Allah tells us that when Ibrahim said what he said, his people

[فَرَجَعُواْ إِلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ]

(turned to themselves) meaning, they blamed themselves for not taking precautions and protecting their gods. They said:

[إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ]

(Verily, you are the wrongdoers) i.e., because you neglected them and did not guard them.

[ثُمَّ نُكِسُواْ عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ]

(Then they turned to themselves) means, they looked at the ground, and said:

[لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَـؤُلاءِ يَنطِقُونَ]

(Indeed you (Ibrahim) know well that these speak not!) Qatadah said: "The people admitted their guilt and confusion, and said,

[لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَـؤُلاءِ يَنطِقُونَ]

("Indeed you know well that these speak not!'') `So how can you tell us to ask them, if they cannot speak and you know that they cannot speak' At this point, when they admitted that, Ibrahim said to them:

[أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ]

(Do you then worship besides Allah, things that can neither profit you nor harm you) meaning, if they can- not speak and they can neither benefit you nor harm you, then why do you worship them instead of Allah

[أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ ]

(Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense) `Do you not realize the extent of the mis- guidance and extreme disbelief which you are following, which no one could accept but one who is an igno- rant and evil wrong- doer' He defeated them in argument and left them with no way out. Allah said:

[وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ]

e(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people) [6:83]

[قَالُواْ حَرِّقُوهُ وَانصُرُواْ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـعِلِينَ - قُلْنَا ينَارُ كُونِى بَرْداً وَسَلَـمَا عَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ - وَأَرَادُواْ بِهِ كَيْداً فَجَعَلْنَـهُمُ الاٌّخْسَرِينَ ]

(68. They said: "Burn him and help your gods, if you will be doing.'') (69. We said: "O fire! Be you cool and safety for Ibrahim!'') (70. And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers.)