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{{short description|Figure in the Hebrew Bible; son of Nahor}}
'''Terah''' or '''Térach''' ('''תֶּרַח''' / '''תָּרַח''' "Wanderer; loiterer", ] '''Téraḥ''' / '''Táraḥ''', ] '''Téraḥ''' / '''Tāraḥ''')
{{redirect|Tarah||Tarrah (disambiguation)}}
{{about|the person|the place|Terah (Exodus)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Terah<br />{{lang|he|תֶּרַח}}
| image = Terah.jpg
| image_size = 232px
| caption = Illustration of Terah with ] text from '']''
| birth_date =
| birth_place = ], Chaldea, ]<br />(present-day southern ])
| death_date =
| death_place = ]<br />(present-day ])
| occupation =
| children = {{plainlist|
* ] (son/son-in-law)
* ] (son/grandson-in-law)
* ] (son)
* ] (daughter/daughter-in-law)
}}
| parents = ] ] (father)<br>'Ijaska bat Nestag (mother, according to ])<ref></ref>
}}
'''Terah''' or '''Terach''' ({{langx|he|תֶּרַח}} ''Teraḥ'') is a biblical figure in the ]. He is listed as the son of ] and father of the patriarch ]. As such, he is a descendant of ]'s son ]. Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–27, ] 24:2, and ] 1:17–27 of the ] and ]:34–36 in the ].


==The person== ==Biblical narrative==
Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–27,<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|11:26–27|HE}}</ref> Joshua 24:2,<ref>{{bibleverse||Joshua|24:2|HE}}</ref> and 1 Chronicles 1:17–27<ref>{{bibleverse||1 Chronicles|1:17–27|HE}}</ref> of the ] and Luke 3:34–36<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|3:34–36}}</ref> in the ]. Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–32 as a son of ], descendants of ].<ref name=Berman>{{Cite web|url=https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/index/books-of-the-bible/genesis/role-terah-foundational-stories-patriarchal-family/|title=THE ROLE OF TERAH IN THE FOUNDATIONAL STORIES OF THE PATRIARCHAL FAMILY}}</ref> He is said to have had three sons: ] (better known by his later name Abraham), ], and ], and one daughter: ] (better known by her later name Sarah). The family lived in ]. His grandchildren were ], ] and ], whose father, Haran, had died at Ur.<ref name=Berman />
Terah was the father of ] mentioned in the ].


According to the ] 11, Terah was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ], who was the son of ]. In the ], in his final speech to the Israelite leaders assembled at ], ] recounts the history of God's formation of the Israelite nation, beginning with "Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, who lived beyond the ] and worshiped other gods."<ref name=Berman/> Terah is also mentioned in a biblical ] given in ].


In the Genesis narrative, Terah took his family and left Ur to move to the land of ]. Terah set out for Canaan but stopped in the city of ] along the way, where he died.<ref>The Masoretic Text gives his age at death as 205. The corresponding passage in the Septuagint does not give Terah's age at death. See Larsson, Gerhard. "The Chronology of the Pentateuch: A Comparison of the MT and LXX." ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 102, no. 3, 1983, pp. 401–409. www.jstor.org/stable/3261014. See also the ''New English Translation of the Septuagint'', Genesis 11:32.</ref><ref name="NRSV">{{cite book |title=The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version |date=1989 |publisher=Thomas Nelson Publishers |location=Nashville, TN |pages=6–22 }}</ref>
Terah moved with his family from his native mountains in the north to the plains of ], after Abraham had been told to do so by God. He had two more sons, ], ], and one daughter by another wife, ]. He lived in "] of the ]," where his son Haran died, leaving behind his son ]. Nahor settled at Haran, a place on the way to Ur. Terah afterwards migrated with Abraham (probably his youngest son) and Lot (his grandson), together with their families, from Ur, intending to
go with them to ]; however he ended his voyage in ], where he spent the remainder of his days, and died at the age of two hundred and five years (] 11:24-32). The ] reports that Terah worshiped other gods. (Josh. 24:2.)


