Tafsir al-Tabari: for Surah Ibrahim (14:1) on Online Quran

Verse:
الٓر ۚ كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ لِتُخۡرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ

Alif, Lam, Ra. [This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by the permission of their Lord – to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy. [Surah Ibrahim, 14:1]

Tafsir al-Tabari (Translation):
Abu Ja‘far al-Tabari said: The explanation of the meaning of الر (“Alif, Lam, Ra”) has already been provided in previous discussions, sufficient to avoid repetition here.

Regarding كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ (“a Book which We have revealed to you”): This means: This is a Book, O Muhammad, which We have sent down to you, referring to the Quran. لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ (“that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light”) means: To guide them through it from the darknesses of misguidance and disbelief to the light of faith and its radiance, and to make those who are ignorant and blind see the paths of righteousness and guidance.

بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ (“by the permission of their Lord”)

Regarding بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ (“by the permission of their Lord”): This means by the facilitation and kindness of their Lord toward them. إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ (“to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy”) refers to the straight path of Allah, which is His religion that He has approved and His legislation for His creation.

The term الْحَمِيدِ (“the Praiseworthy”)

The term الْحَمِيدِ (“the Praiseworthy”) is derived from the form “fa‘il” (active participle), transformed from “maf‘ul” (passive participle), meaning the One who is praised for His favors.

Allah, Exalted is He, attributes the act of bringing mankind out of darknesses into the light by His permission to His Prophet (peace be upon him), who is the guide for His creation and the one who enables those whom He loves to embrace faith. This is because the Prophet invites them to it and informs them of their obligations and benefits therein. This clarifies the correctness of the view of those who affirm that the actions of servants are attributed to them as their own efforts but are created and managed by Allah, Glorified be His praise. It also refutes the view of the Qadariyyah (those who deny divine decree), who reject that Allah has any role in these actions.

This interpretation aligns with what the scholars of tafsir have said.

Mention of those who said this:
20559 – Bishr narrated: Yazid narrated to us, saying: Sa‘id narrated from Qatadah, regarding لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ (“that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light”), that it means: from misguidance to guidance.

Reference:
Tafsir al-Tabari, Jami‘al-Bayan fi Ta’wil al-Qur’an, Surah Ibrahim (14:1).

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