The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 442
CH. 26 ASH-SHU'ARĀ' 74. Or do you good or harm you?' 75. "They said, 'Nay, but we found our fathers doing likewise. '2750 76. "He said, 'What think ye of that which you have been worshipping 77. You and your fathers before you. 78. They are all enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds; 2751 PT. 19 أَوْ يَنْفَعُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَضُرُّونَ قَالُوا بَلْ وَجَدْنَا أَبَاءَنَا كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُوْنَ. قَالَ أَفَرَعَيْتُمْ مَّا كُنْتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ اَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمُ الْأَقْدَمُوْنَ فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَلَمِينَ "21:54; 43:24. 21:67; 37:86-87. Abraham gives two sound arguments against idolatry; (1) that the idols do not hear and answer the prayers of their votaries; and (2) that they possess no power to benefit or harm anyone. Of what use is that deity who does not possess these two basic attributes? Islam claims and enjoys this superiority over all other religions that the God Whom it presents to the world is a Living God Who answers the prayers of His servants and speaks to them. It is only in Islam that its righteous followers hear the sweet voice of God. This greatest Divine boon is now denied to the followers of all other faiths. This fact alone constitutes unanswerable evidence of being a living faith and religions being devoid of life. 2750. Commentary: an Islam other The verse refers to a stock argument of the deniers of all enlightened and progressive ideas. They find it convenient to take refuge behind the foolish plea that their forefathers were not less wise and therefore they would not depart from the precedent set by them. The habit of unthinkingly and thoughtlessly sticking to old ideas and practices has proved the spiritual undoing of many a people. 2751. Commentary: In this verse Abraham, quite convincingly, exposes the futility of the idolatrous ideas and practices of his people. He tells them that he is carrying on a vigorous campaign against idols and because of it they must be his enemies. So he challenges them to do their worst against him. In this way Abraham sought to bring home to his people the utter helplessness of their idols and the futility of worshipping them. 2356