” But when it set...

” But when it set, he said: ‘If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely be of the people gone astray’.” When the sun split the darkness of night, shedding its golden rays over the mountains and plains, the sun-worshippers went on with their prayers. Then, Abraham said: “This is my Lord; this is the greatest! But when it set, he said: ‘O’ my people! Surely I am quit of that you associate (with Allah)’.” All these have got falls.

They are at the mercy of change and are as puppets at the hands of creation and they have no feelings and will power of their own much less that they should be deemed as creator and administrator of this world: “Verily I have turned my face (myself wholly) toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, being upright, and I am not of the idolaters.” [^3] ‘Ibrahim left behind this stage of his campaign against the idol-worshippers in the most efficient way and could awaken some, while seeking to make others at least skeptic.

He was soon subject of rumour in that region as to whom he might be who can affect masses of people’s hearts, leaving such an impact on them with such an explicit and straightforward logic.

Dialogue with ‘Azar Abraham got engaged in a conversation with his uncle at another stage, and by using explicit and far-reaching speech coupled with affection and, at times, with warnings regarding idol-worshipping, told him: Why do you worship something which can not hear, can not see, and can not solve any problems you have? If you follow me, I shall lead you in the right path. I am scared that soon you may face the Divine punishment if you follow the Satan.

Even, at the time when his uncle threatened him to stone him to death when he was admonishing him, he used the sentence “Peace be upon you! Saying: I shall ask my Lord to forgive you” [^4] , and he tried to find a way through his stone like heart. The Prophetic Mission of ‘Ibrahim As for the age when Abraham attained to the position of the prophetic mission, we have no access to clear evidence.

However, we can conclude from Surah Maryam, that he had attained to the rank of his prophetic mission when he engaged in the dialogue with his uncle, for we read in this Surah addressing the prophet (S): “And mention in the Book; verily he was a truthful man, a prophet.” “When he said to his father (i.e. his uncle): ‘O my father!