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Surah 14 · Makkah · 52 āyāt

Phase 04 · Ṭāʾif, al-Isrāʾ and the final Makkan years(c. 5–1 BH) — view in timeline

IbrāhīmAbraham

ابراهيم

Named for the long prayer of Ibrāhīm near its close, this surah opens by describing the Qur'ān as sent down to bring people out of darkness into light, then moves through the pattern of every messenger being met first with denial, then given victory. It contrasts the good word — a firmly rooted tree bearing fruit at all times — with the evil word, an uprooted tree with no stability, and closes with the du'ā' of Ibrāhīm for Makkah, his offspring, and his parents.

Why it was revealed

Revealed while the Makkan disbelievers persisted in rejecting the Prophet ﷺ despite clear signs, the surah reassures him and the believers with the constant pattern of history: messengers are denied, then Allah grants them victory and destroys those who denied them, exactly as happened to the peoples of Nūḥ, ʿĀd and Thamūd.

Drawn fromṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4699, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2871; Al-Ṭabarī on 14:9–14; Ibn Kathīr on 14:1–3; Ibn Kathīr on 14:27; Ibn Kathīr on 14:35–41

Al-Barā' ibn ʿĀzib reported that the Prophet ﷺ said concerning the 'firm word' of āyah 27: it was revealed about the punishment of the grave, that when a believer is asked in the grave 'Who is your Lord?' he answers 'Allah is my Lord and Muḥammad is my Prophet', and this is the meaning of Allah making those who believe firm with the firm word in this life and the next.

Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4699, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2871; Ibn Kathīr on 14:27

In the Prophet's ﷺ life

LossMid-Makkan period · Age c. 45–48 · Makkah

Renewed denial by Quraysh despite clear signs

The surah opens by addressing a people who had turned away from the Book despite it being sent to bring them from darkness to light, reflecting the persistent rejection the Prophet ﷺ faced in Makkah.

Recalled in āyah 1, 3

الر ۚ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ

Alif, Lām, Rā. [This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:1–3

  • Madd — 2 vowels
  • Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
  • Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
  • Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
  • Ghunnah — 2 vowels
  • Qalqalah
  • Ikhfāʾ
  • Ikhfāʾ shafawī
  • Idghām shafawī
  • Idghām with ghunnah
  • Idghām without ghunnah
  • Idghām mutajānisayn
  • Idghām mutaqāribayn
  • Iqlāb
  • Hamzat al-waṣl
  • Lām shamsiyyah
  • Silent letter

Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).

THEME 01Āyāt 1–5

A Book sent to bring people out of darkness into light

Alif, Lām, Rā. A Book which We have sent down to you that you may bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by the permission of their Lord, to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy. Mūsā too was sent with this same charge to his people.

Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 14:1; Ibn Kathīr on 14:1

1

الر ۚ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ

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Alif, Lām, Rā. [This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.

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From the tafsīr

Darkness is mentioned in the plural (ẓulumāt) while light is singular (nūr), because the paths of disbelief and misguidance are many and scattered while the path of truth is one.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:1

Bringing people 'out' of darkness signals that guidance requires active exertion and struggle against an existing condition, not merely presenting information.

Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 14:1

Key takeaways

Reflect

Which 'darknesses' in your own life has the Qur'an actually moved you out of, and which remain?

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Question 1 of 2

Why does Ibn Kathīr note that 'darknesses' (ẓulumāt) is plural while 'light' (an-nūr) is singular in 14:1?

Question 2 of 2

According to al-Saʿdī, what does the phrasing 'bring out' (li-tukhrija) imply about guidance?

THEME 02Āyāt 6–8

If you are grateful, I will surely increase you

Mūsā reminds his people of Allah's favour in saving them from Pharaoh's people, and relays the promise: if you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, then My punishment is indeed severe. Allah is independent of the gratitude of creation altogether.

Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 14:8; Ibn Kathīr on 14:7

7

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ

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And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'

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From the tafsīr

The increase promised for gratitude is not limited to worldly provision but includes an increase in faith, guidance and blessing generally.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:7

Allah's statement 'indeed my Lord is Free of need, Praiseworthy' clarifies that gratitude benefits the grateful themselves; Allah's perfection is not increased or diminished by creation's response.

Cited toAl-Ṭabarī on 14:8

Key takeaways

Reflect

Name one blessing you have stopped noticing enough to thank Allah for it specifically.

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0 / 2 correct

Answer from memory before scrolling back — retrieval is what makes it stick.

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Question 1 of 2

What does al-Ṭabarī clarify about Allah being described as 'Free of need' in 14:8?

Question 2 of 2

According to Ibn Kathīr, what does the 'increase' promised for gratitude in 14:7 include?

THEME 03Āyāt 9–17

Every nation denied its messenger — then the outcome came

The peoples of Nūḥ, ʿĀd, Thamūd and those after them denied their messengers and tried to expel them, threatening: we will surely drive you out of our land, or you must return to our religion. Allah's reply came through revelation: We will surely destroy the wrongdoers and settle you in the land after them.

Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 14:15; Ibn Kathīr on 14:13–14

13

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا

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And those who disbelieved said to their messengers, 'We will surely drive you out of our land, or you must return to our religion.'

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From the tafsīr

The threat of expulsion mirrors what Quraysh later attempted against the Prophet ﷺ, and the promised outcome — inheritance of the land by the believers — parallels what occurred after the Hijrah and the conquests.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:13–14

'Then We requested a verdict [against them]' (fa-staftaḥū) shows the messengers sought Allah's judgement rather than taking revenge themselves, modelling patience and referral to Allah.

Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 14:15

Key takeaways

Reflect

When wronged, do you turn first to seeking your own redress, or to asking Allah for the outcome?

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Question 1 of 2

What does Ibn Kathīr note about the threat of expulsion mentioned in 14:13?

Question 2 of 2

What does al-Qurṭubī highlight about 'fa-staftaḥū' in 14:15?

THEME 04Āyāt 24–27

The good word as a firmly rooted tree

Have you not considered how Allah presents a parable, a good word like a good tree, its root firmly fixed and its branches in the sky, giving its fruit at all times by permission of its Lord. And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, unable to stand at all.

Drawn fromṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4699 (via al-Barā' ibn ʿĀzib); Ibn Kathīr on 14:24–26

24

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ

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Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, its root firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky?

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26

وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجْتُثَّتْ مِن فَوْقِ ٱلْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ

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And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability.

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27

يُثَبِّتُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا بِٱلْقَوْلِ ٱلثَّابِتِ فِى ٱلْحَيَاةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ

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Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter.

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From the tafsīr

The Prophet ﷺ explained that 'the firm word' in 14:27 refers to the believer's steadfast testimony in the grave when questioned, answering that Allah is his Lord and Muḥammad ﷺ is his Prophet.

Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4699 (via al-Barā' ibn ʿĀzib)

The 'good word' is generally identified as the testimony of faith (lā ilāha illā Allāh) and the good tree as the date-palm, firmly rooted and continually fruitful, matched against the evil tree, which has no fixed root and gives nothing lasting.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:24–26

Key takeaways

Reflect

If your faith were a tree, would its roots survive questioning in the grave?

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Question 1 of 2

According to the ḥadīth of al-Barā' ibn ʿĀzib, what does the 'firm word' of 14:27 refer to?

Question 2 of 2

What tree does Ibn Kathīr generally identify with the 'good word' parable in 14:24–26?

THEME 05Āyāt 22

Shayṭān will disown his followers on the Day

On the Day of Judgement, Shayṭān will say to those who followed him: indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth, and I promised you and betrayed you; I had no authority over you except that I called you and you responded to me, so do not blame me but blame yourselves.

Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 14:22; Ibn Kathīr on 14:22

22

وَقَالَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَوَعَدْتُكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّآ أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَٱسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِى

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And Shayṭān will say when the matter has been concluded, 'Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me.'

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From the tafsīr

Shayṭān's confession that he had no real authority (sulṭān) confirms that every act of disobedience is ultimately the choice of the one who commits it, not a compulsion imposed by Shayṭān.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:22

This scene is presented as the final humiliation of those who followed Shayṭān: their own seducer publicly disowns and blames them before the punishment begins.

Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 14:22

Key takeaways

Reflect

What temptation have you excused as 'Shayṭān made me do it' when in truth you chose it?

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Question 1 of 2

How does al-Saʿdī describe the scene of 14:22 for those who followed Shayṭān?

Question 2 of 2

What does Shayṭān's confession in 14:22 reveal about his real power over people?

THEME 06Āyāt 35–41

Ibrāhīm's prayer for Makkah, his offspring, and his parents

Ibrāhīm prays: my Lord, make this city secure, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. He recounts settling some of his offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House, asking that their hearts be inclined with affection, that they be given provision, and that he and his parents and the believers be forgiven on the Day when the account is established.

Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 14:41; Ibn Kathīr on 14:37

35

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدَ ءَامِنًا وَٱجْنُبْنِى وَبَنِىَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ ٱلْأَصْنَامَ

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And [mention] when Ibrāhīm said, 'My Lord, make this city secure, and keep me and my children away from worshipping idols.'

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37

رَبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِى زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ

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Our Lord, indeed I have settled some of my descendants in a valley without vegetation near Your sacred House.

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39

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ

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Praise to Allah, who has granted me in old age Ismā'īl and Isḥāq. Indeed, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.

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40

رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَاةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ

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My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.

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41

رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ

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Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established.

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From the tafsīr

Ibrāhīm's prayer that people's hearts incline towards Makkah is understood as the cause of the enduring love and pilgrimage that draws people to it from every direction across all generations.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:37

Ibrāhīm's request for forgiveness for his parents is noted by scholars as prior to his clarity that his father was an enemy of Allah, after which he disassociated from him, as stated later in Sūrah at-Tawbah (9:114).

Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 14:41

Key takeaways

Reflect

What do you pray for your own children first — their worldly success or their protection from shirk?

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Question 1 of 2

What do scholars note about Ibrāhīm's prayer for his parents' forgiveness in 14:41?

Question 2 of 2

What does Ibn Kathīr say is the effect of Ibrāhīm's prayer in 14:37 that hearts incline to Makkah?

THEME 07Āyāt 42–47

The Day when eyes will stare in terror

Allah instructs the Prophet ﷺ not to think Him unaware of what the wrongdoers do; He only delays them to a Day when eyes will stare in horror, necks stretched up, heads raised, hearts empty. The surah closes with the assurance that Allah is Mighty, capable of vengeance, and never fails His promise to His messengers.

Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 14:47; Ibn Kathīr on 14:42

42

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَـٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ

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And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare in horror.

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43

مُهْطِعِينَ مُقْنِعِى رُءُوسِهِمْ لَا يَرْتَدُّ طَرْفُهُمْ وَأَفْـِٔدَتُهُمْ هَوَآءٌ

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Racing ahead, their heads raised up, their eyes fixed, and their hearts empty.

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47

فَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِفَ وَعْدِهِۦ رُسُلَهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ

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So never think that Allah will fail in His promise to His messengers. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Owner of Vengeance.

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From the tafsīr

The delay in punishment is explained as a respite (imhāl), not neglect (ighfāl); Allah's knowledge and record of wrongdoing is complete even while punishment is deferred.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 14:42

'Indeed, Allah is Mighty, Owner of Vengeance' is placed at the close of the surah as a final reassurance to the Prophet ﷺ and believers that ultimate justice against persistent deniers is certain, even if delayed.

Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 14:47

Key takeaways

Reflect

Does the apparent 'success' of wrongdoers around you ever tempt you to doubt that justice is coming?

