37.98. And they designed a snare for him, but We made them the undermost. (Pickthall)
37.98. Und sie wollten ihm nachstellen, da haben Wir sie zu den Alleruntersten gemacht, (Ahmad v. Denffer)
37.98. Sie wollten mit einer List gegen ihn vorgehen, doch da machten Wir sie zu den Unterlegenen. (Bubenheim)
37.98. Sie wollten ihm durch List schaden, Wir aber erniedrigten sie aufs tiefste. (Azhar)
37.98. Sie wollten ihm Böses tun, dann ließen WIR sie die Niedrigen sein. (Zaidan)
37.98. Sie wollten eine List gegen ihn anwenden. Aber wir bewirkten, daß sie (selber) es waren, die unterlagen (fa-dscha`alnaahumu l-asfaliena). (Paret)
37.98. Sie wollten Ränke gegen ihn schmieden, allein Wir machten sie zu den Niedrigsten. (Rasul)
Tafsir von Maududi für die Ayaat 88 bis 98
Then ( 47 ) he cast a glance at the stars ( 48 ) and said, "I am sick. " ( 49 ) So they left him behind and went away. ( 50 ) In their absence, he stole into the temple of their gods and said, "Why don't you eat? ( 51 ) What is the matter that you do not even speak?" Then he fell upon them, smiting them with his right hand. (On their return) the people came to him running. ( 52 ) He said, "Do you worship those that you have yourselves carved? whereas Allah has created you as well as those (things) which you make." They said to one another, "Prepare for him a bonfire and throw him into the blazing flames." They had designed a plan against him, but We defeated them in their plan. ( 53 )
Desc No: 47 The reference is to a particular incident the details of which have been given in Surah Al-Anbiya': 71-73 and Al-`Ankabut: 16-27 above.
Desc No: 48 Ibn Abi Hatim has cited a saying of the famous commentator Qatadah, an immediate follower of the Companions, to the effect that the Arabic idiomatic expression, cast a glance at the stars," means that he pondered deeply, or that he started thinking seriously. 'Allama Ibn Kathir has preferred this same view, and this is also supported by the common observation: when a person is confronted by a problem that needs serious consideration, he looks upward or to the sky for a while, and then makes a reply, after due consideration.
Desc No: 49 This is one of those three things concerning which it is said that the Prophet Abraham had told three lies in his life, whereas it should be ascertained before declaring it a lie, or anything contrary to fact, whether the Prophet Abraham at that time was not suffering from any illness, and therefore, he had trade this excuse only as a pretence. If there is no proof, there is no reason why it should be regarded as a lie. For a detailed discussion, please refer to E.N. 60 of Surah Al-Anbiya` and Rasa 'il-o-Masa'il, vol. II, pp. 35 to 39.
Desc No: 50 This sentence by itself shows the real state of the affairs. It appears that the people might be going to sane fair of theirs. The family of the Prophet Abraham might have asked him also to accompany them. He might have excused himself, saying that he was indisposed, and therefore, could not go. Had it been something contrary to fact, the people of the house would have said: "You look perfectly normal: you are making a false excuse. But when they accepted his excuse and left him behind, it clearly shows that the Prophet Abraham must at that titre be suffering from cough and cold or sane other such visible illness on account of which the people of the house agreed to leave him behind.
Desc No: 51 This shows that there were different kinds of food placed before the idols in the temple.
Desc No: 52 Here the story has been told in brief. According to the details given in Surah Ai-Anbiya`, when they returned and found all their idols broken to pieces in the temple, they started making investigations. Some people said that a young man, called Abraham, had been talking such and such things against idol-worship. At this the multitude demanded that he should be immediately seized and brought before them. Therefore, a group of the people went running to him and brought him before the multitude.
Desc No: 53 The words in Surah Al-Anbiya`: 69 are to the effect: "We commanded: O fire, be cool and become safe for Abraham," and in Surah AI'Ankbut: 24, it has been said: "Then Allah saved him from the fire." This proves that those people had actually thrown the Prophet Abraham into the fire, and then Allah had rescued him from it safe and sound. The words of the verse, "They had designed a plan against him, but We defeated them in their plan," cannot be taken to mean that they had only intended to throw the Prophet Abraham into the fire but could not carry their plan into effect; but when these words are read with the verses cited above, the meaning becomes plain that they had wanted to kill him by casting him into the fire but could not do so, and the Prophet Abraham's miraculous escape proved his superiority and the polytheists were humbled by Allah. The real object of relating this incident is to warn the people of the Quraish to this effect: "The way that you have adopted is not the way of the Prophet Abraham, whose descendants you claim yourselves to be, but his way is the one being presented by the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings). Now, if you plot against him in order to defeat him and frustrate his mission, as the people of the Prophet Abraham had done against him, you alone will be defeated in the end, because you cannot defeat Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace).
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