Prophet Abraham and the Fire That Turned Cool

Abraham was a prophet who lived a very long time ago. In the city where he lived, people worshipped idols made of stone and wood. Ever since he was young, Abraham had wondered: "These idols cannot speak, cannot hear, cannot even protect themselves. How can they help us?"

One night he looked up at the sky. He saw a star, bright and beautiful. But when morning came, the star was gone. He saw the moon, and then it set too. He saw the sun, huge and warm; in the evening it set as well. Abraham understood: something that sets and disappears cannot be the Creator. There is only one God, who created the stars, the moon and the sun.

Abraham began to tell people this. But Nimrod, the ruler of the city, grew very angry. "This young man looks down on our idols," he said. He had a great fire lit; so great that its flames reached up to the sky. They decided to throw Abraham into this fire.

Abraham was not afraid at all. In his heart he trusted God. The moment he was thrown into the fire, God called out to the fire: "O fire! Be cool and peaceful for Abraham."

And the fire did not burn! The flames became like a cool breeze. Neither Abraham's hair nor his clothes were burned. According to the stories, the middle of that fire turned into a rose garden. Those watching from afar saw with amazement: Abraham was sitting calmly in the middle of the fire.

One story tells of a little ant that carried a drop of water in its mouth to try to put out the fire. They asked it, "What can one drop put out?" The ant said, "At least it will be clear which side I am on."

This story tells us: saying what you know is right takes courage. A heart that trusts in God does not fear even the biggest fire. And to be on the side of goodness, even one little drop is precious.