The Quran

133

Preface

أَم كُنتُم شُهَداءَ إِذ حَضَرَ يَعقوبَ المَوتُ إِذ قالَ لِبَنيهِ ما تَعبُدونَ مِن بَعدي قالوا نَعبُدُ إِلٰهَكَ وَإِلٰهَ آبائِكَ إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ إِلٰهًا واحِدًا وَنَحنُ لَهُ مُسلِمونَ

Yusuf Ali

Were ye witnesses¹ when death appeared before Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons: “What will ye worship after me?” They said: “We shall worship Thy God and the God of thy fathers², of Abraham, Isma?il and Isaac,- the one (True) God. To Him we bow (in Islam).”

The whole of the Children of Israel are called to witness one of their slogans, that they worshipped “the God of their fathers.” The idea in their minds got narrowed down to that of a tribal God. But they are reminded that their ancestors had the principle of Islam in them ? the worship of God, the One True and Universal God. The death-bed scene is described in Jewish tradition,
“Fathers” means ancestors, and includes uncles, grand-uncles, as well as direct ascendants.