Summary:
He is the friend of God, God chose him with His message and favored him over many of His creation. Abraham lived among a people who worshipped the planets, but that did not please him. He felt in his nature that there was a greater God until God guided him and chose him with His message. Abraham began to call his people to the oneness of God and to worship Him, but they denied him and tried to burn him, so God saved him from their hands. God made the prophets from the lineage of Abraham, so Ishmael and Isaac were born to him. Abraham built the Kaaba with Ishmael.
His Biography:
The Status of Abraham, peace be upon him:
He is one of the five great resolute ones from whom God took a solemn covenant, and they are: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad... in the order of their mission. He is the prophet whom God tested with a clear test. A test beyond human capacity and nerve energy. Despite the severity of the severity and the hardship of the test... Abraham was the servant who fulfilled. And he exceeded his fulfillment with kindness.
And God Almighty honored Abraham with a special honor, and made his religion pure monotheism free from impurities. And He placed reason on the side of those who follow His religion.
And it was from God's favor upon Abraham that God made him an imam for the people, and made prophethood and the Book among his descendants. So all the prophets after Abraham are from his lineage, they are his sons and grandsons. Until the last of the prophets, Muhammad, peace be upon him, came, he came in fulfillment and response to Abraham's call in which he called upon God to send a messenger from among the illiterate people.
If we continue to search for the virtue of Abraham and God’s honoring of him, we will be filled with amazement. We are before a human being whose Lord came with a sound heart. A human being whom God had hardly told to submit until he said, “I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds.” A prophet who was the first to call us Muslims. A prophet who was the grandfather and father of all the prophets of God who came after him. A calm, tolerant, forbearing, and repentant prophet.
Our Lord, the Majestic and Generous, mentions to us something else that is better than all the above. Allah the Almighty says in His perfect verses: (And Allah took Abraham as a friend) There is no mention in the Book of Allah of a prophet whom Allah took as a friend other than Abraham. Scholars said: Friendship is intense love. Thus the verse means: And Allah took Abraham as a beloved. On this lofty peak sits Abraham, peace be upon him. The ultimate hope of those who seek Him, and the ultimate goal of those who achieve and know Allah, is to love Allah the Almighty. As for one of them dreaming that Allah would love him, that He would single him out with love, that He would single him out with friendship, which is intense love, that is something beyond the horizons of imagination. Abraham was this divine servant who deserved to be taken as a friend by Allah.
The state of the polytheists before the mission of Abraham:
The Quran does not talk about his birth or childhood, nor does it explicitly stop at his era, but it paints a picture of the atmosphere of life in his days, so life flows in his era, and you see people divided into three groups:
A group that worships idols and wooden and stone statues.
A group that worships planets, stars, the sun and the moon.
A group that worships kings and rulers.
The upbringing of Abraham, peace be upon him:
Abraham was born in this atmosphere. He was born into a family from the families of that distant time. The head of the family was not an ordinary infidel from idol worshippers, he was a distinguished infidel who made statues of gods with his own hands. It was said that his father died before his birth, so his uncle raised him, and he was like a father to him, and Abraham called him by the word father, and it was said that his father did not die and that Azar was his father in reality, and it was said that Azar was the name of an idol that his father was famous for making.. Whatever the case, Abraham was born into this family.
The head of the family was the greatest sculptor who made statues of gods. The father's profession confers on him a special sanctity among his people, and gives his whole family a distinguished place in society. It is a prestigious family, a family of the ruling elite. From this holy family, a child was born who was destined to stand against his family, against the system of his society, against the illusions of his people, against the suspicions of the priests, against the established thrones, against the worshippers of the stars and planets, and against all kinds of polytheism, in short.
Days passed.. and Ibrahim grew up.. his heart was filled since childhood with sincere hatred for these statues that his father made. He did not understand how a sane person could make a statue with his own hands, and then prostrate to what he made with his own hands. Ibrahim noticed that these statues did not drink, eat, speak, or even straighten up if someone turned them on their side. How do people imagine that these statues can harm or benefit?!
