When he was appointed by ALlah to eliminate the evils of the time, his first call was to his father, who worshipped idols.
Allah said in the Quran: "And mention in the Book Abraham, surely he was a man of truth, a prophet. When he said to his father:O my father! why do you worship that which can neither see or hear, nor can avail you anything? o my father! I have recieved such knowledge as has not come to you, so follow me and I will guide you to the Straight Path. O my Father! I fear a lest chastisement aflict you from Allah, the Most Gracious, and so you become a companion of Satan"
"The Father replied: Are you turning from my Gods, O Abraham? Surely, if you do not relent, I shall stone you, and now leave me alone for a good long time. Abraham said: Peace be upon you I will pray to my Lord to forgive you ;indeed he is to me the Most Gracious. And I am leaving you and those whom you invoke besides Allah, I will invoke my Lord, that I may be blessed in my invocation. (Al Ankabut 29:24,25) and (Al Ankabut 29:26,27).
This was the argument between Abraham and his Father.
Every year, the polythesists held a festival outside their town. Abraham's Father asked him to attend the festival but He refused, saying he was sick-"And then he cast a glance at the stars; and said: I am sick.(37:88,89).
So then Abraham found himself alone in their village; "he turned to their gods." (37:91).One by one he smashed them with an axe saying: "why do you not respond?". But he left their biggest God so that the polythesists might see it.
When they returned from their festival they discovered what had happened to their gods. They said: "Who has done this to our gods?" (21:59). Some people pointed out that they heard Abraham speaking about them, so they went to them.
When they brought Abraham they asked him: "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?" He said: "It was the biggest of them that did it. So ask them if they are able to speak."(21:62,63).
Then they started to blame themselves because, they left their gods alone, unprotected.
They turned towards Abraham and said: "Surely you know that they do not speak."(21:65). You know better Abraham.So this is when Abraham said:"Do you then worship other than Allah something that canneither benefit you nor harm you? Fie upon you and what you worship other than Allah, do you have no sense?" (21:66,67).
Then it was ordered that they cast Abraham in fire. When the fire was brought Abraham was placed, but miraculously the fire turned cold and did not burn him.
When Ishmael was born, it was commanded by Allah to Abraham that he should leave both his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael in Bakkah(Makkah). In that time Makkah was not inhabited by anyone, nor did it have any water.
Abraham left the two with a few dates and a little water. When all the water was used up the two began to get very thirsty.When the thirst was at its extreme, Hagar saw Mount Safa was the nearest mountain from to her climb and look for help. She stood on it and looked around and could not see anyone.Then she came down from Safa and saw another mountain called Marwah she ran towards it and climbed it and looked for help. She repeated this act seven times.
This is the source of walking seven times back and forth during the Sa'i in either Hajj and Umrah.
When she reached Marwah she saw or heard someone beside little Ishmael. She ran towards him and suddenly she saw an angel digging at the place of Zam Zam with his heel (some say wing) 'till the water flowed from its place. She started to make a little reservoir around the water.
Ibn Abbas (r.a.a.) narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.) sais: "May Allah bestow His mercy upon the mother of Ishmael. Had she let the Zamzam flow, it would been a flowing stream." He said: She drank from it and then suckled her child. The angel said to her: "Do not be afraid of being lost. The House of Allah is here, which this child and his father will build. Allah certainly does not neglect His people.
A tribe from Jurhum passed them and some of them saw the water. And with the permission of Hagar decided to camp there.
Allah says: "And when we assigned to Abraham the place of the House: Do not associate with Me anything, and purify My House for those who circumanbulate it, who stand to pray, and who bow and prostrate themselves. And proclaim the pilgrimage among people, and they shall come to you oon foot, and on every lean camel through deep and distant mountaing highways."(14:35-41).
In the the Quran Allah has mentioned that it was Abraham, the father of Prophets and the leader of all those who worship One God, who built the Ancient House in Makkah, which is the first mosque to be built for Mankind, so people could worship Allah Alone.
Allah asked Abraham to build the House and guided him towards it. This place was appointed for this purpose from the very day when the Heavens and the Earth were created.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "This city has been made sacred by Allah the Day he created the Heavens and the Earth, and it will remain so 'till the Day of Judgement.
He was born in Sus. It is also suggested that he was born in Babylon, or according to another in Sawad in Iraq.
After Abraham had his last son,Shaoh, he began to get sick, and he died after he lived for one hundred and seventy-five years. He was buried near his wife Sarah in the field of Ephron in Hebron. His grave and the grave of Isaac and Jacob are in the square which was built by Solomon in Hebron, now better known as the City of Khalil. However the exact place of his Grave is not known in this square. Therefore, the square should be respected by everyone.
