Ibrāhīm

وإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبّ‌ِ اجْعَلْ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ ءَامِناً وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الاَصْنَامَ

35. “And (remember) when Abraham said: ‘My Lord, make this city secure and distance me and my children from worshipping the idols’.”

This verse and the following verses exhibit a profile and the content of the prayers of ‘Ibrahim (as) which reflect his burning desire for Allah and his greatness in spirit and, perhaps, this is the reason why this Surah has been named Surah ‘Ibrahim. ‘Ibrahim (as) prayed for Mecca on two occasions: The first instance was when he settled Ishmael and Hajar there and asked Allah to make that city secure.¹ The verse says:

“And (remember) when Abraham said: ‘My Lord, make this city secure…”

The second occasion that he prayed for Mecca was when a multitude of people came to Mecca to settle down there. ‘Ibrahim (as) prayed saying:

“…‘My Lord, make this a secure City…” ²

Question: Are all of the people of the generation of ‘Ibrahim monotheists because of this prayer? Answer: Prayers present one factor and the will of the children provides another factor. Let us not forget the story of Noah’s son. Question: How is it that ‘Ibrahim (a. s.) recalled Mecca as a town while he refers to it in the following verses “as a valley without cultivation?’³ Answer: The state of township of Mecca returns to the time when the tribes arrived in that region, in which case the prayer also relates to that time, or we might say that if a region is aRidand without cultivation, this would not make it incompatible with becoming a township. At the present moment, Mecca is also in a region which is arid in general.

Question: Notwithstanding the fact that Abraham (as) was a champion of monotheism, why is it that he prayed to Allah to distance him from paganism? The verse in this regard continues saying:

“…and distance me and my children from worshipping the idols.”

Answer: The Prophet of Islam (S) also was constantly having his steps in the Straight Path and was heading in the straightforward direction. Nonetheless, he used to say in every prayer:

“Guide us (O’ Lord) on the Straight Path.”

That is, if one is even sure that he is heading in the right direction, he must be scared of the dangers of deviation either and must seek Allah’s assistance. The objective in mind of ‘to make security’ is a law which guarantees the security of Mecca, and not to the matter that Mecca has always been safe and secure throughout its history. For, Mecca has been repeatedly invaded by hostile forces and immense blood has been shed there. The Prophet of Islam (S) and his companions were also tortured there, and Imam Hussayn (as) abandoned the Hajj rituals because of lack of security of Mecca. Nevertheless, the Divine law has designated it as a safe and secure region.

Footnotes

1. 1. The verse under discussion
2. 2. Surah Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 126
3. 3. The current Surah, verse 37