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﴿24﴾ فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلآَّ أَن قَالُوا اقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرّ‌ِقُوهُ فَاَنجَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لاَيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

24. “ But the answer of his people was only that they said: ‘Kill him, or burn him’. Then Allah saved him from the fire. Verily in this there are signs for a people who believe.”

Commentary:

When a believer overcomes the whole disbelievers, the worst plots are nullified, and fire becomes safe and sound. Each of them is one sign out of the signs of Allah.

Now we may see what this misguided group said in answer to those three clear proofs of Abraham (a.s.) in the field of Monotheism, prophethood, and Resurrection. Certainly they had no logical answer; therefore, like all strong violent persons with no logic, they relied on their satanic power and issued the command of his slaughter, as the Qur’ān says:

It is understand from this meaning that a group of the pagans said that Abraham should be burnt while another group suggested his annihilation by sword or the like. Finally, the first group won since they believed, indeed, that the worst kind of execution was burning by fire.

There is also this probability that at first all of them were thinking upon his execution with ordinary means, but later all of them decided to burn him and use the maximum intensity of action.

Here, there is mentioned no word about the quality of burning Abraham. It is only mentioned at the end of the verse:

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The explanation of burning Abraham (a.s.) in the fire is mentioned in Sura Al-’Anbiā’, No. 21, verses 68-70 which was discussed before.

At the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

Not only one sign but also there are several signs in this event. From one side, the lack of effect of fire on the body of Abraham was a clear miracle. Change of fire into safety was another miracle. Then inability of this great powerful group against a single person, who apparently had no means, was the third miracle. And the lack of effect of this wonderful and extraordinary event of the heart of those cruel persons was also a sing from the Providence. It took the success from those obstinate people so miraculously that the greatest signs do not affect on them.

A tradition indicates that when Abraham was thrown in the middle of the fire, the only thing that was burnt from him was the rope with which Abraham was fastened firmly.[1]

Yes, the fire of ignorance and crime of those mischief-mongers burnt only the means of captivity, and Abraham became free; and this is counted another sign. It may be because of these things that in the story of Noah and his deliverance by the Ark, the Qur’ān says: “… we made it a sign for all peoples.”[2] (In the singular form), and here it says: “Signs” (in the plural form.)

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