Was Āzar the Father or Uncle of Prophet Ibrāhīm? Qur’anic Clarification

❖ Was Āzar the Father or the Uncle of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام)? ❖
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-ʿAqāʾid, p. 122

Introduction​

There are two widely known views regarding the relationship between Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام) and Āzar:


◄ View 1: Āzar was the father of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام).
◄ View 2: Āzar was not his father, but rather his uncle.


According to my in-depth research and study, the first opinion is correct and supported by clear proofs.

View 1: Āzar Was the Father of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام)​

① Evidence from the Qur’an​

Allah ﷻ states:


﴿وَإِذ قالَ إِبر‌ٰهيمُ لِأَبيهِ ءازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصنامًا ءالِهَةً﴾
“And [mention] when Ibrāhīm said to his father Āzar, ‘Do you take idols as gods?’”
(Surah al-Anʿām: 74)


This verse explicitly identifies Āzar as the father (ab) of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام), not his uncle.

② Evidence from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī​

Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:


"يَلْقَى إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَبَاهُ آزَرَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ..."
“Ibrāhīm will meet his father Āzar on the Day of Judgement…”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3350)


This further reinforces that Āzar was indeed his biological father.

③–⑨ Additional Qur'anic Evidence Supporting This View:​

Multiple verses mention Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام) addressing or speaking about his father:


◈ Surah al-Tawbah (9:114)
◈ Surah al-Mumtaḥanah (60:4)
◈ Surah Maryam (19:42–45)
◈ Surah al-Anbiyāʾ (21:52)
◈ Surah al-Shuʿarāʾ (26:70)
◈ Surah al-Ṣāffāt (37:85)
◈ Surah al-Zukhruf (43:26)

⑩ Supplication for His Father’s Forgiveness​

﴿وَاغفِر لِأَبى إِنَّهُ كانَ مِنَ الضّالّينَ﴾
“And forgive my father; indeed, he has been among those astray.”
(Surah al-Shuʿarāʾ: 86)

⑪–⑭ Repeated Use of “يـاأَبَتِ” in Surah Maryam​

In Surah Maryam (19:42–45), Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام) repeatedly addresses Āzar as:


“يـاأَبَتِ” – “O my father”
This strongly supports the biological relationship and refutes the idea of Āzar being an uncle.

⑮ Evidence from Sunan al-Nasā’ī​

The Prophet ﷺ said:


"إن إبراهيم رأى أباه يوم القيامة عليه الغَبَرَةُ والقَتَرَةُ"
“Indeed, Ibrāhīm will see his father on the Day of Judgement covered in dust and darkness.”
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Nasā’ī: ḥadīth 11375; Tafsīr al-Nasā’ī: ḥadīth 395)

⑯ View of the Tabiʿī Scholar Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Suddī رحمه الله​

He stated:


"اسم أبيه آزر"
“The name of his father was Āzar.”
(Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, Vol. 7, p. 158 — Chain is ḥasan li-dhātih)

View 2: Āzar Was the Uncle of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام)​

Main Argument Cited:​

From Tabiʿī Mujāhid رحمه الله:


"آزر لم يكن بأبيه، ولكنه اسم صنم"
“Āzar was not his father, but the name of an idol.”
(Tafsīr Ibn Abī Ḥātim 4/1325; Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī 7/158)

Critique of This View:​

◈ The narration includes Layth ibn Abī Sulaym, who is considered weak by the majority of ḥadīth scholars.


◈ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله said: “Layth is weak.”
(Fatḥ al-Bārī, Vol. 2, p. 214, ḥadīth 729)


Therefore, the supporting narration is not reliable.

Research Summary​

✔ The Qur’an and authentic ḥadīth clearly confirm that Āzar was the biological father of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام).
✔ Terms like “Abī” and “Yā Abatī” are used exclusively for father, not uncle, in the Arabic language.
✔ The contrary view is based on weak and unsupported narrations.
✔ No authentic scholar has proven that “Āzar” refers to an uncle or to an idol conclusively.

Conclusion:​

Āzar was not the uncle, but the father of Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام).
There is no room for an alternative view in light of clear Qur’anic and Prophetic evidence.


والله أعلم بالصواب
And Allah knows best what is correct.