The Eternal Echo
The Eternal Echo

Surah Al-Anbya • Ayah 58

Para 17 Surah 21 : 58
فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرًا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ

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فَجَعَلَهُمْ
جُذَٰذًا
إِلَّا
كَبِيرًا
لَّهُمْ
لَعَلَّهُمْ
إِلَيْهِ
يَرْجِعُونَ

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Classical Tafsir: Ibn Kathir en

How Ibrahim broke the IdolsThen Ibrahim swore an oath, which some of his people heard, to plot against their idols, i.e., to break them and destroy them after they had gone away and turned their backs, when they went out to their festival. They had a festival which they would go out to celebrate. Abu Ishaq reported from Abu Al-Ahwas from `Abdullah Ibn Mas`ud, "When the people of Ibrahim went out to celebrate their festival, they passed by him and said, `O Ibrahim, are you not coming out with us' He said, `I am sick.' " It was only the day before that he had said,وَتَاللَّهِ لأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـمَكُمْ بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّواْ مُدْبِرِينَ(And by Allah, I shall plot a plan for your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs.) and some of the people had heard him.فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذاً(So he broke them to pieces,) means, he smashed them all, except for the biggest idol. This is like the Ayah,فَرَاغَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضَرْباً بِالْيَمِينِ(Then he turned upon them, striking (them) with (his) right hand) 37:93.لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ(that they might turn to it. ) It was said that he put a hammer in the hands of the biggest idol so that the people would think that it had become jealous on its own account and objected to these smaller idols being worshipped alongside it, so it had broken them.قَالُواْ مَن فَعَلَ هَـذَا بِـَالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ(They said: "Who has done this to our gods He must indeed be one of the wrongdoers.") When they came back and saw what Ibrahim had done to their idols, humiliating them and lowering their status, proving that they were not divine and that those who worshipped them were fools,قَالُواْ مَن فَعَلَ هَـذَا بِـَالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ(They said: "Who has done this to our gods He must indeed be one of the wrongdoers.") because of this action of his.قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَهِيمُ(They said: "We heard a young man talking against them, who is called Ibrahim.") Those who had heard him swearing to plot against them said, we heard a young man talking about them, and they said that he was called Ibrahim.قَالُواْ فَأْتُواْ بِهِ عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ(They said: "Then bring him before the eyes of the people...") meaning, in front of a large audience so that all the people could be present. This was Ibrahim's ultimate purpose, so that he could tell this great gathering about the extent of their ignorance and how foolish they were to worship idols which could not defend themselves from harm or help themselves, so how could they ask them for helpقَالُواْ ءَأَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ هَـذَا بِـَالِهَتِنَا يإِبْرَهِيمُ قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـذَا(They said: "Are you the one who has done this to our gods, O Ibrahim" He said: "Nay, this one, the biggest of them did it...") referring to the one he had left alone and had not broken.فَاسْـَلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُواْ يِنْطِقُونَ(Ask them, if they can speak!) He was hoping that they would admit of their own volition that these idols could not speak and that this idol would not say anything because it was inanimate. In the Two Sahihs it was recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:«إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لَمْ يَكْذِبْ غَيْرَ ثَلَاثٍ: ثِنْتَيْنِ فِي ذَاتِ اللهِ قَوْلُهُ:(Ibrahim, upon him be peace, did not tell lies except on three occasions, two for the sake of Allah -- when he said:بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـذَا(Nay, this one, the biggest of them did it. ) and when he said:إِنِّى سَقِيمٌ(Verily, I am sick) 37:89.قَالَ: وَبَيْنَا هُوَ يَسِيرُ فِي أَرْضِ جَبَّارٍ مِنَ الْجَبَابِرَةِ وَمَعَهُ سَارَّةُ، إِذْ نَزَلَ مَنْزِلًا فَأَتَى الْجَبَّارَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَدْ نَزَل هَهُنَا رَجُلٌ بِأَرْضِكَ مَعَهُ امْرَأَةٌ أَحْسَنُ النَّاسِ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةُ مِنْكَ؟ قَالَ: هِيَ أُخْتِي. قَالَ: فَاذْهَبْ فَأَرْسِلْ بِهَا إِلَيَّ، فَانْطَلَقَ إِلَى سَارَّةَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا الْجَبَّارَ قَدْ سَأَلَنِي عَنْكِ، فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ أَنَّكِ أُخْتِي، فَلَا تُكَذِّبِينِي عِنْدَهُ، فَإِنَّكِ أُخْتِي فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْلِمٌ غَيْرِي وَغَيْرُكِ، فَانْطَلَقَ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي، فَلَمَّا أَنْ دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَرَآهَا أَهْوَى إِلَيْهَا فَتَنَاوَلَهَا فَأُخِذَ أَخْذًا شَدِيدًا، فَقَالَ: ادْعِي اللهَ لِي وَلَا أَضُرُّكِ، فَدَعَتْ لَهُ، فَأُرْسِلَ فَأَهْوَى إِلَيْهَا، فَتَنَاوَلَهَا فَأُخِذَ بِمِثْلِهَا أَوْ أَشَدَّ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ الثَّالِثَةَ، فَأُخِذَ فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَ الْمَرَّتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، فَقَالَ: ادْعِي اللهَ فَلَا أُضُرَّكِ، فَدَعَتْ لَهُ فَأُرْسِلَ، ثُمَّ دَعَا أَدْنَى حُجَّابِهِ فَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي بِإِنْسَانٍ، وَلَكِنَّكَ أَتَيْتَنِي بِشَيْطَانٍ، أَخْرِجْهَا وَأَعْطِهَا هَاجَرَ. فَأُخْرِجَتْ وَأُعْطِيَتْ هَاجَرَ، فَأَقْبَلَتْ، فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بِمَجِيئِهَا، انْفَتَلَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ، وَقَالَ: مَهْيَمْ. قَالَتْ: كَفَى اللهُ كَيْدَ الْكَافِرِ الْفَاجِرِ، وَأَخْدَمَنِي هَاجَر». (and when he was traveling in the land of one of the tyrants, and Sarah was with him; when he made camp, a man came to the tyrant and said, "A man has made camp in your land and with him is a woman who is the most beautiful of people." The tyrant sent for Ibrahim, and asked him, "What is the relationship of this woman to you" He said, "She is my sister." The tyrant said, "Go and send her to me." So Ibrahim went to Sarah and said, "This tyrant asked me about you, and I told him that you are my sister, so do not let him think that I am lying. For you are indeed my sister according to the Book of Allah, and there are no Muslims on the earth apart from you and I." So Ibrahim brought her to him, then he stood and prayed. When she entered upon the tyrant, he reached for her desirously once he saw her. But he suffered a severe seizure. So he said, "Pray to Allah for me and I will not harm you." So she prayed for him and it released him. Then he reached for her desirously, but he was stricken similarly before or worse. This continued three times, and each time he said the same as he had said the first time. Then he called the closest of his guards and said, "You have not brought me a human being, you have brought me a devil! Take her out and give her Hajar. So she was taken out and given Hajar, and she went back. When Ibrahim realized that she had come back, he finished his prayer and turned around. He said, "What happened" She said, "Allah took care of the evil disbeliever's plot, and he gave me Hajar as a servant.") Muhammad bin Sirin said, "When Abu Hurayrah narrated this Hadith, he said, `This is your mother, O sons of the water of the heaven.' "

Classical Tafsir: Ibn Kathir Urdu ur

کفر سے بیزاری طبیعت میں اضمحلال پیدا کرتی ہے ٭٭اوپر ذکر گزرا کہ خلیل اللہ علیہ السلام نے اپنی قوم کو بت پرستی سے روکا، اور جذبہ توحید میں آکر آپ علیہ السلام نے قسم کھا لی کہ میں تمہارے ان بتوں کا ضرور کچھ نہ کچھ علاج کرونگا۔ اسے بھی قوم کے بعض افراد نے سن لیا۔ ان کی عید کا دن جو مقرر تھا، خلیل اللہ علیہ السلام نے فرمایا کہ ”جب تم اپنی رسوم عید ادا کرنے کے لیے باہر جاؤ گے، میں تمہارے بتوں کو ٹھیک کر دوں گا۔‏“ عید کے ایک آدھ دن پیشتر آپ علیہ السلام کے والد نے آپ علیہ السلام سے کہا کہ پیارے بیٹے تم ہمارے ساتھ ہماری عید میں چلو تاکہ تمہیں ہمارے دین کی اچھائی اور رونق معلوم ہو جائے۔صفحہ نمبر5445چنانچہ یہ آپ علیہ السلام کو لے چلا، کچھ دور جانے کے بعد ابراہیم علیہ الصلوۃ والتسلیم گر پڑے اور فرمانے لگے، ابا میں بیمار ہو گیا۔ باپ آپ علیہ السلام کو چھوڑ کرمراسم کفر بجا لانے کے لیے آگے بڑھ گئے اور جو لوگ راستے سے گزرتے، آپ علیہ السلام سے پوچھتے، کیا بات ہے راستے پر کیسے بیٹھے ہو؟ جواب دیتے کہ میں بیمار ہوں۔ جب عام لوگ نکل گئے اور بڈھے بڑے لوگ رہ گئے تو آپ علیہ السلام نے فرمایا، ”تم سب کے چلے جانے کے بعد آج میں تمہارے معبودوں کی مرمت کر دوں گا۔‏“ آپ علیہ السلام نے جو فرمایا کہ میں بیمار ہوں تو واقعی آپ علیہ السلام اس دن کے اگلے دن قدرے علیل بھی تھے۔ جب کہ وہ لوگ چلے گئے تو میدان خالی پا کر آپ علیہ السلام نے اپنا ارادہ پورا کیا اور بڑے بت کو چھوڑ کر تمام بتوں کا چورا کر دیا۔ جیسے اور آیتوں میں اس کا تفصیلی بیان موجود ہے کہ «فَرَاغَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضَرْبًا بِالْيَمِينِ» [37-الصفات:93] ‏ ” اپنے ہاتھ سے ان بتوں کے ٹکڑے ٹکڑے کر دئیے “۔ اس بڑے بت کے باقی رکھنے میں حکمت ومصلحت یہ تھی کہ اولاً ان لوگوں کے ذہن میں خیال آئے کہ شاید اس بڑے بت نے ان چھوٹے بتوں کو غارت کر دیا ہوگا؟ کیونکہ اسے غیرت معلوم ہوئی ہوگی کہ مجھ بڑے کے ہوتے ہوئے یہ چھوٹے خدائی کے لائق کیسے ہوگئے؟ چنانچہ اس خیال کی پختگی ان کے ذہنوں میں قائم کرنے کے لیے آپ علیہ السلام نے کلہاڑا بھی اس کی گردن پر رکھ دیا تھا، جیسے کہ مروی ہے۔ جب یہ مشرکین اپنے میلے سے واپس آئے تو دیکھا کہ ان کے سارے معبود منہ کے بل اوندھے گرے ہوئے ہیں، اور اپنی حالت سے وہ بتا رہے ہیں کہ وہ محض بے جان، بے نفع و نقصان، ذلیل و حقیر چیز ہیں۔ اور گویا اپنی اس حالت سے اپنے پجاریوں کی بے وقوفی پر وہ مہر لگا رہے تھے۔ لیکن ان بے وقوفوں پر الٹا اثر ہوا کہنے لگے، یہ کون ظالم شخص تھا جس نے ہمارے معبودوں کی ایسی اہانت کی؟ اس وقت جن لوگوں نے ابراہیم علیہ السلام کا وہ کلام سنا تھا، انہیں خیال آ گیا اور کہنے لگے، وہ نوجوان جس کا نام ابراہیم (‏علیہ السلام) ہے اسے ہم نے اپنے معبودوں کی مذمت کرتے ہوئے سنا ہے۔ سیدنا ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنہما اس آیت کو پڑھتے اور فرماتے، جو نبی آیا جوان۔ جو عالم بنا جوان۔ [ضعیف] ‏ شان الٰہی دیکھئیے جو مقصد خلیل اللہ علیہ صلوات اللہ کا تھا، وہ اب پورا ہو رہا ہے۔صفحہ نمبر5446

Classical Tafsir: Bayan-ul-Quran ur

آیت 58 فَجَعَلَہُمْ جُذَاذًا اِلَّا کَبِیْرًا لَّہُمْ لَعَلَّہُمْ اِلَیْہِ یَرْجِعُوْنَ ”آپ علیہ السلام نے سب سے بڑے ُ بت کو چھوڑ کر باقی تمام بتوں کو تہس نہس کر کے رکھ دیا۔ اس کے بعد آپ علیہ السلام نے اپنا تیشہ بھی اس بڑے بت کے کندھے پر رکھ دیا تاکہ وہ آکر دیکھیں تو سب سے بڑا بت صحیح سالم کھڑا ہو ‘ باقی سب کے سب تیشے کا شکار ہوئے پڑے ہوں ‘ آلۂ واردات بھی اسی بڑے کے پاس سے برآمد ہو اور یوں واقعاتی شہادت circumstancial evidence کی حد تک اس کے خلاف اتمام حجت بھی ہوجائے۔ چناچہ انہوں نے واپس آکر اپنے بتوں کا حال دیکھا تو :

