A panel with Surah Ibrahim (14:7): "(And remember, your Lord caused to be declared): If you are grateful, I will add more favors to you, but if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible," followed by praises of God.
The surah emphasizes that only God knows what goes on inside a man's heart, implying we must accept each other's words in good faith (14:38).[2]
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), it is a "Meccan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, instead of later in Medina. It was revealed around 2-3 years before Hijrah, in a later stage of Muhammad preaching in Mecca when persecution of him and fellow Muslims had become severe.[3]
Summary
1 The Quran given to guide men out of darkness into light
38-41 Abraham prays for himself and children that they may be kept from idolatry
42 He asks pardon for himself and his parents
43-46 God is not regardless of what infidels do, and will certainly punish them
47-48 The subtle plotting of the unbelievers will be brought to confusion
49 The earth and heavens to be changed at the resurrection
50-51 The dreadful doom of the wicked
52 Warning intended to lead men to the true God [4]
Name
This chapter's name is Surah Ibrahim (Arabic) or Chapter of Abraham (English). Surahs of the Quran are not always named after their thematic content, but in this case a large section of the surah (ayat 35–41) focus on a prayer of Abraham's, which reveals the quality of Abraham's character.
Time of Revelation
It shows up from the tone of the Surah that it has a place with that group of the Surahs which were revealed during the last phase of the Makkan time frame. For example, v. 13 "The disbelievers cautioned their Messengers, 'you will need to come back to our community or we will certainly remove you from our territory'" clearly shows that the mistreatment of the Muslims was at its peak at the hour of the revealing of this Surah, and the individuals of Makkah were set on ousting the Believers from that point like the disbelievers of the previous Prophets. That is the reason in v. 14 they have been cautioned, "We will annihilate these evildoers," and the Believers have been comforted similar to the believers before them, "and after them settle you in the land" Likewise the harsh admonition contained in the finishing up partition (vv. 43-52 likewise affirms that the Surah identifies with the last phase of the Makkan Period.)
Focal Theme
This Surah is a caution and an admonition to the disbelievers who were dismissing the message of Muhammad and concocting cunning plans to crush his Mission. Be that as it may, notice, impugning, scold and rebuke overwhelm admonition. This is on the grounds that a decent arrangement of reprimand had just been made in the preceding Surahs, however notwithstanding this their stiff necked attitude, ill will, opposition, wickedness, abuse and so on had rather expanded.
^Guppy, Shusha, For the good of IslamThe Observer, 15 December 1991
^TheLastDialogue (2019-03-06). "Surah Ibrahim Summary". The Last Dialogue. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
^Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