Confronting the worshippers of planets and stars:
Ibrahim, peace be upon him, decided to confront the star worshippers of his people. When he saw a planet at night, he declared that this planet was his god. It seems that his people were reassured by him, and thought that he refused to worship statues and loved to worship planets. Navigation was free between the three paganisms: worshipping statues, stars, and kings. However, Ibrahim had an amazing surprise in store for his people in the morning. The planet that he had joined his religion yesterday had set. And Ibrahim does not like setting ones. So Ibrahim returned the second night to declare to his people that the moon was his god. His people were not smart enough to realize that he was mocking them gently, kindly and lovingly. How can they worship a god who disappears and then appears, sets and then rises? His people did not understand this the first time, so he repeated it with the moon. But the moon is like Venus, like any other planet. It appears and disappears. So Abraham said when the moon set (Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray). We notice here that when he tells his people about his rejection of the divinity of the moon, he is tearing apart the lunar belief calmly and kindly. How can people worship a god who disappears and sets? (Unless my Lord guides me) He makes them understand that he has a god other than all that they worship. However, the gesture does not reach them. Abraham resumes his attempt to establish an argument against the first group of his people.. the worshippers of planets and stars. He declares that the sun is his god, because it is larger than the moon. As soon as the sun set, he declared his innocence from worshipping the stars and planets. They were all closed and setting. He ended his first round by turning his face to the One who created the heavens and the earth, a monotheist... not a polytheist like them. Abraham's argument was able to show the truth. And his people's conflict with him began. The worshippers of the stars and planets did not remain silent. They began their argument, frightening him and threatening him.
Abraham responded to them by saying:
Do you argue with me about Allah while He has guided me? And I do not fear what you associate with Him unless my Lord should will a thing. My Lord encompasses all things in knowledge. Will you not then remember? (80) And how can I fear what you associate with Him while you do not fear that you have associated with Allah that for which He has not sent down to you any authority? Then which of the two parties has more right to security, if you should know? (81) (Al-An`am)
We do not know the terror of the attack on him. Nor the intensity of the struggle against him, nor the method his people followed with him to frighten him. The Qur’an went beyond all of this to respond to him. Their argument was futile, so the Qur’an omitted him from the story, and mentioned Abraham’s logical and rational response. How could they frighten him while they were not? Which of the two groups is more deserving of security?
After Abraham, peace be upon him, explained his argument to the group of star and planet worshippers, he prepared to explain his argument to the idol worshippers. God gave him the argument the first time, as He will give him the argument every time.
Glory be to Him.. He supported Abraham and showed him the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He had nothing with him but his Islam when he began his struggle with the idol worshippers. This time the struggle takes a more intense form. His father is in the matter.. This is the father’s profession and the secret of his status and the place of belief of the people.. It is the worship that the majority follow.
Confronting the idol worshippers:
Abraham went out to his people with his call. He said with angry decisiveness and jealousy for the truth:
When he said to his father and his people, “What are these statues to which you are devoted?” (52) They said, “We found our fathers worshipping them.” (53) He said, “Indeed, you and your fathers were in manifest error.” (54) They said, “Have you brought us the truth, or are you among those who play?” (55) He said, “Rather, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, who created them, and I, over that, am among you.” The Witnesses (56) (The Prophets)
The matter ended and the conflict between Abraham and his people began.. The most astonished and angry of them was his father or uncle who raised him as a father.. The father and son clashed in the conflict. Principles separated them and they differed.. The son stands with God, and the father stands with falsehood.
The father said to his son:
My calamity in you is great, Abraham.. You have let me down and wronged me.
Abraham said:
O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and does not avail you at all? (42) O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to a straight path. (43) O my father, do not worship Satan. Indeed, Satan has been disobedient to the Most Merciful. (44) O my father, indeed I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful will touch you, and you would be to Satan a friend. (45) (Maryam)
He rose up The father stood trembling with anger. He said to Abraham in a rage, "If you do not stop this call of yours, I will stone you. I will kill you with stones. This is the reward of those who stand against the gods.. Get out of my house.. I do not want to see you.. Get out." The matter ended and the conflict resulted in Abraham being expelled from his house. It also resulted in him being threatened with being stoned to death. Despite this, Abraham behaved like a dutiful son and a noble prophet. He addressed his father with the politeness of the prophets. He said to his father in response to the insults, slander, expulsion and death threats:
He said, "Peace be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord. Indeed, He has been gracious to me." (47) And I will leave you and what you call upon besides Allah, and I will call upon my Lord. Perhaps I will not be, in calling upon my Lord, unhappy." (48) (Maryam)
And Abraham left his father's house. He abandoned his people and what they worshipped besides Allah. And he decided in his heart something. He knew that there was a great celebration taking place on the other side of the river, and all the people were going to it. He waited until the celebration came and the city in which he lived was empty of people.