Classical Tafsir: Ma'arif al-Qur'an en

فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذًا (21:58) The word جُذَاذً is the plural for جُذَ. which means fragment or piece. Thus its meaning is that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) broke the idols into small pieces.إِلَّا كَبِيرً‌ا لَّهُمْ (Save the big one of them - 21:58) That is, only the biggest idol was left intact and all the rest were broken. It is possible that the one which was left unbroken was either bigger in size or higher in esteem with the unbelievers.لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْ‌جِعُونَ (So that they may come back to him - 21:58) There can be three explanations to this expression. One, if the object of إِلَيْهِ (to him) is Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) then the meaning would be that he himself wanted the unbelievers to ask him why he had broken the idols which would give him a chance to sneer at them that what they worshipped could not even look after themselves. The second meaning of إِلَيْهِ يَرْ‌جِعُونَ could be that he destroyed the idols in the hope that when the unbelievers saw them in pieces it might convince them of the futility of idol-worship and cause their return toward the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . The third explanation is given by Kalbi. He says that the object of إِلَيْهِ is کَبِیر (the big). In that case the explanation would be that when the unbelievers, on their return saw the idols in pieces except the big one, who had a hammer resting on his shoulder, they might turn towards it for an explanation and getting no response from it they would see for themselves the helplessness of the idol.

Seerat Event: Destruction of Idols at the Kaaba 8 AH (20 Ramadan) AH / 630 CE

Upon entering the Kaaba, the Prophet (ﷺ) struck the 360 idols with his staff, reciting the verse: "Truth has come and falsehood has perished; indeed falsehood is bound to perish" (17:81). All idols were destroyed. Bilal called the adhan from atop the Kaaba. Ali ibn Abi Talib stood on the Prophet's shoulders to remove idols from the roof. The Kaaba was purified and returned to Abrahamic monotheism after centuries of idolatry.

📍 Location: Al-Masjid al-Haram, Makkah
🏷️ Category: worship
📚 Source: Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar) Chapter: The Conquest of Makkah
Seerat Event: Prophet Circles the Kaaba and Destroys the Idols 8 AH (20 Ramadan) AH / 630 CE

After entering Makkah, the Prophet performed tawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba on his camel. He pointed at each of the 360 idols around the Kaaba with his stick saying "Truth has come and falsehood has perished" (17:81). Each idol fell on its face. He then entered the Kaaba, found pictures of Ibrahim and Maryam, and ordered them washed away.

📍 Location: Makkah — Masjid al-Haram
🏷️ Category: worship
📚 Source: Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar) Chapter: Destruction of Idols
Historical Context: Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) Destroys Idols in Babylon c. 2000 BCE (estimated)

The Quran describes Ibrahim (Abraham) as a great monotheist who challenged the idol worship of his people in ancient Mesopotamia (the city associated with Nimrod/Babylon). He destroyed the idols in the temple and was subsequently thrown into a fire by Nimrod's command. Allah made the fire cool and safe. Ibrahim later migrated to Canaan and then to the Hijaz, where he built the Kaaba with his son Ismail.

🏛️ Civilization: Ancient Mesopotamia / Babylonian period
📍 Region: Mesopotamia (Babylon/Ur region) and Canaan
Historical Context: Ibrahim Destroys the Idols — Confronting Shirk in Babylon c. 2000–1800 BCE

When his people left for a festival, Ibrahim smashed all the idols in the temple except the largest, placing the axe on it. On return, the people demanded he explain. Ibrahim pointed to the chief idol, exposing the absurdity of worshipping objects that cannot speak or act. This rational argument against polytheism is preserved in Quran 21:57-67 and remains one of the most powerful logical refutations of idol-worship.

🏛️ Civilization: Babylonian / Sumerian
📍 Region: Ur / Babylon, Mesopotamia
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