سُوْرَةُ الْعَنْكَبُوْتِ
Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 24
فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ ٱقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ فَأَنجَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿24﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So nothing was the answer of [Ibrâhîm’s (Abraham)] people except that they said: "Kill him or burn him." Then Allâh saved him from the fire. Verily, in this are indeed signs for a people who believe.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَمَا
famā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
was
جَوَابَ
jawāba
(the) answer
قَوْمِهِۦٓ
qawmihi
(of) his people
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَن
an
that
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
ٱقْتُلُوهُ
uq'tulūhu
Kill him
أَوْ
aw
or
حَرِّقُوهُ
ḥarriqūhu
burn him
فَأَنجَىٰهُ
fa-anjāhu
But Allah saved him
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
But Allah saved him
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلنَّارِ ۚ
l-nāri
the fire
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِى
fī
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ
laāyātin
surely (are) Signs
لِّقَوْمٍۢ
liqawmin
for a people
يُؤْمِنُونَ
yu'minūna
who believe
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
24. The only answer of Abraham's [36] people was that they said, "Kill him or burn him." But Allah saved him from the fire. Surely, in this incident are signs [37] for people who believe.
[36]
The People Throwing Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) into the Blazing Fire:
Between verse number 19 and verse number 23 regarding the circumstances of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.), it is the speech of Allah Almighty Himself. In which, after presenting some arguments about Tawheed and the Hereafter in relation to the coherence of the subject, attention is again directed towards the circumstances of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.). When the people of Ibrahim could not respond to the arguments of Tawheed presented by Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.), they resorted to base tactics, and this is the habit of those who follow falsehood. Here, the incident of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) breaking their idols has been omitted. Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) did this so that he could practically make it clear to his people that their deities are completely useless things, which cannot protect themselves nor avert harm from themselves, so how can they solve the problems of others? This observational argument made those people even more enraged and furious. Eventually, they decided that Ibrahim should be killed, and if not, then he should be burned in the fire. Even in the suggestion of burning in the fire, there are two aspects: one is that he should be killed by giving him the torment of fire to cause him pain; the other is that perhaps, upon seeing the torment of fire, he might pledge to refrain from his statements. In any case, those people prepared a huge blazing fire and threw Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) into that fire.
[37] But Allah Almighty commanded the fire to become cool and harmless for Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.). Thus, Ibrahim (A.S.) remained in that fire as if a person stays in a garden or a meadow. And in this are the following signs:
(1) Everything has certain natural properties, and Allah Almighty Himself has placed these properties in everything.
(2) Allah Almighty can change these properties whenever He wills. Although this happens rarely, it cannot be denied that if Allah wills, He can remove the natural properties of certain things and can also change them.
(3) Allah’s help certainly reaches His servants, but first, they are made to pass through a period of trial, and such extraordinary help only comes when there is no other way out. For the interpretation of this incident by the deniers of miracles and its answer, see the footnote number 58 under Surah Al-Anbiya.
[36]
The People Throwing Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) into the Blazing Fire:
Between verse number 19 and verse number 23 regarding the circumstances of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.), it is the speech of Allah Almighty Himself. In which, after presenting some arguments about Tawheed and the Hereafter in relation to the coherence of the subject, attention is again directed towards the circumstances of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.). When the people of Ibrahim could not respond to the arguments of Tawheed presented by Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.), they resorted to base tactics, and this is the habit of those who follow falsehood. Here, the incident of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) breaking their idols has been omitted. Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) did this so that he could practically make it clear to his people that their deities are completely useless things, which cannot protect themselves nor avert harm from themselves, so how can they solve the problems of others? This observational argument made those people even more enraged and furious. Eventually, they decided that Ibrahim should be killed, and if not, then he should be burned in the fire. Even in the suggestion of burning in the fire, there are two aspects: one is that he should be killed by giving him the torment of fire to cause him pain; the other is that perhaps, upon seeing the torment of fire, he might pledge to refrain from his statements. In any case, those people prepared a huge blazing fire and threw Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) into that fire.
[37] But Allah Almighty commanded the fire to become cool and harmless for Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.). Thus, Ibrahim (A.S.) remained in that fire as if a person stays in a garden or a meadow. And in this are the following signs:
(1) Everything has certain natural properties, and Allah Almighty Himself has placed these properties in everything.
(2) Allah Almighty can change these properties whenever He wills. Although this happens rarely, it cannot be denied that if Allah wills, He can remove the natural properties of certain things and can also change them.
(3) Allah’s help certainly reaches His servants, but first, they are made to pass through a period of trial, and such extraordinary help only comes when there is no other way out. For the interpretation of this incident by the deniers of miracles and its answer, see the footnote number 58 under Surah Al-Anbiya.
