We should note here that, in these Ayat, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was debating
with his people, explaining to them the error of their way in worshipping idols
and images. In the first case with his father, Ibrahim explained to his people their
error in worshipping the idols of earth, which they made in the shape of heavenly
angels, so that they intercede on their behalf with the Glorious Creator. His people
thought that they are too insignificant to worship Allah directly, and this is why
they turned to the worship of angels as intercessors with Allah for their provisions,
gaining victory and attaining their various needs. He then explained to them the
error and deviation of worshipping the seven planets, which they said were the Moon,
Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The brightest of these objects
and the most honored to them was the Sun, the Moon then Venus. Ibrahim, may Allah's
peace and blessings be on him, first proved that Venus is not worthy of being worshipped,
for it is subservient to a term and course appointed that it does not defy, nor
swerving right or left. Venus does not have any say in its affairs, for it is only
a heavenly object that Allah created and made bright out of His wisdom. Venus rises
from the east and sets in the west where it disappears from sight. This rotation
is repeated the next night, and so forth. Such an object is not worthy of being
a god. Ibrahim then went on to mention the Moon in the same manner in which he mentioned
Venus, and then the Sun. When he proved that these three objects were not gods,
although they are the brightest objects the eyes can see,
﴿قَالَ يقَوْمِ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا
تُشْرِكُونَ﴾
(he said: "O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship
with Allah.'') meaning, I am free from worshipping these objects and from taking
them as protectors. Therefore, if they are indeed gods as you claim, then all of
you bring your plot against me and do not give me respite.
﴿إِنِّى وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّذِى
فَطَرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ حَنِيفاً وَمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴾
(Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth,
Hanifan, and I am not one of the idolators.) meaning, I worship the Creator of these
things, Who originated and decreed them, and Who governs their affairs and made
them subservient. It is He in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things, and He is
the Creator, Lord, King and God of all things in existence. In another Ayah, Allah
said؛
﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِى
خَلَقَ السَمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ
مُسَخَّرَتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالاٌّمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ
الْعَـلَمِينَ ﴾
(Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, and
then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day,
seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars, subjecting them
to His command. Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed be Allah, the
Lord of all that exists!) ﴿7:54﴾. Allah described Prophet Ibrahim,
﴿وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ
رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا
هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ ﴾
(And indeed We bestowed aforetime on Ibrahim his (portion of) guidance, and We were
well-acquainted with him. When he said to his father and his people: "What are these
images, to which you are devoted'') ﴿21:51-52﴾. These Ayat indicate that Ibrahim
was debating with his people about the Shirk they practiced.
﴿وَحَآجَّهُ قَوْمُهُ
قَالَ أَتُحَاجُّونِّى فِى اللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانِى وَلاَ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ
بِهِ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْئاً وَسِعَ رَبِّى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْماً أَفَلاَ
تَتَذَكَّرُونَ - وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ
أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَـناً فَأَىُّ
الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالاٌّمْنِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ - الَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الاٌّمْنُ
وَهُمْ مُّهْتَدُونَ - وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ
عَلَى قَوْمِهِ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴾
(80. His people disputed with him. He said: "Do you dispute with me about 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 wills something. My Lord comprehends
in His knowledge all things. Will you not then remember) (81. And how should I fear
those whom you associate in worship with Allah, while you fear not that you have
joined in worship with Allah things for which He has not sent down to you any Sultan.(So)
which of the two parties has more right to be in security If you but know.'') (82.
It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong), for them
(only) there is security and they are the guided.) (83. And that was Our proof which
We gave Ibrahim against his people. We in degrees raise whom We will. Certainly
your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.) Allah states that His Khalil, Prophet Ibrahim,
said when his people mentioned various doubts and disputed with him about the Tawhid
that he called to:
﴿أَتُحَاجُّونِّى فِى اللَّهِ وَقَدْ
هَدَانِى﴾
(Do you dispute with me about Allah while He has guided me). The Ayah means, do
you argue with me about Allah, other than Whom there is no god worthy of worship,
while He has guided me to the Truth and made me aware of it Therefore, how can I
ever consider your misguided statements and false doubts Ibrahim said next,
﴿وَلاَ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ
إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْئاً﴾
(and I fear not those whom you associate with Allah in worship. (Nothing can happen
to me) except when my Lord wills something.) Ibrahim said, among the proofs to the
falsehood of your creed, is that these false gods that you worship do not bring
about any effect, and I do not fear them or care about them. Therefore, if these
gods are able to cause harm, then use them against me and do not give me respite.
Ibrahim's statement,
﴿إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْئاً﴾
(except when my Lord wills something.) means, only Allah causes benefit or harm.
﴿وَسِعَ رَبِّى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْماً﴾
(My Lord comprehends in His knowledge all things. ) meaning, Allah's knowledge encompasses
all things and nothing escapes His complete observation,
﴿أَفَلاَ تَتَذَكَّرُونَ﴾
(Will you not then remember) what I explained to you, considering your idols as
false gods and refraining from worshipping them This reasoning from Prophet Ibrahim
is similar to the argument that Prophet Hud used against his people, `Ad. Allah
mentioned this incident in His Book, when He said,
﴿قَالُواْ يَهُودُ مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ
وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِى ءالِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
- إِن نَّقُولُ إِلاَّ اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ قَالَ إِنِّى أُشْهِدُ
اللَّهِ وَاشْهَدُواْ أَنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - مِن دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِى
جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لاَ تُنظِرُونِ - إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُمْ
مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلاَّ هُوَ ءاخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
﴾
(They said: "O Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our
gods for your (mere) saying! And we are not believers in you. All that we say is
that some of our gods have seized you with evil.'' He said: "I call Allah to witness
- and bear you witness - that I am free from that which you ascribe as partners
in worship with Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite.
I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature but
He has grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the straight path (the truth).'')
﴿11:53-56﴾ Ibrahim's statement,
﴿وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ﴾
(And how should I fear those whom you associate. ..) means, how should I fear the
idols that you worship instead of Allah,
﴿وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم
بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَـناً﴾
(while you fear not that you have joined in worship with Allah things for which
He has not sent down to you any Sultan.) meaning, proof, according to Ibn `Abbas
and others among the Salaf. Allah said in similar Ayat;
﴿أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُواْ
لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ﴾
(Or have they partners who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not
allowed) ﴿42:21﴾, and,
﴿إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ
أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـنٍ﴾
(They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah
has sent down no authority.) ﴿53:21﴾ His statement,
﴿فَأَىُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالاٌّمْنِ
إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
((So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security If you but know.)
means, which of the two parties is on the truth, those who worship Him in Whose
Hand is harm and benefit, or those who worship what cannot bring harm or benefit,
without authority to justify worshiping them Who among these two parties has more
right to be saved from Allah's torment on the Day of Resurrection Allah said,
﴿الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ
إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الاٌّمْنُ وَهُمْ مُّهْتَدُونَ ﴾
(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong), for them
(only) there is security and they are the guided.) Therefore, those who worship
Allah alone without partners, will acquire safety on the Day of Resurrection, and
they are the guided ones in this life and the Hereafter.
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