فَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْأَسْفَلِينَ 98
Translations
And they intended for him a plan [i.e., harm], but We made them the most debased.
Transliteration
Fa-araadu bihi kaydan faja'alnahahum al-asfaliyn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the people of Ibrahim (Abraham) who plotted to harm him by throwing him into the fire, but Allah made them the lowest and most humiliated instead. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse demonstrates Allah's protection of His righteous servants and His swift punishment of those who scheme against the truth-bearers. The phrase 'al-asfaliyn' (the lowest) signifies both their spiritual degradation and historical defeat, as their plot backfired and they were ultimately vanquished.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah As-Saffat, which emphasizes the power and justice of Allah through narratives of the prophets. It is part of the story of Ibrahim (chapters 37:83-98) and serves to comfort the Prophet Muhammad and early Muslims facing persecution in Mecca by reminding them that Allah always protects His messengers and humiliates those who oppose them.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly references this verse, Surah Al-'Alaq 96:15-18 contains a related warning about those who oppress believers. Additionally, the general principle is supported by hadiths in Sahih Bukhari regarding Allah's protection of the prophets and the inevitable defeat of their enemies.
Themes
Key Lesson
Those who scheme against the truth and Allah's righteous servants will ultimately face degradation and failure, while believers can trust in Allah's protection and justice. This serves as reassurance that opposition to faith brings its own destruction, and encourages steadfastness in facing persecution.
Related Ayahs
وَإِن كَادُوا۟ لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِىَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُۥ ۖ وَإِذًا لَّٱتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا
And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ لَهَمَّت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۖ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ وَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُن تَعْلَمُ ۚ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا
And if it was not for the favor of Allāh upon you, [O Muḥammad], and His mercy, a group of them would have determined to mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they will not harm you at all. And Allāh has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allāh upon you been great.
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُۥ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allāh will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allāh does not guide the disbelieving people.
إِذًا لَّأَذَقْنَـٰكَ ضِعْفَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ وَضِعْفَ ٱلْمَمَاتِ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا
Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. Then you would not find for yourself against Us a helper.