Abraham (Ibrahim): Prophet Of God and the Father of Jews, Christians and Muslims.

From: http://emuslim.com/Ibrahim.asp

Abraham(Ibrahim)

Abraham was born in a family who used to worship idols. The head of the family was not even an ordinary idolater, but was one who totally rejected Allah and who used to make the idols with his own hands. Into that family Abraham was born, destined to stand against his own family, against the entire system of his community. In brief, he stood against all kinds of polytheism.
Abraham's Childhood

He was endowed with spiritual understanding from an early age. Allah enlightened his heart and mind and gave him wisdom from childhood.
Al- Quran 21:51
We bestowed aforetime on Abraham his rectitude of conduct, and well were We acquainted with him.

During his early childhood Abraham realized that his father made strange statues. One day, he asked him about what it was he made. His father replied that he made statues of gods. Abraham was astonished and he spontaneously rejected the idea of worshipping an idol made by man. Being a child, he played with such statues, sitting on their backs as people sit on the backs of donkeys and mules.
One day, his father saw him riding the statue of Mardukh and he became furious. He ordered his son not to play with it again. Abraham asked: "What is this statue, father? It has big ears, bigger than ours." His father answered: "It is Mardukh, the god of gods, son! These big ears show his deep knowledge." This made Abraham laugh. He was only seven years old at that time

Abraham's dislike for Idols

Years passed and Abraham grew. Since his childhood his heart had been full of hatred for these idols. He could not understand how a sane person could make a statue and then worship what he had made. He noticed that these idols did not eat, drink, or talk, and that they could not even turn themselves right side up if someone turned them up-side down. How, then, could people believe that such statues could harm or benefit them?
Abraham's people had a big temple full of idols, in the middle of which was a niche accommodating the biggest gods which were of different kinds, qualities, and shapes. Abraham, who used to go to the temple with his father when he was a child, greatly despised all that wood and stone. What surprised him was the way his people behaved when they entered the temple: they bowed and started to cry, begging and imploring their gods for help as if the idols could hear or understand these requests!
At first, such a sight seemed funny to Abraham, but later he began to feel angry. Was it not astonishing that all those people could be deceived? What added to the problem was that his father wanted him to be a priest when he was grown. He wanted nothing more from his son than that he would revere those statues, yet Abraham never stopped displaying his hatred and disdain of them.

Abraham Discovers Allah

One night Abraham left his house to go to a mountain. He walked alone in the dark until he chose a cave in the mountain, where he sat resting his back against its wall. He looked at the sky. He had hardly seen it when he remembered that he was looking at planets and stars, which were worshipped by some people on earth. His young heart was filled with tremendous pain. He considered what was beyond the moon, the stars and the planets (i.e. Allah) and was astonished that men worshiped these celestial bodies when they had been created to worship and obey their Creator, appearing and disappearing at His command.
Al- Quran 6:75-83
So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude.
When the night covered him over, He saw a star: He said: "This is my Lord." But when it set, He said: "I love not those that set."
When he saw the moon rising in splendour, he said: "This is my Lord." But when the moon set, He said: "unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray."
When he saw the sun rising in splendour, he said: "This is my Lord; this is the greatest (of all)." But when the sun set, he said: "O my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to God.
"For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to God."
His people disputed with him. He said: "(Come) ye to dispute with me, about God, when He (Himself) hath guided me? I fear not (the beings) ye associate with God: Unless my Lord willeth, (nothing can happen). My Lord comprehendeth in His knowledge all things. Will ye not (yourselves) be admonished?
"How should I fear (the beings) ye associate with God, when ye fear not to give partners to God without any warrant having been given to you? Which of (us) two parties hath more right to security? (tell me) if ye know.
"It is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrong - that are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) guidance."
That was the reasoning about Us, which We gave to Abraham (to use) against his people: We raise whom We will, degree after degree: for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge.

Abraham Reasons with Celestial Worshipper

In that debate, Abraham clarified to his people that these celestial bodies do not serve as deities and cannot be worshipped as partners with Allah the Almighty. Indeed, these bodies are created things, fashioned, controlled, managed and made to serve. They appear sometimes and disappear at others, going out of sight from our world. However, Allah the Almighty does not lose sight of anything, and nothing can be hidden from Him. He is without end, everlasting without disappearance. There is no other deity but Allah.
Abraham made clear to them, first, that the celestial bodies are unworthy of worship and, second, that they are among the signs of Allah.
Al- Quran 41:37
Among His Signs are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the Moon. Adore not the sun and the moon, but adore God, Who created them, if it is Him ye wish to serve.

