One day his father saw him riding the statue of Mardukh and he became furious. He ordered his son not to play with it again.

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam asked: "What is this statue, father? It has big ears, bigger than ours."

His father answered: "It is Mardukh, the god of gods, son! These big ears show his deep knowledge."

This made Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam laugh, he was only seven years old at that time.

Years passed and Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam grew. Since his childhood his heart had been full of hatred for these idols. He could not understand how a sane person could make a statue and then worship what he had made. He noticed that these idols did nothing at all, they could not even turn themselves right side up if someone turned them upside down. How, then could people believe that such statues could harm or benefit them?

Ibrâhîm's Alahi Wa Salam people had a big temple full of idols, in the middle of which was a niche accommodating the biggest gods which were of different kinds, qualities and shapes. Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam, who used to go to the temple with his father when he was a child, greatly despised all that wood and stone. What surprised him was the way his people behaved when they entered the temple; they bowed and started to cry, begging and imploring their gods for help as if the idols could hear or understand these requests!

At first, such a sight seemed funny to Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam, but later he began to feel angry. Was it not astonishing that all those people could be deceived? What added to the problem was that his father wanted him to be a priest when he was grown. He wanted nothing more from his son that that he revere those statues, yet Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam never stopped displaying his hatred and disdain of them.

One night Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam left his house to go to a mountain. He walked alone in the dark until he chose a cave in the mountain where he sat resting his back against its wall. He looked at the sky. He had hardly seen it when he remembered that he was looking at planets and stars which were worshipped by some people on earth. His young heart was filled with tremendous pain. He considered what was beyond the moon, the stars and the planets (i.e. Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) and was astonished that these celestial bodies were worshipped by men when they had been created to worship and obey their Creator, appearing and disappearing at His command.

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam, addressed his people who worshipped celestial bodies as Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala revealed:

In that debate, Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam clarified to his people that these celestial bodies do not serve as deities and cannot be worshipped as partners with Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. Indeed these bodies are created things, fashioned, controlled, managed and made to serve. They appear sometimes and disappear at others, going out of sight from our world. However, Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala does not lose sight of anything, and nothing can be hidden from Him. He is without end, everlasting without disappearance. There is no other deity but Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam made clear to them, first that the celestial bodies are unworthy of worship and second that they are among the signs of Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.

Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala commanded:

Ibrâhîm's Alahi Wa Salam reasoning helped to reveal the truth, and then the conflict between him and his people began for the worshippers of the stars and planets did not stand mute. They began arguing and threatening Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam.

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam replied:

The curtains are drawn on the first category of the people, those who were worshipping celestial bodies. the next situation reveals the second group, those who were practicing idolatry. Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala gave Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam  the reasoning he needed the first time and every time he argued with his people. Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala declared:

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam did his best to make his people heedful to the belief in the oneness of Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and to the worship of Him alone. He bade them to firmly renounce the worship of idols. He said to his father and his people:

All was finished between Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam and his people and the struggle began. the most amazed and furious was his father (or his uncle who had raised him), for as it is well known, he not only worshipped idols but sculpted and sold them as well. Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam felt that it was his duty as a good son to advise his father against this evil so that he could be saved from Allâh's Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala punishment.

Being a wise son he did not make his father feel foolish, nor did he openly laugh at his conduct. He told him that he loved him, thereby hoping to generate fatherly love. Then he gently asked him why he worshipped lifeless idols who could not hear, see or protect him. before his father could become angry he hastily added:

His father's harsh treatment did not stop Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam from delivering the message of truth. Angry and sad to see people prostate before idols, he was determined to stamp out these practices and went to the town to debate with the people knowing full well that he might suffer harm.

Like a wise doctor searching for the cause of a sickness so as to prescribe the proper cure, or like a judge who questioned the accused sharply so that he mighty detect the truth. Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam asked them: "Do the idols see you when you prostrate before them? Do they benefit you in any way." They quickly tried to defend their beliefs. They argued that they knew the idols were lifeless but that their forefathers had worshipped them; to them this was proof enough for their belief.

