Historical Statements of the Koran [pp. 195-230]

204 Historical Statements of the Koran.
renounced the worship of images, he was in doubt, to what
object he should pay his adorations. He first pitched upon
the sun and moon, but afterwards reflected that their setting
every day rendered them unworthy of divine honours. He
came at last to the conclusion, therefore, that he would worship God alone.* Having formed this resolution, he remonstrated with his father on the folly of idolatry. Ezer, however, as Mohammed calls him, rebuked his son severely and
threatened him with death.t Even this, it seems, did not
deter the young reformer from playing a bold and witty trick
upon his pagan friends. Absenting himself from one of their
festivals, "he went into the temple where the idols stood, and
he brake them all in pieces except the biggest of them, that
they might lay the blame upon that. And when they were
returned and saw the havoc which had been made, they said
who hath done this to our gods? He is certainly an impious
person. And certain of them answered, We heard a young
man speak reproachfully of them: he is named Abraham.
They said bring him therefore before the eyes of the people,
that they may bear witness against him. And when he was
brought before the assembly, they said to him, hast thou done
this unto our gods, oh Abraham? He answered, nay, but
that biggest one of them hath done it; ask them if they can
speak. And they came to themselves, and said one to the
other, verily ye are the impious persons. Afterwards they
turned down upon their heads (i. e. relapsed) and said, verily
thou knowest that these cannot speak. Abraham said, do ye
therefore worship besides (or instead of) God that which cannot profit you at all, neither can it hurt you! Fie on you and
upon that which ye worship besides God! Do ye not understand? They said, Burn him and avenge your Gods. (And
when Abraham was cast into the burning pileS) we said, oh
fire be thou cold, and a preservation unto Abraham. And they
sought to lay a plot against him, but we caused them to be the
sufferers."~ After this miraculous preservation, he boldly
inveighed against idolatry in public, but without effect. Lot
alone believed, in company with whom Abraham forsook his
native country "to go to the place which the Lord had commanded him."Il
* vi. 74-79. t xix. 46.
These nine words are interpolated by Sale.
~ xxi. 58-69. (Sale, vol. ii. p. 158. Lond. 1801.)
II xxix. 26.