Friday Notes From The Quran (10/2/2023) - Abraham Was An Iconoclast

 

Non Muslims may find this difficult to follow. But in our multi-religious Malaysian context this may be quite relevant.

iconoclast  /ʌɪˈkɒnəklast/
noun: iconoclast; plural noun: iconoclasts

    1.   a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions
    2.   a destroyer of images used in religious worship

Similar:   critic,  sceptic, questioner, nonconformist, dissident, dissenter, maverick, original

iconoclasm  /ʌɪˈkɒnəklaz(ə)m/
noun: iconoclasm

    1.   the action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices.
    2.   the rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical; the doctrine of iconoclasts.

 

Abraham or Nabi Ibrahim plays a large role in the Quran. Abraham was a contemporary of Noah, Lot and other messengers and nabi who are mentioned in the Quran. 

Among the stories in the Quran is the story of a young Abraham rejecting the beliefs and practises of his people, including  his father. They worshipped idols which Abraham rejected. 

21:51     Before that, we granted Abraham his guidance and understanding, for we were fully aware of him.*
21:52     He said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoting yourselves?"
21:53     They said, "We found our parents worshiping them."
21:54     He said, "Indeed, you and your parents have gone totally astray."
21:55     They said, "Are you telling us the truth, or are you playing?"
21:56     He said, "Your only Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, who created them. This is the testimony to which I bear witness.
21:57     "I swear by Allah, I have a plan to deal with your statues, as soon as you leave."
21:58     So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they       might return to it.
21:59     They said, "Whoever did this to our gods is really a transgressor."
21:60     They said, "We heard a youth threaten them; he is called Abraham."
21:61     They said, "Bring him before the eyes of all the people, that they may bear witness."
21:62     They said, "Did you do this to our gods, O Abraham?"
21:63     He said, "It is that big one who did it. Go ask them, if they can speak."
21:64     They were taken aback, and said to themselves, "Indeed, you are the ones who have been transgressing."
21:65     Yet, they reverted to their old ideas: "You know full well that these cannot speak."
21:66     He said, "Do you then serve beside Allah what possesses no power to benefit you or harm you?
21:67     "You have incurred shame by serving idols beside Allah. Do you not understand?"
21:68     They said, "Burn him and support your gods, if this is what you decide to do."
21:69     We said, "O fire, be cool and safe for Abraham."*
21:70     Thus, they schemed against him, but we made them the losers.
21:71     We saved him, and we saved Lot, to the land that we blessed for all the people.

Note the verse:

21:58     So he made them into fragments (judadan), except a large one among them, that they might return to it.

It needs looking at carefully.

In another verse 11:108, the word judadan is also translated as interrupt, fail, cut off, take away, end, perish, cease. 

This narrative about Abraham is repeated a few times in the Quran with other information added. For example :

37:91     He then turned to their idols, saying, "Would you like to eat?
37:92     "Why do you not speak?"
37:93     He then turned upon them and struck them with his right hand
37:94     They went to him in a great rage.
37:95     He said, "How can you worship what you carve? 

Do note the language in Surah 37:93 above:  He then turned upon them and struck them with his right hand

Faragha alayhim darban bil-yameeni

Faragha - he turned
alayhim - upon them
darban - he struck
bil yameen - with his right hand

The Quran does not say that Abraham 'struck' the idols with a hammer or an axe or something of that sort. Instead the reference is to his right hand (bil yameen). 

In the Quran the phrase 'right hand' often indicates some rights over something, a righteousness, some authority. For example:

37:28     They will say (to their leaders), "You used to come to us from the right hand side (yameen)." 

[39:67] They can never fathom the greatness of Allah. The whole earth is within His fist on the Day of Resurrection. The universes are folded within His right hand. Be He glorified; He is much too high above needing any partners.

[69:19] As for the one who receives his record with his right hand, he will say, "Come read my record.

At that relevant period Abraham was still a youth and he was from the community that worshipped idols. His father was a strong advocate of the idol worship. 

So when Abraham 'struck' the idols he was rebelling against the practises of his own people. It was a rejection from within.  This is exactly the meaning of an iconoclast : "a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions".

Abraham did not cross over to the other village or to the other community to break their idols. That would have been an act of aggression against other people. Abraham was rebelling from inside his own community. 

Located close to Abraham were the people of Lot (qawmi Lut) who were transgressors. The Quran narrates about malaikat who were sent to punish the people of Lut for their transgressions. Along their way the malaikat had stopped by to visit Abraham in his home. When the malaikat told Abraham about their mission he argued with them on behalf of the people of Lot:

11:74     When Abraham's fear subsided, and the good news was delivered to him, he proceeded to argue with us on behalf of Lot's people (yujaadiloona fi qawmi Lut). 

Abraham was clement, merciful.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.