فَمَا ظَنُّكُم بِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 87
Translations
Then what is your thought about the Lord of the worlds?"
Transliteration
Fa-mā ẓannukum bi-Rabbi al-ʿālamīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is part of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) powerful rhetorical question to his people after destroying their idols, asking them: 'What then is your opinion of the Lord of the worlds?' He is challenging their intellect and conscience, implying that the Lord of all creation cannot possibly be the lifeless idols they worship. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as Ibrahim inviting his people to use reason to recognize Allah's supremacy and the absurdity of idolatry, while simultaneously expressing his own conviction in Allah's power and wisdom.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Prophet Ibrahim confronting his people's idolatry (37:80-98, Meccan period). The context describes Ibrahim's destruction of the idols and his subsequent dialogue with his people, serving as a powerful lesson against shirk (polytheism) for the early Muslim community facing Meccan polytheists. The surah emphasizes the consequences of rejecting Allah's signs through various prophetic narratives.
Related Hadiths
The concept of true belief in the Lord of the worlds is reinforced in the hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: 'The greatest right of Allah upon His servants is that they worship Him alone and associate nothing with Him' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding Ibrahim's intellectual refutation of idolatry exemplifies this ayah's principle.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to engage their intellect and appeal to the reason of others when inviting them to monotheism, as Ibrahim did with his people. It reminds us that recognition of Allah's absolute lordship over all creation is the foundation of faith and should be evident to any thinking person.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ إِنِّى نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَّآ أَتَّبِعُ أَهْوَآءَكُمْ ۙ قَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Say, "Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you invoke besides Allāh." Say, "I will not follow your desires, for I would then have gone astray, and I would not be of the [rightly] guided."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَٱلْإِثْمَ وَٱلْبَغْىَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًا وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allāh that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allāh that which you do not know."