Abraham did his best to make his people heedful to the belief in the oneness of Almighty Allah and to the worship of Him alone. He bade them to firmly renounce the worship of idols.
Al- Quran 21:52-56
Behold! he said to his father and his people, "What are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?"
They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them."
He said, "Indeed ye have been in manifest error - ye and your fathers."
They said, "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who jest?"
He said, "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (Truth).

Abraham reasons with his Father

All was finished between Abraham and his people and the struggle began. The most amazed and furious was his father (or his uncle who had raised him), for, as it is well known, he not only worshipped idols but also sculptured and sold them as well. Abraham felt that it was his duty as a good son to advise his father against this evil so that he could be saved from Allah's punishment.
Being a wise son, he did not make his father feel foolish, nor did he openly laugh at his conduct. He told him that he loved him, thereby hoping to generate fatherly love. Then he gently asked him why he worshipped lifeless idols who could not hear, see, or protect him. Before his father could become angry he hastily added:
Al- Quran 19:43-48
"O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight.
"O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (God) Most Gracious.
"O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (God) Most Gracious, so that thou become to Satan a friend."
(The father) replied: "Dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will indeed stone thee: Now get away from me for a good long while!"
Abraham said: "Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.
"And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides God: I will call on my Lord: perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest."

Abraham debates with the Idolaters

His father's harsh treatment did not stop Abraham from delivering the message of truth. Angry and sad to see people prostrate before idols, he was determined to stamp out these practices and went to the town to debate with the people, knowing full well that he might suffer harm.
Like a wise doctor searching for the cause of a sickness so as to prescribe the proper cure, or like a judge who questions the accused sharply so that he might detect the truth, Abraham asked them: "Do the idols see you when you prostrate before them? Do they benefit you in any way?" They quickly tried to defend their beliefs. They argued that they knew their idols were lifeless but that their forefathers had worshipped them; to them this was proof enough for their belief.
Abraham explained that their forefathers had been wrong. This angered them and they retorted: "Are you condemning our gods and our forefathers? Or are you just joking?"
Abraham showed no fear as he replied: "I am serious. I come to you with a true religion. I have been sent with guidance from our Lord Who alone is worthy of worship, Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and Who regulates all affairs of life, unlike the dumb idols which are just stone and wood."
To convince them that the idols could not harm him, he challenged: "I have already condemned them; if they had any power they would have harmed me by now!"
Al- Quran 26:69-82
69. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
70. And rehearse to them (something of) Abraham's story.
71. Behold, he said to his father and his people: "What worship ye?"
72. They said: "We worship idols, and we remain constantly in attendance on them."
73. He said: "Do they listen to you when ye call (on them), or do you good or harm?"
74. They said: "Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus (what we do)."
75. He said: "Do ye then see whom ye have been worshipping,-
76. "Ye and your fathers before you?-
77. "For they are enemies to me; not so the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds;
"Who created me, and it is He Who guides me;
"Who gives me food and drink,
"And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me;
"Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again);
"And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of Judgment.

In another surah The Almighty revealed:
Al- Quran 29:16-23
And (We also saved) Abraham: behold, he said to his people, "Serve God and fear Him: that will be best for you- If ye understand!
"For ye do worship idols besides God, and ye invent falsehood. The things that ye worship besides God have no power to give you sustenance: then seek ye sustenance from God, serve Him, and be grateful to Him: to Him will be your return.
"And if ye reject (the Message), so did generations before you: and the duty of the apostle is only to preach publicly (and clearly)."
See they not how God originates creation, then repeats it: truly that is easy for God.
Say: "Travel through the earth and see how God did originate creation; so will God produce a later creation: for God has power over all things.
"He punishes whom He pleases, and He grants Mercy to whom He pleases, and towards Him are ye turned.
"Not on earth nor in heaven will ye be able (fleeing) to frustrate (his Plan), nor have ye, besides God, any protector or helper."
Those who reject the Signs of God and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter),- it is they who shall despair of My Mercy: it is they who will (suffer) a most grievous Penalty.

