Ibrahim (AS) asked his people, "What are these statues you keep worshipping?" They said, "Our fathers worshipped them." Ibrahim replied, "Then you and your fathers have been clearly wrong."
One day the whole town went out to a festival. Ibrahim stayed behind. He went into the temple and broke all the idols into pieces, except the biggest one.
When the people came back, they were shocked. "Who did this to our gods?" Someone said, "We heard a young man called Ibrahim talking about them." They brought Ibrahim before everyone and asked, "Did you do this, Ibrahim?" He answered, "Ask the biggest one, if they can speak!"
The people went quiet. They knew the idols could not speak, hear or help anyone. For a moment they realised they were wrong. But then their pride came back, and they shouted, "Burn him and protect your gods!"
They built an enormous fire and threw Ibrahim into it. Ibrahim was not afraid. He said, Hasbiyallahu wa ni'mal wakil, "Allah is enough for me, and He is the best to trust."
Then Allah commanded, "O fire, be cool and safe for Ibrahim!" The fire did not burn him, and Ibrahim walked out unharmed. The plan of his enemies failed, because no one can harm a person whom Allah protects.
Where this story comes from
Qur'an 21:51–70 · Al-Anbiyaa'
۞ وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَآ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ رُشۡدَهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِۦ عَٰلِمِينَ 51 إِذۡ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦ مَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنتُمۡ لَهَا عَٰكِفُونَ 52 قَالُواْ وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا لَهَا عَٰبِدِينَ 53 قَالَ لَقَدۡ كُنتُمۡ أَنتُمۡ وَءَابَآؤُكُمۡ فِي ضَلَٰلࣲ مُّبِينࣲ 54 قَالُوٓاْ أَجِئۡتَنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّ أَمۡ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱللَّٰعِبِينَ 55 قَالَ بَل رَّبُّكُمۡ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا۠ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ 56 وَتَٱللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصۡنَٰمَكُم بَعۡدَ أَن تُوَلُّواْ مُدۡبِرِينَ 57 فَجَعَلَهُمۡ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرࣰا لَّهُمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِ يَرۡجِعُونَ 58 قَالُواْ مَن فَعَلَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ 59 قَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا فَتࣰى يَذۡكُرُهُمۡ يُقَالُ لَهُۥٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمُ 60 قَالُواْ فَأۡتُواْ بِهِۦ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡيُنِ ٱلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَشۡهَدُونَ 61 قَالُوٓاْ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلۡتَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَٰٓإِبۡرَٰهِيمُ 62 قَالَ بَلۡ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمۡ هَٰذَا فَسۡـَٔلُوهُمۡ إِن كَانُواْ يَنطِقُونَ 63 فَرَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّكُمۡ أَنتُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ 64 ثُمَّ نُكِسُواْ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمۡ لَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتَ مَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ 65 قَالَ أَفَتَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمۡ شَيۡـࣰٔا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمۡ 66 أُفࣲّ لَّكُمۡ وَلِمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ 67 قَالُواْ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوٓاْ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ فَٰعِلِينَ 68 قُلۡنَا يَٰنَارُ كُونِي بَرۡدࣰا وَسَلَٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ 69 وَأَرَادُواْ بِهِۦ كَيۡدࣰا فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡأَخۡسَرِينَ 70
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Qur'an 37:83–98 · Aṣ-Ṣaaffaat
۞ وَإِنَّ مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ لَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ 83 إِذۡ جَآءَ رَبَّهُۥ بِقَلۡبࣲ سَلِيمٍ 84 إِذۡ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦ مَاذَا تَعۡبُدُونَ 85 أَئِفۡكًا ءَالِهَةࣰ دُونَ ٱللَّهِ تُرِيدُونَ 86 فَمَا ظَنُّكُم بِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ 87 فَنَظَرَ نَظۡرَةࣰ فِي ٱلنُّجُومِ 88 فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَقِيمࣱ 89 فَتَوَلَّوۡاْ عَنۡهُ مُدۡبِرِينَ 90 فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِهِمۡ فَقَالَ أَلَا تَأۡكُلُونَ 91 مَا لَكُمۡ لَا تَنطِقُونَ 92 فَرَاغَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ضَرۡبَۢا بِٱلۡيَمِينِ 93 فَأَقۡبَلُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ يَزِفُّونَ 94 قَالَ أَتَعۡبُدُونَ مَا تَنۡحِتُونَ 95 وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ 96 قَالُواْ ٱبۡنُواْ لَهُۥ بُنۡيَٰنࣰا فَأَلۡقُوهُ فِي ٱلۡجَحِيمِ 97 فَأَرَادُواْ بِهِۦ كَيۡدࣰا فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡأَسۡفَلِينَ 98
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💬 What did you learn?
Talk about these together. There is no right or wrong answer.
- Ibrahim was brave and spoke the truth even when everyone disagreed. When is it hard to tell the truth?
- What did Ibrahim say when he was in danger? When could you say it?