Page 62 - The Prophet Abraham (pbuh)
P. 62

The Prophet Abraham (pbuh)





                       After sending the unbelievers away, he went up to the
                  idols and smashed them:
                       He turned surreptitiously to their deities and asked:
                       "Don't you eat? What is the matter with you that you don't
                       speak?" He turned on them, striking out with his right
                       hand. ( Surat as-Saffat: 91-93)

                       He broke them in pieces, except for the largest one, so that
                       they would have it to consult! (Surat al-Anbiya: 58)
                       Leaving the largest idol untouched shows great wisdom.
                  When his tribe saw what had happened and that only the

                  largest idol remained, they immediately began looking for the
                  person who had done this. Since they were aware of the
                  Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) opposition to their idols and pa-
                  ganism, they quickly realized that he was responsible and so
                  sought him out to take their revenge:
                       They exclaimed: "Who has done this to our deities? He is
                       definitely one of the wrongdoers!" They said: "We heard a
                       young man mentioning them. They call him Abraham."
                       They ordered: "Bring him before the people's eyes so they
                       can be witnesses!" They asked: "Did you do this to our
                       deities, Abraham?" (Surat al-Anbiya: 59-62)

                       That question revealed why the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)
                  did not destroy the largest idol:
                       He said: "No, this one, the largest of them, did it. Ask
                       them, if they are able to speak!" (Surat al-Anbiya: 63)
                       Hearing this response, the unbelievers inevitably began

                  thinking and understanding that their idols would never have
                  the power of speech. And so his plan succeeded, for it caused
                  them to question their pagan belief system. Allah says:
                       They consulted among themselves and said: "It is you



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