“Keep me and my sons away from worshiping idols” – Quranic Supplication

Rabbij-‘al haazal-balada ‘aaminan wajnubnee wa baniyya ‘an na’budal-‘asnaam.
O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols [Soorah Ibraaheem (14):35]

Listen to the Supplication and memorize: 014035-Keep-me-and-my-sons-away-from-worshiping-idols.mp3|initialvolume=120

In the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy...


Allaah the Almighty says:

»إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ‌ أَن يُشْرَ‌كَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ‌ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَمَن يُشْرِ‌كْ بِاللَّـهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا«
«Verily Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that.»
[Sooratun-Nisaa' (4):116]


Ibraaheem invoked Him saying:

»وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ«
«Keep me and my sons away from worshiping idols.»
[Soorah Ibraaheem (14):35]

When Ibraaheem was supplicating to Allaah, one of the things he asked for was that he and his children be granted distance from the act of worshiping idols. He asked Allaah to protect him and his children from worshiping idols while he was the one who smashed the idols with the firmness upon Tawheed that he had.

In Soorah Maryam, Ibraaheem called his father to Tawheed saying:

أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَ‌اطًا سَوِيًّا ﴿٤٣﴾ يَا أَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَانَ ۖ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلرَّ‌حْمَـٰنِ عَصِيًّا ﴿٤٤﴾ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّ‌حْمَـٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا ﴿٤٥﴾٤
«O my father! Verily, there has come to me of the knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me, I will guide you to the Straight Path. O my father! Worship not Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, Shaytaan has been a rebel against the Most Gracious (Allaah). O my father! Verily, I fear lest a torment from the Most Gracious (Allaah) should overtake you, so that you become a companion of Shaytaan (in the Hell-Fire).»
[Soorah Maryam (19):43-45]

Allaah (`Azza wa Jall) has praised him with special praises: being Haneef (pure in his monotheism) and being free from ever having made shirk. Along with that, here he is saying:

»وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ«
«Keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.»
[Soorah Ibraaheem (14):35]


This clearly shows you that he was concerned and afraid of worshiping idols. He was afraid of committing shirk with Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aala) along with the strength of his tawheed, the strength of his conviction, his sincerity, his certainty and his knowledge of Allaah (`Azza wa Jall). This did not lead him to feel safe from being misguided, being tricked by the Shaytaan or being led astray. Rather, he knew that only Allaah (ta`aala) could protect him, and only Allaah could keep him from shirk, and every other thing would lead to his destruction and demise.


Lesson Drawn from the Verse:

– ٣الخوفُ مِنَ الشركِ، فإنَّ إبراهيمَ عليه السلامُ – وهو إمامُ الحنفاءِ والذي كسَّرَ الأَ صنامَ بيدِهِ – خَافَهُ على نفسِهِ فكيفَ بِمَنْ دونِهِ.

3 - We should (truly) be afraid of the reality of shirk since Ibraaheem (`alayhis-salaam) was the Imaam of the monotheists, and he demolished the idols with his hands, yet still feared falling into shirk. If the Imaam of the monotheists, Ibraheem (`alayhis-salaam), feared shirk for his own being, should we not, as average every-day monotheists, be moreso afraid for ours?

»وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ«
«Keep me and my sons away from worshiping idols.»
[Soorah Ibraaheem (4):35]


Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaahu ta`aala) commented: WHO can be safe from trials after that?¹

Ibn Katheer said: Based on this, EVERY caller to the religion should make du`aa for the safety of his own-self, the safety of his religion, and for the religion of his father or his parents, and that of his children in lineage and offspring.²