Monday 22 June 2009

Smashing Idols!

Prophet Ibrahim Al-Khalil proclaimed,

[أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ]

("Worship you that which you (yourselves) carve'') [37:95]


Allah's Khalil, peace be upon him, broke and disgraced the idols of his people, just as Allah said he did,

[فَرَاغَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضَرْباً بِالْيَمِينِ ]

(Then he turned upon them, striking (them) with (his) right hand,) [37:93] and,

[فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذاً إِلاَّ كَبِيراً لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ ]

(So he broke them to pieces, (all) except the biggest of them, that they might turn to it.) [21:58]



The two Mu'adhs following the example of Prophet Ibrahim & the Conversion of 'Amr to Islam;

Mu`adh bin `Amr ibn Al-Jamuh and Mu`adh bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with both of them, were still young when they embraced Islam after the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Madinah.

So they were attacking the idols of the idolators at night, breaking, disfiguring them and using them as fuel for needy widows. They sought to give a lesson to their people to make them aware of their error. `Amr bin Al-Jamuh, who was one of the chiefs of his people, had an idol that he used to worship and perfume. The two Mu`adhs used to go to that idol, turn it on its head and tarnish it with animal waste. When `Amr bin Al-Jamuh would see what happened to his idol, he would clean it, perfume it and leave a sword next to it, saying, "Defend yourself.'' However, the two young men would repeat their actions, and he would do the same as before. Once, they took the idol, tied it to a dead dog and threw it in a well while tied to a rope! When `Amr bin Al-Jamuh saw this, he knew that his religion was false and said, "By Allah! Had you been a god who has might, you would not end up tied to a dog on a rope!'' `

Amr bin Al-Jamuh embraced Islam, and he was strong in his Islam. He was later martyred during the battle of Uhud, may Allah be pleased with him, give him pleasure. and grant him Paradise as his dwelling.




Surah Al A'raf - tafsir ibn Kathir;
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=7&tid=19369