وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِۦ دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ 84
Translations
And We gave to him [i.e., Abraham] Isaac and Jacob - all [of them] We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good.
Transliteration
Wa wahabna lahu Ishaaqa wa Ya'qooba kullan hadayna wa Noohan hadayna min qablu wa min dhurriyyatihi Dawooda wa Sulaymana wa Ayyooba wa Yoosufa wa Moosa wa Haroona wa kadhalika najzee al-muhsineen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Allah's blessings upon Ibrahim (Abraham) by granting him righteous descendants and guiding them all to the straight path. The passage emphasizes that guidance and prophethood were bestowed upon Ibrahim's progeny—including Ishaq, Ya'qub, and through them, the great prophets Dawud, Sulayman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, and Harun. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this demonstrates the special honor of Ibrahim's lineage and concludes with the universal principle that Allah rewards those who do good (al-muhsinun) with guidance and blessing.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-An'am within a passage (6:83-87) recounting Allah's favor upon Ibrahim and his offspring. The context addresses the significance of the prophetic tradition and guidance flowing through Ibrahim's descendants, serving to remind the Quraysh of their ancestral connection to this noble lineage and reinforcing the legitimacy of prophetic guidance.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (2406) narrates that Ibrahim is called 'Khalil Allah' (the Friend of Allah), reflecting his elevated status. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3189) discusses Allah's preference and guidance of certain servants, which complements the theme of selective divine guidance in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that righteousness and guidance are interconnected blessings from Allah—those who strive for ihsan (excellence in faith and action) are rewarded with divine guidance and honor. It also reminds believers that spiritual legacy and the transmission of faith across generations is a sign of Allah's mercy and wisdom.
Related Ayahs
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ وَلِيَقُولُوا۟ دَرَسْتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُۥ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
And thus do We diversify the verses so they [i.e., the disbelievers] will say, "You have studied," and so We may make it [i.e., the Qur’ān] clear for a people who know.
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
And they swear by Allāh their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, "The signs are only with [i.e., from] Allāh." And what will make you perceive that even if it [i.e., a sign] came, they would not believe.
وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُّصَدِّقُ ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنذِرَ أُمَّ ٱلْقُرَىٰ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۖ وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed and confirming what was before it, that you may warn the Mother of Cities [i.e., Makkah] and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are maintaining their prayers.
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّى ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِى رَبِّى لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray."