Who Was the First Person Ibrahim Called to the Religion of Allah?
مَن أول من دعاه إبراهيم عليه السلام إلى دين الله؟
His father was Azar. “And remember when Abraham said to his father, Azar, ‘Do you take idols as gods? It is clear to me that you and your people are entirely misguided'” (Surah Al-An’am 6:74). His father disbelieved in his son’s call to Allah and believed in worshipping idols. He refused to abandon the religion of his fathers and forefathers, and spoke to his son in a harsh, threatening way. “He threatened, ‘How dare you reject my idols, O Abraham! If you do not desist, I will certainly stone you to death. So be gone from me for a long time!'” (Surah Maryam 19:46). “Stone you to death” is meant both symbolically and literally, as in physically throwing stones. “Be gone from me for a long time” means to leave him alone and go away, as if evicting him from his home. “And mention in the Book, O Prophet, the story of Abraham. He was surely a man of truth and a prophet. Remember when he said to his father, ‘O dear father! Why do you worship what can neither hear nor see, nor benefit you at all? O dear father! I have certainly received some knowledge which you have not received, so follow me and I will guide you to the Straight Path. O dear father! Do not worship Satan. Surely Satan is ever rebellious against the Most Compassionate. O dear father! I truly fear that you will be touched by a torment from the Most Compassionate, and become Satan’s companion in Hell.’ He threatened, ‘How dare you reject my idols, O Abraham! If you do not desist, I will certainly stone you to death. So be gone from me for a long time!'” (Surah Maryam 19:41-46).
والد إبراهيم عليه السلام آزر، قال الله تعالى: وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ آزَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا آلِهَةً ۖ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (سورة الأنعام: 74). (ملاحظة: صُحّح رقم السورة إلى 6، وهو رقم سورة الأنعام، وكان قد ورد في الترجمة الإنجليزية للنص الأصلي المنشور خطأً برقم 7، والآية نفسها مذكورة برقمها الصحيح في سؤال آخر من هذا القسم.) وقد كفر بدعوة ابنه وآمن بعبادة الأصنام، وأبى أن يترك دين آبائه وأجداده، قال الله تعالى: قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ آلِهَتِي يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَاهْجُرْنِي مَلِيًّا (سورة مريم: 46). قال له الأب بعبارات في غاية الغلظة والفظاظة والوعيد والتهديد: لأرجمنك، يدخل في ذلك الرجم اللفظي والرجم بالفعل بأن يقذفه بالحجارة. واهجرني مليا: أي اتركني وشأني وابعد عني طويلا، وكأنه طرد له من المكان الذي يعيش فيه الأب.
1. Family First, Not Strangers | الأقربون قبل الأبعدين
Ibrahim called even the person closest to him, his father, to worship Allah alone, illustrating the importance of calling family to faith. This makes his father’s rejection especially painful, coming not from strangers but from the very man who raised him.
دعا إبراهيم عليه السلام أقرب الناس إليه، أباه، إلى عبادة الله وحده، وفي ذلك بيان لأهمية دعوة الأهل إلى الإيمان. ولهذا كان ردّ أبيه أشدّ إيلامًا، إذ لم يأتِ من غريب، بل من الرجل الذي ربّاه.
2. A Threat That Combined Words and Action | وعيدٌ بالقول والفعل
Azar’s threat to “stone” his son carried both a literal meaning, physical violence, and a verbal one, harsh abusive speech, according to the commentators. Combined with banishing Ibrahim from his home, this response shows a father choosing his idols over his own child entirely.
حمل قول آزر: (لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ) (مريم 19: 46) معنيين ذكرهما المفسرون: الرجم بالحجارة، والرجم بالكلام الغليظ. وإذا اقترن هذا الوعيد بطرده ابنه من بيته، ظهر في ردّه أبٌ آثر أصنامه على ولده.
3. A Rejection That Did Not End the Relationship | ردٌّ لم يقطع الصلة
Despite this hostile response, Ibrahim’s approach to his father did not end in anger, a restraint covered in full in How Did Ibrahim Deal With His Father’s Rejection? The gentleness of Ibrahim’s earlier appeal, calling him “dear father” four times before any threat was made, stands in sharp contrast to the violence of Azar’s reply.
ومع هذا الرد العدائي لم ينتهِ موقف إبراهيم عليه السلام من أبيه بالغضب، وهو ما فصّلناه في جواب: كيف تعامل إبراهيم عليه السلام مع رفض أبيه دعوته؟ ولين خطابه الأول، إذ ناداه: (يَا أَبَتِ) أربع مرات قبل أي تهديد (مريم 19: 42-45)، يقابل غلظة جواب آزر مقابلة واضحة.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What was the name of Ibrahim’s father?
Azar, named in Surah Al-An’am 6:74.
How did Azar respond to Ibrahim’s call?
He rejected it, remained devoted to idol worship, and threatened to stone Ibrahim if he did not stop.
How did Ibrahim address his father in his call?
Gently, repeatedly calling him “dear father” and reasoning with him before any harsh response came.