Stories of the Prophets
Ibrahim (AS) – Part 1
(Oct 2, 2020)
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Up to now we have briefly covered the stories of the Prophets: Adam, Sheeth, Idrees, Nuh, Hud, and Salih (‘Alaihimus-Salam – peace be upon them).
After them, one of the prophets given the most attention in the Qur’an is the Prophet Ibrahim (AS). He is seen as a strict monotheist who called his people to the worship of Allah alone. For this belief, he had to bear great hardships. He had to disassociate himself with his family and people, and had to migrate to various lands. He was tested through various commandments of Allah and proved true to each one of them.
Due to the strength of his faith, the Qur’an attributes the one and only true religion to be the ‘millah or faith of Ibrahim,’ even though prophets before him also called people to the same faith. Because of his tireless act of obedience to Allah, Allah gave him the special title of ‘Khaleel’, or beloved servant, not given to any other Prophet before him. Allah honored him by raising Prophets from his progeny, such as Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqub, Yusuf, Musa, ‘Isa (peace be upon them) and finally Muhammad (S). They all came from the lineage of Ibrahim (AS).
The lofty status of Ibrahim (AS) is shared by Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike. Ibrahim (AS) is estimated to have been born about 2,166 years before ‘Isa (AS), around the city of Ur, which is about 200 miles southeast of present-day Baghdad in Iraq. At that time some people worshipped idols of stone and wood; some others worshipped the planets, stars, sun and moon; still others worshipped their kings and rulers. Ibrahim (AS) was born in that environment, into a typical family of that time. The head of the family was not even an ordinary idolater, but was one who totally rejected Allah and who used to make the idols with his own hands.
Some traditions claimed that Ibrahim’s father died before his birth and he was raised by an uncle whom Ibrahim called father. Other traditions said that his father was alive and was named Azer. Ibrahim was born, and destined to stand against his own family, and against the entire system of his community. In brief, he stood against all kinds of polytheism.
Ibrahim was endowed with spiritual understanding from an early age. Allah enlightened his heart and mind and gave him wisdom from childhood. During his early childhood Ibrahim realized that his father made strange statues. One day, he asked him about what it was he made. His father replied that he made statues of gods. Ibrahim was astonished and he spontaneously rejected the idea. Being a child he played with such statues sitting on their backs as people sit on the backs of donkeys and mules.
One day his father saw him riding the statue of Mardukh and he became furious. He ordered his son not to play with it again. Ibrahim asked: “What is this statue, father? It has big ears, bigger than ours.” His father answered: “It is Mardukh, the god of gods! These big ears show his deep knowledge.” This made Ibrahim laugh, he was only seven years old at that time.
Years passed and Ibrahim grew. Since his childhood his heart had been full of hatred for these idols. He could not understand how a sane person could make a statue and then worship what he had made. He noticed that these idols did not eat, drink or talk and they could not even turn themselves right side up if someone turned them upside down. How, then could people believe that such statues could harm or benefit them? Ibrahim ‘s people had a big temple full of idols, in the middle of which was a niche accommodating the biggest gods, which were of different kinds and shapes.
Ibrahim used to go to the temple with his father when he was a child. However, he despised the idols of wood and stone placed in the temple. What surprised him was the way his people behaved when they entered the temple. They used to bow and cry, begging and imploring their gods for help as if the idols could hear or understand these requests. At first, such a sight seemed funny to Ibrahim, but later he began to feel angry. Was it not astonishing that all those people could be deceived? What added to the problem was that his father wanted him to be a priest when he was grown. He wanted nothing more from his son than that he worships those statues, yet Ibrahim never stopped displaying his hatred for them.
One night Ibrahim left his house to go to a mountain. He walked alone in the dark until he chose a cave in the mountain where he sat resting his back against its wall. He looked at the sky. He had hardly seen it when he remembered that he was looking at planets and stars which were worshipped by some people. He was shocked that these celestial bodies were worshipped by people, even though they had been created to worship and obey their Creator alone.
When he observed the moon, the stars, the sun all setting at a certain time, he addressed his people who worshipped these celestial bodies: “O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifan (i.e. worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of the mushrikeen.” (i.e., those who worship others besides Allah)
Ibrahim made clear to them, first that the celestial bodies are unworthy of worship and second that they are among the signs of Allah. Ibrahim’s reasoning helped to reveal the truth, and then the conflict between him and his people began, for the worshippers of the stars and planets did not stand silent. They began arguing and threatening Ibrahim.
In that debate, Ibrahim clarified to his people that these celestial bodies do not serve as deities and cannot be worshipped as partners with Allah the Almighty. Indeed these bodies are created things, fashioned, controlled, managed and made to serve. They appear sometimes and disappear at others, going out of sight from our world. However, Allah the Almighty does not lose sight of anything, and nothing can be hidden from Him. There is no other deity but Allah.
His people disputed with him. Ibrahim said: “Do you dispute with me concerning Allah while He has guided me and I fear not those whom you associate with Allah in worship. (Nothing can happen to me) except when my Lord (Allah) wills something. My Lord comprehends in His Knowledge all things. Will you not then remember?”
“It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong, i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them only there is security and they are the guided.”
Allah gave Ibrahim (AS) the reasoning he needed every time he argued with his people. He did his best to make his people heedful to the belief in the oneness of Almighty Allah and to the worship of Him alone. He pleaded with them to renounce the worship of idols.
