What does Quran 21:52 mean?

Quran 21:52 (Surah Al-Anbiyaa, Ayah 52) translates to: "When he said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoted?""

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 21:52 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets), the 21th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 17.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 21:52?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunan Abu Dawud.

What tafsir is available for Quran 21:52?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 21:52 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Prophet Ibrahim, Idolatry, Community, Prophethood.

Ayah 51

۞ وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ رُشْدَهُۥ مِن ق...

21:52Al-Anbiyaa

Ayah 53

قَالُوا۟ وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا لَهَا عَٰبِدِينَ...

إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِۦ مَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَٰكِفُونَ

Iz qaala li abeehi wa qawmihee maa haazihit tamaaseelul lateee antum lahee 'aakifoon

When he said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoted?"

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples91

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Lessons from past peoples

21:52Ayah 1112

41 ayahs in Al-Anbiyaa are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples21:51And We had certainly given Abraham his sound judgement before, and We were of him well-Knowing Next on Lessons from past peoples →21:58So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question].

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 21:52→

when he said to his father and his people ‘What are these images these idols to which you constantly cleave?’ that is which you are constantly worshipping.

That his father used to say: "I do not see any difference between drinking Khamr and worshipping this column instead of Allah the Mighty and Sublime."

Sahih al-Bukhari #619Narrated `Aun bin Abi Juhaifa:Sahih

My father said, "I saw Bilal turning his face from side to side while pronouncing the Adhan for the prayer."

Sahih al-Bukhari #3214Narrated Ibn `Abbas:Sahih

When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw pictures in the Ka`ba, he did not enter it till he ordered them to be erased. When he saw (the pictures of Abraham and Ishmael carrying the arrows of divination, he said, "May Allah curse them (i.e. the Quraish)! By Allah, neither Abraham nor Ishmael practiced divination by arrows."

Sahih al-Bukhari #2156Narrated `Aun bin Abu Juhaifa:Sahih

I saw my father buying a slave whose profession was cupping, and ordered that his instruments (of cupping) be broken. I asked him the reason for doing so. He replied, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited taking money for blood, the price of a dog, and the earnings of a slave-girl by prostitution; he cursed her who tattoos and her who gets tattooed, the eater of Riba (usury), and the maker of pictures."

Sunan Abu Dawud #1655The aforesaid tradition has also been transmitted by Ibn Abbas through a different chain of narrators in a similar manner. This version adds :Sahih

“My father exchanged them for him”.