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
وَنَادَوْا۟ يَـٰمَـٰلِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّـٰكِثُونَ
And they will call, "O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain."
بَلْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ
Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided."
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَـٰهُم ۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have of that no knowledge. They are not but misjudging.
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
And if you asked them who created them, they would surely say, "Allāh." So how are they deluded?