==Jewish tradition==
The ] regards Terah as wicked. (E.g., Numbers Rabbah 19:1; 19:33.) Rabbi Hiyya said that Terah manufactured ] and told the following account: Terah once went away and left Abraham to mind the store. A woman came with a plateful of flour and asked Abraham to offer it to the idols. Abraham took a stick, broke the idols, and put the stick in the largest idol’s hand. When Terah returned, he demanded that Abraham explain what he had done. Abraham told Terah that the idols fought among themselves and the largest broke the others with the stick. “Why do you make sport of me?” Terah cried, “Do they have any knowledge?” Abraham replied, “Listen to what you are saying!” Terah then delivered Abraham to King ] for punishment. (] 38:13.) The ] says that when God saved Abraham from the furnace, Terah repented. (Zohar, Beresh*t 1:77b.) Rabbi Abba b. Kahana said that God assured Abraham that his father Terah had a portion in the World to Come. (Genesis Rabbah 30:4; 30:12.)
===Children===
Genesis 11:26<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|11:26|HE}}</ref> states that Terah lived 70 years, "and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran". The ] says that Abraham was 52 years old at year 2000 AM (]),<ref>{{cite book |title=Avodah Zarah |publisher=] |page=7 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Avodah_Zarah.9a.7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |chapter=Chapter 9a |quote=Rather, the two-thousand-year time period of the Torah is counted from the time when it is stated about Abraham and Sarah: “And the souls that they had gotten in Haran” (Genesis 12:5), which is interpreted by the Sages as referring to the men and women who were brought closer to the Torah by Abraham and Sarah. Therefore, it was at this point that the Torah began to spread throughout the world. And it is learned as a tradition that at that time Abraham was fifty-two years old.}}</ref> which means that he was born in the year 1948 AM.


===Occupation===
In ] tradition Abraham's (known as ''Ibrahim'') father is reported to have been a man by the name ''Azar''; this has lead some Islamic scholars to identify Terah with Azar.
]
According to ] Terah was a wicked ('']'' 19:1; 19:33), idolatrous priest (] on Genesis 11:28) who manufactured ] (''Eliyahu Rabbah'' 6, and '']'' 25). Abram, in opposition to his father's idol shop, smashed his father's idols and chased customers away. Terah then brought his unruly son before ], who threw him into a fiery furnace, yet Abram miraculously escaped (] 38:13). The ] says that when God saved Abram from the furnace, Terah repented (] Genesis 1:77b) and Rabbi Abba B. Kahana said that God assured Abram that his father Terah had a portion in the ''World to Come'' (Genesis Rabbah 30:4; 30:12).


] relates this account in the Genesis Rabbah:
==The place==
{{blockquote|Terah left Abram to mind the store while he departed. A woman came with a plateful of flour and asked Abram to offer it to the idols. Abram then took a stick, broke the idols, and put the stick in the largest idol’s hand. When Terah returned, he demanded that Abram explain what he'd done. Abram told his father that the idols fought among themselves and the largest broke the others with the stick. "Why do you make sport of me?" Terah cried, "Do they have any knowledge?" Abram replied, "Listen to what you are saying!"}}
Terah is also a place where the ] stopped on ].
{{ExodusStation|]|]}}


===Leader of the journey===
{{HeBible-stub}}
Terah is identified as the person who arranged and led the family to embark on a mysterious journey to Canaan. It is shrouded in mystery to Jewish scholars as to why Terah began the journey and as to why the journey ended prematurely. It is suggested that he was a man in search of a greater truth that could possibly be found in the<ref>Sforno, Bereishit 12:5</ref> land of Canaan, and that it was Abram who picked up the torch to continue his father's quest, that Terah himself was unable to achieve.<ref>Goldin, Shmuel. ''Unlocking the Torah Text Bereishit'', Vol. 1, ({{ISBN|9652294128}}, {{ISBN|978-965-229-412-8}}), 2010, p. 59, 60</ref>


===When Abram leaves Haran===
==See also==
In Jewish tradition, when Terah died at age 205, Abraham (70 years younger) was already 135 years old. Abram thus left ] at age 75, well before Terah died. The Torah, however, relates Terah's death in Haran before Abram continues the journey to Canaan as an expression that he was not remiss in the ] of honoring a parent by leaving his aging father behind.<ref>Compare Rashi, ''Bereishis'' 11:32 with Bereishis ''Rabbah'' 39:7</ref> The significance of Terah not reaching Canaan was a reflection of his character, a man who was unable to go "all the way". Although on a journey in the right direction, Terah fell short at arriving to the divine destination—in contrast to Abram, who did follow through and achieved the divine goal, and was not bound by his father's idolatrous past. Abram's following God's command to leave his father, thus absolved him from the ] of honoring parents, and as Abraham, he would go on to create a new lineage distinct from his ancestors.<ref>(''Haggadah shel Pesach'') – Levene, Osher C. ''People of the Book'', ({{ISBN|1568714467}}, {{ISBN|978-1-56871-446-2}}), 2004, p. 79–80</ref>
'''Terah''' was also the name of a character on Star Trek: Enterprise, played by Suzie Plakson.
{{Adam to David}}
]
]


==Samaritan tradition==
]
In the ] Terah dies aged 145 years and Abram leaves Haran after his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/interlinearpentateuch/online-samaritan-pentateuch-in-english/genesis|title=Google Sites|website=sites.google.com}}</ref>
]

]
==Christian tradition==
]
In the Christian tradition Abram left Haran after Terah died. The Christian views of the time of Terah come from a passage in the ] at Acts 7:2–4<ref>{{bibleref2|Acts|7:2–4|NIV}}</ref> where ] said some things that contrast with Jewish rabbinical views. He said that God appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, and directed him to leave the Chaldeans—whereas most rabbinical commentators see Terah as being the one who directed the family to leave ] from Genesis 11:31: "Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan."<ref>{{bibleref2|Genesis|11:31|NLT}}</ref> Stephen asserts that Abram left Haran after Terah died.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7:4&version=KJV|title=Bible Gateway passage: Acts 7:4 - King James Version|website=Bible Gateway}}</ref>
]

]
==Islamic tradition==
]
=== In Sunni Islam ===
]
Some ] scholars are of the opinion that Azar (mentioned in the ]) is not the father of ].<ref>'']'', 7/194,95.</ref> For some, the actual name of the father of ] is Tarakh, thus cannot be Azar.<ref>''],'' vol. 2, p. 100.</ref><ref>''],'' vol. 3, p. 43.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Niazi |first=Yama |date=2022-10-06 |title=Will All Believers and Their Non-Muslim Parents Be Forgiven? |url=https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/will-all-believers-and-their-non-muslim-parents-be-forgiven/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615104746/https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/will-all-believers-and-their-non-muslim-parents-be-forgiven/ |archive-date=2023-06-15 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Seekers Guidance |language=en |quote=The Prophet Ibrahim’s actual father was a Muslim. His name is given as Tarakh by historians.}}</ref> ]'s position is that in fact Azar is the paternal uncle of ] and that Arabs use the term "]" to refer to the paternal uncle also and that Allah used this expression in the ] {{qref|2|133|pl=y}} where ], the paternal uncle of ], is referred to as an "]".<ref>''Al Minahul Makkiyya,'' 1/152</ref>
]

Some commentators said: Terah's, had two names: Azar and Terah, as Al-Tabari narrated in Jami’ al-Bayan (11/466) with his chain of transmission on the authority of Saeed bin Abdul Aziz. He said: He is Azar, and he is Terah, such as “Israel” and “]”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tafsir al-Tabari |url=https://tafsir.app/tabari/6/74 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=tafsir.app}}</ref>

It is also maintained by some that Azar's real name was Nakhoor, and that though Azar earlier worshipped ], he abandoned his forefathers' religion when he became the minister of Namrud.<ref>Sanaulla al-Mazhari, ''Tafsir al-Mazhari,'' 3/256. </ref>