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam explained that their forefathers had been wrong. This angered them and they retorted: "Are you condemning our gods and our forefathers? Or are you just joking?"

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam showed no fear as he replied: "I am serious. I come to you with a true religion. I have been sent with guidance from our Lord Who alone is worthy of worship, Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and Who regulates all affairs of life, unlike the dumb idols which are just stone and wood."

To convince them that the idols could not harm him, he challenged: "I have already condemned them; of they had any power they would have harmed me by now!"

Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala recounted:

When the people returned, they were shocked to see their gods smashed to pieces, lying scattered all over the temple. They began to guess who had done that to their idols and Ibrâhîm's Alahi Wa Salam name came to their minds.

Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala said:

Furious, they demanded that Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam be arrested and tried. Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam did not resist. This was precisely what he had been aiming for, so that he could show them up in public for their foolish beliefs.

At the trial they asked him if he was responsible for breaking the idols. Smiling, he told them to ask the biggest idol which was still whole. He told them that he must be the culprit! They replied that he knew well that the idol could not speak or move which gave Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam the chance to prove the foolishness of worshipping these lifeless objects.

They then realized the senselessness of their beliefs; however, their arrogance would not allow them to admit their foolishness. All they could do was to use their power of authority as tyrants usually do to punish Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam. They kept him in chains and planned their revenge.

Anger was burning in their hearts. They decided to throw Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam into the biggest fire they could build. All the citizens were ordered to gather wood as a service to their gods. Ignorant, sick women vowed that if they were cured they would donate so much wood to burn Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam. For several days they collected fuel.

They dug a deep pit, filled it with firewood and ignited it. They brought a catapult with which to cast Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam into the fire. Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam was put on the catapult, his hands and feet were tied. The fire was ready with its flame reaching the sky. The people stood away from the pit because of the great heat. Then the chief priest gave his order to cast Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam into the fire.

The angel Jibrîl came near Ibrâhîm's Alahi Wa Salam head and asked him: "O Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam do you wish for anything?" Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam replied: "Nothing from you."

The catapult was shot and Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam was cast into the fire. But his descent into the blaze was as descent on steps in a cool garden. The flames were still there, but they did not burn for Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala had issued His command:

The fire submitted to the will of Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, becoming cool and safe for Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam. It only burned his bonds, and he sat in the midst of the fire as if he were sitting in a garden. He glorified and praised Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, with a heart that contained only his love for Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. There was not any vacant space therein for fear, awe, or worry. It was filled with love only.

Fear and awe were dead, and the fire was turned into coolness, making the air pleasant. Those who love Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala as Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam do did not fear.

Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala declared:

The throng, the chiefs, and the priests sad watching the fire from a distance. It was burning their faces and nearly suffocating them. It kept burning for such a long time that the disbelievers thought it would never be extinguished. When it did burn out, they were greatly amazed to find Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam coming out of the pit untouched by the fire. Their faces were black from the smoke, but his was bright with the light and grace of Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. The raging fire had become cool for Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam and had only charred the ropes which held him. He walked out of the fire as if he were walking out of a garden. Cries of astonishment were heard from the heathens.

This miracle shamed the tyrants, but it did not cool the flame of anger in their hearts. However after his event many of the people followed Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam, although some kept their belief a secret for fear of harm or death at the hands of the rulers.

Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam had established a definite reasoning against idolaters. Nothing was left for him except to reason against the people who proclaimed themselves gods.

When the king, Namrud, heard of Ibrâhîm's Alahi Wa Salam safe exit from the fire he became very angry. He feared that the status of godhead he had proclaimed for himself was not challenged by an ordinary human being. He summoned Ibrâhîm Alahi Wa Salam to the palace and held a dialogue with him which Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala recounted: