They united their opinion - when they overcame - in his destruction. Thus, the falsehood, when its argument is struck by the proof and is exposed, there is no one more hated to it than the truth. It has no refuge left except for opposing it, as Quraysh did with the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, when they were unable to counter him. And he who suggested burning him was Nimrod. And from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: a man from the Bedouins of the non-Arabs wanting to harm Ibrahim. It has been narrated that when they intended to burn him, they imprisoned him and then built a house like a pen in Kutha, and they gathered strong types of wood for a month, so much so that if a woman were to fall ill, she would say: 'If Allah cures me, I will gather firewood for Ibrahim, peace be upon him.' Then they ignited a great fire, from the heat of which the birds almost burned in the sky. Then they placed him in the catapult, bound and shackled, and threw him into it. Gabriel, peace be upon him, called out to the fire: 'O fire, be cool and safe.' It is narrated that it did not burn anything of him except his bindings. And Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to him when he was thrown: 'Do you have any need?' He said: 'As for you, no.' He said: 'Then ask your Lord.' He said: 'My sufficiency in my asking is His knowledge of my state.' And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: He was saved by saying: 'Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs.' And Nimrod looked down upon him from the palace, and he saw him in a garden with a companion from the angels. He said: 'I am close to your God,' so he slaughtered four thousand cows and ceased harming Ibrahim. And Ibrahim, blessings of Allah and peace be upon him, at that time was sixteen years old. They chose punishment by fire because it is the most terrifying and dreadful of punishments. Therefore, it was said: 'No one punishes by fire except its Creator.' And thus they said: 'If you are to act,' meaning if you are to support your gods with a decisive victory, then they chose for him the most terrifying punishment, which is burning by fire. Otherwise, you would have neglected in supporting them. For this reason, they magnified the fire and made efforts to publicize its matter and exalt its status, and they did not spare any effort in that. The fire was made to obey the action and will of Allah as if it were commanded to do something and it complied. The meaning is: be cool and safe, so it was emphasized. As if its essence is coolness and safety. The intent is: be cool so that Ibrahim is safe from you. Or be cool with a coolness that is not harmful. And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: If he had not said that, it would have destroyed him with its coolness. If you say: How did the fire become cool when it is fire? I say: Allah removed from it the nature with which He created it, which is heat and burning, and kept it in a state of illumination and ignition as it was. And Allah is capable of all things. It is possible that He protects Ibrahim, peace be upon him, from the harm of its heat and makes him experience the opposite of that, as He does with the guardians of Hellfire. This is indicated by His saying: 'And they intended to harm him and plot against him, but they were only overpowered and defeated. They overcame him in argument, so Allah overcame him and taught him with a rebuke, and they resorted to power and tyranny, so He supported and strengthened him.