After transmitting—through Hishām ibn ʿAmmār, from al-Walīd, from Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, from Makḥūl, from Ibn ʿAbbās—the report that Abraham was born in the Ghūṭah plain of Damascus, in a village called Barzah situated on Mount Qāsiyūn, he went on to say:

“The correct view is that he was born in Babylon; the site in Damascus was only linked to him because he prayed there when he came to support Lot—peace be upon them.”

They relate that Abraham married Sarah, while Nāḥor married Milkah, the daughter of Hārān—that is, the daughter of their brother. Sarah, they add, was barren and bore no children.

They further state that Tāriḥ set out with his son Abraham, Abraham’s wife Sarah, and his nephew Lot son of Hārān, departing the land of the Chaldeans for the land of the Canaanites. They stopped in Harran, where Tāriḥ died at the age of two hundred and fifty years. This shows that Abraham’s birthplace was not Harran but rather the land of the Chaldeans—Babylon and the districts around it.

Later they journeyed on toward the land of the Canaanites, the region of Jerusalem. They stayed for a time in Harran, which in those days was reckoned part of Chaldean territory, as were al-Jazīrah and greater Syria. The people there worshipped the seven planets.

The early inhabitants of Damascus followed the same religion: they faced the north celestial pole and venerated the seven planets with various rites and utterances. Hence each of Damascus’s seven gates housed a temple dedicated to one of those planets, and festivals and sacrifices were offered to them.

So too the people of Harran worshipped the planets and idols, and all who lived on earth were disbelievers—save Abraham the Friend, his wife, and his nephew Lot—peace be upon them.

Through the Friend—peace be upon him—God swept away those evils and abolished that misguidance. God granted him sound judgment in his youth, commissioned him as a Messenger, and in his maturity took him as an intimate Friend. The Most High said:

“We had certainly granted Abraham his sound judgment beforehand, for We knew him well.” (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:51)
—that is, he was worthy of it.

He also said:

“When Abraham said to his people, ‘Worship Allah and fear Him; that will be better for you, if only you knew. You worship nothing but idols instead of Allah and you invent falsehoods. Those you worship besides Allah hold no power to provide for you; so seek your provision from Allah, worship Him, and give thanks to Him—for to Him you will return. If you deny me, then many nations before you denied likewise; the Messenger’s duty is only to convey the clear message.

Have they not seen how Allah originates creation, then brings it back again? Truly that is easy for Allah. Say: Travel through the land and observe how He began the creation; then Allah will bring forth the second creation. Indeed, Allah is able to do all things. He punishes whom He wills and shows mercy to whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned. You cannot thwart Him on earth or in the sky; besides Allah you have no protector and no helper. Those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs and the meeting with Him have despaired of My mercy, and for them there is a painful torment.’

The only answer his people gave was, ‘Kill him or burn him!’ but Allah saved him from the fire. Surely in that are signs for people who believe.” (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:16–24)