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0 / 2 correct

Answer from memory before scrolling back — retrieval is what makes it stick.

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Question 1 of 2

How does Ibn Kathīr characterise the delay of punishment mentioned in 14:42?

Question 2 of 2

What purpose does al-Saʿdī assign to closing the surah with 'Mighty, Owner of Vengeance' in 14:47?

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VOCABULARY

Roots from this surah

Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.

ظ ل م

āyāt 1, 42

darkness; also wrongdoing

  • ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِthe darknesses
  • ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَthe wrongdoers
  • ظُلْمinjustice

ش ك ر

āyāt 7

to be grateful, thankful

  • شَكَرْتُمْyou were grateful
  • شُكْرgratitude
  • شَاكِرgrateful one

خ ر ج

āyāt 1, 13

to go out, bring out

  • لِتُخْرِجَso you bring out
  • لَنُخْرِجَنَّكُمwe will drive you out
  • خُرُوجexiting

س ل ط

āyāt 22

authority, dominance

  • سُلْطَـٰنٍauthority
  • سُلْطَانruler, authority

ط ي ب

āyāt 24

good, pure, wholesome

  • طَيِّبَةًgood, pure
  • طَيِّبgood/pure

ث ب ت

āyāt 24, 27

to be firm, established

  • ثَابِتٌfirm
  • يُثَبِّتُHe keeps firm
  • ٱلثَّابِتِthe firm one

ج ث ث

āyāt 26

to uproot, pluck out

  • ٱجْتُثَّتْuprooted

غ ف ر

āyāt 41

to forgive

  • ٱغْفِرْforgive
  • غَفُورForgiving

غ ف ل

āyāt 42

to be unaware, heedless

  • غَـٰفِلًاunaware
  • غَافِلheedless one

خ ل ف

āyāt 22, 47

to break a promise, succeed, come after

  • فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْI betrayed you
  • مُخْلِفَone who fails/breaks

ح س ب

āyāt 41

to reckon, account

  • ٱلْحِسَابُthe account
  • حَسِيبReckoner

ن ذ ر

āyāt 52

to warn

  • لِّيُنذَرُواthat they be warned
  • نَذِيرwarner

Carry this with you

  • The Qur'an's purpose is to bring people out of darkness into light, requiring transformation, not just information.
  • Gratitude is presented as a cause of increase, and ingratitude as a cause of severe consequence.
  • Every messenger faced denial and threats of expulsion before Allah's promised outcome arrived.
  • Belief is likened to a firmly rooted tree bearing continual fruit; disbelief to an uprooted tree with no stability.
  • Shayṭān has no true authority over anyone beyond invitation; responsibility for sin cannot be shifted onto him.
  • Ibrāhīm's prayer for Makkah shows a prophet's priority: protection from shirk before worldly comfort for his descendants.

Where this surah connects

Cross-surah threads

Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.

The four trials3 movementsRefuge, protection and the unseen harm3 movementsProvision, wealth and the tongue that forgets2 movementsThe signs you already walk on2 movementsThe Hour and the accounting1 movement
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Sources behind Sūrah Ibrāhīm

Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.

FINAL ASSESSMENT

Full exam — the whole surah, from memory

Every question from every theme, interleaved and reworded. Interleaving is what turns recognition into recall. Each answer updates your review schedule, your mistakes list and your mastery score for that theme.

Ibrāhīm — full exam

1 / 14 · 0 correct

14 questions across 7 themes.

Ibrāhīm · The Day when eyes will stare in terror

How does Ibn Kathīr characterise the delay of punishment mentioned in 14:42?

Arabic (Uthmānī script) and the Ṣaḥīḥ International translation are fetched live from the Quran.com API (v4), sourced from the King Fahd Complex muṣḥaf — api.quran.com API docs · Translation: Ṣaḥīḥ International · Integrity & testing protocol