Where is the story of the Ibrahim and the Bird?

2/260 was mentioned by Veronica in QRAC today. It made me notice the context (always a good thing). Here is my response:

I’d also humbly suggest looking at the context of this ayah (2/260) which is the call to the believers (2/254-263). It seems to be dealing with the process through which believers attain the guardianship of Allah (2/257). It begins with spending in His way (2/254) which is equivalent to holding on the the strongest of bonds (2/256). I believe 2/260 about ibrahim and the birds must fit this ‘tone’.

 

uswatun and hmd

I have a train of thoughts about hmd from 61:6. (see http://www.quranists.net/forum/index.php?topic=90.msg447#msg447 )

When I looked at the definition of  “precedent” I noticed that the synonyms are example, model, pattern, standard, which reminded me of uswatun. Uswatun has been discussed recently in the QuranRoots group

So I was thinking : in 33:21, 60:4 and 60:6 it seems to me to be about setting an example  and 5:26, 5:68, 7:93 and 57:23 could be warning not to take an example from those kinds of people.  The ones setting the example are of course following Allah’s words. I’m thinking the ones who  hold fast to the Kitab are the ones who are exemplifying 19:12, 2:63, 2:93, 7:145, 7:170-171, 43:43, 22:78

Interestingly : l-ḥamīdu is in 57:24 which comes after tasaw (from same root as uswatun) in 57:23

Ibrahim 60:4 “There has been a us’watun ḥasanatun for you in Abraham and those with him…”

4:125 And Allah wa-ittakhadha Ibrahim “khalīlan”  – it is interesting to ponder, then, what is “khaleelan”  ? It is used in 9:47 : it seems (to me) to be conceptually the same kind of thing. wala-awḍaʿū khilālakum seems to be lead to  yabghūnakumu l-fit’nata   ( I am thinking that taking away the exemplary intentions/behaviour*  would lead to fitnah).

So I am reflecting on all this and ponder that the only way to lead by example is to follow the precedent set by Allah and to not take examples from the wrong-doers BECAUSE Alhamdulillah 

*= intentions are more from WITHIN (khalil seems to connote some kind of “insides/inwards/within” and behaviour seems more outwardly

Just thinking out loud