📖 Story
On a clear summer night, Grandpa Abu Khalid climbed up to the roof with his two grandchildren, eleven-year-old Adam and ten-year-old Hiba. The sky was full of stars, and the moon shone over the hills. Hiba lay down on the mat and said, "How beautiful the stars are, Grandpa! Who could count them?" Grandpa said, "No one except Allah, who created them. This sky reminds me of the story of a great prophet who reflected on the stars, the moon and the sun until he recognised that they have one Creator. He is Ibrahim, peace be upon him."
Adam said, "Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah?" Grandpa said, "Yes. The Quran says: 'And Allah took Ibrahim as an intimate friend' [an-Nisa' 4:125]. A khalil is the dearest of friends. He is also the father of the prophets: from his descendants came Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub, Yusuf, Musa and 'Isa, and from the line of Isma'il came our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ."
Then Grandpa began the story: "Ibrahim, peace be upon him, lived among people who worshipped idols and revered the heavenly bodies. His father, Azar, made idols. But Allah gave Ibrahim wisdom and sound guidance from a young age, so he saw that these stones could not hear, see or benefit anyone."
He went on: "The Quran tells us how Ibrahim reasoned with his people, who worshipped the heavenly bodies, to show them by reason that these did not deserve worship. 'So when the night covered him, he saw a star. He said, This is my lord. But when it set, he said, I do not like those that set' [al-An'am 6:76]. That is, when the star disappeared, he said: how can I worship something that sets and vanishes?"
Hiba said, "Because the Lord never disappears!" Grandpa said, "Well done. Then he saw the moon rising, bigger and brighter, and when it set he said: 'Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray' [al-An'am 6:77]. Then he saw the sun, the biggest thing they could see, and when it too set, he said to his people: 'O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah. Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah' [al-An'am 6:78-79]."
Adam said, "I understand. The star, the moon and the sun are all created things that rise and set, and the Creator is the One who made them." Grandpa said, "Yes, and that's how Ibrahim taught his people to use their minds. Scholars say that in this situation Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was debating his people and establishing the proof against them, for he already believed in the oneness of Allah and knew his Lord."
Then Grandpa said, "Ibrahim began with the person closest to him: his father. And look at his beautiful manners with him. He called him with a gentle word: 'O my father.' The Quran says: 'When he said to his father, O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?' [Maryam 19:42]." Hiba said, "O my father... how lovely!" Grandpa said, "Yes. Even when his father grew angry and threatened him, Ibrahim answered calmly: 'Peace be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord' [Maryam 19:47]. So learn this, my children: even when we disagree with our parents, we remain polite and kind to them."
Grandpa continued, "Ibrahim tried to advise his people, but they said: this is what we found our fathers doing. So he wanted to show them in a practical way that the idols could not benefit anything. One day the people went out to a festival outside the city, and Ibrahim went into the temple of idols and broke them all, except for one big idol that he left. The Quran says: 'So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it and question' [al-Anbiya' 21:58]."
Adam asked, "Why did he leave the big one?" Grandpa smiled and said, "This is the clever part! When the people came back and saw their idols broken, they were furious and asked: who did this? Some said: we heard a young man speaking about them, called Ibrahim. So they brought him before the people and asked him: 'Have you done this to our gods, O Ibrahim?' He said: 'Rather, this, the largest of them, did it, so ask them, if they should be able to speak' [al-Anbiya' 21:62-63]."
Hiba laughed and said, "Ask them! And they can't talk!" Grandpa said, "Exactly. The people fell silent and thought about it for a moment, and they knew inside that idols don't speak. They said: 'You have already known that these do not speak.' Ibrahim said to them: 'Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you?' [al-Anbiya' 21:65-66]."
Adam said, "So they recognised the truth!" Grandpa said sadly, "They recognised it, but arrogance stopped them from following it. Instead of repenting, they decided to punish Ibrahim. They said: 'Burn him and support your gods' [al-Anbiya' 21:68]. They gathered a huge amount of wood, lit an enormous fire, and threw Ibrahim, peace be upon him, into it."
Hiba gasped and grabbed her grandfather's hand. Grandpa said reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, Hiba. Allah is with those devoted to Him. It is authentically reported from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that when Ibrahim was thrown into the fire he said: Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. And what happened? Allah the Exalted said: 'We said, O fire, be coolness and safety upon Ibrahim' [al-Anbiya' 21:69]."
