سُوْرَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ
Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 107
وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿107﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. كبش - a ram);
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ
wafadaynāhu
And We ransomed him
بِذِبْحٍ
bidhib'ḥin
with a sacrifice
عَظِيمٍۢ
ʿaẓīmin
great
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.
107. And We ransomed him (the son) with a great sacrifice [64].
[64]
The Ransom for the Sacrifice of the Son:
This "great sacrifice" was a ram with horns, which the angels brought at the exact moment and presented, saying that it should be sacrificed in place of the son. This was the ransom for the devoted son, which Allah had sent. In this respect, it was a great sacrifice, and its greatness is also due to the fact that Allah made this practice continue until the Day of Judgment, that on this date, the believers all over the world should sacrifice animals and keep alive the memory of this great event of loyalty and devotion.
Was the Sacrificed One Sayyiduna Isma'il or Sayyiduna Ishaq (peace be upon them)?
Some people think that the sacrificed one was not Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ but Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ. Their view does not seem correct for the following reasons:
1. In this Surah, first the son of Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ is mentioned, who was in fact the sacrificed one, and after that, Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ is mentioned in verse 112 of this Surah.
2. When the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ were given, the attribute "forbearing" was mentioned with him, and this is related to the sacrifice. And when the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ were given, the attribute "knowledgeable" was mentioned with him. [15: 53، 51: 28]
And this attribute has nothing to do with the sacrifice. Also, when the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ were given, it was also told that after Ishaq, his son Ya'qub would also be born. [11: 71]
And it is obvious that for the son whose grandson has already been given glad tidings through revelation, it is impossible for the revelation of sacrifice to come for him in his youth, because the glad tidings of the grandson have already been given.
3. It is explicitly stated in the Torah that Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ was commanded to sacrifice his only and beloved son, and it is also agreed that Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ was older than Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ in age, so how could Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ be the only son in the presence of Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ?
4. The commemoration of the sacrifice and the related rituals have been continuously inherited among the Children of Israel, even existing in the Prophetic era. This is also a strong proof that the sacrificed one was Sayyiduna Isma'il, not Sayyiduna Ishaq (peace be upon him).
5.
The Broad Meaning of ﴿احسان﴾:
The sacrifice and its related rituals, such as the Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, etc., are connected to Makkah. And this was the homeland of Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ. The original homeland of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ was the land of Shaam (Greater Syria).
[64]
The Ransom for the Sacrifice of the Son:
This "great sacrifice" was a ram with horns, which the angels brought at the exact moment and presented, saying that it should be sacrificed in place of the son. This was the ransom for the devoted son, which Allah had sent. In this respect, it was a great sacrifice, and its greatness is also due to the fact that Allah made this practice continue until the Day of Judgment, that on this date, the believers all over the world should sacrifice animals and keep alive the memory of this great event of loyalty and devotion.
Was the Sacrificed One Sayyiduna Isma'il or Sayyiduna Ishaq (peace be upon them)?
Some people think that the sacrificed one was not Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ but Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ. Their view does not seem correct for the following reasons:
1. In this Surah, first the son of Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ is mentioned, who was in fact the sacrificed one, and after that, Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ is mentioned in verse 112 of this Surah.
2. When the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ were given, the attribute "forbearing" was mentioned with him, and this is related to the sacrifice. And when the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ were given, the attribute "knowledgeable" was mentioned with him. [15: 53، 51: 28]
And this attribute has nothing to do with the sacrifice. Also, when the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ were given, it was also told that after Ishaq, his son Ya'qub would also be born. [11: 71]
And it is obvious that for the son whose grandson has already been given glad tidings through revelation, it is impossible for the revelation of sacrifice to come for him in his youth, because the glad tidings of the grandson have already been given.
3. It is explicitly stated in the Torah that Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ was commanded to sacrifice his only and beloved son, and it is also agreed that Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ was older than Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ in age, so how could Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ be the only son in the presence of Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ?
4. The commemoration of the sacrifice and the related rituals have been continuously inherited among the Children of Israel, even existing in the Prophetic era. This is also a strong proof that the sacrificed one was Sayyiduna Isma'il, not Sayyiduna Ishaq (peace be upon him).
5.
The Broad Meaning of ﴿احسان﴾:
The sacrifice and its related rituals, such as the Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, etc., are connected to Makkah. And this was the homeland of Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ. The original homeland of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ was the land of Shaam (Greater Syria).
