(Ambiyaa [‘alaihimus salaam] Series – Nabi Ebrahim [‘alaihis salaam] #02)
Once a year, all the people in the town of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) would go out of the town to celebrate. On the day of their celebration, they called Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) to join them. Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) made an excuse that he was unwell and therefore did not join them.
When everyone had left and there was no one in the area besides him, Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) quietly rushed to the place where the idols were kept.
He saw the idols in a huge hall. The people had left different types of food in front of the idols. Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) asked the idols mockingly, “Why are you not eating?” None of the idols replied. He then asked them, “What is wrong with you! Why are you not speaking?” They could not reply because they did not have life. They were just pieces of stone and wood.
Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) then took an axe and broke the idols into very small pieces. He broke all the idols but left the biggest idol. He then took the axe and hung it around the neck of the biggest idol.
The people later returned from their celebration and went to worship their idols. When they saw their idols in this condition; all broken and disgraced, they were shocked and very angry. They asked, “Who did this to our gods?” Then they said, “We heard a young boy speaking ill of our idols. His name is Ebrahim.”
So, they decided to bring Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) in front of everyone and ask him about their idols. They gathered all the people and then called Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam). They asked him, “Did you do this to our idols O Ebrahim?” Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) replied, “This big idol did it. Ask them who did it if they can speak!”
The people knew that these idols were made of wood and stone and could not hear, see or speak. They will not be able to tell the people who broke them. They also knew that the big idol could not move or walk, so definitely it could not break the other idols. Therefore, they said to Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam), “You know that these idols cannot speak.”
Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) asked them, “Are you worshipping these things, which cannot benefit you and cannot harm you, instead of worshipping Allah Ta‘ala?” He also asked, “Do you worship the things which you make, whereas Allah Ta‘ala created you?” He explained to them that Allah Ta‘ala created them and everything else, so He alone should be worshipped. How could they worship the idols which they carved out of wood and stone with their own hands? These idols were completely helpless and could not help them in any way.
The people had no answer because they knew that what Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) said was true, but they were not ready to listen to him.