(Ambiyaa [‘alaihimus salaam] Series – Nabi Ebrahim [‘alaihis salaam] #01)
A long time ago, there was a man named Aazar. Aazar used to make idols and sell them to the people. The people would buy the idols and worship them, instead of worshipping Allah Ta‘ala.
They would keep the idols in a special building. The people would go there and put food in front of the idols and they would ask the idols to fulfil their needs.
Aazar had a son who was very pious and intelligent. His son’s name was Ebrahim. When Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) was still a young boy, his father used to send him to sell the idols that he made. Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) would go to the market and call out, “Who will buy this thing from me which cannot harm anyone or help anyone?” No one would then buy the idols from him.
Thereafter, he used to go to the river and put the idol’s head in the water and tell the idol to drink. The idol was made of stone and wood so it was totally helpless and obviously could not drink the water. He used to do this to show the people that it was totally foolish to worship something so helpless. The idol could not help itself, so how could it help them in any way.
Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) advised his father and the people not to worship idols and to worship Allah Ta‘ala alone. He asked them, “Why are you worshipping these idols? Can they hear you when you call them? Can they benefit you or harm you?”
They replied that we saw our forefathers worshipping idols so we are following them. He explained to them that what they were doing and what their forefathers were doing was totally wrong.
He explained to them that Allah Ta‘ala is the Rabb of the worlds. “Allah Ta‘ala created me and guides me. Allah Ta‘ala feeds me and gives me drink. When I get sick, Allah Ta‘ala cures me. Allah Ta‘ala will cause me to die and create me once again (on the Day of Qiyaamah).”
Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) also told them, “Worship Allah Ta‘ala and fear Him. You are worshipping idols and leaving Allah Ta‘ala. The idols that you worship cannot provide for you. So ask Allah Ta‘ala for provision.”
He asked his father, “O my beloved father! Why do you worship something that can neither hear you nor see you and cannot help you in any way? O my beloved father! I fear that the punishment of Allah Ta‘ala will fall upon you.”
His father did not listen to him and told him, “Are you against my gods O Ebrahim? If you do not stop, I will stone you and you should leave me forever.”
Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) did not follow the ways of his father or his people. He told them, “I distance myself from you and what you worship besides Allah Ta‘ala.”
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