إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 131
Translations
When his Lord said to him, "Submit," he said, "I have submitted [in Islām] to the Lord of the worlds."
Transliteration
Idh qala lahu rabbuhu aslim. Qala aslamtu li-rabbi al-'alamin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the moment when Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim to submit (surrender his will completely to Allah), and Ibrahim responded with absolute obedience: 'I have submitted myself to the Lord of the worlds.' Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as the pinnacle of Ibrahim's faith and obedience, demonstrating that true Islam (submission) requires complete acceptance of Allah's commands without hesitation or qualification. The phrase 'Lord of the worlds' emphasizes the comprehensive sovereignty of Allah over all creation, making Ibrahim's submission universal and unconditional.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the broader context of Surah Al-Baqarah's discussion of Ibrahim's faith and his role as a model for believers. It references a specific moment in Ibrahim's life (mentioned in Surah As-Saffat 37:103-105 as well) when he demonstrated his ultimate submission to Allah's commands, setting him as the archetypal example of a Muslim for all generations.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Ibrahim was called Al-Khalil (the intimate friend of Allah)' (Sahih Bukhari 3372). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized following Ibrahim's path: 'The best of religion is the religion of Ibrahim' (Sunan Ibn Majah 3029).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith requires immediate and complete submission to Allah's commands without hesitation or negotiation, and that our identity as Muslims is fundamentally rooted in surrendering our will to the Lord of all creation. Ibrahim's response serves as an eternal model for believers to emulate in their own relationship with Allah.
Related Ayahs
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ مِّا۟ئَةُ حَبَّةٍ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allāh is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allāh multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيْرًا ٱلْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a bequest for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.
وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
But never will they wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ
Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.