Rabbi hab lee hukman waalhiqnee bissaliheen (surah Shuara: 83)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(26:83) (After. this Abraham prayed:) "My Lord, bestow upon me knowledge and wisdom *60 and join me with the righteous, *61

Rabbi hab lee hukmanw wa alhiqnee bis saaliheen

*60) Hukm here dces not mean "Prophethood", because at the time this prayer was made, Prophet Abraham had already been appointed a Prophet. Even if this prayer was made before that, Prophethood is not bestowed on request, but it is something which Allah Himself bestows on those He wills. That is why, hukm has been translated wisdom, knowledge, right understanding and power of judgment. The Holy Prophet is also reported to have made a similar prayer : Arinal-ashyaa' Kama hiya: "O Allah, give us the power to see and understand a thing as it really is and to form an opinion about it according to its reality."
*61) "Join me with the righteous": "Give me a righteous society to live in in this world and raise me along with the righteous in the Hereafter." To be raised back to life with the righteous and to attain one's salvation have one and the same meaning. Therefore, this should be the prayer of every person who believes in the life-after-death and in reward and punishment. Even in this world a pious man cherishesthe desire that God should save him from living a life in an immoral and wicked society and should join him with the righteous people. A pious and righteous person will remain iII at ease and restless until either his own society should become clean and pure morally, or heleaves it to join another society which is practising and following the principles of truth and honesty.