Was Azar the Father of Abraham (a.s.)?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Due to the nature of the Arabic language, and the limitations of the translations, there is some confusion on the father of Abraham (a.s.), according to the Qur’an. 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنعَام

۞ وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ ءَازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصۡنَامًا ءَالِهَةً‌ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَرَٮٰكَ وَقَوۡمَكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬ (٧٤) 

Lo!  Abraham said to his father, Azar, “Take you idols for gods?  For I see you, and your people in manifest error.” (Surah Al-An’am:74) 

سُوۡرَةُ التّوبَة

وَمَا كَانَ ٱسۡتِغۡفَارُ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوۡعِدَةٍ۬ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ۥۤ أَنَّهُ ۥ عَدُوٌّ۬ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنۡهُ‌ۚ إِنَّ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ لَأَوَّٲهٌ حَلِيمٌ۬ (١١٤) 

And Abraham prayed for his father’s Forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him.  But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him: for Abraham was most tender-hearted forbearing. (Surah at-Tawbah:114) 

In the above verses, the word, “abihi”, a variation of “ab”, has been used for Azar. However, “ab” has a variety of meanings, and is not restricted to the biological father, unlike “walid”.  “Ab”  may mean father, and ancestor, such as grandfather or even a distant progeny, and even be extended to the uncle, the brothers of the biological father. 

For example, consider this verse, where Ishmael (a.s.), uncle of Jacob (a.s.) is addressed as “aba’ika” a plural variation of “ab”: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

أَمۡ كُنتُمۡ شُہَدَآءَ إِذۡ حَضَرَ يَعۡقُوبَ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ إِذۡ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِى قَالُواْ نَعۡبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآٮِٕكَ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهً۬ا وَٲحِدً۬ا وَنَحۡنُ لَهُ ۥ مُسۡلِمُونَ (١٣٣) 

Were you witnesses when death appeared before Jacob?  Behold, he said to his sons, “What will ye worship after me?”  They said, “We shall worship your God and the God of your fathers ― of Abraham, Isma’il, and Isaac, ― the One (True) God to Him we bow (in Islam).” (133)