===In Shi'ism===
====Terah as Abraham's father====
There is a consensus among ] scholars and exegetes that Azar was not the biological father of Abraham but rather his paternal uncle while Terah is believed to be his father. ] maintained that Azar was not Abraham's father and cited a hadith from ] according to which none of the prophet's ancestors up to ] were polytheists.<ref>Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 4, p. 175</ref> By this he argued that since Azar was an idolater and Abraham was one of the prophet's ancestors, it is not possible for Azar to be Abraham's father. According to ] ] in ], all Shiite exegetes and scholars believe that Azar was not Abraham's father.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 5, p. 303.</ref> ] in his ] appealed to the Quranic verses in which Abraham prayed for his parents, that they show that his father was someone other than Azar.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 7, p. 261</ref> In ] Umm Dawood, a supplication recited by Shi'ite Muslims cited to be from ] ], the supplicant sends blessings on a person by the name of 'Turakh'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.duas.org/ummedawoodline.htm#Who_was_Umm_D%C4%81w%C5%ABd_|title=Aamal e Umme Dawood|website=www.duas.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wilayatmission.org/Duas/UmmDawood.pdf|title=Wilayat Mission}}</ref> In '']'', ] is reported to have said in a sermon, "I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and the chief of His creation; whenever Allah divided the line of descent, He put him in the better one.."<ref>Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 214</ref> Likewise, in ''Ziyarat Arbaeen'', a recitation with which Shiite Muslims pay respect to ], it is recited "I bear witness that you were a light in the sublime loins and purified wombs..",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duas.org/mobile/ziyarat-arbaeen.html|title=Ziyarat Arbaeen - Duas.org|website=www.duas.org}}</ref> through which it is believed that none of his ancestors up to Adam were impure, which includes Muhammad, Imam Ali and ] and hence including Abraham's biological father.

The ] ] website '']'' treats Azar as being Abraham's uncle, not his biological father.<ref name="ABDILP">{{cite web |publisher=] |title=Was Azar the Father of Prophet Abraham? |url=https://www.al-islam.org/shiite-encyclopedia-ahlul-bayt-dilp-team/was-azar-father-prophet-abraham |website=Al-Islam.org |date=12 November 2013 |access-date=2017-09-12 |language=en}}</ref> To justify this view, it references a passage of the Quran, which mentions that the sons of ] (Jacob) referred to his uncle ] (Ishmael), father ] (Isaac) and grandfather ] (Abraham) as his ''ābāʾ'' ({{langx|ar|آبَـاء}}):<ref name="qref|2|124-141">{{qref|2|124-141|b=y}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Were you there to see when death came upon Ya'qub? When he said to his sons, "What will you worship after I am gone?" they replied, "We shall worship your God and the God of your ''abaʾ'', Ibrahim, Isma'il, and Is-haq, one single God: we devote ourselves to Him."|Qur'an, ]:133<ref name="qref|2|124-141" />}}

Therefore, the singular word ''ab'' does not always mean progenitor, and can be used for an adopter, uncle, step-father, or caretaker, unlike the word ''wālid'' ({{langx|ar|وَالِـد}}, progenitor). Thus, ''Al-Islam.org'' denies that Abraham's biological father was 'Azar', and instead agreed with ] that he was the biblical figure 'Terah',<ref name="ABDILP" /> who nevertheless treated him as a polytheist.<ref name="Ibn Kathir, QAN">], ], ''Abraham and his father''</ref>

====As Abraham's uncle====
In contrast to ''Al-Islam.org'',<ref name="ABDILP"/> Shi'ite scholar and jurist ] believed{{when|date=March 2020}} Terah to be the uncle of Abraham, not his father.<ref name="Modarresi 12-2017">{{cite book |author=Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi |author-link1=Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi |title=The Laws of Islam |date=26 March 2016 |publisher=Enlight Press |isbn=978-0-9942-4098-9 |url=http://almodarresi.com/en/books/pdf/TheLawsofIslam.pdf |access-date=22 December 2017 |ref=Modarresi |language=en |archive-date=2 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802163247/http://almodarresi.com/en/books/pdf/TheLawsofIslam.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|15}}

