Page 94 - The Prophet Abraham (pbuh)

The Prophet Abraham (pbuh)

you become Muslim?" If they have become Muslim, they
have been guided. If they turn away, you are only respon-
sible for transmission. Allah sees His servants. (Surah Al
'Imran: 20)

Planned Behavior and Sequential Thinking

As we have shown above, the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)
used several plans and methods by Allah's inspiration when

calling his tribe to belief in Allah. One method was to consider
the likely dangers and reactions in order to prepare effective
precautions. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that He supported all
prophets, gave them superior wisdom and understanding, and
enabled them, through divine inspiration, to function as ser-
vants who took the most rational and effective precautions and
who possessed great foresight. The Prophet Abraham (pbuh)
had all of these superior characteristics in the most perfect
form. Thus, he fulfilled his God-given responsibility in the best

possible manner and did his best to call his tribe to the truth.
The Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) tribe, which was quite nu-
merous, threatened him with martyrdom, stoning, and exile.
However, he sought to keep his distance from them by telling
them that he was ill as Allah reveals in the verses:
And [Abraham] asked his father and his tribe: "What are
you worshipping? Is it falsehood—deities besides Allah—
that you desire? So, what are your thoughts about the Lord
of all the worlds?" He looked at the stars and said: "I am
sick." So they turned their backs on him. (Surat as-Saffat:
85-90)

This method reflects a most wise and rational attitude, for

92