AL ASHARI SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

 *Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) – Part 4*

When the people were left speechless, they adopted the same attitude that every rebellious nation adopts after being defeated. They planned to make Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) a target of punishment. Allah Ta‘ala mentioned their evil plot, saying: _They said, “Build for him a structure, then throw him into the blazing fire.” They intended a plot against him, but We made them the lowest._

It happened like this: they began to gather firewood from every possible place and kept collecting it for a long time. It reached the point that if a woman fell ill, she would vow, “If I am cured, I will give so much firewood to burn Ibrahim.” Then they placed all that firewood in a level place and set fire to it. The fire was lit, it blazed, and its flames rose high. Such huge sparks began to fly from it as no one had ever seen before.

Then they placed Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) in a catapult that a man named Jaan had made. He was the first person to make one. Allah Ta‘ala caused him to sink into the earth, and he will continue to sink until the Day of Judgment. Then the people seized you, tied you up, and at that time you were saying, “O Allah, there is no deity besides You. You are the Lord of the worlds. All praise is Yours, Yours is the dominion, and You have no partner.”

When Hazrat Ibrahim was bound hand and foot and placed in the catapult to be thrown into the fire, you were saying, _“Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.”_ And when the disbelievers had gathered armies against you, and they said, “Fear them,” it only increased their faith, and they said, _“Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.”_ Then they returned with blessing and bounty from Allah, and no harm touched them.

It is mentioned that when Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) was in the air, Jibra’il (Peace be upon him) appeared and said, “O Ibrahim, do you have any need?” He replied, “From you, I have no need.” It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas and Hazrat Sa‘id bin Jubayr that the angel of rain said, “When will I be commanded to send down rain?” But Allah’s command had already preceded mine. The command of Allah came: _“We said, O fire, be coolness and safety upon Ibrahim.”_

Have you not seen the one who, because Allah had given him kingship, argued with Ibrahim about his Lord? When Ibrahim said, “My Lord is the One Who gives life and causes death,” he said, “I too give life and cause death.” Ibrahim said, “Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the east, so you bring it from the west.” So the disbeliever was confounded. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

At this place, Allah Ta‘ala has mentioned the debate of His Khalil (Peace be upon him) with this rebellious, tyrannical king who claimed lordship. Hazrat Ibrahim Khalil-ur-Rahman (Peace be upon him) proved his argument false, exposed his ignorance and lack of intellect, silenced him in the field of debate, and presented the straight path before him.

Historians and commentators say that this king was the king of Babylon, whose name was Namrud bin Kinaan bin Kawish bin Sam bin Nuh. Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said the same. Some scholars have given his lineage like this: Namrud bin Salih bin Abir bin Salih bin Falakh bin Sam bin Nuh (Peace be upon him).

Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) and other scholars state that this person ruled over the entire world, because according to sayings, four kings ruled the whole world — two were believers and two were disbelievers. The believers were Dhul-Qarnayn and Sulayman, and the disbelievers were Namrud and Bakht Nasr.[Nebuchadnezzar]

The scholars say that Namrud remained king continuously for 400 years. He adopted the path of rebellion, oppression, and tyranny, and kept the principle of the world before him instead of the Hereafter. When Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) invited him to the worship of Allah, the One without partner, he denied the Creator due to ignorance and misguidance. Hazrat Ibrahim debated with him. When he claimed lordship, Hazrat Ibrahim said, “My Lord gives life and causes death.” He said, “I too give life and cause death.” Ibrahim said, “Indeed, Allah is the One Who brings the sun from the east, so you bring it from the west.”

At sunrise, Namrud gathered all his army. Allah Ta‘ala sent so many mosquitoes that the sun was hidden by their swarm. Allah set the mosquitoes upon the soldiers, and they ate their flesh until only bones remained. One mosquito entered the king’s nose. Through it, Allah kept him afflicted with punishment for 400 years, so much so that he would be beaten on the head with hammers, until he died in that condition.

_Source: Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Imam Ibn Kathir_