The People's admission of their gods' incapability, and Ibrahim's preaching
Allah tells us that when Ibrahim said what he said, his people
﴿έσΡσΜσΪυζΗϊ Εφασμ ΓσδέυΣφεφγϊ﴾
(turned to themselves) meaning, they blamed themselves for not taking precautions and protecting their gods. They said:
﴿Εφδψσίυγϊ ΓσδΚυγυ ΗαΩψσάαφγυζδσ﴾
(Verily, you are the wrongdoers) i.e., because you neglected them and did not guard them.
﴿Λυγψσ δυίφΣυζΗϊ Ϊσασμ ΡυΑυζΣφεφγϊ﴾
(Then they turned to themselves) means, they looked at the ground, and said:
﴿ασήσΟϊ ΪσαφγϊΚσ γσΗ εσάΔυαΗΑφ νσδΨφήυζδσ﴾
(Indeed you (Ibrahim) know well that these speak not!) Qatadah said: "The people admitted their guilt and confusion, and said,
﴿ασήσΟϊ ΪσαφγϊΚσ γσΗ εσάΔυαΗΑφ νσδΨφήυζδσ﴾
("Indeed you know well that these speak not!'') `So how can you tell us to ask them, if they cannot speak and you know that they cannot speak' At this point, when they admitted that, Ibrahim said to them:
﴿ΓσέσΚσΪϊΘυΟυζδσ γφδ Ουζδφ Ηααψσεφ γσΗ αΗσ νσδέσΪυίυγϊ ΤσνϊΖΗπ ζσαΗσ νσΦυΡψυίυγϊ﴾
(Do you then worship besides Allah, things that can neither profit you nor harm you) meaning, if they can- not speak and they can neither benefit you nor harm you, then why do you worship them instead of Allah
﴿Γυέψς αψσίυγϊ ζσαφγσΗ ΚσΪϊΘυΟυζδσ γφδ Ουζδφ Ηααψσεφ ΓσέσαΗσ ΚσΪϊήφαυζδσ ﴾
(Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense) `Do you not realize the extent of the mis- guidance and extreme disbelief which you are following, which no one could accept but one who is an igno- rant and evil wrong- doer' He defeated them in argument and left them with no way out. Allah said:
﴿ζσΚφαϊίσ ΝυΜψσΚυδσΒ ΑσΗΚσνϊδσάεσΒ ΕφΘϊΡσεφνγσ Ϊσασμ ήσζϊγφεφ﴾
e(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people) ﴿6:83﴾
﴿ήσΗαυζΗϊ ΝσΡψφήυζευ ζσΗδΥυΡυζΗϊ ΑσΗαφεσΚσίυγϊ Εφδ ίυδΚυγϊ έσάΪφαφνδσ - ήυαϊδσΗ νδσΗΡυ ίυζδφμ ΘσΡϊΟΗπ ζσΣσασάγσΗ Ϊσασμ ΕφΘϊΡσεφνγσ - ζσΓσΡσΗΟυζΗϊ Θφεφ ίσνϊΟΗπ έσΜσΪσαϊδσάευγυ ΗαΗψρΞϊΣσΡφνδσ ﴾
(68. They said: "Burn him and help your gods, if you will be doing.'') (69. We said: "O fire! Be you cool and safety for Ibrahim!'') (70. And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers.)