Transliteration:( Iz qaala li abeehi wa qawmihee maa haazihit tamaaseelul lateee antum lahaa 'aakifoon )
"When he said to his father [83] and his people, 'what are these images before which you are sitting firmly' (for worship) [84]."
This verse refers to when Ibrahim (عليه السلام) addressed both his uncle and his people about their idol worship.
The word “father” (Abb) in Arabic is broad, and can also refer to an uncle, grandfather, or stepfather.
His biological father was Ta'arrukh, and Azar, mentioned in other verses, was his uncle who raised him.
His mother was a true believer, which is why her name is excluded in this context.
It is recorded that Azar perished on the same day Namrood ordered Ibrahim (عليه السلام) to be thrown into the fire — one flame of that fire destroyed Azar.
Importantly, Ibrahim (عليه السلام) never prayed for Azar's forgiveness after his death. The supplication for his “parents” (Surah Nuh, 71:28) came much later, when he already had children, and refers to his true parents, not Azar.
The people of Babylon were deep into polytheism, worshipping:
The moon, sun, and stars
Namrood, who falsely claimed divinity
Idols made in Namrood’s image, calling him the big god, and the celestial bodies the lesser gods
Ibrahim (عليه السلام) confronted them about these “images”, questioning the logic of worshipping lifeless statues.
This verse is consistent with other passages of the Qur'an that detail his rejection of celestial worship, as well as his challenge to idolaters and tyrants like Namrood.
The tafsir of Surah Anbiya verse 52 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Anbiya ayat 51 which provides the complete commentary from verse 51 through 56.
(21:52) Recall,[54] when he said to his father and his people: “What are these images to which you are devoutly clinging?”
54. Before proceeding further, it should be kept in mind that the incident from the history of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) has been cited here to refute the erroneous creeds of the Quraish. This was meant to hit them hard for they were the descendants of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and were proud of their relationship with him. It was he who had built the Kabah which had become the center of the entire Arabia and they, being its keepers, were its most important clan. Therefore, they could not remain indifferent to this answer.
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