Download PDF: Hazrat Ibraheem’s – peace be upon Him – Idol-Destruction – A Quranic Story

Firstly, Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – already debated with his nation and disclosed the truth but people did not accept the truth but rather they said to him, “Tomorrow it is our day of celebration and there will be a very big fair.  Come there and see how beautiful and fun our religion is!”  It was the practice of that nation that in their annual fair people would gather in a jungle and play whole day, and in the evening, they would go into their temple and worship the idols and perform their sacrifices and offer foods.  Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – walked towards the fair on their request but then made an excuse of illness and returned, and those people went to partake in the fair.  He told the people that did not go to the fair very clearly:

وَتَاللہِ لَاَکِیۡدَنَّ اَصْنٰمَکُمۡ بَعْدَ اَنۡ تُوَلُّوۡا مُدْبِرِیۡنَ ﴿۵۷﴾

And I swear by Allah, I shall devise bad against your idols after you have turned your backs.

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 57)

However, after that, he took and axe and went inside the temple and saw there are many small and big idols and there is a very big one in front of the gate.  Looking at those false objects of worship, he was overwhelmed by the emotions of the oneness of Allah and he slashed the idols with his axe and broke them into pieces but he spared the biggest one of them.  He placed the axe onto its shoulder and came out of the temple.  When the people returned from the fair and entered the temple to offer their prayers and sacrifices they were astonished to see that their gods were broken and scattered.  They all suddenly went mad and began to squeal and make noise.

قَالُوۡا مَنۡ فَعَلَ ہٰذَا بِاٰلِہَتِنَاۤ اِنَّہٗ لَمِنَ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۵۹﴾

They said, ‘who has done this to our gods’? Undoubtedly, he is unjust.

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 59)

Some of them said, “We heard a young man whose name is Ibraheem speaking ill of the idols.”  People told them to bring the young man, perhaps he might have broken the idols.  They asked Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him, “Are you responsible for this condition of our idols?”  He replied, “Your big idols must have done that, because the axe is on its shoulder.  Why don’t you ask your broken idols as to who has broken them?  If they can relate then ask them who broke them?”

Peoples’ heads were down and they responded, “O Ibraheem, what and even how do we ask them?  You know, they can’t talk.”  Hearing this, Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – said in anger:

قَالَ اَفَتَعْبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللہِ مَا لَا یَنۡفَعُکُمْ شَیْـًٔا وَّلَا یَضُرُّکُمْ ﴿ؕ۶۶﴾

He said, ‘Do you then worship besides Allah that which neither profits you and nor hurts you’.
اُفٍّ لَّکُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللہِ ؕ اَفَلَا تَعْقِلُوۡنَ ﴿۶۷﴾

Fie on you and on those deities, which you worship besides Allah, do you then have no wisdom?

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 66-67)

They had no answer to this truth which Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – spoke but they rather began to make noise calling upon their idols.

قَالُوۡا حَرِّقُوۡہُ وَ انۡصُرُوۡۤا اٰلِہَتَکُمْ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمْ فٰعِلِیۡنَ ﴿۶۸﴾

They said, ‘Burn him and help your gods, if you have to do.’

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 68)

They created a huge fire and its flames were so high that if a bird flew over it, it would burn, and then they tied him and with the aid of a catapult they threw him into the fire and were happy in their hearts thinking that Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – must have been burnt to ashes, but the following summon of Allah Almighty was given to the fire:

یٰنَارُ کُوۡنِیۡ بَرْدًا وَّ سَلٰمًا عَلٰۤی اِبْرٰہِیۡمَ ﴿ۙ۶۹﴾

‘O Fire! be you cool and safety for Ibrahim.’

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 69)

And the response of the final result is given in the Quran in a very sold tone:

وَاَرَادُوۡا بِہٖ کَیۡدًا فَجَعَلْنٰہُمُ الْاَخْسَرِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۷۰﴾

And they desired evil for him, but We made them the worst losers.

(Al-Ambiya 21, Verse 70)

The fire was set off and Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – emerged safe and alive from it and the oppressors were left doing nothing better than rubbing their hands together in regret!

 

The Trust of Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him:

It is narrated that when Namrood threw Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – into the fire in front of his entire nation all the heavens and earth and creation screamed and pleaded in the mighty court of Allah, “O Allah!  Your friend is being thrown into the fire and there is none besides him the flag-bearer of Thy Oneness and Thy Praises, so permit us to assist him.”  Allah Almighty replied, “Ibraheem is My friend and I am his Lord.  If Ibraheem calls you for assistance then I give permission to all of you to assist him, and if he does not seek anyone’s help besides Mine then listen, I am his Helper and Friend, therefore leave his matter up to Me.”  And then the angel of rain came to him and sought his permission to rain down and extinguish the fire, then the angel of death came and sought permission to bring a heavy gush of hurricane and blow away the fire, he said to both the angels, “I do not need anything from you.  My Allah is sufficient for me and He is my best Helper.  It is all up to Him when and how He wills to help me.”

(Saawi Vol. 4, p. 1307)

 

Which Du’a He Recited and then Entered the Fire? :

It is mentioned in a narration that when the infidels put him in the fire he recited the following Du’a:

لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ سُبْحٰنَکَ لَکَ الْحَمْدُ وَ لَکَ الْمُلْکُ لَا شَرِیْکَ لَکَ

And when he entered the fire Hazrat Jibreel – peace be upon Him – came down and said, “O Allah’s friend!  Are you in need of something?”  He replied, “I have no need from you.”  Hazrat Jibreel – peace be upon Him – said, “Then relate your need to Allah Almighty at least.”  He replied, “He is very well aware of my situation, therefore there is no need for me to ask for anything at all.”  Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – was just 16 years or 20 years old at that time.

 

How Long Did He Stay In The Fire? :

There are three quotations in respect of the duration of his stay in the fire:

  1. Some Mufasireen said that he stayed in the fire for a week.
  2. Some wrote that it was for 40 days.
  3. And some even said that he stayed there for 50 days.

And Allah Almighty Knows Best!

(Saawi Vol. 4, p. 1307)

 

Lesson:

This incident strengthens the beliefs of the ones who remain firm against the evil forces like a concrete wall and do not stumble.

آج بھی ہو جو براہیم کا ایماں پیدا

آگ کر سکتی ہے انداز گلستاں پیدا

Even if today, there is the Imaan of Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon Him – in anyone’s heart

The fire can still create a serene scenario of a beautiful garden from within

(Ajaibul Quran p. 176-180)