Nimrod: Difference between revisions

Nimrod b. Canaan b. Cush b. Sam b. Noah (a) was the king of Babylon at the time of the Prophet Abraham (a). Some sources mentioned Nimrod, grandson of Ham, another son of Noah (a). Nimrod was the cousin of [[Azar]], the uncle of Abraham (a). In some sources, he was mentioned as the [[Pharaoh]] of Abraham (a). The name of Nimrod has been mentioned together with [[Nebuchadnezzar]] as the only polytheist kings ruled on earth.

There are different reports about the period of Nimrod's kingdom, the longest of which is 400 years and less periods of 270, 70 and 69 years.  

One of the measures made during the kingdom of Nimrod was the killing of male infants. After astrologists and priests foretold that a boy would be born in [[Babylon]] at a certain time and would fight [[idol-worshipping]] and conquer Nimrod's kingdom, Nimrod ordered to gather all pregnant women and kill their babies if they were boys. Based on some reports, Nimrod killed seven thousand boys in 40 years, fearing that one of them would be [[Abraham (a)]].

Prophet Abraham (a) was born secretly. When the birth pangs of Abraham's (a) mother began, she secretly went out of the city and gave birth in a cave; then, she covered the entrance of the cave and returned to the city. She went to the cave secretly to see her son everyday.

After the Prophet Abraham (a) broke the idols away from people's eyes, they took him to Nimrod. Abraham (a) debated with Nimrod to prove One God and to reject Nimrod's claim of Lordship. This debate was made in the presence of people. The debate between the Prophet Abraham (a) and Nimrod is mentioned in [[Quran 2]]. In this debate, Abraham (a) said, "my God brings death and gives life." Nimrod said, "I too give life and bring death." To prove his claim, Nimrod summoned two prisoners and ordered to kill one of them and free the other. Then, the Prophet Abraham (a) said, "my God brings the sun from the east; now, you bring it from the west." Nimrod failed to answer this request of Abraham (a). The [[Qur'an]] used the expression "the faithless one was dumbfounded"{{enote|{{ia|أَلَم تَرَ إِلَى الَّذي حاجَّ إِبراهيمَ في رَبِّهِ أَن آتاهُ اللَّهُ المُلكَ إِذ قالَ إِبراهيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذي يُحيي وَيُميتُ قالَ أَنا أُحيي وَأُميتُ ۖ قالَ إِبراهيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأتي بِالشَّمسِ مِنَ المَشرِقِ فَأتِ بِها مِنَ المَغرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذي كَفَرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ}}: Have you not regarded him (i.e Nimraod) who argued with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had given him kingdom? When Abraham said, ‘My Lord is He who gives life and brings death,’ he replied, ‘I [too] give life and bring death.’ Abraham said, ‘Indeed Allah brings the sun from the east; now you bring it from the west.’ Thereat the faithless one was dumbfounded. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot. (Qur'an 2:258)}} to show Nimrod's reaction.

After Nimrod was defeated in debate with [[Abraham (a)]] in the presence of Babylonians, Nimrod decided to punish Abraham (a) with fire for breaking and insulting their gods. The decision of Nimrod and the idol-worshipers is mentioned in [[verse]] 68 of [[Quran 21]]. Nimrod ordered all people to bring firewood in one place. After they set fire to the woods, casted Abraham (a) into the fire using a catapult as no one could approach the fire. After they casted Abraham (a) into the fire, the Qur'an says that it turned cold and harmless by the order of God.

Some days later, Nimrod was passing by the fire which was still ablaze. He astonishingly found Abraham (a) sitting in the middle of fire. To become sure about the condition of Abraham (a), he ordered to build a tower so that he could see inside the fire. After Nimrod became sure that Abraham (a) was not harmed, asked "your God is Great Who protected you from the fire. Can you come out of the fire?" Abraham (a) said, "yes." Nimrod asked again, "Does the fire harm you if you stay there?" Abraham (a) said, "no." After Nimrod asked Abraham (a) to go out of the fire, he (a) went out of the fire while it was ablaze.  

When Nimrod saw the [[miracle]] of turning the fire cold by [[God]], released [[Abraham (a)]] and decided to [[sacrifice]] four thousand cows for God. Prophet Abraham (a) told him that his sacrifice would be unacceptable without believing in One God and abandoning his claim of Lordship. But, Nimrod made sacrifice without accepting [[monotheism]].

After Nimrod was disappointed about finding God, an [[angel]] went to him in the form of a human and advised and invited him toward monotheism. The angel told him, "O weak [[servant]], do not fight with One God and fear him! His sovereignty and His army are far greater than yours and if He wishes, He will destruct you with the least of His creatures."

Nimrod rejected any sovereignty other than his and invoked the army of God to war. The angel gave him three days to gather his army. After three days, by the order of God, flies went to him and stung his army and all his army fled away. After a while, the angel reminded Nimrod of the defeat of his army and again advised him about believing in God and warned him about being perished. Nimrod did not accept. God sent a fly, which entered the head of Nimrod through his nose and began eating his brain. The headache of Nimrod was so severe that they beat his head to decrease his pain and make the fly calm. Then, anyone who went to meet him, would beat his head to show more respect instead of kissing his hand. According to some sources, this condition lasted for forty years and then Nimrod died.

*The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[[:fa:نمرود|نمرود]]}} in Farsi Wikishia.

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