مَا هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ ( "What are these images, to which you are devoted" ) meaning, which you worship with such devotion. قَالُواْ وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا لَهَا عَـبِدِينَ ( They said: "We found our fathers worshipping them." ) means, they had no other evidence apart from the misguided actions of their forefathers.
Ibrahim said: لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُمْ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ ( Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error. ) meaning, Speaking to your fathers whose actions you cite as evidence would be the same as speaking to you.
Both you and they are misguided and are not following any straight path.' When he called their intelligence into question, and said that their fathers were misguided and belittled their gods, قَالُواْ أَجِئْتَنَا بِالْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنتَ مِنَ اللَّـعِبِينَ ( They said: "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who play about" ) They said: `These words that you are saying, are you speaking in jest or are you telling the truth For we have never heard such a thing before.' قَالَ بَل رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ الَّذِى فطَرَهُنَّ ( He said: "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them..." ) meaning, your Lord, beside Whom there is no other god, is the One Who created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain; He is the One Who initiated their creation; He is the Creator of all things. وَأَنَاْ عَلَى ذلِكُمْ مِّنَ الشَّـهِدِينَ ( and to that I am one of the witnesses.
) means, and I bear witness that there is no God other than Him and no Lord except Him.

( And We verily gave Abraham of old ) before he reached the age of puberty; it is also said that this means: We honoured him with prophethood before Moses and Aaron; and it said that this means: before Muhammad ( pbuh ) ( his proper course ) i.e. knowledge and understanding, ( and We were Aware of him ) i.e. that he deserved it,

And indeed We bestowed aforetime on Ibrahim (Abraham) his (portion of) guidance, and We were Well-Acquainted with him (as to his Belief in the Oneness of Allah, etc.).

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