And Abraham went out cautiously, heading towards the temple. The streets leading to the temple were empty. The temple itself was deserted. All the people had moved to the celebration. Abraham entered the temple with a sharp axe. He looked at the statues of the gods carved from rock and wood. He looked at the food that people placed in front of them as vows and gifts. Abraham approached the statues and asked them: (Do you not eat?) He was mocking them and he knew that they did not eat. He asked the statues again: (What is the matter with you that you do not speak?) Then he struck the gods with his axe. The worshiped gods turned into small pieces of stones and broken wood.. except for the largest idol, which Abraham left (for them, perhaps to it they will return). They asked him how the incident happened while he was present and did not defend the small gods! Perhaps then they would review the whole matter and return to their senses.
However, the people of Abraham, whose minds were paralyzed by superstition from thinking, and whose thoughts were shackled by tradition from contemplation and reflection, did not ask themselves: If these were gods, how did what happened to them happen without them defending themselves at all?! And how could this great one not defend himself?! Instead, (They said: Who has done this to our gods? Indeed, he is among the wrongdoers.)
Then those who heard Abraham denounce his father and those with him for worshipping statues, and threatening them that he would plot against their gods after they turned away from them, remembered!
So they brought Abraham, peace be upon him, and the people gathered, and they asked him (Did you do this to our gods, O Abraham)? So Abraham answered them (Rather, their greatest one did it, so ask them, if they should speak). The sarcasm is clear in this sarcastic answer. There is no need to call this a lie from Abraham - peace be upon him - and to search for its justification with various reasons that the commentators disagreed upon. The matter is much easier than this! Rather, he wanted to tell them: These statues do not know who destroyed them, whether it was me or this large idol that does not have the ability to move like them. They are inanimate and have no perception at all. And you are like them, deprived of perception, and you do not distinguish between what is permissible and what is impossible. You do not know whether I am the one who destroyed them or this statue is the one who destroyed them! It seems that this mocking sarcasm shook them and brought them back to some contemplation and reflection:
So they returned to themselves and said, "Indeed, you are the wrongdoers" (64) (Al-Anbiya')
It was a good sign that they sensed the absurdity of their position and the injustice in their worship of these statues. And that their insight would open up for the first time so that they could contemplate the absurdity with which they were taking themselves and the injustice in which they were immersed. But it was only a flash followed by darkness, or a single beat after which their hearts returned to inactivity:
Then they were turned upside down on their heads. You have certainly known that these do not speak (65) (Al-Anbiya')
Indeed, the first was a return to the souls, and the second was a setback on the heads; As the wonderful Quranic expression says.. The first was a movement in the soul to look and ponder. As for the second, it was a coup on the head, so there is no mind or thinking. Otherwise, their saying this last is the argument against them. And what argument does Abraham have stronger than that these people do not speak?
Then he answers them violently and narrowly, unlike his usual patience and forbearance. Because the foolishness here exceeds the patience of the forbearing:
He said, "Do you then worship instead of Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you? (66) Fie upon you and upon what you worship instead of Allah. Do you not understand?" (67) (Al-Anbiya)
It is a statement in which the narrowness of the chest and the anger of the soul appear, and the wonder of the foolishness that exceeds all that is familiar.
Then pride in sin took hold of them, as tyrants always do when they lose their argument and lack evidence, so they resort to brute force and severe punishment:
They said, “Burn him and support your gods, if you are going to do so.” (68) (Al-Anbiya)
The salvation of Abraham, peace be upon him, from the fire:
Indeed, preparations began to burn Abraham. The news spread throughout the kingdom. People came from villages, mountains and cities to witness the punishment of the one who dared to destroy the gods, confessed to it and mocked the priests. They dug a huge pit and filled it with firewood, wood and trees. They set it on fire. They brought a catapult, a powerful machine, to throw Abraham into it so that he would fall into the pit of fire. They put Abraham, after tying his hands and feet, in the catapult. The fire ignited in the pit and the flames rose to the sky. People were standing far away from the pit because of the intense blazing heat. The chief priest gave his order to throw Abraham into the fire.
