وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةًۢ بَاقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِۦ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ 28
Translations
And he made it a word remaining among his descendants that they might return [to it].
Transliteration
Wa ja'alaha kalimatan baqiyatan fee 'aqibihi la'allahum yarji'oon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Prophet Ibrahim making the message of Tawheed (monotheism) a lasting word among his descendants. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Allah established the testimony of faith (La ilaha illallah) as an enduring legacy through Ibrahim's progeny, so that future generations might return to it and embrace the truth. The phrase 'lasting word' (kalimah baqiyah) emphasizes the permanence and continuity of monotheistic belief passed down through the righteous descendants.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Az-Zukhruf, revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islam. The broader context discusses how Allah honored Ibrahim by making him a leader (imam) for mankind and establishing his covenant. This particular verse highlights the spiritual legacy Ibrahim left—that the call to Tawheed would persist among his descendants across generations.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those in my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.' (Sahih Bukhari 3651). This hadith relates to the transmission of Islamic teaching through generations, parallel to Ibrahim's establishment of a lasting message.
Themes
Key Lesson
Every believer is entrusted with preserving and transmitting the message of Islamic faith to future generations, ensuring that the call to monotheism remains alive and accessible. Our duty is not merely personal belief but creating a lasting legacy of truth for our descendants.
Related Ayahs
وَلَوْلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًا مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ
And if it were not that the people would become one community [of disbelievers], We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful - for their houses - ceilings and stairways of silver upon which to mount.
۞ وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud.
وَٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْفُلْكِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount
وَزُخْرُفًا ۚ وَإِن كُلُّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
And gold ornament. But all that is not but the enjoyment of worldly life. And the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous.