Surah as-Saffat (Those Lined Up) 37 : 97

Overview (Verses 94 - 98)

With this scene over, the sūrah paints a new one. The people return from their festivities and see their deities destroyed. Here we do not have the details given in Sūrah 21, The Prophets, about their asking as to what had happened and determining who was the perpetrator. Instead, the sūrah moves straight to their confrontation with Abraham.
 
“His people came to him hurriedly.” (Verse 94) The news circulated quickly among them, and they unflinchingly sought to confront him. They were angry, agitated and numerous, while he was alone. Yet he had his faith: he knew its simple details, recognizing its soundness within himself and seeing its evidence in the universe around him. This made him stronger than this agitated, angry multitude with its confused beliefs and stupid concepts. Therefore, he put his argument straight, caring little for their number and anger: “He said: Do you worship something that you yourselves have carved, while it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?” (Verses 95-96)
 
It is the logic of a simple and sound nature putting the case starkly and clearly to others: how come you worship what you carve with your own hands, when worship should be addressed to the Maker, not to what is made: “It is God who has created you and all your handiwork.” (Verse 96) He is the Maker of all, and He is the One to be worshipped.
 
Although Abraham’s argument was clear and logical, in their blind anger, the people did not listen. When did falsehood ever listen to simple truth? Therefore, their leaders retaliated by exercising a crude tyranny: “They said: Build him a pyre and throw him into the blazing fire.” (Verse 97) This is the only logic tyranny knows. It cares little for argument and proof. Tyrants know that they cannot face the word of truth, with its overpowering appeal.
 
The sūrah gives no details of what happened after they issued their orders. It simply shows the outcome with the fulfilment of God’s promise to His true servants and His warnings to the unbelievers: “They schemed to harm him, but We caused them to be humiliated.” (Verse 98) What chance has such scheming when God wants it to be foiled? What can frail and powerless tyrants who cling to power do when God takes care of His true servants?