Surah Ibrahim – Abdul Rashid Ali Sufi

Ibrahim ("Abraham") is the 14th surah of the Quran. A Meccan surah of 52 verses, it is 72nd in the traditional order of revelation, coming after Nuh. It is named after the prophet Abraham, whose prayer for Mecca and for his descendants (14:35–41) is one of its high points, and it closes the thirteenth juz' of the Mushaf.

Like Yunus, Hud, Yusuf and Al-Hijr, it opens with the letters Alif-Lam-Ra. It belongs to the late Meccan period; a few commentators consider verses 28–29 Medinan.

Main themes

The Quran is presented as a Book sent down to bring people "out of darkness into light" (14:1), and every messenger spoke the language of his people (14:4). Moses reminds the Israelites of the rule stated in 14:7: gratitude brings increase, ingratitude a severe punishment. The peoples of Noah, 'Ad and Thamud reject their messengers, and on the Last Day Satan disowns those who followed him (14:22).

At its centre stand two parables: the good word, like a good tree whose root is firm and whose branches reach the sky, and the evil word, like a tree torn up from the earth (14:24–26). Then comes Abraham's supplication: that the city be safe, that he and his sons be kept from idol worship, that hearts incline towards the family he settled "in a barren valley" near the Sacred House (14:37), and that he, his parents and the believers be forgiven (14:41).

In the Sunnah

In Sahih al-Bukhari, Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet ﷺ asked his Companions to name a tree that resembles the Muslim: it was the palm tree, a hadith al-Bukhari places under 14:24. According to al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (al-Bukhari and Muslim), the "firm word" by which God keeps the believers steadfast (14:27) concerns the questioning in the grave.