Adam said in amazement, "The fire became cold?" Grandpa said, "It became coolness and safety. Allah, who created fire and made it burn, is the One who commanded it not to burn. It didn't harm Ibrahim at all, and he came out of it safe. The Quran says: 'And they intended for him harm, but We made them the greatest losers' [al-Anbiya' 21:70]."
Hiba looked up at the sky and said, "Grandpa, if I were in his place I'd have been so scared." Grandpa said, "Fear is natural, Hiba. But Ibrahim taught us words to say when we're afraid: Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil, Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best One to rely on. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions said it too when people tried to frighten them."
Then Grandpa said, "After that, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, emigrated for the sake of Allah, saying: 'Indeed, I will go to my Lord; He will guide me' [as-Saffat 37:99]. He travelled through the lands calling people to Allah, and in his old age Allah blessed him with two righteous sons who were prophets: Isma'il and Ishaq, peace be upon them both. And with his son Isma'il he built the noble Ka'bah in Makkah, but that's a story I'll tell you another night."
Adam said, "So when we pray toward the Ka'bah, we're praying toward the House that Ibrahim built!" Grandpa said, "Yes. And in every prayer, when we recite the tashahhud, we say: O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You sent prayers on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. So we remember him in every prayer."
Then Grandpa said, "Do you know what Allah called Ibrahim? Allah says: 'And Allah took Ibrahim as a close friend' [an-Nisa 4:125]. A khalil is a very close, beloved friend. And He also said about him: 'Indeed, Ibrahim was a nation in himself, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining to truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah, grateful for His favours' [an-Nahl 16:120-121]. That means he alone was like a whole nation in goodness, obedient to Allah and grateful for His blessings." Hiba said, "And we mention him in every prayer, Grandpa!" Grandpa said, "Well done: in the Ibrahimi prayer, 'as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.'"
The three were quiet for a while, looking at the stars. Then Grandpa asked, "What have you learned from the story of Ibrahim, peace be upon him?" Adam said, "I learned to use my mind and reflect on Allah's creation, because everything around us points to the Creator." Hiba said, "And I learned to speak to Baba and Mama politely, even if we disagree, the way Ibrahim said, 'O my father.'" Adam said, "And to speak the truth with courage and wisdom." Hiba said, "And to say, when we're afraid: Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs."
Grandpa hugged his grandchildren and said, "May Allah bless you both. We also learned that Allah does not abandon those who rely on Him. The great fire became coolness and safety because Allah willed it." Then he raised his hands and prayed: "O Allah, keep us upon the way of our father Ibrahim, upright and submitting to You." The two children said, "Ameen," as the stars shone above them, as if bearing witness with them that there is no god but Allah.
Adam said, "Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah?" Grandpa said, "Yes. The Quran says: 'And Allah took Ibrahim as an intimate friend' [an-Nisa' 4:125]. A khalil is the dearest of friends. He is also the father of the prophets: from his descendants came Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub, Yusuf, Musa and 'Isa, and from the line of Isma'il came our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ."
Then Grandpa began the story: "Ibrahim, peace be upon him, lived among people who worshipped idols and revered the heavenly bodies. His father, Azar, made idols. But Allah gave Ibrahim wisdom and sound guidance from a young age, so he saw that these stones could not hear, see or benefit anyone."
He went on: "The Quran tells us how Ibrahim reasoned with his people, who worshipped the heavenly bodies, to show them by reason that these did not deserve worship. 'So when the night covered him, he saw a star. He said, This is my lord. But when it set, he said, I do not like those that set' [al-An'am 6:76]. That is, when the star disappeared, he said: how can I worship something that sets and vanishes?"
Hiba said, "Because the Lord never disappears!" Grandpa said, "Well done. Then he saw the moon rising, bigger and brighter, and when it set he said: 'Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray' [al-An'am 6:77]. Then he saw the sun, the biggest thing they could see, and when it too set, he said to his people: 'O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah. Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah' [al-An'am 6:78-79]."
Adam said, "I understand. The star, the moon and the sun are all created things that rise and set, and the Creator is the One who made them." Grandpa said, "Yes, and that's how Ibrahim taught his people to use their minds. Scholars say that in this situation Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was debating his people and establishing the proof against them, for he already believed in the oneness of Allah and knew his Lord."
Then Grandpa said, "Ibrahim began with the person closest to him: his father. And look at his beautiful manners with him. He called him with a gentle word: 'O my father.' The Quran says: 'When he said to his father, O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?' [Maryam 19:42]." Hiba said, "O my father... how lovely!" Grandpa said, "Yes. Even when his father grew angry and threatened him, Ibrahim answered calmly: 'Peace be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord' [Maryam 19:47]. So learn this, my children: even when we disagree with our parents, we remain polite and kind to them."
