Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 74

(Ayah 74) ➊ {وَ اِذْ قَالَ اِبْرٰهِيْمُ لِاَبِيْهِ اٰزَرَ … :} In the above verses, while presenting the proofs of the truth of monotheism and the falsehood of polytheism, the false beliefs of the polytheists of Makkah were criticized, and now, to refute polytheism, the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is mentioned as support, that he was the greatest caller to monotheism and was completely disassociated from polytheism. And Muslims are advised to see how he separated himself from his people. The polytheists of Makkah claimed to follow the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), so when Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was a monotheist, what argument remains for you now to justify polytheism?

➋ From this verse, it is known that the name of Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) father was Azar. Now, if in previous books his name is written as Arakh or Tarakh, then the statement of the Quran will be the truth. At most, it can be said that Arakh or Tarakh was his title, but to say that his father's name was not Azar but that this was the name of his uncle is completely baseless.

74. 1. Historians mention two names for the father of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام): Azar and Tarakh. It is possible that the second name is a title. Some say that Azar was the name of his uncle, but this is not correct, because the Quran has mentioned Azar as the father of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام), therefore this is correct.

And (remember) when Abraham said to his father Azar [81.1], “Do you take idols as gods? Indeed, I see you and your people in manifest error.”

[81۔ 1]
The Cosmic Study of Ibrahim (peace be upon him):

The worship of stars had begun in the region of Iraq long before the advent of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Imaginary forms of the spirits of stars, the moon, the sun, etc., were determined and their idols were made, which were then placed in temples for worship. Various effects of these celestial bodies on human life were acknowledged, and people attributed matters such as life and death, illness and health, prosperity and adversity, and many other affairs to the movements of these planets. To ward off their harmful effects, offerings were presented in temples before the idols of the relevant stars. Large estates were endowed in the name of temples, and their wealth was also invested in trade and industry, all of which was managed through the priests of the temples. In this way, these landlords and capitalists had a significant influence on the civilization, economy, and politics of the country. The father of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was the royal chief priest of such a great temple. Besides receiving offerings, he was also engaged in the business of idol-making and idol-selling. Apart from being well-off in terms of food and drink, he was counted among the dignitaries of society. Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was brought up in such an environment. He learned that certain idols belonged to certain stars, some to the moon, and some to the sun. Moreover, these people had named their cities after these idols. He was endowed with a sound nature from childhood. He was repulsed by the actions of society and the environment at home, and was always lost in deep thought. One night, he saw a shining star, which after some time set in the west. Suddenly, he thought: that which cannot even remain with me, how can it remove my or anyone else's difficulties? Then he saw the moon, and it was the same. Then he pondered over the sun, and its case was also similar. These things, moving at a fixed pace, would rise from the east and set in the west. He thought: things so bound by order and discipline, compelled and helpless in their own tasks, how can they be God? God can only be the One who has kept all these things under control. He pondered over these circumstances for a long time. Eventually, Allah Himself guided him, honored him with the rank of prophethood, and through revelation unveiled to him the secrets of this universe. At that time, he thanked Allah, who delivered him from those anxieties in which he had been lost in thought for years, and rescued him from those misguidances in which his entire nation was submerged. When he attained this certainty, the first thing he did was to begin reforming his own household, and said to his father: "These idols that you and your people have placed in the temples and consider to be your helpers in need—this is an extremely wrong path and utter misguidance." When his father rebuked him into silence, he began to convey the same message of guidance to the other people of his nation.