Allah tells us about His close Friend Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and how He
bestowed upon him guidance aforetime, i.e., from an early age He inspired him
with truth and evidence against his people, as Allah says elsewhere:
[وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ
ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ]
(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people) [6:83]. The
point here is that Allah is telling us that He gave guidance to Ibrahim
aforetime, i.e., He had already guided him at an early age.
[وَكُنَّا بِهِ
عَـلِمِينَ]
(and We were Well-Acquainted with him.) means, and he was worthy of that.
Then Allah says:
[إِذْ قَالَ
لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ
]
(When he said to his father and his people: "What are these images, to which
you are devoted'') This is the guidance which he had been given during his
youth: his denunciation of his people's worship of idols instead of Allah.
Ibrahim said:
[مَا هَـذِهِ
التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ]
("What are these images, to which you are devoted'') meaning, which you
worship with such devotion.
[قَالُواْ وَجَدْنَآ
ءَابَآءَنَا لَهَا عَـبِدِينَ ]
(They said: "We found our fathers worshipping them.'') means, they had no
other evidence apart from the misguided actions of their forefathers. Ibrahim
said:
[لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ
أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُمْ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ]
(Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error.) meaning, Speaking
to your fathers whose actions you cite as evidence would be the same as speaking
to you. Both you and they are misguided and are not following any straight
path.' When he called their intelligence into question, and said that their
fathers were misguided and belittled their gods,
[قَالُواْ
أَجِئْتَنَا بِالْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنتَ مِنَ اللَّـعِبِينَ ]
(They said: "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who play
about'') They said: `These words that you are saying, are you speaking in jest
or are you telling the truth For we have never heard such a thing before.'
[قَالَ بَل
رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ الَّذِى فطَرَهُنَّ]
(He said: "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who
created them...'') meaning, your Lord, beside Whom there is no other god, is the
One Who created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain; He is the
One Who initiated their creation; He is the Creator of all things.
[وَأَنَاْ عَلَى
ذلِكُمْ مِّنَ الشَّـهِدِينَ]
(and to that I am one of the witnesses. ) means, and I bear witness that
there is no God other than Him and no Lord except Him.
[وَتَاللَّهِ
لأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـمَكُمْ بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّواْ مُدْبِرِينَ - فَجَعَلَهُمْ
جُذَاذاً إِلاَّ كَبِيراً لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ - قَالُواْ مَن
فَعَلَ هَـذَا بِـَالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ - قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا
فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَهِيمُ - قَالُواْ فَأْتُواْ بِهِ عَلَى
أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ - قَالُواْ ءَأَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَـذَا
بِـَالِهَتِنَا يإِبْرَهِيمُ - قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـذَا
فَاسْـَلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُواْ يِنْطِقُونَ ]
(57. "And by Allah, I shall plot a plan for your idols after you have gone
away and turned your backs.'') (58. So he broke them to pieces, except the
biggest of them, that they might turn to it.) (59. They said: "Who has done this
to our gods He must indeed be one of the wrongdoers.'') (60. They said: "We
heard a young man talking against them, who is called Ibrahim.'') (61. They
said: "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may testify.'')
(62. They said: "Are you the one who has done this to our gods, O Ibrahim'')
(63. He said: "Nay, this one, the biggest of them did it. Ask them, if they can
speak!'')
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