Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 27

(Ayah27) ➊ {يُثَبِّتُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا : } By the firm word is meant the testimony of faith and the belief in monotheism. Allah keeps the believers steadfast on Islam even in the hardest of trials and punishments in this world. Look at the people of the trench, look at those prophets and martyrs who were killed in the way of Allah, yet they did not let go of Islam. Look at how Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was thrown into the fire, look at the hardships and difficulties that befell our Prophet (peace be upon him) and the noble companions, such as Bilal, Ammar, Yasir, Khabbab, Sumayyah, Khubaib, and others (may Allah be pleased with them). In this verse, it is said that their steadfastness on the testimony of faith is due to Allah keeping them firm; He alone instills such determination, courage, and perseverance in them that whether the circumstances are extremely difficult or the trial is of worldly comforts, in every situation they remain firmly established on the firm word (the word of Islam). The translation of {’’ يُثَبِّتُ ‘‘} is rendered as "keeps firmly established" due to the causative form.

➋ { وَ فِي الْاٰخِرَةِ :} By this is meant the questioning and answering in the grave. It is narrated from Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ إِذَا أُقْعِدَ الْمُؤْمِنُ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ أُتِيَ ثُمَّ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ، فَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُ : « يُثَبِّتُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ» ] [إبراہیم : ۲۷ ] "When a believer is made to sit in his grave, angels come to him, then he bears witness: {’’أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ‘‘} Thus, the meaning of Allah’s statement: «{ يُثَبِّتُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا }» is exactly this." [ بخاري ، الجنائز، باب ما جاء فی عذاب القبر : ۱۳۶۹ ] In the following narration in Sahih Bukhari, the words are that this verse was revealed regarding the punishment of the grave.

➌ { وَ يُضِلُّ اللّٰهُ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ:} It is narrated from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا وُضِعَ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ وَتَوَلَّی عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُهُ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ قَرْعَ نِعَالِهِمْ، أَتَاهُ مَلَكَانِ فَيُقْعِدَانِهِ فَيَقُوْلاَنِ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُوْلُ فِيْ هٰذَا الرَّجُلِ لِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ؟ فَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِنُ فَيَقُوْلُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ وَرَسُوْلُهُ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ انْظُرْ إِلٰی مَقْعَدِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ قَدْ أَبْدَلَكَ اللّٰهُ بِهِ مَقْعَدًا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ، فَيَرَاهُمَا جَمِيْعًا، أَنَّهُ يُفْسَحُ لَهُ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ، وَأَمَّا الْمُنَافِقُ وَالْكَافِرُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُوْلُ فِيْ هٰذَا الرَّجُلِ؟ فَيَقُوْلُ لاَ أَدْرِيْ، كُنْتُ أَقُوْلُ مَا يَقُوْلُهُ النَّاسُ، فَيُقَالُ لَا دَرَيْتَ وَلَا تَلَيْتَ، وَيُضْرَبُ بِمَطَارِقَ مِنْ حَدِيْدٍ ضَرْبَةً فَيَصِيْحُ صَيْحَةً يَسْمَعُهَا مَنْ يَلِيْهِ غَيْرَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ ] [ بخاري، الجنائز، باب ما جاء فی عذاب القبر : ۱۳۷۴ ] "When a servant is placed in his grave and his companions turn away and he hears the sound of their sandals, two angels come to him, they make him sit and say: 'What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad (peace be upon him)?' If he is a believer, he says: 'I bear witness that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger.' Then it is said to him: 'Look at your place in the Fire; Allah has replaced it for you with a place in Paradise.' So he sees both of them, and his grave is made spacious for him. As for the hypocrite and the disbeliever, it is said to him: 'What did you use to say about this man (Muhammad, peace be upon him)?' He says: 'I do not know; I used to say what the people said.' Then it is said to him: 'You neither knew nor did you seek to know.' Then he is struck with iron hammers with a blow that he screams such that everything near him hears it except the two heavy creatures (jinn and mankind)."

The punishment of the grave is true. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) has established it from many verses and hadiths; see Surah Bani Isra’il (20), Surah An’am (93), Surah Tawbah (101), Surah Mu’min (45, 46), and the verse under commentary. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make this supplication: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيْحِ الدَّجَّالِ ] [ بخاری، الجنائز، باب التعوذ من عذاب القبر : ۱۳۷۷ ] In fact, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When any of you finishes the tashahhud, he should seek refuge from four things: [اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَفِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ الْمَسِيْحِ الدَّجَّالِ ] After that, he may supplicate for whatever he wishes for himself." [ السنن الکبریٰ للنسائی : 389/1، ۳۹۰، ح : ۱۲۳۳، عن أبي ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ۔ صحیح ] For this reason, some imams have declared it obligatory to recite this supplication after tashahhud, and other supplications should be recited after it. Despite such clear verses and hadiths, many unfortunate people deny the punishment of the grave. They, insha’Allah, will soon see everything with their own eyes.

➍ {وَ يَفْعَلُ اللّٰهُ مَا يَشَآءُ :} Keeping the believers firm, depriving the wrongdoers of guidance—Allah does whatever He wills. If He had willed, He could have compelled the jinn and mankind, like all His other creation, to obey His commands, but it is His will that He has given both of them the choice of guidance or misguidance, disbelief or faith. Now, whichever way one wishes to go, Allah makes that path easy for him. See Surah Dahr (3) and Surah Lail (1 to 10).