Astronomer for Nimrod...

558. Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr, from Hisham Bin salim, from Abu Ayyub Al-Khazzaz, from Abu Baseer, who has said the following: Abu Abdullah (asws) having said that: ‘Azar, the father of Ibrahim (as) was an astrologer for Nimrod (la) and he (la) never passed a law except after seeking his advice. So he looked at the stars one night, and in the morning he said to Nimrod (la), ‘I have seen something strange’. He (la) said, ‘And what is it?’ He said, ‘I saw a newborn being born in our land. Our destruction will be by his (as) hands. It will not be long after him (as) being conceived’. So he (la) was astounded by that and said, ‘Has the woman fallen pregnant with him (as) yet?’ He said, ‘Not yet’. So he (la) separated the women from the men. He (la) did not leave a single woman except that he (la) made her to be in the city, with no man being allowed to be alone with her. Azar copulated with his wife and Ibrahim (as) was conceived. He thought that he (as) might be the one. So he sent for the women from the midwives of that time, that if there is anything in her womb they should notify him. They examined her. So Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Made what was in her womb to be transferred to the back. So they said, ‘We did not see anything in her tummy’. And what was in his knowledge was that he (as) would be burnt by the fire, and did not know that Allah (azwj) the High would be Rescuing him (as)’. He (asws) said: ‘So when the mother of Ibrahim (as) gave birth to him (as), Azar wanted to go with him (as) to Nimrod (la) to be killed. So his wife said to him, ‘Do not go with your son (as) to Nimrod (la) for he (la) will kill him (as). I shall go with him (as) to one of the caves and leave him (as) there until his (as) death comes to him (as), and you will not become the one to have killed your own son’. So he said to her, ‘Take him (as)’. So she went with him (as) to a cave, then placed him (as) in it, and placed a rock to block the entrance of the cave. Then she left him (as). He (asws) said: ‘Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Made his (as) sustenance to be in his (as) thumb. He (as) would suck it and milk would flow from it. He (as) grew in a day like others grow in a week, and grew in a week like others grow in a month, and grew in a month like others grow in a year. So that situation remained for as long as Allah (azwj) Desired it to remain. Then his (as) mother said to his (as) father, ‘If you allow me, I shall go to that child’. So he allowed her. So she went there and there was Ibrahim (as). His (as) eyes lit up like two lanterns. She grabbed him (as) and pressed him (as) to her bosom, and fed him (as). Then she left him there. Azar asked her about him (as), so she said, ‘I have hidden (buried) him in the soil’. She waited, and she would come out for her need, and go to Ibrahim (as), hold him (as) to her bosom, feed him (as), and leave him (as). So when he (as) started moving, she would still come to him (as) and do as she had done before. So when she wanted to leave, he (as) grabbed her robe. She said to him (as), ‘What is the matter?’ He (as) said to her: ‘Take me (as) with you’. She said, ‘Not until your father orders me to’. He (asws) said: ‘The mother of Ibrahim (as) came to Azar. She related to him the story. He said to her, ‘Bring him (as) to me. Make him (as) to be seated upon the road, so when his (as) brothers pass by, make him (as) enter with them, and he (as) will not be noticed’. He (asws) said: ‘And the brothers of Ibrahim (as) used to carve the idols and would go with these to the markets and sell them. So she went to him (as), and came with him (as) until she made him (as) to sit upon the road. And his (as) brothers passed by, he (as) entered with them. So when his (as) father saw him (as), he was overwhelmed with the love for him (as). And so the situation remained as such for as long as Allah (azwj) Desired it to’. He (asws) said; ‘One day from the days during which, his (as) brothers were in the middle of carving the idols, Ibrahim (as) took the tool, and took a piece of wood, and carved such an idol from it the like of which they had never seen before at all. So Azar said to his (as) mother, ‘I hope that we receive good luck from the blessings of this son (as) of yours’. He (asws) said; ‘So when they were in the middle of that, Ibrahim (as) grabbed hold of the tool and broke the idol which he (as) had carved. So his (as) father got scared and was overcome with severe panic. He said to him (as), ‘What would you (as) have done with it?’ Ibrahim (as) said to him: ‘And what would you have done with it?’ Azar said, ‘People would have worshipped it’. So Ibrahim (as) said to him: ‘Are you worshipping what you yourself have carved?’ So Azar said to his (as) mother, ‘This is the one due to whom our kingdom would go away, by his (as) hands’.

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.