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Mufti Muhammed Shafee Uthmaani Rahmatullahi ‘alaihi writes under this verse:
وَ اِذْ قَالَ اِبْرٰهِیْمُ لِاَبِیْهِ اٰزَرَ اَتَتَّخِذُ اَصْنَامًا اٰلِهَةً اِنِّیْۤ اَرٰىكَ وَ قَوْمَكَ فِیْ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیْنٍ
And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father, Azar: “Do you (really) take idols as gods? I am afraid you and your people are in open error.”
Maarif-ul-Quran – Al-An’aam : 74
Believers are One People – Disbelievers, another
It will be noted that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) has elected not to identify his family and his people with himself in this verse when he said to his father that ` his’ people were in error. This indicates the great sacrifice Sayyidna Ibrahim offered in the way of Allah by cutting off his bonds with his disbelieving brotherhood. Thus, by his deed, he demonstrated that Muslim nationality is founded through the bonds of Islam. When nationalities based on concepts of race or homeland clash against it, all these deserve to be forsaken. By mentioning this event relating to Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، the Holy Qur’an has asked all communities to come after him that they too should follow in his footsteps.
It was said:
قد كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ
It means: Definitely good and worthy of being emulated and followed by the Muslim community is the way and conduct of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and of those with him who frankly told their lineal, racial and geographical brotherhood that they were wary of them and their false objects of worship and that the wall of discord between them shall remain standing until such time that they do become believers and submit to none but Allah.
This tells us that the two-nation theory was first proclaimed by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . The Ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and other communities, followed this guidance and moved ahead. Among Muslims, Islam as the identity of their nationhood became well-recognized. During his journey undertaken to perform his Last Hajj, the Holy Prophet ﷺ met a caravan on the way. He asked them: ` Which nationality do you come from?’ They replied: نحنُ قوم مُّسلِمُونَ (al-Bukhari) (We are [ a ] nation [ of ] Muslims). Here, in accordance with the early practice in Arabia, they did not name a tribe or a lineally identified family, instead, called themselves: ` muslimun’ (Muslims) – and by doing so, they declared what was their real nationality, a nationality which will hold good in all time frames right to the end of time well through the trials of the Akhirah.
At this particular place when Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) addressed his father, he proclaimed his distaste for the doings of ` his’ people – attributing the people he came from to his father – but, at the place where he had to proclaim his principled disassociation from the same people, he addressed them as his, as appears in the next verse: يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ (0 my people, I am free of what you associate with Allah). The hint given here is: ` Though, you are my people in terms of race and homeland, but your deeds of disbelief and polytheism have compelled me to cut off my relations with your brotherhood.’ The brotherhood of Sayyidna Ibrahim and his father were involved in a two-fold Shirk: They worshipped idols as well as stars. So, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) debated both issues with his father and with his people.
