Surah Ibrahim Ayat 13 (14:13 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(14:13) Then the unbelievers told their Messengers: “You will have to return to the fold of our faith^[22] or else we shall banish you from our land.” Thereupon their Lord revealed to them: “We will most certainly destroy these wrong-doers,

22. It will be wrong to conclude from this demand of theirs that the Prophets professed the religion of their people before their appointment to the divine office. This only meant that their people thought so because before their appointment they led a quiet life and did not propagate a new religion nor refuted the religion in vogue at that time. That is why their people were under the wrong impression that the Prophets also professed the religion of their forefathers, and, therefore, accused them of apostasy. The fact, however, is that they had never followed the religion of their mushrik forefathers and were not guilty of apostasy.

Ibn-Kathir

13. And those who disbelieved, said to their Messengers: “Surely, we shall drive you out of our land, or you shall return to our religion.” So their Lord revealed to them: “Truly, We shall destroy the wrongdoers.” 14. “And indeed, We shall make you dwell in the land after them. This is for him who fears standing before Me and also fears My threat.” 15. And they sought victory and help; and every obstinate, arrogant dictator (who refuses to believe in the Oneness of Allah) was brought to a complete loss and destruction. 16. In front of him is Hell, and he will be made to drink boiling, festering water. 17. He will sip it unwillingly, and he will find great difficulty in swallowing it down his throat, and death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die, and in front of him, will be a great torment.

Allah narrates to us how the disbelieving nations threatened their Messengers, that being, expulsion from their land and banshiment. For instance, the people of Prophet Shu`ayb, peace be upon him, said to him and to those who believed in him,

(We shall certainly drive you out from our town, O Shu`ayb, and those who have believed with you.) ﴿7:88﴾ The people of Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, said,

(Drive out the family of Lut from your city.) ﴿27:56﴾ Allah said about the idolators of Quraysh,

(And verily, they were about to frighten you so much as to drive you out from the land. But in that case they would not have stayed after you, except for a little while.)﴿17:76﴾ and,

(And when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you out; they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the Best of those who plot. ) ﴿8:30﴾ Allah gave victory and aid to His Messenger after he emigrated from Makkah and gathered followers, supporters, and soldiers around him, who fought in the cause of Allah, the Exalted. Allah kept granting His Messenger more dominance until He opened for him Makkah, which sought to expel him. Allah gave him dominance over it, even when his enemies from Makkah and the rest of the people of the earth disliked it. Soon after, people began embracing the religion of Allah in large crowds and in a very short time Allah’s Word and religion became high over all other religions, from the eastern and western parts of the world. Hence Allah’s statement,

(So their Lord revealed to them: “Truly, We shall destroy the wrongdoers. And indeed, We shall make you dwell in the land after them.”) ﴿14:13,14﴾ Allah said in other Ayat,

(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers, that they verily, would be made triumphant, and that Our hosts! They verily, would be the victors.) ﴿37:171-173﴾,

(Allah has decreed: “Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious. Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.”)﴿58:21﴾

(And indeed We have written in Az-Zabur after Adh-Dhikr.) ﴿21:05﴾

(Musa said to his people: “Seek help in Allah and be patient. Verily, the earth is Allah’s. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of His servants: and the (blessed) end is for the those who have Taqwa.”)﴿7:128﴾ and,

(And We made the people who were considered weak to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed. And the fair Word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because of their endurance. And We destroyed completely all the great works and buildings which Fir`awn and his people erected.)﴿7:137﴾ Allah said next,

(This is for him who fears standing before Me and also fears My threat. ) this warning is for he who fears standing before Him on the Day of Resurrection and fears His warnings and torment. Allah said in other instances,

(Then for him who transgressed all bounds, and preferred the life of this world, verily, his abode will be Hellfire. But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode.)﴿79:37-41﴾ and,

(But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens.)﴿55:46﴾ Allah said next,

(And they sought victory and help) refers to the Messengers who sought the help and victory of their Lord over their nations, according to `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that this Ayah refers to the nations, invoking Allah’s victory against themselves! Some idolators said,

(O Allah ! If this (Qur’an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.) ﴿8:32﴾ It is possible that both meanings are desired here, for the idolators (of Quraysh) invoked Allah against themselves on the day of Badr, and the Messenger of Allah invoked Him for victory and support. Allah said to the idolators then,