Grandpa continued, "Ibrahim tried to advise his people, but they said: this is what we found our fathers doing. So he wanted to show them in a practical way that the idols could not benefit anything. One day the people went out to a festival outside the city, and Ibrahim went into the temple of idols and broke them all, except for one big idol that he left. The Quran says: 'So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it and question' [al-Anbiya' 21:58]."
Adam asked, "Why did he leave the big one?" Grandpa smiled and said, "This is the clever part! When the people came back and saw their idols broken, they were furious and asked: who did this? Some said: we heard a young man speaking about them, called Ibrahim. So they brought him before the people and asked him: 'Have you done this to our gods, O Ibrahim?' He said: 'Rather, this, the largest of them, did it, so ask them, if they should be able to speak' [al-Anbiya' 21:62-63]."
Hiba laughed and said, "Ask them! And they can't talk!" Grandpa said, "Exactly. The people fell silent and thought about it for a moment, and they knew inside that idols don't speak. They said: 'You have already known that these do not speak.' Ibrahim said to them: 'Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you?' [al-Anbiya' 21:65-66]."
Adam said, "So they recognised the truth!" Grandpa said sadly, "They recognised it, but arrogance stopped them from following it. Instead of repenting, they decided to punish Ibrahim. They said: 'Burn him and support your gods' [al-Anbiya' 21:68]. They gathered a huge amount of wood, lit an enormous fire, and threw Ibrahim, peace be upon him, into it."
Hiba gasped and grabbed her grandfather's hand. Grandpa said reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, Hiba. Allah is with those devoted to Him. It is authentically reported from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that when Ibrahim was thrown into the fire he said: Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. And what happened? Allah the Exalted said: 'We said, O fire, be coolness and safety upon Ibrahim' [al-Anbiya' 21:69]."
Adam said in amazement, "The fire became cold?" Grandpa said, "It became coolness and safety. Allah, who created fire and made it burn, is the One who commanded it not to burn. It didn't harm Ibrahim at all, and he came out of it safe. The Quran says: 'And they intended for him harm, but We made them the greatest losers' [al-Anbiya' 21:70]."
Hiba looked up at the sky and said, "Grandpa, if I were in his place I'd have been so scared." Grandpa said, "Fear is natural, Hiba. But Ibrahim taught us words to say when we're afraid: Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil, Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best One to rely on. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions said it too when people tried to frighten them."
Then Grandpa said, "After that, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, emigrated for the sake of Allah, saying: 'Indeed, I will go to my Lord; He will guide me' [as-Saffat 37:99]. He travelled through the lands calling people to Allah, and in his old age Allah blessed him with two righteous sons who were prophets: Isma'il and Ishaq, peace be upon them both. And with his son Isma'il he built the noble Ka'bah in Makkah, but that's a story I'll tell you another night."
Adam said, "So when we pray toward the Ka'bah, we're praying toward the House that Ibrahim built!" Grandpa said, "Yes. And in every prayer, when we recite the tashahhud, we say: O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You sent prayers on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. So we remember him in every prayer."
Then Grandpa said, "Do you know what Allah called Ibrahim? Allah says: 'And Allah took Ibrahim as a close friend' [an-Nisa 4:125]. A khalil is a very close, beloved friend. And He also said about him: 'Indeed, Ibrahim was a nation in himself, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining to truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah, grateful for His favours' [an-Nahl 16:120-121]. That means he alone was like a whole nation in goodness, obedient to Allah and grateful for His blessings." Hiba said, "And we mention him in every prayer, Grandpa!" Grandpa said, "Well done: in the Ibrahimi prayer, 'as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.'"
The three were quiet for a while, looking at the stars. Then Grandpa asked, "What have you learned from the story of Ibrahim, peace be upon him?" Adam said, "I learned to use my mind and reflect on Allah's creation, because everything around us points to the Creator." Hiba said, "And I learned to speak to Baba and Mama politely, even if we disagree, the way Ibrahim said, 'O my father.'" Adam said, "And to speak the truth with courage and wisdom." Hiba said, "And to say, when we're afraid: Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs."
Grandpa hugged his grandchildren and said, "May Allah bless you both. We also learned that Allah does not abandon those who rely on Him. The great fire became coolness and safety because Allah willed it." Then he raised his hands and prayed: "O Allah, keep us upon the way of our father Ibrahim, upright and submitting to You." The two children said, "Ameen," as the stars shone above them, as if bearing witness with them that there is no god but Allah.
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