وَتَٱللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـٰمَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ 57
Translations
And [I swear] by Allāh, I will surely plan against your idols after you have turned and gone away."
Transliteration
Wa tallahi la-akīdanna asnāmakum ba'da an tuwallū mudbirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) swears by Allah that he will destroy the idols of his people after they turn away and leave. This statement demonstrates Ibrahim's firm resolve and commitment to monotheism, as he plans to demolish the idols while the people are absent. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this reflects Ibrahim's strategic wisdom in addressing idolatry, coupled with his unwavering faith in the oneness of Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Prophet Ibrahim's confrontation with idolatry among his people (21:51-67). The broader context shows Ibrahim's logical arguments against idol worship, followed by his decisive action to destroy the idols, which serves as a turning point in his preaching against polytheism.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, the incident of destroying idols relates to the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) removal of idols from the Ka'bah upon the conquest of Mecca, demonstrating the continuity of monotheistic prophets' opposition to idolatry (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Hajj).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that standing against falsehood requires both clear intellectual arguments and decisive action, grounded in unwavering faith in Allah. It reminds us that true commitment to monotheism sometimes necessitates courage and willingness to challenge prevailing societal norms.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
[Moses] said, "Your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers."
ٱتَّبِعْ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Follow, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you from your Lord - there is no deity except Him - and turn away from those who associate others with Allāh.
هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱدْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ ۗ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, [being] sincere to Him in religion. [All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِن فَوْقِهِنَّ ۚ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
The heavens almost break from above them, and the angels exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is Allāh who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.