PROPHET IBRAHIM (Abraham)

Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) was a great prophet of Allah, The Exalted.
[And undoubtedly, we sent Nooh and Ibrahim and We placed Prophethood and the Book in their off-spring……..]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:57, Verse:26)

In another place it has been clearly announced.
[And remember Ibrahim in the book, no doubt, he was a truthful (prophet) communicator of unseen news.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:19, Verse:41)

Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) lived among people who worshipped idols. To show them their illogical belief in the sun, moon, and star as items of worship, he said:
[When the darkness of night came on him, he saw a star said, you consider it as my Lord! But when it set,
said, I do not like those that set. Then he saw the moon shining and said, you think this is my Lord! Then when it set he said, if my Lord would not have guided me, I would also have been of the same who have gone astray. Then when he saw the sun shining he said, you say this is my Lord! This is the biggest of all. But when he saw it set he said, O my people, I quit of all those things which you associate with God.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:6, Verses:76-78)
Then Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) made it clear that Allah, The Exalted, should be worshipped alone and that he himself does the same.
[I diverted my face towards Him who created the heavens and earth, being of Him only and I am not of the polytheists.]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:6, Verse:79

Once he went to his uncle Aazar and asked him to give up the way of worshipping idols.
[When he said to his father, O my father, why do you worship that which neither hears nor sees and is not of any use to you. O my father, indeed, there has to me that knowledge which has nota come to you, so follow me; I shall guide you to the straight path. O my father, Do not serve the devil, undoubtedly; the devil is disobedient to the Most Affectionate. O my father, I fear that the torment of the most Affectionate may reach you, then you will become the companion of the devil.]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:19, Verses: 42-45

His uncle started arguing with him and refused to
accept this divine message.
[He said, do you turn your face from my Gods, O Ibrahim? No doubt, if you would not desist, then I shall stone you, and be away from me for a long time.]
Holy Quran, Chapater:19, Verse:46))

It is human nature that once a man gets stuck in wickedness, it is difficult for him to find a way out of it. The same was the case with the people of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him). They did not give up their forefather’s ways of worship. However, Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) wanted to show them their idols’ lack of ability to be worshipped practically and set a planning, then said:
[I swear by Allah, I shall devise bad against your idols after you have turned your backs. ]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse: 57
The opportunity did not take very long to come. One of the national festival days came up when everyone went out of the city and left Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) behind. The Prophet slipped into their temple. He found himself in a highly decorated room with various kinds of foods dished out placed before the idols.
[Then they turned away from him and he walked towards their gods secretly and said, do you not eat? What happened to you that you do not speak?]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:37, Verses: 90-92)

He then broke all the idols into pieces, leaving the biggest one untouched and placed the hammer he used
in the arms of this big statue.
[Then he broke all of them into pieces except
the biggest one, that hopefully they may ask it
something.]
((Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse:58

When the people returned to their town and went to the temple, they saw the whole temple was a horrible mess and asked:
[They said, who has done this to our gods? Undoubtedly he is unjust.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verses:59)

But soon they figured out the culprit of the mess. Some of them remembered that they had heard Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) speaking against their idols

[Some of them said, we have heard a youth called Ibrahim saying bad to them.]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse:60

So they brought Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) and asked him:
[They said, have you done this to our gods O Ibrahim?]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse:62

Instead of saying yes or no, Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) said.
[He said, rather this big one of them has done it. Ask them, if they can speak.]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse:63

At this the idol worshippers felt ashamed and said:
[Then they laid their heads down saying, for you know well that these do not speak.]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse:65

Using this opportunity, Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) argued with them logically.
[He said, why do you worship besides Allah that which neither profits nor hurts you. Fie on you and those deities which you worship besides Allah. Do you have no wisdom?]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verses: 66-67)
After hearing this, the people became enraged. They decided to throw Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) into a huge fire.
[They said, burn him and help your gods, if you have to do.]
( (Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verse:68

He would have been burnt very badly if he had not Allah, The Exalted ‘s help with him. Because, it is He, The Exalted, who made the fire cool so that Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) would not be burnt at all.
[We said, O fire! Cool and be safe for Ibrahim. And they desired evil for him, but We made them the worst losers.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:21, Verses: 69-70)
Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) came out of the fire alive and made a firm decision to leave his people.
[And he said, I am to go to my Lord! Now He shall guide me.]
(Holy Quran, Chapter: 37, Verse:99)

It is been told that Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) went to Syria making his way through Egypt. He prayed to Allah, The Almighty, asking to be blessed with a son. He, The Exalted, accepted his supplication and gave him a son named Ismael (Peace be upon him)
[My Lord, bestow upon me a righteous son. Then We gave him a glad tiding of a prudent son.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:37, Verses:100-101)

Later, Allah, The Exalted, commanded him to leave his wife Hajira (May Allah be pleased with her ) and their newborn son Ismael (Peace be upon him) in the barren land of Mecca. He immediately complied with the order and left his wife and son at the place where the Kaaba was later built.
After few years, Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) saw a dream that he was sacrificing his dear son Prophet Ismael (Peace be upon him). The dreams of Prophets are never false and are a guide as to what is to happen. He understood the meaning of this dream and narrated it to his son.
[Then when he became able to work with him, he said, O my son, I have dreamt that I am slaughtering you, now look you, what is your opinion? He said, O my father, do as you are commanded, Allah willing, you will find me patient.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:37, Verse:102)

The Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) bowed down before the will of Allah, The Exalted, and laid his son Ismael (Peace be upon him) facedown on the earth to be sacrificed.

[Then when they both submitted to My command and the father laid his son down on his forehead.]
((Holy Quran, Chapater:37, Verse:103

By this action, Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) proved his willingness to sacrifice his son for the sake of Allah, The Exalted. Thus, he was kept away from actually slaughtering his son.
[We called to him, O Ibrahim! Undoubtedly you have fulfilled the vision, thus We recompense the righteous. No doubt, it was obviously a trial.]
(Holy Quran, Chapater:37, Verses:104-105)

By doing this, the Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) set a great example for Muslims to follow. And Allah, The Exalted, was so pleased with the actions of His friend that he ordered us all to remember this by sacrificing animals on Eid ul Adha.
Later Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) and Prophet Ismael (Peace be upon him) built the Ka’aba in Mecca and they both prayed:
[And when Ibrahim was raising the foundation of this house and Ismael (too) prayed, O our Lord! Accept from us, undoubtedly you alone hear and know. O our Lord, make us submissive to you and our offspring a nation submissive to you and tell us our ways of worship and turn to us with your mercy. Surely You alone are most Relenting and Merciful.]

( (Holy Quran, Chapater:2, Verses:127-128