The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 527
CH. 16 صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ AN-NAHL PT. 14 to a straight path. 1922 وَاتَيْنَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَإِنَّهُ فِي And We bestowed on him. 123 الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّلِحِينَ good in this world, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous. 1923 ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ And now We have revealed. 124 حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ to thee, saying, b‘Follow the way of Abraham who was ever inclined to God and was not of those who set up equals to Him. '1924 "2:131; 29:28. 2:136; 4:126; 22:79. 1922. Commentary: As Abraham believed that all his good qualities were Divine gifts, therefore he was grateful to God. The straight path mentioned in the verse is the path which leads to God. The word signifies the straight and shortest line between two points. Man represents one end of the line and God represents the other, and the straight and shortest path in religion is the line which joins man to God. The verse exhorts Muslims to develop in themselves the qualities that made Abraham the chosen one of God and to steer clear of the path of iniquity and transgression followed by Meccans and Jews. The former altogether rejected the Divine Law and were satisfied with man-made customs and usages and the latter differed and disagreed with regard to its meaning and application and defied and broke it. 1923. Commentary: In verse 121 Abraham was mentioned as an exemplar. Here it is added that it cannot be said of him that because he did not possess material wealth, he had no reason or occasion to become corrupt. The verse removes this misconception and says that God had bestowed upon Abraham power, comfort and wealth and yet he stuck to the path of righteousness. It implies the beautiful hint that Muslims will also be granted worldly power, prestige and prosperity, and in the heyday of their glory would find in Abraham a worthy exemplar. 1924. Commentary: The reason why Abraham has been held up as an exemplar is that he was held in high esteem not only by Jews and Christians but also by the idolaters of Arabia, being the common ancestor of all. The verse does not mean, as insinuated by some Christian writers, that according to it the Holy Prophet was merely a follower of the religion of Abraham and nothing more. The words, 1735