Tarikh (al-Tabari) 116
The story of Abraham the Friend (peace and blessings be upon him)
دعوة الْخَلِيلِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَبَاهُ آزَرَ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ، كَانَ آزَرُ يَصْنَعُ الْأَصْنَامَ الَّتِي يَعْبُدُونَهَا وَيُعْطِيهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِيَبِيعَهَا، فَكَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَشْتَرِي مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لَا يَنْفَعُهُ ؟ فَلَا يَشْتَرِيهَا مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ، وَكَانَ يَأْخُذُهَا، وَيَنْطَلِقُ بِهَا إِلَى نَهْرٍ فَيُصَوِّبُ رُءُوسَهَا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُ: اشْرَبِي ! اسْتِهْزَاءً بِقَوْمِهِ. حَتَّى فَشَا ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ فِي قَوْمِهِ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ خَبَرُهُ نُمْرُودَ. فَلَمَّا بَدَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ قَوْمَهُ إِلَى تَرْكِ مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَيَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى كَانَ أَوَّلُ دَعْوَتِهِ لِأَبِيهِ، لِأَنَّهُ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِإِخْلَاصِ النَّصِيحَةِ لَهُ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيًّا إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِي عَنْكَ شَيْئًا يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا يَا أَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَنِ عَصِيًّا يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنْتَ عَنْ آلِهَتِي يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ وَاهْجُرْنِي مَلِيًّا قَالَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِي حَفِيًّا وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُو رَبِّي عَسَى أَلَّا أَكُونَ بِدُعَاءِ رَبِّي شَقِيًّا [ مَرْيَمَ: 41 - 48 ]. يَذْكُرُ تَعَالَى مَا كَانَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَبِيهِ مِنَ الْمُحَاوَرَةِ وَالْمُجَادَلَةِ، وَكَيْفَ دَعَا أَبَاهُ إِلَى الْحَقِّ بِأَلْطَفِ عِبَارَةٍ وَأَحْسَنِ إِشَارَةٍ، بَيَّنَ لَهُ بُطْلَانَ مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْأَصْنَامِ الَّتِي لَا تَسْمَعُ دُعَاءَ عَابِدِهَا وَلَا تُبْصِرُ مَكَانَهُ، كَيْفَ تُغْنِي عَنْهُ شَيْئًا أَوْ تَفْعَلُ بِهِ خَيْرًا مِنْ رِزْقٍ أَوْ نَصْرٍ ؟ ثُمَّ قَالَ مُنَبِّهًا عَلَى مَا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ النَّافِعِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ أَصْغَرَ سِنًّا مِنْ أَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا. أَيْ مُسْتَقِيمًا وَاضِحًا سَهْلًا حَنِيفًا، يُفْضِي بِكَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ فِي دُنْيَاكَ وَأُخْرَاكَ، فَلَمَّا عَرَضَ هَذَا الرُّشْدَ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَهْدَى هَذِهِ النَّصِيحَةَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَقْبَلْهَا مِنْهُ، وَلَا أَخَذَهَا عَنْهُ بَلْ تَهَدَّدَهُ وَتَوَعَّدَهُ قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنْتَ عَنْ آلِهَتِي يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ. قِيلَ: بِالْمَقَالِ. وَقِيلَ: بِالْفَعَالِ وَاهْجُرْنِي مَلِيًّا أَيْ وَاقْطَعْنِي وَأَطِلْ هِجْرَانِي فَعِنْدَهَا قَالَ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ أَيْ لَا يَصِلُكَ مِنِّي مَكْرُوهٌ، وَلَا يَنَالُكَ مِنِّي أَذًى، بَلْ أَنْتَ سَالِمٌ مِنْ نَاحِيَتِي، وَزَادَهُ خَيْرًا فَقَالَ: سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِي حَفِيًّا. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَغَيْرُهُ: أَيْ لَطِيفًا. يَعْنِي فِي أَنْ هَدَانِي لِعِبَادَتِهِ وَالْإِخْلَاصِ لَهُ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُو رَبِّي عَسَى أَلَّا أَكُونَ بِدُعَاءِ رَبِّي شَقِيًّا. وَقَدِ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، كَمَا وَعَدَهُ فِي أَدْعِيَتِهِ، فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَنْ مَوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ [ التَّوْبَةِ: 114 ]. وَقَالَ الْبُخَارِيُّ بسنده عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: يَلْقَى إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَبَاهُ آزَرَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَعَلَى وَجْهِ آزَرَ قَتَرَةٌ وَغَبَرَةٌ. فَيَقُولُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكَ لَا تَعْصِنِي. فَيَقُولُ لَهُ أَبُوهُ: فَالْيَوْمَ لَا أَعْصِيكَ. فَيَقُولُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: يَا رَبِّ إِنَّكَ وَعَدْتَنِي أَنْ لَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ، وَأَيُّ خِزْيٍ أَخْزَى مِنْ أَبِي الْأَبْعَدِ. فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ: إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ، ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ مَا تَحْتَ رِجْلَيْكَ، فَيَنْظُرُ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِذِيخٍ مُتَلَطِّخٍ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِقَوَائِمِهِ فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ. هَكَذَا رَوَاهُ فِي قِصَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُنْفَرِدًا. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ آزَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا آلِهَةً إِنِّي أَرَاكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ. هَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ اسْمَ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ آزَرُ. وَجُمْهُورُ أَهْلِ النَّسَبِ مِنْهُمُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ عَلَى أَنَّ اسْمَ أَبِيهِ تَارَحُ. وَأَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ يَقُولُونَ: تَارَخُ بِالْخَاءِ الْمُعْجَمَةِ. فَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ لُقِّبَ بِصَنَمٍ كَانَ يَعْبُدُهُ اسْمُهُ آزَرُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ: وَالصَّوَابُ أَنَّ اسْمَهُ آزَرُ، وَلَعَلَّ لَهُ اسْمَانِ عَلَمَانِ أَوْ أَحَدُهُمَا لَقَبٌ، وَالْآخَرُ عَلَمٌ، وَهَذَا الَّذِي قَالَهُ مُحْتَمَلٌ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
Translation
✧ The Invitation of the Friend ﷺ His father Āzar to faith. Āzar used to make the idols that they worshipped and give them to Ibrāhīm to sell. Ibrāhīm would say: “Who will buy what neither harms him nor benefits him?” So no one would buy them from him. He would take them, go with them to a river, and plunge their heads into it, saying: “Drink!” — in mockery of his people. This became widespread among his people, but his news did not reach Nimrūd. When it occurred to Ibrāhīm to call his people to abandon what they were upon and command them to worship God Most High, his first call was to his father, because he was the most entitled person to receive his sincere counsel, as the Most High said: “And mention in the Book Ibrāhīm — surely he was a man of truth, a prophet. When he said to his father: O my father, why do you worship that which neither hears nor sees, nor avails you anything? O my father, there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you; so follow me, and I will guide you to a level path. O my father, do not worship Satan; surely Satan is disobedient to the Most Merciful. O my father, I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful should touch you, so that you become a friend of Satan. He said: Do you reject my gods, O Ibrāhīm? If you do not stop, I will surely stone you. Leave me for a long time. He said: Peace be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord; surely He is gracious to me. And I will withdraw from you and from what you call upon besides God, and I will call upon my Lord; perhaps I will not be wretched in calling upon my Lord” [Maryam: 41–48]. The Most High mentions the conversation and argument that took place between him and his father, and how he called his father to the truth with the gentlest expression and the finest indication. He showed him the invalidity of what he was upon in worshipping idols that neither hear the supplication of their worshipper nor see his place; how could they avail him anything or do him any good of provision or support? Then he said, alerting him to what God had given him of guidance and beneficial knowledge, even though he was younger than his father: “O my father, there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you; so follow me, and I will guide you to a level path.” That is, a straight, clear, easy, and upright path that will lead you to good in this world and the Hereafter. When he presented this guidance to him and offered him this counsel, he did not accept it from him, nor take it from him; rather, he threatened and menaced him, saying: “Do you reject my gods, O Ibrāhīm? If you do not stop, I will surely stone you.” It was said: by speech; and it was said: by action. “And leave me for a long time” — that is, cut me off and prolong your separation from me. At that point Ibrāhīm said to him: “Peace be upon you” — that is, no harm shall reach you from me, nor shall any injury befall you from me; rather, you are safe from my side. And he added good to him by saying: “I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord; surely He is gracious to me.” Ibn ʿAbbās and others said: meaning gentle; that is, in that He guided me to His worship and devotion to Him. For this reason he said: “And I will withdraw from you and from what you call upon besides God, and I will call upon my Lord; perhaps I will not be wretched in calling upon my Lord.” Ibrāhīm ﷺ asked forgiveness for him as he had promised in his supplications; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of God, he disowned him, as the Most High said: “And the seeking of forgiveness by Ibrāhīm for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of God, he disowned him. Surely Ibrāhīm was tender-hearted and forbearing” [al-Tawbah: 114]. Al-Bukhārī said with his chain of transmission from Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “Ibrāhīm will meet his father Āzar on the Day of Resurrection, and on Āzar’s face there will be darkness and dust. Ibrāhīm will say to him: Did I not tell you not to disobey me? His father will say to him: Today I will not disobey you. Ibrāhīm will say: O Lord, you promised me that you would not disgrace me on the Day they are raised; and what disgrace is more disgraceful than my distant father? God will say: I have forbidden Paradise to the disbelievers. Then it will be said: O Ibrāhīm, what is beneath your feet? He will look, and behold, it is a defiled hyena; it will be seized by its legs and thrown into the Fire.” Thus he narrated it in the story of Ibrāhīm separately. The Most High said: “And when Ibrāhīm said to his father Āzar: Do you take idols as gods? Surely I see you and your people in clear error.” This indicates that the name of Ibrāhīm’s father was Āzar. The majority of genealogists, including Ibn ʿAbbās, hold that his father’s name was Tāraḥ. The People of the Book say: Tārakh, with the dotted khāʾ. It was said that he was nicknamed after an idol he worshipped named Āzar. Ibn Jarīr said: The correct view is that his name was Āzar, and perhaps he had two proper names, or one of them was a nickname and the other a proper name. What he said is possible, and God knows best.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.