== In popular culture ==
Terah is portrayed by ] in the film '']'' (1993).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Adam to David|yes}}
{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{Adam to Muhammad}}
{{Authority control}}

]
]
]
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Latest revision as of 12:05, 8 January 2025

Figure in the Hebrew Bible; son of Nahor "Tarah" redirects here. For other uses, see Tarrah (disambiguation). This article is about the person. For the place, see Terah (Exodus).
Terah
תֶּרַח
Illustration of Terah with Latin text from Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum
BornUr Kaśdim, Chaldea, Sumer
(present-day southern Iraq)
DiedHaran
(present-day southeastern Turkey)
Children
Parent(s)Nahor ben Serug (father)
'Ijaska bat Nestag (mother, according to Book of Jubilees)

Terah or Terach (Hebrew: תֶּרַח Teraḥ) is a biblical figure in the Book of Genesis. He is listed as the son of Nahor and father of the patriarch Abraham. As such, he is a descendant of Shem's son Arpachshad. Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–27, Book of Joshua 24:2, and 1 Chronicles 1:17–27 of the Hebrew Bible and Luke 3:34–36 in the New Testament.

Biblical narrative

Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–27, Joshua 24:2, and 1 Chronicles 1:17–27 of the Hebrew Bible and Luke 3:34–36 in the New Testament. Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–32 as a son of Nahor, the son of Serug, descendants of Shem. He is said to have had three sons: Abram (better known by his later name Abraham), Haran, and Nahor II, and one daughter: Sarai (better known by her later name Sarah). The family lived in Ur of the Chaldees. His grandchildren were Lot, Milcah and Iscah, whose father, Haran, had died at Ur.

In the Book of Joshua, in his final speech to the Israelite leaders assembled at Shechem, Joshua recounts the history of God's formation of the Israelite nation, beginning with "Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, who lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods." Terah is also mentioned in a biblical genealogy given in 1 Chronicles.

In the Genesis narrative, Terah took his family and left Ur to move to the land of Canaan. Terah set out for Canaan but stopped in the city of Haran along the way, where he died.

Jewish tradition

Children

Genesis 11:26 states that Terah lived 70 years, "and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran". The Talmud says that Abraham was 52 years old at year 2000 AM (Anno Mundi), which means that he was born in the year 1948 AM.

Occupation

Terah with idols, young Abraham leaving in disgrace

According to rabbinic literature Terah was a wicked (Numbers Rabbah 19:1; 19:33), idolatrous priest (Midrash HaGadol on Genesis 11:28) who manufactured idols (Eliyahu Rabbah 6, and Eliyahu Zuta 25). Abram, in opposition to his father's idol shop, smashed his father's idols and chased customers away. Terah then brought his unruly son before Nimrod, who threw him into a fiery furnace, yet Abram miraculously escaped (Genesis Rabbah 38:13). The Zohar says that when God saved Abram from the furnace, Terah repented (Zohar Genesis 1:77b) and Rabbi Abba B. Kahana said that God assured Abram that his father Terah had a portion in the World to Come (Genesis Rabbah 30:4; 30:12).

Rabbi Hiyya relates this account in the Genesis Rabbah:

Terah left Abram to mind the store while he departed. A woman came with a plateful of flour and asked Abram to offer it to the idols. Abram then took a stick, broke the idols, and put the stick in the largest idol’s hand. When Terah returned, he demanded that Abram explain what he'd done. Abram told his father that the idols fought among themselves and the largest broke the others with the stick. "Why do you make sport of me?" Terah cried, "Do they have any knowledge?" Abram replied, "Listen to what you are saying!"