Gabriel, peace be upon him, came and stood at Abraham's head and asked him: O Abraham, do you have a need?
Abraham said: As for you, no.
The catapult was launched, throwing Abraham into the pit of fire. The fire was there in its place, but it was not performing its function of burning. Allah the Almighty ordered the fire to be (cool and safe for Abraham). The fire burned only his chains. Abraham sat in the middle of it as if he was sitting in a garden. He was praising and glorifying his Lord. There was no empty space in his heart that could be filled with fear, awe or panic. The heart was filled with love alone. Fear died. Awe vanished. The fire turned into a cool peace that softened the heat of the atmosphere.
The priests and people sat watching the fire from afar. Its heat reached them despite their distance from it. The fire continued to burn for a long time until the disbelievers thought it would never go out. When it went out, they were surprised to see Abraham emerge from the pit unharmed as he had entered. His face was shining with light and glory. His clothes were still intact, unburned. There was no trace of smoke or fire on him.
Abraham emerged from the fire as if he were emerging from a garden. And the cries of disbelief rose in astonishment. They lost their round with a bitter and sarcastic loss.
And they intended against him a plot, but We made them the greatest losers (70) (Al-Anbiya)
The Holy Quran does not tell us about the age of Abraham when he destroyed the idols of his people, nor does it tell us about the age at which he was charged with calling to God. It appears from reading the ancient texts that Abraham was a young man when he did that, as evidenced by what his people said about him: (We heard a young man mentioning them, called Abraham). The word young man is used for the age before twenty.
Confronting the worshippers of kings:
The time of Allah's selection of Abraham is not specified in the Qur'an. Therefore, we cannot give a final answer. All we can say is that Abraham established the argument against the idol worshippers in a decisive manner, just as he had established it against the worshippers of stars and planets before in a decisive manner. All that remains is to establish the argument against the deified kings and their worshippers.. and thus the argument is established against all the disbelievers. So Abraham, peace be upon him, went to a deified king who was in his time. The Qur'an ignored the name of the king because of its lack of importance, but it was narrated that the king contemporary with Abraham was called (Nimrod) and he was the king of the Arameans in Iraq. It also ignored the truth of his feelings, as well as the long dialogue that took place between Abraham and him. But Allah the Almighty in His wise book told us the first argument that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) presented against the tyrannical king, Ibrahim said calmly: (My Lord is He who gives life and causes death)
The king said: (I give life and cause death) I can bring a man walking in the street and kill him, and I can pardon a person sentenced to death and save him from death.. Thus I am able to live and die.
Ibrahim did not argue with the king because of the naivety of what he was saying. Rather, he wanted to prove to the king that he imagined himself to be capable while in reality he was not. Ibrahim said: (Then Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west)
The king listened to Ibrahim's challenge silently.. When the prophet finished speaking, the king was stunned. He felt helpless and could not answer. Abraham proved to him that he was a liar.. He told him that God brings the sun from the east, so can he bring it from the west.. The universe has systems and laws that it follows.. Laws created by God and no creature can control them. And if the king was honest in his claim of divinity, then let him change the system and laws of the universe.. At that moment, the king felt helpless.. and the challenge silenced him. He did not know what to say, nor how to act. Abraham left the king's palace, after the disbeliever was astonished.
The Migration of Abraham, peace be upon him:
Abraham's fame spread throughout the kingdom. People talked about his miracle and his escape from the fire, and people talked about his position with the king and how he silenced the king so that he did not know what to say. Abraham continued his call to God Almighty. He made every effort to guide his people, he tried to convince them by all means, and despite his love for them and his concern for them, his people became angry and abandoned him, and only one woman and one man believed with him from his people. A woman named Sarah, who later became his wife, and a man named Lot, who later became a prophet. When Abraham realized that no one would believe in his call, he decided to emigrate.
