“And thus, We sent no warner before you to any town without its affluent leaders saying, ‘We found our forefathers following a way, and we are following in their footsteps.’” (23) He said, “Even if I bring you better guidance than that upon which you found your forefathers?” They said, “Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.” (24) So We took retribution upon them. Then see what became of those who denied the truth. (25)

And when Abraham said to his father and his people, “Indeed, I am free of all that you worship, (26) except Him who created me; for He will surely guide me.” (27) And he made it an enduring word among his descendants, so that they might return. (28)

“Rather, they said, ‘We found our forefathers following a way,’” that is, a religion and creed. Mujahid said: “Upon a leader.” “And we are guided by their footsteps”: they regarded themselves as rightly guided by following their forefathers.

“And thus, We sent no warner before you to any town without its affluent leaders saying”: its wealthy people and chiefs. “We found our forefathers following a way, and we are following in their footsteps,” that is, following them.

“Say”—Ibn Amir and Hafs recited it as “He said,” in the declarative form, while the others recited it as “Say,” in the imperative form—“Even if I bring you”: Abu Jafar recited it as “Even if we bring you,” in the plural, while the others recited it as “Even if I bring you,” in the singular. “Better guidance”: that is, a sounder religion. “Than that upon which you found your forefathers.” Al-Zajjaj said: Say to them, [O Muhammad]: (1) “Would you follow that upon which you found your forefathers even if I brought you better guidance than it?” But they refused to accept, and “they said, ‘Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.’”

“So We took retribution upon them. Then see what became of those who denied the truth.”

The Almighty’s statement: “And when Abraham said to his father and his people, ‘Indeed, I am free’”: that is, free of them. The word bara’ is neither dualized, pluralized, nor feminized, because it is a verbal noun used in the place of an adjective. “Of all that you worship. Except Him who created me”: that is, who brought me into being. “For He will surely guide me”: He will direct me to His religion.

“And he made it,” meaning this statement, “an enduring word among his descendants.” Mujahid and Qatadah said: it means the statement of tawhid, namely, “There is no god but Allah,” made an enduring word among his descendants—that is, among his progeny. Qatadah said: There will always be among his progeny those who worship Allah and affirm His oneness. Al-Qurazi said: It means that He made enduring among his offspring and progeny the testament of Abraham which he enjoined upon his sons,