Tarikh (al-Tabari) 118
The story of Abraham the Friend (peace and blessings be upon him)
قِصَّةِ إِلْقَائِهِ فِي النَّارِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ نمرود وَأَصْحَابَهُ أَجْمَعُوا عَلَى قَتْلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالُوا ابْنُوا لَهُ بُنْيَانًا فَأَلْقُوهُ فِي الْجَحِيمِ فَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَسْفَلِينَ. عَدَلُوا عَنِ الْجِدَالِ وَالْمُنَاظَرَةِ لَمَّا انْقَطَعُوا وَغُلِبُوا، وَلَمْ تَبْقَ لَهُمْ حَجَّةٌ وَلَا شُبْهَةٌ، إِلَى اسْتِعْمَالِ قُوَّتِهِمْ وَسُلْطَانِهِمْ، لِيَنْصُرُوا مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ سَفَهِهِمْ وَطُغْيَانِهِمْ، فَكَادَهُمُ الرَّبُّ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ، وَأَعْلَى كَلِمَتَهُ وَدِينَهُ وَبُرْهَانَهُ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانْصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ قُلْنَا يَانَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَخْسَرِينَ. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ شَرَعُوا يَجْمَعُونَ حَطَبًا مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَا يُمْكِنُهُمْ مِنَ الْأَمَاكِنِ، فَمَكَثُوا مُدَّةً يَجْمَعُونَ لَهُ حَتَّى إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ مِنْهُمْ كَانَتْ إِذَا مَرِضَتْ تَنْذِرُ لَئِنْ عُوفِيَتْ لَتَحْمِلَنَّ حَطَبًا لِحَرِيقِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، ثُمَّ عَمَدُوا إِلَى جَوْبَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ فَوَضَعُوا فِيهَا ذَلِكَ الْحَطَبَ، وَأَطْلَقُوا فِيهِ النَّارَ فَاضْطَرَمَتْ وَتَأَجَّجَتْ وَالْتَهَبَتْ، وَعَلَاهَا شَرَرٌ لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُ قَطُّ حَتَّى إِنْ كَانَتِ الطَّيْرُ لَتَمُرُّ بِهَا فَتَحْتَرِقُ مِنْ شِدَّتِهَا وَحَرِّهَا ثُمَّ وَضَعُوا إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي كِفَّةِ مَنْجَنِيقٍ صَنَعَهُ لَهُمْ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْأَكْرَادِ يُقَالُ لَهُ هِيزَنُ، وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ صَنَعَ الْمَجَانِيقَ فَخَسَفَ اللَّهُ بِهِ الْأَرْضَ فَهُوَ يَتَجَلْجَلُ فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، ثُمَّ أَخَذُوا يُقَيِّدُونَهُ وَيُكَتِّفُونَهُ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ، لَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَلَكَ الْمُلْكُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ. فَلَمَّا وُضِعَ الْخَلِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي كِفَّةِ الْمَنْجَنِيقِ مُقَيَّدًا مَكْتُوفًا، ثُمَّ أَلْقَوْهُ مِنْهُ إِلَى النَّارِ قَالَ: حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ، وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ. كَمَا رَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ. قَالَهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ حِينَ أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ، وَقَالَهَا مُحَمَّدٌ حِينَ قِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ [ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: 173 - 174 ]. الْآيَةَ. وعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ ﷺ: لَمَّا أُلْقِيَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فِي النَّارِ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَاحِدٌ، وَأَنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَاحِدٌ أَعْبُدُكَ. وَذَكَرَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَرَضَ لَهُ فِي الْهَوَاءِ فَقَالَ: أَلَكَ حَاجَةٌ ؟ فَقَالَ: أَمَّا إِلَيْكَ فَلَا. وَيُرْوَى عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَسَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: جَعَلَ مَلَكُ الْمَطَرِ يَقُولُ: مَتَى أُومَرُ فَأُرْسِلَ الْمَطَرَ ؟ فَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ أَسْرَعَ قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ. قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَيْ لَا تَضُرِّيهِ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبُو الْعَالِيَةِ: لَوْلَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ: وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَذَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ بَرْدُهَا. وَقَالَ كَعْبُ الْأَحْبَارِ: لَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ أَهْلُ الْأَرْضِ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنَارٍ، وَلَمْ يُحْرَقْ مِنْهُ سِوَى وَثَاقِهِ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: يُرْوَى أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ كَانَ مَعَهُ يَمْسَحُ الْعَرَقَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ لَمْ يُصِبْهُ مِنْهَا شَيْءٌ غَيْرُهُ. وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: كَانَ مَعَهُ أَيْضًا مَلَكُ الظِّلِّ. وَصَارَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي مِثْلِ الْجُونَةِ حَوْلَهُ النَّارُ، وَهُوَ فِي رَوْضَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ، وَالنَّاسُ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهِ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى الْوُصُولِ إِلَيْهِ، وَلَا هُوَ يَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَحْسَنُ كَلِمَةٍ قَالَهَا أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَ لَمَّا رَأَى وَلَدَهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ: نِعْمَ الرَّبُّ رَبُّكَ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ: أَنَّ أُمَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ نَظَرَتْ إِلَى ابْنِهَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَنَادَتْهُ: يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَجِيءَ إِلَيْكَ، فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُنَجِّيَنِي مِنْ حَرِّ النَّارِ حَوْلَكَ. فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَأَقْبَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ لَا يَمَسُّهَا شَيْءٌ مِنْ حَرِّ النَّارِ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ اعْتَنَقَتْهُ، وَقَبَّلَتْهُ، ثُمَّ عَادَتْ. وَعَنِ الْمِنْهَالِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَثَ هُنَاكَ إِمَّا أَرْبَعِينَ، وَإِمَّا خَمْسِينَ يَوْمًا، وَأَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَا كُنْتُ أَيَّامًا وَلَيَالِيَ أَطْيَبَ عَيْشًا إِذْ كُنْتُ فِيهَا، وَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ عَيْشِي وَحَيَاتِي كُلَّهَا مِثْلُ إِذْ كُنْتُ فِيهَا. صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ. فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَنْتَصِرُوا فَخُذِلُوا، وَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَرْتَفِعُوا فَاتَّضَعُوا، وَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَغْلِبُوا فَغُلِبُوا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَخْسَرِينَ. وَفِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى: الْأَسْفَلِينَ فَفَازُوا بِالْخَسَارَةِ وَالسَّفَالِ هَذَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَأَمَّا فِي الْآخِرَةِ فَإِنَّ نَارَهُمْ لَا تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرْدًا وَلَا سَلَامًا، وَلَا يُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَلَا سَلَامًا، بَلْ هِيَ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّهَا سَاءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا. ومَكَثَ نُمْرُودُ أَيَّامًا لَا يَشُكُّ أَنَّ النَّارَ قَدْ أَكَلَتْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَرَأَى كَأَنَّهُ نَظَرَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ تُحْرِقُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ جَالِسٌ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ رَجُلٌ مِثْلُهُ. فَقَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ: لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ كَأَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَيٌّ وَلَقَدْ شُبِّهَ عَلَيَّ، ابْنُوا لِي صَرْحًا يُشْرِفُ بِي عَلَى النَّارِ، فَبَنَوْا لَهُ وَأَشْرَفَ مِنْهُ فَرَأَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ جَالِسًا وَإِلَى جَانِبِهِ رَجُلٌ فِي صُورَتِهِ، فَنَادَاهُ نُمْرُودُ: يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ، كَبِيرٌ إِلَهُكَ الَّذِي بَلَغَتْ قُدْرَتُهُ وَعِزَّتُهُ أَنْ حَالَ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ مَا أَرَى، هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنْهَا ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: أَتَخْشَى إِنْ أَقَمْتَ فِيهَا أَنْ تَضُرَّكَ ؟ قَالَ: لَا. فَقَامَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ قَالَ لَهُ: يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ، مَنِ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مَعَكَ مِثْلَ صُورَتِكَ ؟ قَالَ: ذَلِكَ مَلَكُ الظِّلِّ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَيَّ رَبِّي لِيُؤْنِسَنِي. قَالَ نُمْرُودُ: إِنِّي مُقَرِّبٌ مِنْ إِلَهِكَ قُرْبَانًا لِمَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ قُدْرَتِهِ وَعِزَّتِهِ وَمَا صَنَعَ بِكَ حِينَ أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا عِبَادَتَهُ. فَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: إِذًا لَا يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ مِنْكَ مَا كُنْتَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ دِينِكَ. فَقَالَ: يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ، لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ تَرْكَ مُلْكِي. وَقَرَّبَ أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافِ بَقَرَةٍ وَكَفَّ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَمَنَعَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ. وَآمَنَ مَعَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ حِينَ رَأَوْا مَا صَنَعَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَلَى خَوْفٍ مِنْ نُمْرُودَ وَمَلَئِهِمْ، وَآمَنَ لَهُ لُوطُ بْنُ هَارَانَ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَخِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَكَانَ لَهُمْ أَخٌ ثَالِثٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَاخُورُ بْنُ تَارِخَ، وَهُوَ أَبُو بِتْوِيلَ، وَبِتْوِيلُ أَبُو لَابَانَ وَأَبُو رَبْقَا امْرَأَةِ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أُمِّ يَعْقُوبَ، وَلَابَانُ أَبُو لَيَّا وَرَاحِيلَ زَوْجَتَيْ يَعْقُوبَ. وَآمَنَتْ بِهِ سَارَةُ، وَهِيَ ابْنَةُ عَمِّهِ، وَهِيَ سَارَةُ ابْنَةُ هَارَانَ الْأَكْبَرِ عَمِّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَتِ ابْنَةَ مَلِكِ حَرَّانَ. فَآمَنَتْ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَعَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ. وَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ بسنده عَنْ نَافِعٍ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً دَخَلَتْ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ، فَإِذَا رُمْحٌ مَنْصُوبٌ فَقَالَتْ: مَا هَذَا الرُّمْحُ؟ فَقَالَتْ: نَقْتُلُ بِهِ الْأَوْزَاغَ، ثُمَّ حَدَّثَتْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمَّا أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ جَعَلَتِ الدَّوَابُّ كُلُّهَا تُطْفِئُ عَنْهُ إِلَّا الْوَزَغَ فَإِنَّهُ جَعَلَ يَنْفُخُهَا عَلَيْهِ.
Translation
✧ The story of throwing him into the fire. Then Nimrod and his companions agreed upon killing Abraham. They said: "Build for him a structure and cast him into the blazing fire." So they intended a plot against him, but We made them the lowest. They turned away from argument and debate when they were cut off and defeated, and no argument or specious objection remained for them, to employing their strength and authority to support the folly and tyranny they were upon. So the Lord, majestic is His majesty, plotted against them, and exalted His word, His religion, and His proof. As the Most High said: "They said: Burn him and support your gods, if you are to act. We said: O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham. And they intended a plot against him, but We made them the greatest losers." That is because they began gathering firewood from all the places they could, and they spent a period gathering it for him, until a woman among them, when she fell ill, would vow that if she recovered she would surely carry firewood for the burning of Abraham. Then they went to a great pit and placed that firewood in it, and set fire to it, so it blazed and flamed and burned fiercely, and sparks rose from it the like of which had never been seen, until birds passing by it would burn from its intensity and heat. Then they placed Abraham ﷺ in the cup of a mangonel that a Kurdish man named Hayzan had made for them, and he was the first to make mangonels, so God caused the earth to swallow him, and he is sinking in it until the Day of Resurrection. Then they began binding him and tying his arms behind his back, while he was saying: "There is no god but You, glory be to You. Yours is the praise and Yours is the dominion, no partner has You." When the Friend ﷺ was placed in the cup of the mangonel bound and tied, then they hurled him from it into the fire, he said: "God is sufficient for us, and excellent is the Trustee." As al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: "God is sufficient for us, and excellent is the Trustee. Abraham said it when he was thrown into the fire, and Muhammad said it when it was said to him: 'The people have gathered against you, so fear them,' but it increased them in faith, and they said: 'God is sufficient for us, and excellent is the Trustee.' So they returned with favor from God and bounty, no harm touched them" [Al Imran: 173-174] — the verse. And from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: "When Abraham was thrown into the fire, he said: 'O God, You are One in heaven, and I am one on earth worshipping You.'" And some of the early scholars mentioned that Gabriel appeared to him in the air and said: "Do you have a need?" He said: "As for you, no." It is narrated from Ibn Abbas and Sa'id ibn Jubayr that he said: "The angel of rain began saying: 'When will I be commanded to send the rain?' But God's command was swifter: 'We said: O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham.'" Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "That is, do not harm him." Ibn Abbas and Abu al-Aliyah said: "Had God not said: 'and safety upon Abraham,' its cold would have harmed Abraham." Ka'b al-Ahbar said: "The people of the earth did not benefit from any fire that day, and nothing of him was burned except his bonds." Al-Dahhak said: "It is narrated that Gabriel ﷺ was with him wiping the sweat from his face; nothing of it touched him except that." Al-Suddi said: "With him also was the angel of shade." And Abraham ﷺ became as if in a garden enclosure, with fire around him, while he was in a green meadow, and the people were looking at him unable to reach him, nor could he come out to them. From Abu Hurayrah that he said: "The best word spoken by Abu Ibrahim when he saw his son in that state was: 'Excellent is the Lord, your Lord, O Abraham.'" And Ibn Asakir narrated from Ikrimah: that Abraham's mother looked at her son ﷺ and called to him: "O my son, I want to come to you, so pray to God that He save me from the heat of the fire around you." He said: "Yes." So she came toward him, and none of the heat of the fire touched her. When she reached him, she embraced him and kissed him, then returned. And from al-Minhal ibn Amr that he said: "I was told that Abraham remained there either forty or fifty days, and that he said: 'I never had days and nights more pleasant in living than those I was in, and I wish that my living and my life all were like those I was in.' May God's blessings and ﷺ." They wanted to gain victory but were forsaken, they wanted to rise but were humbled, and they wanted to overcome but were overcome. God the Most High said: "And they intended a plot against him, but We made them the greatest losers." And in the other verse: "the lowest." So they earned loss and lowliness in this world, and as for the hereafter, their fire will not be coolness nor safety for them, nor will they receive therein greeting or peace; rather it is as the Most High said: "Indeed it is evil as a settlement and abode." And Nimrod remained for days not doubting that the fire had consumed Abraham, then he saw as if he looked into it while it was burning itself part by part, and Abraham was sitting with a man like him beside him. So he said to his people: "I have seen as if Abraham is alive, and it has been confused for me. Build for me a lofty structure that will raise me above the fire." So they built for him, and he looked from it and saw Abraham sitting, and beside him a man in his likeness. Nimrod called to him: "O Abraham, great is your God whose power and might reached the point that He intervened between you and what I see. Can you come out of it?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Do you fear if you remain in it that it will harm you?" He said: "No." So Abraham stood and came out of it. When he came out, Nimrod said to him: "O Abraham, who is the man I saw with you in your likeness?" He said: "That was the angel of shade, my Lord sent him to me to keep me company." Nimrod said: "I will offer a sacrifice to your God as a near-offering because of the power and might I saw, and what He did for you when you refused anything but His worship." Abraham said: "Then God will not accept from you as long as you are upon anything of your religion." Nimrod said: "O Abraham, I cannot abandon my kingdom." And he offered four thousand cows and refrained from Abraham, and God protected him from him. And men from his people believed along with Abraham when they saw what God did for him, out of fear of Nimrod and their chiefs. And Lot son of Haran believed in him, and he was the son of Abraham's brother. They had a third brother called Nahor son of Terah, and he was the father of Bethuel, and Bethuel was the father of Laban and the father of Rebekah, the wife of Isaac son of Abraham, the mother of Jacob, and Laban was the father of Leah and Rachel, the two wives of Jacob. And Sarah believed in him, and she was his cousin, and she was Sarah daughter of Haran the elder, Abraham's uncle. It is also said she was the daughter of the king of Harran. So she believed in God the Most High along with Abraham. And Ahmad said with his chain from Nafi' that a woman entered upon Aisha, and there was a spear set up, and she said: "What is this spear?" She said: "We use it to kill geckos." Then she narrated from the Messenger of God ﷺ: that when Abraham was thrown into the fire, all the creatures began extinguishing it for him except the gecko, for it began blowing it upon him.
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