the one who did this to our gods, O Abraham?’ He answered, ‘Rather, it was this great one of theirs who did it,’ (21:62–63), pointing to the sole idol he had spared from destruction. They now stood between two alternatives:
• Either acknowledge the truth—that no sound mind can accept that a lifeless figure, plainly fashioned from known materials, could have performed such a deed;
• Or declare, ‘Yes, it was that idol, and you, Abraham, are free of any blame.’

He knew they would never opt for the latter, so he added, ‘Ask them, if they can speak!’—a challenge that hinged on something they themselves conceded was impossible. At that moment the truth became manifest, and they admitted it: ‘Then they turned upon themselves and said, “It is you who are the wrongdoers.”’ (21:64). Yet their admission of their gods’ falsehood lasted only a brief instant, revealed directly by an irrefutable proof (1); how swiftly their deeply rooted, false convictions—now second nature to them—reasserted themselves. Whenever something contradicts those convictions, it appears only fleetingly before it vanishes. They therefore relapsed and said, ‘You know well that these do not speak!’ (21:65).

Only then, after establishing a proof that even his opponents had acknowledged before the assembled crowd, did Abraham rebuke them: ‘Do you then worship, instead of Allah, that which can neither benefit you at all nor harm you? Fie upon you and upon whatever you worship besides Allah! Will you not reason?’ (21:66–67). Had you sound intellects, you would never persist in worshipping what can neither help nor harm, nor defend itself against anyone who seeks to harm it.

When argument and evidence failed them, they turned to their power, violence, and tyranny to punish Abraham, declaring, ‘Burn him and come to the aid of your gods, if you are going to do anything!’ (21:68).