ভূমিকা

“When he said to his father and his people: ‘What are these images (and lifeless statues) unto which you pay devotion’?” In previous verses, the statement was upon the Torah and the Qur’an, while in this verse Allah declares that sending prophets and celestial Books is not a new matter, and before this, at the time of Abraham (as), there was the subject of the invitation of the deluded people unto the Truth.

Therefore, an important part of the life and struggles of Abraham against idolaters is referred to here.

At first, it says: “And indeed We gave Abraham aforetime his rectitude, and We were aware of him (his eligibilities).” Then, the Holy Qur’an points to one of the most important programs of Abraham (as) where it says: “When he said to his father and his people: ‘What are these images (and lifeless statues) unto which you pay devotion’?” The word ‘father’, mentioned in this verse, refers to his uncle, ’Azar, because in Arabic language sometimes ‘uncle’ is called /’ab/ (father), too.[^1] This Abraham’s saying, in fact, is a clear reasoning for making the act of idol worshipping futile, because what is seen of the idols is their mere statues and the rest is delusion and conjecture.

“They said: ‘We found our fathers worshipping them’.” 54. “He said: ‘Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error’.” Abraham told the idol worshippers that both they and their fathers had been in manifest fault, while they had no proper answer to that clear logic. They only repelled the proposition from themselves and related it to their ancestors.