Authored by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha (Hafizahullah)
يَا أَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَانَ ۖ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ عَصِيًّا ﴿٤٤﴾ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا ﴿٤٥
"O my father! Do not worship Satan. Indeed, Satan has always been disobedient to the Most Merciful. O my father! Indeed, I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful may befall you, and you would become a companion of Satan."
(Surah Maryam: 44-45)
The above verses highlight that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) warned his father against idol worship, stating that continuing in such acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and disobedience would align him with Satan. By persisting in idol worship and disobedience to Allah, a person becomes a friend of Satan. Consequently, there would be no other friend, helper, or supporter for him apart from Iblis, who has no authority or control over anything. Only Allah has power over all matters.
The only way to safeguard oneself from Allah’s punishment is through obedience to Him. Therefore, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) urged his father to refrain from obeying Satan by abandoning idol worship, as Satan is the one who encourages such acts and takes pleasure in them.
Response:
Allah Almighty states in the Holy Quran:يَا أَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَانَ ۖ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ عَصِيًّا ﴿٤٤﴾ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا ﴿٤٥
"O my father! Do not worship Satan. Indeed, Satan has always been disobedient to the Most Merciful. O my father! Indeed, I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful may befall you, and you would become a companion of Satan."
(Surah Maryam: 44-45)
The above verses highlight that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) warned his father against idol worship, stating that continuing in such acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and disobedience would align him with Satan. By persisting in idol worship and disobedience to Allah, a person becomes a friend of Satan. Consequently, there would be no other friend, helper, or supporter for him apart from Iblis, who has no authority or control over anything. Only Allah has power over all matters.
The only way to safeguard oneself from Allah’s punishment is through obedience to Him. Therefore, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) urged his father to refrain from obeying Satan by abandoning idol worship, as Satan is the one who encourages such acts and takes pleasure in them.