He said to his father and his people: “What are these images, to which you are devoted?” They said: “We found our fathers worshipping them.” He said: “Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error.” They said: “Have you brought us the truth, or are you one of those who play about?” He said: “Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them and of that I am of the witnesses.” (al-Anbiya’, 21:52-56)
All was finished between Ibrahim and his people and the struggle began. The most amazed and furious was his father for as it is well known, he not only worshipped idols but made and sold them as well. Ibrahim felt that it was his duty as a good son to advise his father against this evil so that he could be saved from Allah’s punishment. Being a wise son he did not make his father feel foolish, nor did he openly laugh at his conduct. He told him that he loved him, thereby hoping to generate fatherly love. Then he gently asked him why he worshipped lifeless idols who could not hear, see or protect him. He also added as the Qur’an mentions: “O my father! Verily! There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me. I will guide you to a Straight Path. O my father! Worship not Satan. Verily! Satan has been a rebel against the most beneficent (Allah). O my father! Verily! I fear lest a torment from the most beneficent (Allah) overtake you…”
On hearing this, his father said: “Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim? If you stop not this, I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you.” Ibrahim said: “Peace be on you! I will ask forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily! He is unto me, ever most gracious. And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allah.”
His father’s harsh treatment did not stop Ibrahim from delivering the message of truth. Angry and sad to see people prostate before idols, he was determined to stamp out these practices and went to the town to debate with the people knowing well that he might suffer harm. Ibrahim asked them: “Do the idols see you when you prostrate before them? Do they benefit you in any way.” They quickly tried to defend their beliefs. They argued that they knew the idols were lifeless but that their forefathers had worshipped them. To them this was proof enough for their belief. Ibrahim explained that their forefathers had been wrong. This angered them and they retorted: “Are you condemning our gods and our forefathers? Or are you just joking?”
Ibrahim explained to his people the beauty of Allah’s creation, His power and wisdom. Idol worship is detested by Allah for Allah is the Lord of the universe Who created mankind, guided him and provided him with food and drink and cured him when he was sick and Who will cause him to die and be raised up again. It was He to Whom Ibrahim prayed and Who would forgive his sins on the Day of Judgment.
However, they would not give up but clung fast to idolatry. Ibrahim left his father’s house and abandoned his people and what they worshipped. He decided to do something about their state of disbelief, but did not reveal it. He knew that there was going to be a great celebration on the other bank of the river which would be attended by all the people. Ibrahim waited until the city was empty, then came out cautiously, directing his steps towards the temple.
The streets leading to it were empty and the temple itself was deserted for the priests had also gone to the festival outside the city. Ibrahim went there carrying a sharp axe. He looked at the stone and wood statues of the gods and at the food laid in front of them as offerings. He approached one of the statues and asked: “The food in front of you is getting cold. Why don’t you eat?” the statue kept silent and rigid. Ibrahim asked all the other statues around him: “Will you not eat of the offering before you?” (as-Saffat, 37:91) He was mocking them for he knew they would not eat. He once again asked then: “What is the matter with you that you do not speak?” (as-Saffat, 37:92)
He then raised his axe and started smashing the false gods that the people worshipped. He destroyed all of them except one on whose neck he hung the axe. After this his anger subsided and he felt at peace. He left the temple. He had fulfilled his vow to show his people a practical proof of their foolishness in worshipping something other than Allah.
When the temple priests returned, they were shocked to see the sacrilege, and the destruction of the temple. They were shaken to see their idols that they took as gods smashed to pieces, lying scattered all over the temple. They were wondering who could have done this to their idols. Someone mentioned the name of Ibrahim, explaining that he used to speak ill of them. Furious, they demanded that Ibrahim be arrested and tried. Ibrahim did not resist. This was precisely what he had been aiming for, so that he could publicly show them their foolish beliefs.
At the trial they asked him if he was responsible for breaking the idols. “He said: ‘You worship that which you yourselves carve when Allah has created you and what you make?’ Their anger was mounting. They were in no mood to listen to this preaching; so they got straight to the point: “Is it you who has done this to our gods, O Ibrahim?” But Ibrahim had left the largest idol untouched for a reason: “He said: ‘But this, their chief has done it. So question them, if they can speak!’”
When Ibrahim so challenged them, they were cast into confusion. They realized the senselessness of their beliefs. However, their arrogance would not allow them to admit their foolishness. They blamed each other for not guarding the idols and, refusing to meet his eyes, said: “Indeed you know well these speak not!” They replied that he knew well that the idol could not speak or move which gave Ibrahim the chance to prove the foolishness of worshipping these lifeless objects. So Ibrahim pressed his case. “He said: ‘You worship instead of Allah that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm you? Woe to you and all that you worship instead of Allah! Have you then no sense?’”
The accusers had become the accused. They were accused of logical inconsistency, and so had no answer for Ibrahim. Because Ibrahim’s reasoning was unanswerable, their response was rage and fury. All they could do to punish Ibrahim was to use their power of authority as tyrants usually do. They kept him in chains and planned their revenge. And finally, they condemned Ibrahim to be burned alive, “Build for him a building and fling him in the red hot fire.”
—————————————————————————————————-
Resources and References:
Imam Ibn Kathir – Stories of the Prophets
Mufti Menk – Lessons from the Stories of the Prophets in the Qur’an (https://muslimahlifestyle.com/lessons-stories-prophets-quraan-mufti-menk-creation-of-aadam-as/)
Anwar Al-Awlaki – The Lives of the Prophets (https://www.kalamullah.com/anwar-alawlaki.html)
Aisha Stacey – The Religion of Islam (islamreligion.com)
