Ask Them, If They Can Speak

They said: then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may testify. They gathered all of the people, and they wanted to bring Ibrāhīm and put him in court, in front of everyone. So they brought everyone, and they said: are you the one who did this against our gods? He said: no. No, it's not me; it's the big idol who did it. So go and ask him.

That was the point of the lesson. That's the point that Ibrāhīm wants to drive home: go and inquire from your gods; let them tell you what happened. If you believe that your gods can do anything, then maybe the big one did it. If you believe that your gods cannot do anything, then why are you worshipping them? Ibrāhīm said: nay, this one, the biggest of them, did it. Ask them, if they can speak. Ask them, if they can speak. This is the whole point.

Allah (swt) says: fa-rajaʿū ilā anfusihim fa-qālū innakum antum al-ẓālimūn — so they turned to themselves, and said: verily, you are the wrongdoers. Ibrāhīm woke them up. This was a shock to them. So they, for a moment, woke up, and realised their insanity, and their mistake, and their foolishness. So they started to think about their position. But then Shayṭān came in with his influence and his waswasah, so he made them override that thought, and they went back to their ignorance again. They woke up for a while, but then they lost the opportunity.

And they said — Allah (swt) says: thumma nukisū ʿalā ruʾūsihim — then they turned on their heads. Meaning: they were going in the right way; they were starting to think; but then they fell down on their heads, upside down. Thumma nukisū ʿalā ruʾūsihim laqad ʿalimta mā hāʾulāʾi yanṭiqūn: and they said, you know that they cannot speak. They said: you know that they cannot speak.

Ibrāhīm said: qāla a-fa-taʿbudūna min dūni Allāhi mā lā yanfaʿukum shayʾan wa lā yaḍurrukum, uffin lakum wa limā taʿbudūna min dūni Allāh, a-fa-lā taʿqilūn — do you then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither profit you nor harm you? Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense? You have no understanding, no thinking. You're worshipping gods that cannot speak, cannot do you any harm, cannot even defend themselves. How can they defend you, when they're not able to defend themselves? These gods are lying dead on the ground. They can't even help themselves.