Before emigrating, he called his father to believe, then it became clear to Abraham that his father was an enemy of God, and that he did not intend to believe, so he disowned him and cut off his relationship with him.
For the second time in the stories of the prophets, we encounter this surprise. In the story of Noah, the father was a prophet and the son was an unbeliever, and in the story of Abraham, the father was an unbeliever and the son was a prophet. In both stories, we see the believer declare his innocence from the enemy of God, despite being his son or father, as if God is making us understand through the story that the only relationship on which ties between people should be based is the relationship of faith, not the relationship of birth and blood.
Abraham, peace be upon him, left his country and began his migration. He traveled to a city called Ur. And a city called Haran. Then he traveled to Palestine with his wife, the only woman who believed in him. And he took with him Lot, the only man who believed in him.
After Palestine, Abraham went to Egypt. And throughout all this time and during all these journeys, he was calling people to worship God, fighting for His sake, serving the weak and the poor, being just between people, and guiding them to the truth and right.
Some narrations come to explain the story of Abraham, peace be upon him, and his wife Sarah and their position with the king of Egypt. They say
The news reached the king of Egypt that a man had arrived in Egypt with a woman who was the most beautiful woman on earth. He coveted her. He sent his soldiers to bring him this woman. He ordered them to ask about the man with her, and if he was her husband, they should kill him. Then revelation came to Abraham, peace be upon him, about that. Abraham, peace be upon him, said to Sarah, “If they ask you about me, then you are my sister” - meaning his sister in God - and he said to her, “There is no believer on this earth except me and you” - all the people of Egypt are infidels, there is no monotheist among them. So the soldiers came and asked Abraham, “What is this from you?” He said, “My sister.”
Let us pause here for a moment.. Abraham said when he said to his people, “I am sick” and “Rather, their leader did it, so ask him” and “She is my sister.” All of these are words that can be interpreted. However, Abraham, peace be upon him, was very afraid of being held accountable for these words on the Day of Judgment. When people go to him on the Day of Judgment to ask God to begin the reckoning, he will say to them, “No, I have lied about my Lord” three times.
We find that people now lie in front of people without shame or fear of their Creator.
When Sarah knew that the king of Egypt was immoral and wanted her for himself, she began to supplicate to God, saying: O God, if you know that I have believed in you and your messenger and have guarded my private parts except for my husband, then do not let the infidel rule over me.
So when they brought her to him, he extended his hand to touch her, but he failed and his hand froze in place, so he began to scream because he could no longer move it. His aides came to help him, but they could not do anything. Sarah feared that they would kill her because of what she did to the king. So she said: O Lord, leave him alone, lest they kill me because of him. So God answered her supplication.
But the king did not repent and thought that what happened was a passing matter and left. So he attacked her again. He failed a second time. So he said: Release me. So she supplicated to God Almighty, and He released him. He extended his hand a third time, but he failed. So he said: Release me, I will divorce you, and honor you. So she supplicated to God Almighty, and He released him. The king shouted to his men: Take her away from me, for you have not brought me a human being, but a devil.
So he released her and gave her some gold, as well as a slave girl named "Hagar".
This story is famous about Abraham's entry into Egypt.
His wife Sarah was childless. The king of Egypt had given her an Egyptian lady to serve her. Abraham had become an old man, and his hair had turned white from a long life spent calling to God. Sarah thought that she and Abraham were alone, and she had no children. What if she presented him with an Egyptian lady to be her husband's wife? The Egyptian woman's name was "Hagar". Thus, Sarah married our master Abraham to Hagar, and Hagar gave birth to her first son, and his father named him "Ishmael". Abraham was an old man when Hagar gave birth to his first son, Ishmael.
We do not know the distances Abraham traveled on his journey to God. He was always the traveler to God. Whether he settled in his home or his steps carried him as a traveler on earth. A traveler to God knows that these are days on earth and then death will come, then the trumpet will be blown, the resurrection of the dead will take place, and the resurrection will take place.
Resurrection of the dead:
The last day filled Abraham's heart with peace, love and certainty. He wanted to see one day how Allah Almighty revives the dead. Allah narrated this situation in Surah (Al-Baqarah).. Allah Almighty said:
And when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." He said, "Do you not believe?" He said, "Yes, but [I do] to reassure my heart."
This desire for reassurance of the heart with faith is only a degree of love for Allah.
He said, "Then take four birds and scatter them to yourself, then place a portion of them on every mountain, then call them, they will come to you running. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise."
Abraham did what God had commanded him to do. He slaughtered four birds and scattered their parts on the mountains. He called upon them in the name of Allah, and the feathers rose up to catch his wings, the chests searched for their heads, the parts of the birds flew together, the ribs met the hearts, the slaughtered parts rushed to heal, life came to the birds, and a flying bird came quickly and threw itself into Abraham's arms. Some commentators believe that this experiment was Abraham's curiosity. Some of them believed that he wanted to see the hand of the Almighty Creator at work, so he did not see the method even though he saw the result. Some commentators believed that he was satisfied with what God told him and did not slaughter the bird. We believe that this experience was a degree of love that the traveler to God reached. Abraham.
Abraham's Journey with Hagar and Ishmael to the Valley of Mecca:
One day, Abraham woke up and ordered his wife Hagar to carry her son and prepare for a long journey. A few days later, Abraham's journey began with his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael. The child was an infant who had not yet been weaned. Abraham kept walking through a cultivated land followed by a desert followed by mountains. Until he entered the desert of the Arabian Peninsula, and Abraham headed to a valley that had no crops, no fruits, no trees, no food, no water, and no drink. The valley was completely devoid of any signs of life. Abraham reached the valley, got off his mount, and brought his wife and son down and left them there. He left with them a bag containing some food and a little water. Then he turned and left them and walked.
His wife ran after him and said to him: O Abraham, where are you going and leaving us in this valley that has nothing in it?
Our master Abraham did not respond to her. He kept walking. She repeated to him what she had said and he was silent. Finally, she understood that he did not act like this on his own. She realized that Allah had ordered him to do so and asked him: Did Allah order you to do this? Ibrahim (AS) said: Yes.
His great believing wife said: We will not be lost as long as Allah is with us and He is the One who ordered you to do this. Ibrahim walked until a mountain hid him from them. He stopped and raised his two generous hands to the sky and began to supplicate to Allah: (Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House).
The House of Allah had not yet been rebuilt, the Kaaba had not yet been built, and there was a higher wisdom in these mysterious actions. Ishmael was the child who was left with his mother in this place. This child was the one who would later be responsible with his father for building the Kaaba. Allah's wisdom dictated that the development extend to this valley and that the House of Allah, to which we all face during prayer, would be built there.
Ibrahim left his wife and his infant son in the desert and returned to his struggle in calling to Allah. Ishmael's mother breastfed her son and felt thirsty. The sun was blazing hot and making one thirsty. After two days the water was completely gone, and the mother's milk had dried up. Hagar and Ishmael felt thirsty. The food had also run out. The situation seemed very difficult and critical.
Zamzam Water:
Ishmael began to cry from thirst. His mother left him and went looking for water. She walked quickly until she reached a mountain called "Safa". She climbed it and started looking for a well, a person or a caravan. There was nothing. She quickly descended from Safa until she reached the valley. She walked like a tired person until she crossed the valley and reached the mountain of "Marwah". She climbed it and looked to see anyone, but she did not see anyone. The mother returned to her child and found him crying and his thirst was intense. She hurried to Safa and stood on it, then ran to Marwah and looked from above. She went back and forth seven times between the two small mountains. Seven times she went and returned. That is why the pilgrims go seven times and return between Safa and Marwah to revive the memories of their first mother and their great prophet, Ishmael. Hajar returned after the seventh time exhausted, tired and panting. She sat next to her son, whose voice was hoarse from crying and thirst.
At this desperate moment, Allah's mercy overtook her, and Ismail stamped his foot while crying, and the Zamzam well burst under his feet. Water gushed from the well. She saved the lives of the child and the mother. The mother scooped with her hand while thanking Allah. She drank and gave her child water to drink, and life began to flow in the area. Her belief was true when she said: We will not be lost as long as Allah is with us.
Some caravans began to settle in the area. The water that burst from the Zamzam well attracted many people. And civilization began to spread its wings over the place.
