Prophet Ibrahim (a)
Many years ago a boy
called Ibrahim lived
in Canaan.
he was very clever and was always asking questions.
Most of the people he knew
worshipped idols but
Ibrahim did not.
The people had
forgotten the messages
that Adam, Hud, Nuh
and Salih had
brought them.
Instead of praising
Allah they worshipped
statues.
Ibrahim told his father
he didn't think people should
worship objects they had
made themselves. His father
was angry and told him
not to say anything about
the gods again.
Ibrahim decided he must
show the people they were
wrong so he thought of a
plan.
One night he sneaked into
the place where all
the statues were
kept. With an axe
he chopped off the
heads from all but
one of the statues.
The biggest one
he left.
The next morning the
people were very angry
and upset at what had
happened. They were
sure Ibrahim had done it.
They gathered in the
public square and asked
him if he had done it.
Ibrahim told them to ask
their big idol if he
knew who was responsible.
But, of course, the statue
could not speak and the
people knew it was only
stone. Ibrahim shouted at
them and asked how
they could worship lumps
of stone. The bad people were
even more angry.
They started to collect wood
for a fire. They were
going to burn Ibrahim
to death.
They made a big bonfire
and put Ibrahim on the top.
Everyone came to watch. They
lit the wood. The fire burned,
the flames grew higher and
higher. The people had to
back away from the heat
of the flames.
Ibrahim was a good
person. He believed in Allah.
Allah would protect him.
Allah would not let the
fire harm him. When the
flames dies down the people
could not believe their eyes.
They saw that Ibrahim
was alive and the flames
had not harmed him at all.
How had this happened?
They all knew this was a
great miracle and they
fell to their knees.
This wonderful thing had
made them believe in Allah.
Some people would still not
listen. They thought
Ibrahim was just a magician
Nimrod, the king of Canaan,
heard all about Ibrahim.
He wanted to talk to him.
He asked Ibrahim about Allah.
Ibrahim told him that
Allah could do all things.
He could give life and death.
Nimrod said that he too
could do that.
His soldiers brought
two men in. Nimrod
ordered one to be
killed and the
other to be saved.
Nimrod thought that
this made him like Allah.
Ibrahim told him that
Allah brings the sun
every morning from the
East.
He asked Nimrod if
he could bring the sun
from the west next
day, of course, Nimrod
was unable to do that.