قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ 63
Translations
He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak."
Transliteration
Qala bal fa'alahu kabiruhum hadha fas'aluhum in kanu yantiqu
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), upon being questioned about breaking the idols, responded that the largest idol itself had done it, sarcastically challenging the people to ask the idols if they could speak. This statement served as a powerful logical argument to expose the absurdity of idol worship—if the idols cannot even defend themselves or communicate, how can they be worthy of worship? Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this was Ibrahim's wise method of guiding his people toward monotheism through reason and evidence rather than direct confrontation.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the story of Prophet Ibrahim confronting his people's idolatry (21:51-67). Ibrahim had secretly destroyed the idols while the people were away, and when they discovered this, they questioned him. The broader surah emphasizes the stories of various prophets and their calls to tawhid (monotheism), making this incident an illustration of Ibrahim's wisdom and courage in combating shirk.
Related Hadiths
While no single hadith directly parallels this ayah's dialogue, Surah Al-Anbya itself references Ibrahim's confrontation with idolatry. The incident is substantiated by the Quranic narrative across multiple surahs (Al-An'am 6:74, Al-Anbya 21:51-67), which serves as the primary textual evidence in Islamic tradition.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to use reason, logic, and intelligent discourse when inviting others to the truth of Islam, demonstrating that faith is not blind but stands on rational foundations. It also reminds us that exposing the irrationality of false beliefs can be more effective than mere condemnation.