Al-Siddiq: It is one of the forms of exaggeration. Its counterpart is al-Duhik and al-Natiq. What is meant is his extreme truthfulness and the abundance of what he believed in from the unseen of Allah, His signs, His books, and His messengers. The preponderance and dominance in this belief were for the books and the messengers, meaning: he believed in all the prophets and their books. He was a prophet in himself, as His saying, 'Indeed, he has come with the truth and has confirmed the messengers.' Or he was eloquent in truthfulness, for the essence of prophethood is truthfulness. One who confirms Allah with His signs and miracles is certainly deserving of being so. This sentence is an interruption between the substituted and the substitute, meaning Ibrahim. And when he said,

Like your saying: 'I saw Zayd, and yes, your brother is a good man.' It is permissible for 'when' to relate to 'was' or to 'a truthful prophet,' meaning: he was gathering the characteristics of the truthful and the prophets when he addressed his father with those addresses.

The purpose of mentioning the messenger in relation to him and his story in the book is that he recites that to the people and conveys it to them, as His saying, 'And recite to them the news of Ibrahim.' Otherwise, Allah, the Exalted, is the one who mentions him and brings it forth in His revelation. The 'ta' in 'O my father' is a substitute for the 'ya' of possession, and it is not said 'O my father' so that one does not combine between the substitute and that which is substituted for. It was said: 'O my father,' because the 'alif' is a substitute for the 'ya,' and Sibawayh likened that to 'Aynaq,' and the substitution of the 'ya' in it for the dropped 'waw.'

Look at how, when he wanted to advise his father and admonish him regarding the great error he was entangled in and the heinous act he committed, which contradicted the command of the wise and detached him from the issue of distinction, and from the ignorance that has no ignorance after it: how he arranged the words with him in the best coherence and guided it in the most graceful manner, with the use of politeness, kindness, gentleness, and beautiful manners, taking advice in that from his Lord, the Exalted and Almighty. Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'Allah revealed to Ibrahim, peace be upon him: You are My friend; be of good character even with the disbelievers, and you will enter the paths of the righteous.'

My words have preceded for the one who has good character: I will shade him under My Throne, and I will house him in the Garden of Al-Quds, and I will bring him close to My companions. This is because he sought from him the first reason for his error, seeking a reminder of his persistence, awakening him from his excess and extremity. For the object of worship, if he were alive, distinct, hearing, seeing, and capable of reward and punishment, beneficial and harmful, except that he is one of the creation: the mind of those who worship him is diminished by attributing divinity to him. He is recorded with clear error and great injustice, even if he is the noblest of creation and the highest in rank, like the angels and the prophets. Allah, the Exalted, said: 'And He does not command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would He command you with disbelief after you have submitted?' This is because worship is the ultimate form of glorification, and it is only rightful for the one who has the ultimate grace: the Creator, the Provider, the Giver of life and death, the Rewarder and Punisher, from whom the roots and branches of blessings come. If it is directed to others—glorified and exalted is He that this attribute should belong to others—it would only be injustice, tyranny, error, disbelief, and denial, and a departure from the clear truth to the dark falsehood. What do you think of one who directs his worship to an inanimate object that has no sensation or awareness? It does not hear—O worshipper of it—your mention of it or your praise of it, nor does it see your postures of submission and humility before it, let alone benefit you by averting a calamity or fulfilling a need for you. Then he turned to calling him to the truth gently and kindly, without calling his father ignorant or himself knowledgeable, but he said: 'Indeed, I have a portion of knowledge and something of it that you do not have.' This is the knowledge that guides to the straight path, so do not be disdainful. Suppose that I and you are on a journey and I have knowledge of guidance that you do not have, follow me so that you may be saved from going astray and losing your way. Then he warned him and prohibited him from what he was upon: that the devil—who has defied your Lord, the Most Merciful, from whom all your blessings come—is your enemy who desires nothing for you except destruction, disgrace, and punishment, and the enemy of your father Adam and all your kind—is the one who has entangled you in this misguidance and commanded you with it and adorned it for you. If you reflect deeply, you are a worshipper of the devil, except that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, due to his deep sincerity and elevated aspiration in divinity, did not mention the sins of the devil except those that pertain to the Lord of Glory from his disobedience and arrogance, and he did not pay attention to mentioning his enmity to Adam and his offspring, as if the enormity of what he committed overwhelmed his thought and closed in on his mind. Then he cautioned him about the evil outcome and what it brings upon him of accountability and burden, without leaving that without good manners, as he did not state that punishment is not due to him and that torment is not upon him, but he said: 'I fear that punishment may seize you.' He mentioned fear and the touch of torment, and he made the authority of the devil and his inclusion among his followers and allies greater than the torment itself, for the pleasure of Allah is greater than the reward itself. Allah, the Exalted, called it the great victory when He said: 'And the pleasure of Allah is greater. That is the great victory.' Likewise, the authority of the devil, which opposes the pleasure of Allah, is greater than the punishment itself and more severe. He prefaced every piece of advice from the four pieces of advice with the words: 'O my father,' seeking to him and appealing to him. As for what does not hear and what has not come to you, it may be that it is connected and described, and the object in 'does not hear' and 'does not see' is forgotten, not intended, as in your saying: 'There is neither hearing nor seeing in it.' It has two possibilities: one is that it is in the place of the source, meaning: something of the song, and it may be estimated similarly with the previous two verbs. The second is that it is an object of the verb from their saying: 'Turn away from me your face; indeed, I have come to you from knowledge that has not come to you,' wherein knowledge is renewed in him.