Leader of the journey

Terah is identified as the person who arranged and led the family to embark on a mysterious journey to Canaan. It is shrouded in mystery to Jewish scholars as to why Terah began the journey and as to why the journey ended prematurely. It is suggested that he was a man in search of a greater truth that could possibly be found in the land of Canaan, and that it was Abram who picked up the torch to continue his father's quest, that Terah himself was unable to achieve.

When Abram leaves Haran

In Jewish tradition, when Terah died at age 205, Abraham (70 years younger) was already 135 years old. Abram thus left Haran at age 75, well before Terah died. The Torah, however, relates Terah's death in Haran before Abram continues the journey to Canaan as an expression that he was not remiss in the Mitzvah of honoring a parent by leaving his aging father behind. The significance of Terah not reaching Canaan was a reflection of his character, a man who was unable to go "all the way". Although on a journey in the right direction, Terah fell short at arriving to the divine destination—in contrast to Abram, who did follow through and achieved the divine goal, and was not bound by his father's idolatrous past. Abram's following God's command to leave his father, thus absolved him from the mitzvah of honoring parents, and as Abraham, he would go on to create a new lineage distinct from his ancestors.

Samaritan tradition

In the Samaritan Pentateuch Terah dies aged 145 years and Abram leaves Haran after his death.

Christian tradition

In the Christian tradition Abram left Haran after Terah died. The Christian views of the time of Terah come from a passage in the New Testament at Acts 7:2–4 where Stephen said some things that contrast with Jewish rabbinical views. He said that God appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, and directed him to leave the Chaldeans—whereas most rabbinical commentators see Terah as being the one who directed the family to leave Ur Kasdim from Genesis 11:31: "Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan." Stephen asserts that Abram left Haran after Terah died.

Islamic tradition

In Sunni Islam

Some Sunni scholars are of the opinion that Azar (mentioned in the Qur'an) is not the father of Ibrahim. For some, the actual name of the father of Ibrahim is Tarakh, thus cannot be Azar. Ibn Hajar's position is that in fact Azar is the paternal uncle of Ibrahim and that Arabs use the term "ab" to refer to the paternal uncle also and that Allah used this expression in the Qur'an 2:133 where Isma'il, the paternal uncle of Ya'qub, is referred to as an "ab".

Some commentators said: Terah's, had two names: Azar and Terah, as Al-Tabari narrated in Jami’ al-Bayan (11/466) with his chain of transmission on the authority of Saeed bin Abdul Aziz. He said: He is Azar, and he is Terah, such as “Israel” and “Jacob”.

It is also maintained by some that Azar's real name was Nakhoor, and that though Azar earlier worshipped Allah, he abandoned his forefathers' religion when he became the minister of Namrud.

In Shi'ism

Terah as Abraham's father

There is a consensus among Shia Muslim scholars and exegetes that Azar was not the biological father of Abraham but rather his paternal uncle while Terah is believed to be his father. Shaykh Tusi maintained that Azar was not Abraham's father and cited a hadith from Muhammad according to which none of the prophet's ancestors up to Adam were polytheists. By this he argued that since Azar was an idolater and Abraham was one of the prophet's ancestors, it is not possible for Azar to be Abraham's father. According to Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi in Tafsir Nemooneh, all Shiite exegetes and scholars believe that Azar was not Abraham's father. Allamah Tabatabai in his Tafsir al-Mizan appealed to the Quranic verses in which Abraham prayed for his parents, that they show that his father was someone other than Azar. In Dua Umm Dawood, a supplication recited by Shi'ite Muslims cited to be from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, the supplicant sends blessings on a person by the name of 'Turakh'. In Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali is reported to have said in a sermon, "I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and the chief of His creation; whenever Allah divided the line of descent, He put him in the better one.." Likewise, in Ziyarat Arbaeen, a recitation with which Shiite Muslims pay respect to Imam Husayn, it is recited "I bear witness that you were a light in the sublime loins and purified wombs..", through which it is believed that none of his ancestors up to Adam were impure, which includes Muhammad, Imam Ali and Lady Fatimah and hence including Abraham's biological father.

The Twelver Shi'ite website Al-Islam.org treats Azar as being Abraham's uncle, not his biological father. To justify this view, it references a passage of the Quran, which mentions that the sons of Yaʿqūb (Jacob) referred to his uncle Ismāʿīl (Ishmael), father Is-ḥāq (Isaac) and grandfather Ibrāhīm (Abraham) as his ābāʾ (Arabic: آبَـاء):

Were you there to see when death came upon Ya'qub? When he said to his sons, "What will you worship after I am gone?" they replied, "We shall worship your God and the God of your abaʾ, Ibrahim, Isma'il, and Is-haq, one single God: we devote ourselves to Him."

— Qur'an, 2:133

Therefore, the singular word ab does not always mean progenitor, and can be used for an adopter, uncle, step-father, or caretaker, unlike the word wālid (Arabic: وَالِـد, progenitor). Thus, Al-Islam.org denies that Abraham's biological father was 'Azar', and instead agreed with Ibn Kathir that he was the biblical figure 'Terah', who nevertheless treated him as a polytheist.

As Abraham's uncle

In contrast to Al-Islam.org, Shi'ite scholar and jurist Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi believed Terah to be the uncle of Abraham, not his father.

In popular culture

Terah is portrayed by Vittorio Gassman in the film Abraham (1993).

References

  1. Jubilees 11:8
  2. Genesis 11:26–27
  3. Joshua 24:2
  4. 1 Chronicles 1:17–27
  5. Luke 3:34–36
  6. ^ "THE ROLE OF TERAH IN THE FOUNDATIONAL STORIES OF THE PATRIARCHAL FAMILY".
  7. The Masoretic Text gives his age at death as 205. The corresponding passage in the Septuagint does not give Terah's age at death. See Larsson, Gerhard. "The Chronology of the Pentateuch: A Comparison of the MT and LXX." Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 102, no. 3, 1983, pp. 401–409. www.jstor.org/stable/3261014. See also the New English Translation of the Septuagint, Genesis 11:32.
  8. The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1989. pp. 6–22.
  9. Genesis 11:26
  10. "Chapter 9a". Avodah Zarah. Babylonian Talmud. p. 7. Rather, the two-thousand-year time period of the Torah is counted from the time when it is stated about Abraham and Sarah: "And the souls that they had gotten in Haran" (Genesis 12:5), which is interpreted by the Sages as referring to the men and women who were brought closer to the Torah by Abraham and Sarah. Therefore, it was at this point that the Torah began to spread throughout the world. And it is learned as a tradition that at that time Abraham was fifty-two years old.
  11. Sforno, Bereishit 12:5
  12. Goldin, Shmuel. Unlocking the Torah Text Bereishit, Vol. 1, (ISBN 9652294128, ISBN 978-965-229-412-8), 2010, p. 59, 60
  13. Compare Rashi, Bereishis 11:32 with Bereishis Rabbah 39:7
  14. (Haggadah shel Pesach) – Levene, Osher C. People of the Book, (ISBN 1568714467, ISBN 978-1-56871-446-2), 2004, p. 79–80
  15. "Google Sites". sites.google.com.
  16. Acts 7:2–4
  17. Genesis 11:31
  18. "Bible Gateway passage: Acts 7:4 - King James Version". Bible Gateway.
  19. Roohul Ma'ani, 7/194,95.
  20. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 2, p. 100.
  21. Al-Dur al-Manthur, vol. 3, p. 43.
  22. Niazi, Yama (2022-10-06). "Will All Believers and Their Non-Muslim Parents Be Forgiven?". Seekers Guidance. Archived from the original on 2023-06-15. Retrieved 2023-06-15. The Prophet Ibrahim's actual father was a Muslim. His name is given as Tarakh by historians.
  23. Al Minahul Makkiyya, 1/152
  24. "Tafsir al-Tabari". tafsir.app. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  25. Sanaulla al-Mazhari, Tafsir al-Mazhari, 3/256.
  26. Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 4, p. 175
  27. Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 5, p. 303.
  28. Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 7, p. 261
  29. "Aamal e Umme Dawood". www.duas.org.
  30. "Wilayat Mission" (PDF).
  31. Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 214
  32. "Ziyarat Arbaeen - Duas.org". www.duas.org.
  33. ^ "Was Azar the Father of Prophet Abraham?". Al-Islam.org. Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  34. ^ Quran 2:124-141
  35. Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Kathir, Abraham and his father
  36. Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi (26 March 2016). The Laws of Islam (PDF). Enlight Press. ISBN 978-0-9942-4098-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
Adam to David according to the Hebrew Bible
Creation to Flood
Patriarchs after Flood
Tribe of Judah to Kingdom
Names in italics only appear in the Greek Septuagint version
People and things in the Quran
Characters
Non-humans
Animals
Related
Non-related
Malāʾikah (Angels)
Muqarrabun
Jinn (Genies)
Shayāṭīn (Demons)
Others
Prophets
Mentioned
Ulul-ʿAzm
('Those of the
Perseverance
and Strong Will')
Debatable ones
Implied
People of Prophets
Good ones
People of
Joseph
People of
Aaron and Moses
Evil ones
Implied or
not specified
Groups
Mentioned
Tribes,
ethnicities
or families
Aʿrāb (Arabs
or Bedouins)
Ahl al-Bayt
('People of the
Household')
Implicitly
mentioned
Religious
groups
Locations
Mentioned
In the
Arabian Peninsula
(excluding Madyan)
Sinai Region
or Tīh Desert
In Mesopotamia
Religious
locations
Implied
Events, incidents, occasions or times
Battles or
military expeditions
Days
Months of the
Islamic calendar
Pilgrimages
  • Al-Ḥajj (literally 'The Pilgrimage', the Greater Pilgrimage)
  • Al-ʿUmrah (The Lesser Pilgrimage)
Times for prayer
or remembrance		Times for Duʿāʾ ('Invocation'), Ṣalāh and Dhikr ('Remembrance', including Taḥmīd ('Praising'), Takbīr and Tasbīḥ):
  • Al-ʿAshiyy (The Afternoon or the Night)
  • Al-Ghuduww ('The Mornings')
    • Al-Bukrah ('The Morning')
    • Aṣ-Ṣabāḥ ('The Morning')
  • Al-Layl ('The Night')
  • Aẓ-Ẓuhr ('The Noon')
  • Dulūk ash-Shams ('Decline of the Sun')
    • Al-Masāʾ ('The Evening')
    • Qabl al-Ghurūb ('Before the Setting (of the Sun)')
      • Al-Aṣīl ('The Afternoon')
      • Al-ʿAṣr ('The Afternoon')
  • Qabl ṭulūʿ ash-Shams ('Before the rising of the Sun')
    • Al-Fajr ('The Dawn')
Implied
  • Ghadir Khumm
  • Laylat al-Mabit
  • First Pilgrimage
    • Other
    Holy books
    Objects
    of people
    or beings
    Mentioned idols
    (cult images)
    Of Israelites
    Of Noah's people
    Of Quraysh
    Celestial
    bodies    		Maṣābīḥ (literally 'lamps'):
    • Al-Qamar (The Moon)
    • Kawākib (Planets)
      • Al-Arḍ (The Earth)
    • Nujūm (Stars)
      • Ash-Shams (The Sun)
    Plant matter
  • Baṣal (Onion)
  • Fūm (Garlic or wheat)
  • Shaṭʾ (Shoot)
  • Sūq (Plant stem)
  • Zarʿ (Seed)
    • Fruits
    Bushes, trees
    or plants
    Liquids
    • Māʾ (Water or fluid)
      • Nahr (River)
      • Yamm (River or sea)
    • Sharāb (Drink)
    Note: Names are sorted alphabetically. Standard form: Islamic name / Biblical name (title or relationship)
    Linear genealogy of Muhammad from the first couple, according to various sources
    Generations after Creation
    Ibrahim
    Tribe of the Adnanites
    Quraysh tribe
    The House of Hashim
    Categories: