سُوْرَةُ الْمُمْتَحِنَةِ
Surah Al-Mumtahana (60) — Ayah 4
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَءَٰٓؤُا۟ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ ٱلْعَدَٰوَةُ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَحْدَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَآ أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿4﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: "Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh: we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you hostility and hatred for ever until you believe in Allâh Alone" - except the saying of Ibrâhîm (Abraham) to his father: "Verily, I will ask forgiveness (from Allâh) for you, but I have no power to do anything for you before Allâh." Our Lord! In You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You (Alone) we turn in repentance, and to You (Alone) is (our) final Return.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدْ
qad
Indeed
كَانَتْ
kānat
(there) is
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
أُسْوَةٌ
us'watun
an example
حَسَنَةٌۭ
ḥasanatun
good
فِىٓ
fī
in
إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
ib'rāhīma
Ibrahim
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
and those
مَعَهُۥٓ
maʿahu
with him
إِذْ
idh
when
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
لِقَوْمِهِمْ
liqawmihim
to their people
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, we
بُرَءَٰٓؤُا۟
buraāu
(are) disassociated
مِنكُمْ
minkum
from you
وَمِمَّا
wamimmā
and from what
تَعْبُدُونَ
taʿbudūna
you worship
مِن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
كَفَرْنَا
kafarnā
We have denied
بِكُمْ
bikum
you
وَبَدَا
wabadā
and has appeared
بَيْنَنَا
baynanā
between us
وَبَيْنَكُمُ
wabaynakumu
and between you
ٱلْعَدَٰوَةُ
l-ʿadāwatu
enmity
وَٱلْبَغْضَآءُ
wal-baghḍāu
and hatred
أَبَدًا
abadan
forever
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
تُؤْمِنُوا۟
tu'minū
you believe
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَحْدَهُۥٓ
waḥdahu
Alone
إِلَّا
illā
Except
قَوْلَ
qawla
(the) saying
إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
ib'rāhīma
(of) Ibrahim
لِأَبِيهِ
li-abīhi
to his father
لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ
la-astaghfiranna
Surely I ask forgiveness
لَكَ
laka
for you
وَمَآ
wamā
but not
أَمْلِكُ
amliku
I have power
لَكَ
laka
for you
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مِن
min
of
شَىْءٍۢ ۖ
shayin
anything
رَّبَّنَا
rabbanā
Our Lord
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
upon You
تَوَكَّلْنَا
tawakkalnā
we put our trust
وَإِلَيْكَ
wa-ilayka
and to You
أَنَبْنَا
anabnā
we turn
وَإِلَيْكَ
wa-ilayka
and to You
ٱلْمَصِيرُ
l-maṣīru
(is) the final return
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
4. 1. To clarify the issue of non-alliance with the disbelievers, the example of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is being given as a model to be followed.
4. 2. That is, due to shirk, there is no connection between us and you; how can the worshippers of Allah have any relation with the worshippers of others besides Allah.
4. 3. That is, separation and disavowal will remain until you abandon disbelief and shirk and adopt tawheed.
4. 4. The meaning is that the entire life of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is a model worthy of imitation, except for his act of praying for forgiveness for his father, which is an action in which one should not follow him, because he did this at a time when he did not have knowledge about his father. Thus, when it became clear to him that his father was an enemy of Allah, he also declared disavowal from his father, as is in (وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَ لِاَبِيْهِ اِلَّا عَنْ مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَّعَدَھَآ اِيَّاهُ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَـبَيَّنَ لَهٗٓ اَنَّهٗ عَدُوٌّ لِّلّٰهِ تَبَرَّاَ مِنْهُ ۭ اِنَّ اِبْرٰهِيْمَ لَاَوَّاهٌ حَلِيْمٌ 114۔) 9. At-Tawbah:114).
4. 5. Tawakkul means that after adopting all possible apparent means and resources, the matter is entrusted to Allah; therefore, this concept of tawakkul would also be incorrect: a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and left his camel outside and came inside. The Prophet ﷺ asked, and he said, "I have entrusted the camel to Allah." The Prophet ﷺ said, "This is not tawakkul. A'qil wa tawakkal—Tie it first, then trust in Allah." (Tirmidhi). Inabah means turning towards Allah.
4. 2. That is, due to shirk, there is no connection between us and you; how can the worshippers of Allah have any relation with the worshippers of others besides Allah.
4. 3. That is, separation and disavowal will remain until you abandon disbelief and shirk and adopt tawheed.
4. 4. The meaning is that the entire life of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is a model worthy of imitation, except for his act of praying for forgiveness for his father, which is an action in which one should not follow him, because he did this at a time when he did not have knowledge about his father. Thus, when it became clear to him that his father was an enemy of Allah, he also declared disavowal from his father, as is in (وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَ لِاَبِيْهِ اِلَّا عَنْ مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَّعَدَھَآ اِيَّاهُ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَـبَيَّنَ لَهٗٓ اَنَّهٗ عَدُوٌّ لِّلّٰهِ تَبَرَّاَ مِنْهُ ۭ اِنَّ اِبْرٰهِيْمَ لَاَوَّاهٌ حَلِيْمٌ 114۔) 9. At-Tawbah:114).
4. 5. Tawakkul means that after adopting all possible apparent means and resources, the matter is entrusted to Allah; therefore, this concept of tawakkul would also be incorrect: a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and left his camel outside and came inside. The Prophet ﷺ asked, and he said, "I have entrusted the camel to Allah." The Prophet ﷺ said, "This is not tawakkul. A'qil wa tawakkal—Tie it first, then trust in Allah." (Tirmidhi). Inabah means turning towards Allah.
