Surah 21

Surah 21:51

"Certainly We gave Abraham his right (path) before (them), (for) We knew him."

– Certainly We gave Abraham his right (path) before (them), (for) We knew him
Abraham preaches against the idolatry of his father and his people and breaks all their idols except one (v. 58). When the people ask who broke the idols, however, Abraham says that the remaining idol broke the others (v. 63).
Abraham’s lie in this story posed a problem to later Muslim commentators who claimed that prophets cannot sin. Readers who would like a taste of this discussion can find it in a helpful article by Norman Calder, “Tafsīr from Ṭabarī to Ibn Kathīr”. See also “Abraham in the Quran”.

- from The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam