Stories
Abraham, friend of God
The young man who broke the idols
6 min, Intro
Abraham is honoured by Jews, Christians and Muslims. In the Qur'an he reasons his way to one God and breaks his people's idols. He survives a fire, offers his son, and builds the Ka'bah with Ishmael.
Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
The thread
A young man looks at the stars and reasons his way to one God. He breaks his people's idols. He survives their fire. He offers his son. He ends by raising the Ka'bah with Ishmael: the house Muslims face in every prayer.
A star, a moon, a sun
Picture a young man looking up at the night sky. This is Abraham (Ibrahim), and the Qur'an shows him reasoning aloud.
He sees a star and says, "This is my Lord." When it sets, he says, "I do not love things that set." He does the same with the moon, and then the sun. Of the sun he says: this is greater. It sets too.
Then he turns away from all of them: "I have turned my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth." Many read this as Abraham teaching his people by argument, leading them step by step.
فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلَّيۡلُ رَءَا كَوۡكَبࣱاۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّيۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلۡأٓفِلِينَ ٧٦ فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡقَمَرَ بَازِغࣱا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّيۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمۡ يَهۡدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٧٧ فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمۡسَ بَازِغَةࣱ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي هَٰذَآ أَكۡبَرُۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتۡ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّي بَرِيٓءࣰ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ ٧٨ إِنِّي وَجَّهۡتُ وَجۡهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ حَنِيفࣱاۖ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٧٩
76 When the night grew dark upon him, he saw a star and said, “This is my Lord.” But when it set, he said, “I do not like those that set.” 77 Then when he saw the moon rising, he said, “This is my Lord.” But when it set, he said, “Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the misguided people.” 78 Then when he saw the sun rising, he said, “This is my Lord; this is greater.” But when it set, he said, “O my people, I disown all what you associate with Allah. 79 I turn my face towards the One Who originated the heavens and earth, inclining to true faith, and I am not one of those who associate partners with Allah.”
Anything that sets cannot be God.
The broken idols
The idols were close to home. Abraham's father worshipped them (later tradition adds that he made them). Abraham asks him why he worships what can neither hear nor see. His father threatens to stone him, and tells him to keep away. Abraham answers: peace be on you. He will ask his Lord to forgive his father.
One day the people are away at a festival. Abraham turns to the idols in the temple. Why do they not eat, he asks. Why do they not speak? Then he breaks them, striking with his right hand. He leaves only the largest.
They come back, and demand to know who has done it. He answers: "It was this biggest one who did it. Ask them, if they can speak."
For a moment they see it: idols that cannot speak cannot help. Then they turn back to anger.
قَالُوٓاْ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلۡتَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَٰٓإِبۡرَٰهِيمُ ٦٢ قَالَ بَلۡ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمۡ هَٰذَا فَسۡـَٔلُوهُمۡ إِن كَانُواْ يَنطِقُونَ ٦٣
62 They said, “Are you the one who did this to our gods, O Abraham?”
63 He said, “Rather, it was this biggest one who did it. So ask them, if they can speak!”
Abraham used his people's own logic against their idols.
The fire made cool
His people are enraged, and they decide to burn him. They call for a structure to be built for him. They throw him into a great fire.
The Qur'an records God's command: "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham." He comes out unharmed.
قُلۡنَا يَٰنَارُ كُونِي بَرۡدࣱا وَسَلَٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٦٩
69 We said, “O fire, be cool and safe for Abraham.”
The fire they lit for Abraham was told: "Be coolness and safety."
The son and the sacrifice
Years later Abraham sees something in a dream. He is sacrificing his son.
He tells his son, and asks him what he thinks. The son replies, "Father, do as you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, among the patient."
As Abraham lays him down, God calls out that he has fulfilled the vision. He ransoms the boy with a great sacrifice.
Which son was it? The Qur'an does not name the son here. Most Muslim scholars hold it was Ishmael; Genesis names Isaac. Muslims remember the event every year at Eid al-Adha.
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعۡيَ قَالَ يَٰبُنَيَّ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰ فِي ٱلۡمَنَامِ أَنِّيٓ أَذۡبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرۡ مَاذَا تَرَىٰۚ قَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفۡعَلۡ مَا تُؤۡمَرُۖ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ١٠٢ فَلَمَّآ أَسۡلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلۡجَبِينِ ١٠٣ وَنَٰدَيۡنَٰهُ أَن يَٰٓإِبۡرَٰهِيمُ ١٠٤ قَدۡ صَدَّقۡتَ ٱلرُّءۡيَآۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١٠٥ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلۡبَلَٰٓؤُاْ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٠٦ وَفَدَيۡنَٰهُ بِذِبۡحٍ عَظِيمࣲ ١٠٧
102 Then when he reached the age where he could work with him, Abraham said, “O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think?” He said, “O my dear father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, one of the steadfast.” 103 When they both submitted [to Allah’s command] and Abraham laid him on his forehead, 104 and We called out to him, “O Abraham, 105 You have fulfilled the dream.” This is how We reward those who do good. 106 This was indeed a revealing test. 107 And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice,
Both father and son submitted, and neither was harmed.
Building the House
The last scene is a valley. Muslims believe Abraham settled Hagar and the infant Ishmael in the valley of Makkah, and later returned to build the Ka'bah with his son.
As they raised its foundations they prayed: "Our Lord, accept this from us."
Their prayer went on. They asked for a messenger from among their descendants. Muslims see that prayer answered in Muhammad ﷺ.
وَإِذۡ يَرۡفَعُ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلۡ مِنَّآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ١٢٧
127 And [remember] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and Ishmael, [saying], “Our Lord, accept this from us, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
Every Muslim prayer faces the house Abraham built.