Reflection 13 - Ya Abati

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا
19:41 AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Abraham. [31] Behold, he was a man of truth, [already] a prophet

إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِي عَنكَ شَيْئًا
19:42 when he spoke [thus] unto his father: "O my father! Why dost thou worship something that neither hears nor sees and can be of no avail whatever to thee?

يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا
19:43 "O my father! Behold, there has indeed come to me [a ray] of knowledge such as has never yet come unto thee: follow me, then; I shall guide thee onto a perfect way.

يَا أَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَنِ عَصِيًّا
19:44 "O my father! Do not worship Satan-for, verily, Satan is a rebel against the Most Gracious!


يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَن فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا
19:45 O my father! I dread lest a chastisement from the Most Gracious befall thee, and then thou wilt become [aware of having been] close unto Satan!"


قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ آلِهَتِي يَا إِبْراهِيمُ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ وَاهْجُرْنِي مَلِيًّا
19:46 He answered: "Dost thou dislike my gods, O Abraham? Indeed, if thou desist not, I shall most certainly cause thee to be stoned to death! Now begone from me for good!"


Verses about the story of Prophet Ibrahim alayhis Salam. He is calling his father to worshiping One God. But the father is persistent on atheism

Looking at the verses carefully, notice "يَا أَبَتِ"Ask a student of Arabic language, and they'll tell you about the ت at the end. It's the ت of compassion.

He could have called him abi (my father) but the “ت” makes the word affectionate. It reflects his fondness for his father, although he was an idol worshipper.

The letter ت teaches us here to love and respect our parents, to honour them.

Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas was a similar example. The verses of Quran revealed were:

31:14 “And [God says:] ‘We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: his mother bore him by bearing strain upon strain, and his utter dependence on her lasted two years: [hence, O man,] be grateful towards Me and towards thy parents, [and remember that] with Me is all journeys’ end.

31:15 “‘[Revere thy parents;] yet should they endeavour to make thee ascribe divinity, side by side with Me, to something which thy mind cannot accept [as divine], obey them not; but [even then] bear them company in this world’s life with kindness, and follow the path of those who turn towards Me. In the end, unto Me you all must return; and thereupon I shall make you [truly] understand all that you were doing [in life].’

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Additional Reading:
SAD IBN ABI WAQQAS
Prophet Ibrahim
Miracle - Grammar used to illustrate a Quranic principle