Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 24

(Ayah 24) ➊ { فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ قَالُوا اقْتُلُوْهُ اَوْ حَرِّقُوْهُ :} When the people of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) could not respond to his arguments regarding monotheism and the Hereafter, they resorted to violence, and this is the way of those who follow falsehood; they do not respond to arguments with arguments, but rather say: kill him, burn him. Here, Allah Almighty has omitted the incident of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) breaking their idols. That incident was also a practical proof of the falsehood of the idols. When they were left speechless in the face of both intellectual and practical arguments, they all unanimously decided to eliminate him. However, there was disagreement about the method of elimination, so they began to consult among themselves whether to kill him or burn him. The final decision was to burn him in a way that would serve as a lesson, because they wanted to inflict the greatest possible pain on him. For this, they built a structure, filled it with fuel, and arranged to burn him in the fire, as He said: «{ قَالُوا ابْنُوْا لَهٗ بُنْيَانًا فَاَلْقُوْهُ فِي الْجَحِيْمِ }» [ الصافات : ۹۷ ] "They said: Build a structure for him, then throw him into the blazing fire."

➋ { فَاَنْجٰىهُ اللّٰهُ مِنَ النَّارِ :} From this sentence, it is automatically clear that these people eventually threw Ibrahim (peace be upon him) into the fire. Here, it is only mentioned that Allah Almighty saved him from the fire, but elsewhere it is explicitly stated: «{ قُلْنَا يٰنَارُ كُوْنِيْ بَرْدًا وَّ سَلٰمًا عَلٰۤى اِبْرٰهِيْمَ }» [ الأنبیاء : ۶۹ ] "We said: O fire! Be coolness and safety for Ibrahim." Obviously, if he had not been thrown into the fire, there would have been no point in giving such a command to the fire, nor would there have been any need to mention that Allah Almighty saved him from the fire.

➌ { اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُّؤْمِنُوْنَ:} Among these signs, the very first sign is that Allah Almighty certainly tests His servants, and the closer one is to Him, the harder the test. Just look at this incident: it was not difficult for Allah Almighty to prevent the people of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) from even laying a hand on him, as He said to Musa (peace be upon him): «{ فَلَا يَصِلُوْنَ اِلَيْكُمَا }» [ القصص : ۳۵ ] "These people will not reach you both." And it was also possible that He could have raised a supporter for him from among his people, just as He raised Abu Talib for our Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who, despite being a polytheist, said:

{وَاللّٰهِ لَنْ يَّصِلُوْا إِلَيْكَ بِجَمْعِهِمْ ¤ حَتّٰي أُوَسَّدَ فِي التُّرَابِ دَفِيْنَا}
"By Allah! These people, even with their group, will not reach you, until I am buried in the earth."

But Allah Almighty did not leave any worldly means or resources for Ibrahim (peace be upon him) by which he could be saved from burning in the fire. Here, the perfect success of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in the test and trial is evident: even after every worldly support was cut off and seeing the blazing fire before him, he neither let go of the rope of Allah's monotheism, nor bowed before his people, nor called upon anyone else. What came from his tongue was only: [ حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب قولہ : «الذین قال لھم الناس…» : ۴۵۶۴ ] "Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs." The second sign is that when Allah Almighty tested the truthfulness of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), He made the fire coolness and safety for him, even though its very function is to burn, and despite all apparent worldly means being cut off, with the word "Kun" ({كُوْنِيْ بَرْدًا وَّ سَلٰمًا}), He saved him. The third sign is that the same Allah who has placed different properties in all things of the world, for His special servants, He creates opposite properties in them. The function of water is to flow, but by Allah's command, it stood like separate mountains for the salvation of Musa (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel. The function of fire is to burn, but by Allah's command, it became a garden for Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

The fourth sign is that the same polytheists who captured, bound, and threw Ibrahim (peace be upon him) into the fire, after he came out of the fire, could not harm him in the least, even though it would not have been difficult for them to imprison or kill him, but this was the mighty hand of Allah, under whose protection they could not harm him at all. The fifth sign is that even after witnessing such a great miracle, the people of his nation persisted in disbelief. From this, it is known that when a nation persists in denial, even the greatest miracle does not benefit them. This proves the truth of Allah Almighty's statement: «{ اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَاَنْذَرْتَهُمْ اَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ }» [ البقرۃ : ۶ ] "Indeed, those who disbelieve, it is the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe." And see Surah Al-An'am (111). That is why it is said that in this incident there are many signs for those who believe. In {’’ لِقَوْمٍ يُّؤْمِنُوْنَ ‘‘}, the "lam" is for benefit, meaning only the believers benefit from these signs; those deprived of faith do not benefit from them at all.

24-1. Before these verses, the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was being narrated; now its remainder is being mentioned. In between, as a parenthetical statement, the oneness of Allah and His power and might were described. Some say that all of this is part of the sermon of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), in which he presented arguments for the affirmation of monotheism and the Hereafter. When his people could not respond to these arguments, they replied with the act of oppression and violence mentioned in this verse: "Kill him or burn him." Thus, they prepared a huge fire and threw Ibrahim (peace be upon him) into it by means of a catapult.

24-2. That is, Allah turned that fire into a garden and saved His servant. As has been mentioned in Surah Anbiya.

24. The only answer of Abraham's [36] people was that they said, "Kill him or burn him." But Allah saved him from the fire. Surely, in this incident are signs [37] for people who believe.

[36]
The People Throwing Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) into the Blazing Fire:

Between verse number 19 and verse number 23 regarding the circumstances of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.), it is the speech of Allah Almighty Himself. In which, after presenting some arguments about Tawheed and the Hereafter in relation to the coherence of the subject, attention is again directed towards the circumstances of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.). When the people of Ibrahim could not respond to the arguments of Tawheed presented by Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.), they resorted to base tactics, and this is the habit of those who follow falsehood. Here, the incident of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) breaking their idols has been omitted. Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) did this so that he could practically make it clear to his people that their deities are completely useless things, which cannot protect themselves nor avert harm from themselves, so how can they solve the problems of others? This observational argument made those people even more enraged and furious. Eventually, they decided that Ibrahim should be killed, and if not, then he should be burned in the fire. Even in the suggestion of burning in the fire, there are two aspects: one is that he should be killed by giving him the torment of fire to cause him pain; the other is that perhaps, upon seeing the torment of fire, he might pledge to refrain from his statements. In any case, those people prepared a huge blazing fire and threw Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.) into that fire.

[37] But Allah Almighty commanded the fire to become cool and harmless for Sayyiduna Ibrahim (A.S.). Thus, Ibrahim (A.S.) remained in that fire as if a person stays in a garden or a meadow. And in this are the following signs:
(1) Everything has certain natural properties, and Allah Almighty Himself has placed these properties in everything.
(2) Allah Almighty can change these properties whenever He wills. Although this happens rarely, it cannot be denied that if Allah wills, He can remove the natural properties of certain things and can also change them.
(3) Allah’s help certainly reaches His servants, but first, they are made to pass through a period of trial, and such extraordinary help only comes when there is no other way out. For the interpretation of this incident by the deniers of miracles and its answer, see the footnote number 58 under Surah Al-Anbiya.