((O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgment, now has the judgment come unto you; and if you cease (to do wrong), it will be better for you.) ﴿8:19﴾ Allah knows best. Allah said next,

(and every obstinate, arrogant dictator was brought to a complete loss and destruction.) those who were arrogant and rebelled against the truth. Allah said in other Ayat,

((Allah will say to the angels): “Both of you throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever – hinderer of good, transgressor, doubter, who set up another deity with Allah. Then both of you cast him in the severe torment.”) ﴿50:24-26﴾ The Prophet said,

(On the Day of Resurrection, Jahannam (Hellfire) will be brought and it will call the creatures, saying, “I was given the responsibility of every rebellious tyrant.”) Therefore, every tyrant has earned utter demise and loss when the Prophets invoked Allah, the Mighty, the Able for victory. Allah said next,

(In front of him is Hell,) Allah says that Jahannam is in front of every obstinate tyrant, awaiting him, and he will reside in it forever on the Day of Return. He will be brought to it in the morning and the afternoon until the Day of the Call,

(and he will be made to drink boiling, festering water.) in the Fire, his only drink will be from Hamim and Ghassaq, the former is very hot and the latter is very cold and rotten. Allah said in another instance,

(This is so! Then let them taste it – Hamim and Ghassaq. And other (torments) of similar kind all together!)﴿38:57-58﴾ Mujahid and `Ikrimah said that this festering water is made of puss and blood. Allah said in other Ayat,

(And be given to drink boiling water so that it cuts up their bowels. ) ﴿47:15﴾ and,

(And if they ask for help, they will be granted water like boiling oil, that will scald their faces.) ﴿18:29﴾ Allah’s statement,

(He will sip it unwillingly), indicates that he will hate to drink this water, but he will be forced to sip it; he will refuse until the angel strikes him with an iron bar,

(And for them are hooked rods of iron.)﴿22:21﴾ Allah said next,

(and he will find great difficulty in swallowing it down his throat,) meaning, he will hate to swallow it because of its awful taste, color and unbearable heat or coldness,

(and death will come to him from every side,) his organs, limbs and entire body will suffer pain because of this drink. `Amr bin Maymun bin Mahran commented, “Every bone, nerve and blood vessel.” Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah’s statement,

(and death will come to him from every side,) “All types of torment that Allah will punish him with on the Day of Resurrection in the fire of Jahannam will come to him carrying death, if he were to die. However, he will not die because Allah the Exalted said,

(Neither will it affect them that they die nor shall its torment be lightened for them)﴿35:36﴾.” Therefore, according to Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, every type of punishment will come to him (the obstinate, rebellious tyrant) carrying death with it, if he will ever die there. Yet, he will not die, he will instead receive eternal punishment and torment. Hence Allah’s statement here,

(and death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die,) Allah said,

(and in front of him, will be a great torment.) even in this condition, he will still suffer another severe type of torment, more severe and painful from the one before it, harsher more bitter. Allah described the tree of Zaqqum,

(Verily, it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hellfire, the shoots of its fruits stalks are like the heads of Shayatin; Truly, they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith. Then on top of that they will be given boiling water to drink so that it becomes a mixture. Then thereafter, verily, their return is to the flaming fire of Hell.)﴿37:64-68﴾ Allah states that they will either be eating from the Zaqqum, drinking the Hamim, or being tormented in the Fire, again and again; we seek refuge with Allah from all of this. Allah also said,

(This is the Hell which the criminals denied. They will go between it (Hell) and the fierce boiling water!)﴿55:43-44﴾,

(Verily, the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners. Like boiling oil, it will boil in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding water. (It will be said) “Seize him and drag him into the midst of blazing Fire, then pour over his head the torment of boiling water. Taste you (this)! Verily, you were the mighty, the generous! Verily, this is that whereof you used to doubt!”)﴿44:43-50﴾, 

(And those on the Left Hand – how (unfortunate) will be those on the Left Hand In fierce hot wind and boiling water, and shadow of black smoke, neither cool nor pleasant.)﴿56:41-44﴾ 

(This is so! And for the Taghun will be an evil final return. Hell! Where they will burn, and worst is that place to rest! This is so! Then let them taste it Hamim and Ghassaq. And other (torments) of similar kind all together!)﴿38:55-58﴾ There are many other similar Ayat that indicate that the punishment they will receive is of different kinds, and that it is repeated in various types and forms that only Allah the Exalted knows, as just recompense, 

(And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.) ﴿41:46﴾