Abraham Breaks the Idols

He explained to them the beauty of Allah's creation, His power and wisdom. Idol worship is detested by Allah, for Allah is the Lord of the universe Who created mankind, guided him, provided him with food and drink, and cured him when he was sick, and Who will cause him to die and be raised up again. It was He to Whom Abraham prayed and Who would forgive his sins on the Day of Judgment. However, they would not give up but clung fast to idolatry.
Abraham left his father's house and abandoned his people and what they worshipped. He decided to do something about their state of disbelief, but did not reveal it. He knew that there was going to be a great celebration on the other bank of the river which would be attended by all the people. Abraham waited until the city was empty, then came out cautiously, directing his steps towards the temple. The streets leading to it were empty and the temple itself was deserted, for the priests had also gone to the festival outside the city.
Abraham went there carrying a sharp ax. He looked at the stone and wood statues of the gods and at the food laid in front of them as offerings. He approached one of the statues and asked: The food in front of you is getting cold. Why don't you eat?" The statue kept silent and rigid. Abraham asked the other statues around him:
Then did he turn to their gods and said, "will ye not eat (of the offerings before you)?" (Al - Quran 37:91)
He was mocking them for he knew they would not eat. He once again asked then:
"What is the matter with you that ye speak not (intelligently)?"(Al - Quran 37:92)
He then raised his ax and started smashing the false gods worshipped by the people. He destroyed them all except one, on whose neck he hung the ax. After this his anger subsided and he felt at peace. He left the temple. He had fulfilled his vow to show his people a practical proof of their foolishness in worshipping something other than Allah.

The Idolaters Question Abraham

When the people returned, they were shocked to see their gods smashed to pieces, lying scattered all over the temple. They began to guess who had done that to their idols, and Abraham's name came to their minds.
Al- Quran 21:59-67
. They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!"
They said, "We heard a youth talk of them: He is called Abraham."
They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may bear witness."
They said, "Art thou the one that did this with our gods, O Abraham?"
He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!"
So they turned to themselves and said, "Surely ye are the ones in the wrong!"
Then were they confounded with shame: (they said), "Thou knowest full well that these (idols) do not speak!"
(Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides God, things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm?
"Fie upon you, and upon the things that ye worship besides God! Have ye no sense?"..

Furious, they demanded that Abraham be arrested and tried. Abraham did not resist. This was precisely what he had been aiming for, so that he could show them up in public for their foolish beliefs.
At the trial they asked him if he was responsible for breaking the idols. Smiling, he told them to ask the biggest idol, which was still whole. He told them that he must be the culprit! They replied that he knew well that the idol could not speak or move, which gave Abraham the chance to prove the foolishness of worshipping these lifeless objects.
They then realized the senselessness of their beliefs; however, their arrogance would not allow them to admit their foolishness. All they could do was use their power of authority - as tyrants usually do - to punish Abraham. They kept him in chains and planned their revenge.

The Idolaters Try to burn Abraham

Anger was burning in their hearts. They decided to throw Abraham into the biggest fire they could build. All the citizens were ordered to gather wood as a service to their gods. Ignorant, sick women vowed that if they were cured they would donate so much wood to burn Abraham. For several days they collected fuel.
They dug a deep pit, filled it with firewood and ignited it. They brought a catapult with which to cast Abraham into the fire. Abraham was put on the catapult, his hands and feet tied. The fire was ready with its flames reaching the sky. The people stood away from the pit because of the great heat. Then the chief priest gave his order to cast Abraham into the fire.
The angel Gabriel came near Abraham's head and asked him: "0 Abraham, do you wish for anything?" Abraham replied: "Nothing from you but God alone."
The catapult was shot, and Abraham was cast into the fire, but his descent into the blaze was as a descent on steps in a cool garden. The flames were still there, but they did not burn, for Allah the Almighty had issued His command:
Al- Quran 21:69
69. We said, "O Fire! be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Abraham!"

The fire submitted to the will of Allah, becoming cool and safe for Abraham. It only burned his bonds, and he sat in the midst of the fire as if he were sitting in a garden. He glorified and praised Allah the Almighty, with a heart that contained only his love for Allah. There was not any vacant space therein for fear, awe, or worry. It was filled with love only.
Fear and awe were dead, and the fire was turned into coolness, making the air pleasant. Those who love Allah as Abraham did do not fear.

The Faith of the Believers

Almighty Allah declared
Al- Quran 3:173-175
Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you": And frightened them: But it (only) increased their Faith: They said: "For us God sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs."
And they returned with Grace and bounty from God: no harm ever touched them: For they followed the good pleasure of God: And God is the Lord of bounties unbounded.
It is only the Evil One that suggests to you the fear of his votaries: Be ye not afraid of them, but fear Me, if ye have Faith.

The People's reaction to the Fire

The throng, the chiefs, and the priests sat watching the fire from a distance. It was burning their faces and nearly suffocating them. It kept burning for such a long time that the disbelievers thought it would never be extinguished.
When it did burn out, they were greatly amazed to find Abraham coming out of the pit untouched by the fire. Their faces were black from the smoke, but his was bright with the light and grace of Allah. The raging fire had become cool for Abraham and had only charred the ropes which held him. He walked out of the fire as if he were walking out of a garden. Cries of astonishment were heard from the heathens.
Then they sought a stratagem against him: but We made them the ones that lost most!(Al - Quran 21:70)
This miracle shamed the tyrants, but it did not cool the flame of anger in their hearts. However, after this event many of the people followed Abraham, although some kept their belief a secret for fear of harm or death at the hands of the rulers.

Abraham's Dialogue with Namrud

Abraham had established a definite reasoning against idolators. Nothing was left for him except to reason against the people who proclaimed themselves gods.
When the king, Namrud, heard of Abraham's safe exit from the fire he became very angry. He feared that an ordinary human being now challenged the status of godhead he had proclaimed for himself. He summoned Abraham to the palace and held a dialogue with him, which Allah the Almighty recounted:
Al- Quran 2:258
Hast thou not Turned thy vision to one who disputed with Abraham About his Lord, because God had granted him power? Abraham said: "My Lord is He Who Giveth life and death." He said: "I give life and death". Said Abraham: "But it is God that causeth the sun to rise from the east: Do thou then cause him to rise from the West." Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance) rejected faith. Nor doth God Give guidance to a people unjust.

Abraham Emigrates

Abraham's fame spread throughout the entire kingdom. People talked about how he had been saved from the blazing fire and how he had debated with the king and left him speechless. In the meantime, Abraham continued calling people to believe in Allah, exerting a great effort to guide his people to the right path.
He tried every means to convince them. However, in spite of his love and care for his people, they felt angry and deserted him. Only one woman and one man of his people shared his belief in Allah. The woman's name was Sarah and she became his wife. The man's name was Lot (Lut), and he became a prophet.
When Abraham realized that no one else was going to believe in his call, he decided to emigrate. He left his people and traveled with his wife and Lot to a city called Ur, then to another called Haran, and then to Palestine.
Allah the Almighty told us
Al- Quran 29:26
26. But Lut had faith in Him: He said: "I will leave home for the sake of my Lord: for He is Exalted in Might, and Wise."

After Palestine, Abraham traveled to Egypt, calling people to believe in Allah wherever he traveled, judging fairly between people, and guiding them to truth and righteousness.

Abraham asks Allah about resurrection

One day, he begged Allah to show him how He brought the dead back to life. Allah commanded Abraham to take four birds, cut them up, mingle their body parts, divide them into four portions, and place them on top of four different hills, then call back the birds in Allah's name. Abraham did as he was told. Immediately the mingled parts of the birds separated to join their original bodies in different places, and the birds flew back to Abraham.
Almighty Allah revealed:
Al- Quran 2:260
260. Behold! Abraham said: "My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead." He said: "Dost thou not then believe?" He said: "Yea! but to satisfy My own undertaking." He said: "Take four birds; Tame them to turn to thee; put a portion of them on every hill and call to them: They will come to thee (Flying) with speed. Then know that God is Exalted in Power, Wise."

Abraham lived on earth worshipping Allah and calling people to monotheism, but he was journeying to Allah, knowing that his days on earth were limited and that they would be followed by death, and finally, resurrection. The knowledge of life after death filled Abraham with peace, love, and certitude.