Voices of Change in Surah as-Saffat

I wanted to write something about Eid ul-Adha, and I chose the story of al-adha (the sacrifice) itself, from Surah as-Saffat. The story in this Surah covers several events in Prophet Ibrahim’s life, starting from his earlier years. But a conversation I had yesterday got me thinking about the first part of the story, rather than the sacrifice itself, and, once again, I found myself writing about something I hadn't planned. 

The story of Ibrahim in this Surah begins with the statement: “And, verily, among those who followed his [Nuh's (Noah)] way (Islamic Monotheism) was Ibrahim (Abraham)./ When he came to his Lord with a pure heart” (37:83-84).

Prophet Ibrahim is described as one who possesses a “salim” heart, meaning that it “knows that Allah is true and that the Hour will undoubtedly come to pass, and that Allah will resurrect those who are in the graves” [1], the basic tenets of belief in God. However, he isn't just described as possessing such a heart; there is movement in the verse: he came to his Lord. This description reveals the active nature of Ibrahim's faith, that he did not only have this heart, but also worked for his beliefs. The verses that follow show how he was not only a believer, but one that worked for his faith.

The next verse clarifies that he worked, performed da’wa to try to get his people to realize that there was One more worthy of worship: “he said to his father and to his people: ‘What is it that which you worship?/ Is it a falsehood aliha (gods) other than Allah that you seek?/ Then what do you think about the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists)?’” (37: 85-87).

This section reveals the process of discussion, of warning, and logical discussion. This dialogue represents the stage of attempting to speak to the opposing side through logical reasoning and evidence. It can be assumed that this was not a one-time occurrence, that it is something he repeated continuously, as is evident from several other descriptions of Prophet Ibrahim and other prophets in the Quran. Also, the structure of the conversation, the brevity of the argument, and the tone make the conversation seem like one that is continuing from a previous iteration, even being repeated. He does not go into detail about their belief in other gods or explain what he means by his own perspective, which may mean he has said this before and is trying again. Such an argument cannot be just stated once and a person cannot give up hope immediately.

Following this, he “cast a glance at the stars (to deceive them)” (37:88). A glance towards the stars among the Arabs is the mark of “one who thinks deeply” [1]. Indeed, looking at the stars seems to be part of a plan as “he looked at the heavens thinking of a way to distract his people” [1]. After this, he pretends to be sick so that they leave to “go out to celebrate a festival of theirs, and he wanted to be alone with their gods so that he could break them, so he told them something that was true, for he was indeed sick of the implications of what they believed in” [1].

And this is what he does: Ibrahim secretly approaches the idols, first asking them if they would not eat the sacrifices that had been presented them and then challenging them to speak. Eventually, he breaks them with his right hand, leaving only the biggest of them. When his people return, “they (the worshippers of idols) came, towards him, hastening./ He said: "Worship you that which you (yourselves) carve?/ ‘While Allah has created you and what you make!’"(94-96).

Ibrahim has captured their attention, and while he has it, he presents them with his argument again. His logic is not shown in detail here, but clarified in Surah Al-Anbiyah, in which it is shown that he tells them that it is the biggest of the idols that destroyed the rest, revealing to them their own folly when they argue that it is not possible for the idol to have destroyed the rest. The destruction of the idols was not a rash reaction, and it was not a first resort but closer to a last resort, as the Quran makes clear that Ibrahim tried to talk to his people first.

Finding a Voice and Making It Heard

Prophet Ibrahim wanted to make a change but knew his voice was not strong enough to effect that change or be heard in the first place, and the Surah clarifies that he did attempt to speak before moving to more drastic measures. He was not in a position of power; indeed, his arguments were seen as heretical and obstructive. He was, therefore, not speaking from a position of truth in the eyes of his people, who refused to listen to let alone entertain any of his ideas. To be heard, he needed to capture the attention of his "audience" by doing something outrageous enough but still completely within the purpose of his argument to capture their attention. He needed to capture their attention in a way that would both shock and push them to think.

I find a lesson in this for myself (and from there all peoplewho want to effect change in general). I find myself speaking -- a lot. Writing, too. But I'm on the weaker side, the side about which the dominant narrative speaks and the side it silences. Honestly, the arguments and efforts have become so much stronger, and this problem might just end up being a personal one. The problem with a lot of the dialogue that surrounds me, though, is that it is shaped and presented as though it comes from a position of power, claiming truth and right to an audience that disagrees. As difficult as it is, we need to see that people don't agree with us. Not only are we not addressing people who agree with us, but we are not heard or even considered as having a valid opinion in the first place.

And this is where the lesson lies in Prophet Ibrahim's story. He knew he would not be heard to even begin to get his point across, logical or not, so he made himself heard. The lesson isn't in what he did exactly: that's adaptable to the audience, context, and purpose. He knew what they cared about and how they would react, so he chose the most shocking thing he could do. And that's how we can be heard: by making ourselves present. And that's, really, what's been happening. A lot of people have been working on presence, on their voices. But there's still a lot of the elevated attitude. The trick isn't to believe that I'm any less or any less right than I think I am, but to accept that I am not that person to the rest of the world.

At the same time, I shouldn't be passive, shouldn't mumble my objections and points of view. Assertion and confidence are key here. While I know I need to make myself heard and that my position is one that is generally unaccepted, I also need to know that, voiced or voiceless, heard or not, asserting my opinion keeps it alive, keeps it there, regardless of who hears it. If I just allow myself to mumble, to object silently because of fear or discomfort, then not only will I not have a voice, but my opinion itself will cease to exist in the conversation. 

Ibrahim shattering the idols of his people also stands as a symbol of shattering preconceived notions, as the action itself allows him to break their logic as well as his invisibility. His actions show us the importance of shattering preconceived notions before instilling new ones, a cornerstone of argumentation. 

In the end, they don't listen to him, and that's the ultimate lesson here that more than anything else I find difficult to digest: not everyone will listen. Worse yet, sometimes,maybe more often than not, most people won't listen. That should be fine -- a few verses later, Allah reminds us of our real goal, our real purpose, which isn't to serve people or even get our rewards and results here; that comes from Allah, as the verse reads: "Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinun (good-doers)" (110). 

References:
[1] Ibn Kathir, Alama Imad ud Din. "Surah Al Saffat". Quran Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English). Quran4u. <http://www,quran4u.com> 
[2] Quran English Translation source: http://www.noblequran.com/translation/