—for people who believe.
He went on: “You have taken for yourselves, apart from Allah, mere idols—a bond of affection among you in the life of this world—but on the Day of Resurrection you will disown one another and curse one another. Your refuge will be the Fire, and you will have no helpers.
So Lot believed in him and said, ‘I am migrating to my Lord; surely He alone is the Mighty, the Wise.’
We granted him Isaac and Jacob, placed within his descendants prophethood and the Scripture, bestowed on him his reward in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall most certainly be among the righteous.” (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:24-27)
Allah, Exalted is He, then mentioned his debate with his father and his people, as we shall relate, if Allah wills. The very first person he called was his own father, who worshipped idols—his father had the greatest claim on his sincere advice. The Most High said:
“Recall in the Book Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth, a prophet. When he said to his father, ‘My father! Why do you worship that which neither hears nor sees and can benefit you in no way? My father, knowledge has come to me that has not come to you; so follow me and I will guide you to a straight path. My father, do not worship Satan; truly Satan has ever been rebellious against the All-Merciful. My father, I fear that a punishment from the All-Merciful may touch you, and then you would become a companion of Satan.’
He replied, ‘Do you reject my gods, O Abraham? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you—so keep away from me for a long time.’
Abraham said, ‘Peace be upon you. I shall ask my Lord to forgive you—indeed, He has always been gracious to me. And I will withdraw from you and from whatever you invoke besides Allah, and I will call upon my Lord; perhaps in calling upon my Lord I will not be unfortunate.’” (Maryam 19:41-48)
Thus the Most High set forth the exchange between him and his father: how he invited his father to the truth with the gentlest words and the finest indications, showing him the futility of the idolatry he practiced—objects that cannot hear the supplication of their worshippers nor see where they are. How, then, could they benefit them, whether by providing sustenance or granting victory?
He then drew attention to the guidance and beneficial knowledge Allah had granted him, even though he was younger in years than his father: “My father, knowledge has come to me that has not come to you; so follow me and I will guide you to a straight path” (Maryam 19:43)—a path that is upright, clear, easy, and inclined to pure monotheism, leading to good in both this world and the next.
When he offered this sound counsel, his father refused to accept it; instead he threatened him, saying, “Do you reject my gods, O Abraham? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you” (Maryam 19:46)—whether by words, as some said, or by deeds, as others held—and added, “So keep away from me for a long time,” meaning: sever relations with me and prolong your boycott.
At that Abraham replied, “Peace be upon you,” that is, no harm will reach you from me; you are safe from any injury on my part. He even added kindness, saying, “I shall ask my Lord to forgive you; indeed, He has always been gracious to me” (Maryam 19:47). Ibn ʿAbbās and others explained “gracious” as “kind,” meaning that He guided me to worship Him and devote myself sincerely to Him. Hence he also said, “And I will withdraw from you and from whatever you invoke besides Allah, and I shall call upon my Lord; perhaps I will not be unfortunate in calling upon my Lord” (Maryam 19:48).
Abraham—peace be upon him—did seek forgiveness for his father, as he had promised in his prayers; but once it became clear to him that his father was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him, as the Most High said: “Abraham’s seeking forgiveness for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he disowned him. Indeed, Abraham was compassionate, forbearing.” (al-Tawbah 9:114)