Tafseer of She that is to be examined · Al-Mumtahana · 60:4
There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone" except for the saying of Abraham to his father, "I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have not [power to do] for you anything against Allah. Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His statement, the Exalted: قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنْكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لأَبِيهِ لأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ رَبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ("There was indeed a good example for you in Ibrāhīm and those who were with him, when they said to their people: 'We are free of you and of what you worship besides Allah; we reject you, and between us and you enmity and hatred have arisen forever, until you believe in Allah alone' — except for the saying of Ibrāhīm to his father: 'I shall surely ask forgiveness for you, though I have no power for you against Allah in anything. Our Lord, upon You we rely, and to You we turn in repentance, and to You is the return'") (4).
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says to those among the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who believe in Him: there was indeed for you, O believers, a good example — that is, a good leader to follow — in Ibrāhīm, the friend (khalīl) of the Most Merciful, in whom you take an example, and in the prophets of Allah who were with him.
As Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning the statement of Allah, Mighty and Exalted: قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ ("There was indeed a good example for you in Ibrāhīm and those who were with him"), he said: those who were with him are the prophets.
His statement: إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنْكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ("when they said to their people: 'We are free of you and of what you worship besides Allah'"). He says: when they said to their people, who disbelieved in Allah and worshipped the false deity (al-ṭāghūt): O people, we are free of you and of those gods and partners that you worship besides Allah.
His statement: كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ ("'We reject you, and between us and you enmity and hatred have arisen forever, until you believe in Allah alone'"). He, exalted is His praise, says, reporting what His prophets said to their disbelieving people: we reject you, we repudiate the disbelief (kufr) against Allah in which you were, and we deny that your worship of what you worship besides Allah is true; and between us and you enmity and hatred have become manifest forever because of your disbelief in Allah and your worship of what is besides Him — there is no reconciliation and no accord between us, until you believe in Allah alone. He says: until you affirm Allah alone as true, acknowledge Him as One, and single Him out alone with worship.
His statement: إِلا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لأبِيهِ لأسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("except for the saying of Ibrāhīm to his father: 'I shall surely ask forgiveness for you, though I have no power for you against Allah in anything'"). The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: there was indeed for you a good example in Ibrāhīm and those who were with him, in these matters that we have mentioned — separating from the disbelievers, treating them as enemies, and abandoning friendship with them — except in the saying of Ibrāhīm to his father: لأسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ ("I shall surely ask forgiveness for you"); for in that there is no example for you to follow. For that came from Ibrāhīm toward his father on the basis of a promise he had made to him before it had become clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: so you too must be, O believers in Allah: dissociate yourselves, then, from the enemies of Allah among the polytheists (mushrikīn), and do not take them as protectors, until they believe in Allah alone and dissociate themselves from the worship of what is besides Him; and show them enmity and hatred.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the scholars of exegesis have spoken.
* Mention of those who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: إِلا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لأبِيهِ ("except for the saying of Ibrāhīm to his father"), he said: they were forbidden to follow the example of Ibrāhīm's asking forgiveness for his father, so that they would not ask forgiveness for the polytheists.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of Muṭarrif al-Ḥārithī, on the authority of Mujāhid: أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ("a good example in Ibrāhīm") ... up to His statement: لأسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ ("I shall surely ask forgiveness for you"). He says: in all his affairs there is an example, except in asking forgiveness for his father.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ("There was indeed a good example for you in Ibrāhīm") ... the verse: take an example from him in everything, except in his saying to his father: لأسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ ("I shall surely ask forgiveness for you"); do not take an example from him in that, for that came about on the basis of a promise he had made to him.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: إِلا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لأبِيهِ ("except for the saying of Ibrāhīm to his father"). He says: do not take an example in that, for it rested upon a promise to him; but take an example in all his affairs.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning the statement of Allah, Mighty and Exalted: قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ ("There was indeed a good example for you") ... up to His statement: إِلا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لأبِيهِ لأسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ ("except for the saying of Ibrāhīm to his father: 'I shall surely ask forgiveness for you'"), he said: He says: in this there is no example for you.
And by His statement وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("though I have no power for you against Allah in anything") He means: He says: I cannot ward off from you any punishment against Allah, if Allah punishes you for your disbelief in Him, and I avail you nothing against Him.
His statement: رَبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا ("Our Lord, upon You we rely"). He, exalted is His praise, says, reporting what Ibrāhīm and His prophets — the blessings of Allah be upon them — said: رَبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا ("Our Lord, upon You we rely, and to You we turn in repentance") — that means: and to You we have returned in repentance, from that which You detest to that which You love and are pleased with. وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ("and to You is the return"). He says: and to You is our return and our destination on the Day when You resurrect us from our graves and gather us at the Resurrection at the standing-place of the presentation (al-ʿarḍ).
